Page 58 of Riot

I walked past her, heading back toward the garden while shrugging my shoulders.

Madeira followed, slow and steady. “So what makes her different?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know yet.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“But I’m willing to see,” I said.

Her face shifted. A little surprised. Maybe a little proud. She nodded and didn’t say anything else.

She just picked up her purse and headed toward the back door.

“I’ll be running errands today and I’m going to check on your mother,” she said. “Try not to burn the house down while I’m gone.”

I watched her go, then headed back outside to the garden, to get Allure but she was walking back in.

I watched Madeira disappear out the back door, the sound of it clicking shut echoing louder than it should’ve.

I turned, ready to head back to the garden to find Allure—my nerves still buzzing from that almost-kiss. But just as I reached the hallway, there she was. Stepping back inside, her eyes catching mine like she’d been looking for me too.

“Hey,” she said softly. I could see that she felt it too. I didn’t say anything at first.

I just stood there, letting myself feel that flicker of something I wasn’t ready to name.

And then I motioned for her to follow me.

“Come on,” I said. “Wanna show you something.”

Because yeah—I was willing to see.

And maybe… just maybe… I was ready for what came next.

She didn’t ask where we were going. Just fell in step beside me like she belonged there.

I led her down the left wing of the house, past the library, past the second sitting room, until we reached a thick steel door with a keypad. I punched in the code and opened it, revealing a room lined with tech—monitors, servers, MacBooks, encrypted routers, shit that only a few people in the world could understand or had access to.

“This is my tech room” I said, stepping aside so she could enter. “Don’t let the nerd setup fool you—this room controls most of the security feeds for the property. It’s where I keep eyes on everything.”

Her lips parted as she stepped in slowly, eyes darting across the screens and gear. “It looks like the CIA in here.”

I chuckled. “Something like that.”

I walked over to the corner desk and slid one of the MacBooks her way. “You can use this while I’m gone. It’s clean. Secure. But don’t log into anything with your real name. Keep it light. Don’t tell anyone where you are, not even your family. Boaz has money and muscle. His people may try to reach out to your family to get at you.”

She turned to me, serious now. “I understand. I won’t.”

“I’m not trying to scare you,” I said. “But we’re not in the clear yet. You’re safe as long as nobody knows you’re here. And I intend to keep it that way.”

She nodded, gripping the laptop with both hands. “Thank you, Riot. For all of this.”

I didn’t say nothin’. Just looked at her. Really looked.

Her face was calm but I saw the storm under it—the fear, the hope, the confusion. She’d been through hell and was still standing. That alone made her dangerous in the best way.

“There’s more,” I said, leading her out of the office and down the next hall. I hit a hidden switch and a dark panel slid open to reveal a theater room—full screen, plush seating, sound system that’d rattle your chest.

Her eyes lit up. “Wow.”

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