Page 54 of Riot

“This house is so huge, you should’ve left a breadcrumb trail so that I could find you.” I joked.

“You’ll get used to it. I’ll give you a full tour after we eat,” he pointed at the seat across from, nudging me to sit.

He pushed a plate in front of me. French toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Next to it, a glass of orange-tinted bubbles sparkled under the overhead light.

“A mimosa?” I lifted a brow.

“Of course,” he said with a smirk. “Welcome to freedom.”

I sat slowly, eyes bouncing between him and the plate. “Madeira did a great job.”

“Yeah, she’s a beast. I arranged it though.”

I picked up my fork, laughing softly. “Yeah. Very symmetrical.”

“Thank you. You ain’t never gonna meet a nigga that can arrange some french toast like me” he said, watching me take the first bite. “That good?”

I nodded, mouth full, holding in a laugh. “Mm-hmm. It’s soooo good. This is the first meal, I’ve had in years that I didn’t have to cook.”

“Damn he worked you like a slave, huh.”

“Yeah,” I glanced to the side.

“Listen, if the cancer don’t get to him before I can, I’m killing that nigga for what he did to you,” he spoke.

“Honestly, I want to be the one to pull the trigger.”

“Of course,” he replied.

“Why are you doing this for me?” I asked looking him in his eyes. The attraction between us was undeniable but I couldn’t understand why he would help me out.

“One, you captured me that day by the pool. You got a rare essence and I want to protect. No, I need to protect. Two, man, my brother got me on some kill the predators shit. It’s a long story but I feel like it helps me bring balance back to this cruel world. He started killing pedophiles, then I joined in. I just can’t stand to see women and children taken advantage of.”

His words were sincere but something told me there was more to it than that. I could tell there was something more in his heart that he was fighting to fill.

“I wish there was some way I could repay you. I had no plan last night but I knew that I needed to get away from Irina.”

“Perhaps it was fate. It was fate that I was even there. I was coming for you and those girls either way. I was in plotting mode but you got out before I could get to you. And speaking of Irina, she is freaking out. My cousin Rollo called me this morning to tell me.”

“I feel bad about that but I can’t live my life as a slave so that she won’t get in trouble with her father.”

“Exactly. She’ll be aight,” he reassured me.

My eyes searched his face. The quiet promise behind his words made my chest ache in a way I didn’t know how to explain.It wasn’t fear. It wasn’t just attraction—though there was plenty of that. It was something like trust. Like gravity.

“So, where’s Madeira?”

“She’s out back. Supervising the team that comes to feed the animals.”

My stomach tightened. “I forgot you were the animal dealer.”

“I’m so much more baby girl,” he said, catching my tone.

“Oh, I can feel that.”

I didn’t like that he kept exotic animals. Nothing wild deserved to be caged but now wasn’t the time to bring that up.

Our eyes lingered on one another for what seemed like a lifetime. It was awkward but also fiery. Shit, what am I doing? I can’t be falling for some guy. I was just a slave.

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