Page 22 of UnWholly Angels
The room went silent, and my heart clenched with every breath. Riley’s face was void of emotion, except for the fire burning in his eyes. I remained still as a wicked smirk spread across his lips.
“Bad girl, Maya,” his jaw ticked. "You’re going to pay for that later. Still looking for an apology?"
I mustered all of my courage and held his gaze, crossing my arms and cocking an eyebrow. “Still looking for your necklace?” I snapped back, unable to hold back a smirk as his eyes went wide. His fist clenched by his side, and I foolishly hoped my reply would send him running for the hills. I just wanted to enjoy my pasta, not worry about which personality Riley would have during dinner.
We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Nick cleared his throat, breaking the tension. “If you two are done now, some of us are starving,” he grumbled, passing a container of salad to Chloe.
I bit back a laugh and broke eye contact, heading to the table and sitting down in my usual seat. Unsurprisingly, Riley chose to sit directly across from me, glaring at me as I busied myself with dishing stuffed shells onto my plate. Nick and Chloe tried to fill the awkward silence by talking to the kids and sharing details about their day as we began eating. I didn’t miss the way Riley continued to stare at me as he stabbed his salad aggressively and ate in silence.
In the middle of dinner, as Chloe and I were making small talk, Riley suddenly dropped his fork onto his empty plate, the loud clang drawing everyone’s eyes to him.
“So, Maya,” he mused, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “Why don’t you tell me more about why you need protection?” I was confused but didn’t have a chance to share that as he continued. “More importantly, I’m interested to know why you felt the only way to get said protection was to sell your cunt to the highest bidder.” His words were as smooth as honey and laced with hidden venom.
Chloe gasped, and Nick groaned. “My kids, man, really?” he scolded, but Riley just ignored him.
I stopped chewing. It was clear the gloves had come completely off at this point.
“Why have you been watching a cam girl when you could have, I don’t know, met someone like a normal person? Even a puck bunny would have been a better choice,” I sneered, taking a sip of my water.
Suddenly, my appetite halted as I waited for his answer, forcing myself to meet his hardened stare. He kept his expression stoic as he leaned forward and answered, “Because no one else compares to you. I’ve tried.”
It happened so fast. The swig of water forced its way up my throat, and I spit it out in a rushed wave. The contents made their way across the table and pelted Riley right in the face. Nick’s eyes widened along with Chloe’s, and I shot out of my chair.
“I’m sorry. I swear it was an accident,” I rambled. Panicked, I ran to the kitchen to grab a few extra napkins.
My hands were shaking when I felt a presence behind me, causing my body to go rigid. “Maya…” Riley murmured, his voice calm and almost concerned, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. “Maya, it’s really okay. Would you look at me?”
After a moment, I turned slowly and faced him. His gaze met mine, and he sighed heavily.
“Look, I’m sure that was only half-intentional, but next time you’re surprised by something I say, either tell me or aim the other way. Okay?” he quipped, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. His tone was less demanding than before, and my shoulders loosened just a bit. “Jokes aside,” Riley continued, “I know it’s hard for you, but moving forward, I really need you to just communicate with me.”
I shook my head, baffled by how easily he could switch how he acted toward me. “We don’t communicate on your terms, Riley. It doesn’t work like that,” I argued.
“When it has to do with the only person I’ve ever loved still being alive and being lied to about it for twelve years? Yeah, I’d say this happens on my terms,” he said firmly.
“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s not like you’ve given me a reason to hear anything you have to say,” I scoffed. Any interaction we’ve had since I escaped has been less than ideal; if that was our future, I’d be better off going back to Rocco. It would hurt less.
Leaning back against the counter, I shook away the thought and decided to change the subject. “You want to communicate? Why don’t you tell me about your alter ego?” He looked confused, and I chuckled dangerously. “Angel fucking Kingston, hockey star and Crestview’s playboy, is so famous he has to hide behind a screenname. DeviantKing…not very original,” I snapped. He narrowed his eyes at me, but I couldn’t stop myself. “I was Rocco's prisoner for years while you were off creating a lavish life for yourself. How can I trust someone who already abandoned me not once, but twice, when I needed him most?”
“That’s not fair,” he frowned, his eyes burning holes in mine. The air around us was thick with years of pent-up tension, and it felt insanely heavy. “And I’m not a fucking playboy.”
“Could've fooled me,” I shrugged. “I saw that PR disaster a few years back. You were sloppy.”
His hands balled into fists, and I swallowed, my instincts screaming to back off. “Why did you stay with him all these years? We were going to run. Why didn’t you run, Freckles?” His voice cracked on my nickname, and the heat of the room enveloped me. The act I was putting on, the confidence I tried to portray, began to falter. Riley stepped forward, his muscular frame towering over my body and invading my space. “Answer me,” he whispered.
“I tried, Riley,” I explained, “multiple times. After the assault, I woke up in the hospital to find out my mother was dead, and I was going home with the Whitlocks. And you…you were gone. No one would tell me where you went. So, I waited. I waited for one thousand, four hundred and sixty days for you to come for me. But Rocco found me first…I had no choice.”
Riley placed his arms on either side of me, caging me against the counter, and my shaky legs threatened to give out. His knuckles skimmed up my arm and over my cheek before resting lightly under my chin, tipping it upward to face him. “I want to hate you so much,” he rasped. “You should feel how I felt, ripped apart and guilty that I couldn’t save you.”
I swallowed thickly at the action, waiting for his next move. He leaned closer, brushing the tip of his nose along my ear and whispering, “I did that to Lorenzo, you know. He got a skate to the eye for putting his hands on you.”
My heart pounded against my ribcage, my chest rising and falling rapidly at his proximity. What was he talking about? Riley did that to Lorenzo’s eye? Before I could ask, he took another step and pressed himself into my body. Pushing the thought aside, I shakily asked, “Where were you? I waited for you. I waited for so long.”
“I was set up the night you were assaulted by them.” His breath ghosted along my neck, and when his lips barely skimmed my collarbone, I couldn’t stop from leaning into him. “They said it was me, that I did that to you. As I’ve said before, I spent three years in jail for a crime I didn’t commit. Sorry to keep you waiting,” he jabbed.
My face flushed as he finally pressed his lips into my neck, the contact sending sparks across my skin. “Do you want to hurt me, Riley?” I asked.
My breathlessness only spurred him on, his fingers dancing along the base of my neck as a sinister smile crossed his lips. “Oh, it’s so much more than that,” he murmured. “I want to watch you writhe under me as I let go. You need to be reminded that it’s always been us.” Our eyes met, and he gripped the base of my neck, squeezing just hard enough for my breath to falter. “I have every intention of hurting you,” he said. “But I won’t break your heart again. That’s a promise I can keep.”
