Page 54 of UnWholly Angels
“Don’t say anything, please,” I warned as he slid into my passenger seat. Nick only forced out a breath and ripped the mask off, his hair a mess, clinging to his sweaty forehead.
“Well, I am going to. Next time, a bullet between the eyes would be more than sufficient. Just get us to practice in one piece so I can make it home tonight,” he groaned.
My lip twitched into a smile as my tires screeched on the pavement of the club parking lot. A bullet between the eyes wasn't sufficient when it came to Maya. The sooner he realized, the sooner he could make the decision between being a family man and helping my future wife hunt these fuckers down.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Maya
The butter sizzled in the pan, and the aroma of fresh herbs filled the air each time the spoon moved a fresh batch of mixture onto the steak. I hadn’t had a chance to make a decent meal since I’d gotten here. Riley was normally the first and last out of the kitchen, and if anyone was crazy enough to complain about his cooking, he sure kept quiet about his dissatisfaction.
That was where he and I agreed, if I take the time out of my day to cook and you don’t like it, then go home and order takeout instead.
My hips swayed to the music, and the spatula tapped against the stainless steel. With all the distractions, it was impossible to know Riley was home until a pair of arms snaked around my waist. He nuzzled my neck softly before planting a kiss, and I smiled.
“Should I even ask how your day was?” By the way his grip tightened on my waist, I took that as a no and peeled his arms off to finish cooking. “Well, mine was great. Mari and I really bonded over cheese; we are equal lovers.” Met with silence, I peered over my shoulders to see his eyes raised, confusion etched on his face.
“Who the fuck is Mari?” he asked. The genuine concern in his tone made me belt a laugh. I almost couldn’t breathe, but my smile faded when his lips refused to twitch.
“Your cat, Riley. I refuse to call that poor cat Marinara every time I address her,” I replied softly, placing the piping hot food on the cutting board so it could rest.
“Oh.”
Riley needed a break, and soon. Once he left for Seattle, it was a week of travel and one game after the next. He would have no room to breathe. If he wouldn’t take a break for the next couple of days and actually enjoy our day tomorrow, I’d make him rest. If we were similar in any way, watching him implode would be something I couldn’t bear. Wrestling my phone out of the pocket, I turned the music down, and we were now able to hear the soft patter of the rain as it hit the window.
“Riley,” I said, crossing the kitchen to where he sat. Placing my hands over his face, I smiled, running my hands along his cheek. “Talk to me.”
Flinching back, his eye met mine, the troubled orbs showing the worry that seemingly consumed him, and I waited for him to speak, but he only ripped his gaze from mine to eye the storm, then to the marble counter. The silence wasn’t as comfortable as we normally had, this silence was anxiety inducing. I couldn’t stop my legs from trembling as I stood, grabbing a knife from the drawer and heading over to the island to slice into the steak with a sigh.
Once the plates were arranged, the only sound that filled the air was the constant clinking of the forks against plates.
“I was a monster today, you know?” he finally said. Riley set his fork down neatly and wiped at his face with the napkin, and the movement made me chuckle, for what reason I wasn’t sure, but fear—maybe it was out of fear. With Riley, his train of thought changed so often that it damn near gave me whiplash half of the time. “I don’t know how to say what I need to say without souring the mood.”
He wants me to leave.
He doesn’t want me anymore.
Not after the other night.
I could feel the tears from my eyes, threatening to spill over, at the very same time he happened to be mulling over the words he tried to say.
“Why are you crying? I haven’t even said anything yet.”
My lip trembled, and my back met the chair softly. “I know what you’re going to say,” I said, rising from the chair to place the food on the counter. My appetite was gone, but there was no way in hell I was wasting this steak. “You want me gone, it-it was too much. The other night.” My hand flew to my face to help the sob find its way down my throat where it belonged. When my eye locked on his, they were wide open, his face strewn with concern.
Before I knew it, he was taking long strides toward me, and I grabbed at the steak knife involuntarily. He stood tall in front of me now, and I tilted my chin to look at him. “Damn, Freckles, we aren’t even married yet, and you already want to stab me?” His voice was laced with hurt, and guilt flooded my chest.
Ripping my gaze away, I stared at the knife and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to see the disappointment etched across his face. With a deep breath, I mumbled, “I’m sorry.”
So much for being strong.
I thought I was okay and safe, but I didn’t think safety was something I would ever know. He embraced me, wrapping his arms around my thighs to hoist me up on the counter. I found it impossible to let go of the comfort, although I was extremely confused right now. Riley let me stay there, with my arms wrapped around his neck and pulled his head toward mine.
He gently brushed his lips over mine and whispered. “Fuck no, Maya. What is it going to take for you to believe me? I just…do you know what I need to become to finish this? To end Rocco for good. Think about that good and hard, because there may be no coming back from it. Not after what I did today.”
At the moment, I had no choice but to trust what he was going to do. A silent agreement was made between us just then, and I nodded. From here on out, there had to be a separation. Not secrecy, but the notion that in order to end this, blood would be spilled, and that some questions were better left unanswered.
Riley and I needed complete trust in each other, and we would both need to accept and love each other despite the blood that would spill onto our hands. But we were royalty, and Rocco would bow before the King and Queen. Willingly or not, that was on him.
