Page 46 of Riot

“It’s me,” he said again, lower this time. “Come on, baby. We gotta move.”

I looked one last time at the woman in the mirror, inhaled like it was my first breath of freedom, and unlocked the door.

Riot was standing there, tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in black from head to toe. He didn’t smile—he didn’t need to. His eyes scanned me, lingering on my lips, my legs, my curves. The way he looked at me made my chest heat up, but he didn’t say a word. He just reached for my hand, curled those rough fingers around mine, and tugged me forward.

Irina was nowhere in sight—probably back on the dance floor, tangled around Rollo like a vine around a fence post.

Good.

We slipped through a side hallway and exited out the back of the club. A valet stood out there, barely paying attention as Riot flashed him a nod. Seconds later, a sleek black sports car pulled up—low, wide, and loud, like it was purring just for him.

My eyes widened.

“You drive that?” I asked.

Riot smirked as he opened the passenger door for me. “Hop in.”

I slid inside, sinking into buttery leather and the soft sound of R&B pouring from the speakers. The scent of the interior was rich—leather and spice, mixed with whatever cologne he had on.

“Damn. This is nice.”

“You ever driven before?”

I scoffed. “Boaz didn’t exactly give me driving lessons.”

Riot grinned as he slid into the driver’s seat. “Figures. Maybe I can teach you.”

The city blurred behind us as we hit the highway. The skyline shrank in the rearview mirror. I looked over at him, one hand resting easy on the wheel, the other tapping his thigh to the rhythm of the music.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked.

“To my house in Jersey, ” he stated.

“That’s far enough from Boaz and his people,” I replied.

“Yep, it’s a gated estate with lots of land. No neighbors. Nobody around asking questions.”

I leaned back into the seat, exhaling. “Sounds perfect.”

We rode in silence for a moment, the music soft between us. I looked over at him again, heart pounding for a new reason now.

“Can I see your phone?”

He glanced at me, suspicious. “For what?”

I smiled. “I gotta do something.”

His eyebrow raised skeptically.

I laughed. “I’m gonna go through your contacts and tell all the women in there that I’m yours now.”

There was silence.

“I’m just joking.”

He smirked, but there was something serious in his gaze when he said, “Don’t play with my heart like that.”

That shut me up.

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