“No he doesn’t. He’s a better man than you’ll ever be, to be honest. At least he’s not a fucking manipulative pig like you,” Riley replied. Marcus pursed his lips to avoid saying whatever he had in mind.
“You know what? I think our conversation here is done. Clearly I don’t want to start a fight and neither do you,” Marcus said, though Riley secretly wished she could.
“Clearly. And I hope you know, keeping tabs on someone without permission is actually against the rules. So if I see you around my house again, I’m gonna have to call your boss,” Riley said. That didn’t make Marcus happy in the slightest.
“All right, fair enough. Though I’d be careful with your next moves. I still got my eye on you.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Riley said.
Marcus walked away and Riley stood in the doorway until he disappeared through the busy streets. She breathed in and out, trying to calm her nerves before she had the urge to make Marcus her next target.
Adrian had unexpectedly showed up at Riley’s house with a bag of Chinese food and a bottle of sparkling cider. She couldn’t pretend she wasn’t happy to see him, especially since her heart wouldn’t stop beating like a drum when he smiled at her.
They sat on her couch and ate quietly. Riley had decided not to leave the house, give Julius a bit of a break before her next killing spree. After all, he only had three men left that would, maybe, give Riley plenty of opportunities to win.
“You didn’t have to come, you know,” Riley said. Adrian tuned his head to the side and frowned. “Not that I don’t want you around, but Marcus isn’t outside; there’s no reason for us to pretend anymore.”
“I thought we had stopped pretending since last night. Besides, I like to hang out with you. It’s better than going home alone. We can keep each other company.”
“You need to make some friends.”
“What if I don’t want any friends but you?”
“Adrian, you’re stepping into dangerous territory. I’m a criminal, and you’re a cop. If your boss finds out about this . . .”
“Who’s gonna tell him? Riley, relax. We’re both grownups; we know what we’re doing. Last night was just, last night was amazing, of course, but if you don’t want it to happen again, then it won’t.” Adrian told her. That was the big problem for Riley; he had been so sweet and yet so passionate that he had left her craving more. She wanted to feel his touch again, his lips against her skin, the warmth of his body. She wanted him and it scared her.
“What if I do?” Riley answered. Adrian stared at her, his big brown eyes reading her like an open book, and she felt it, his love. That’s when the fear washed over her like a bucket of cold water. “What if I want to and we can’t?”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean we can’t?” Adrian asked, confused.
“Adrian, I didn’t come to this town for this. I didn’t come to fall for anyone. Not after everything I’ve done,” Riley said, sadness heavy in her voice and heart, feeling for the first time who she was and what she had become. “I’m not a good person.”
“Yes, you are. Even if Marcus doesn’t see it that way, you’re a hero to many. I’ve seen it. The people around here feel safer than they have in years.”
Riley started pacing around the living room, desperate to spill her secrets to someone other than Mickey.
“No, you don’t understand,” Riley said.
“Then tell me.”
Stopping in the middle of the room, Riley’s eyes found Adrian’s. She let the silence hang in the air for a moment and then began telling her story.
“I’ve killed so many people. Before this, before LinHill, before the Vigilante. It’s the reason Marcus is after me, because he knows who I am. I was a suspect even before this started.”
“You killed your husband’s men?” Adrian asked. When Riley frowned, he explained, “Marcus told me. He actually warned me about you, said you weren’t who you said you were. That I had to be careful.”
“Why didn’t you say so? Why didn’t you tell me you knew?”
“Because I know he doesn’t really know anything. I could never trust him, the way he spoke about you, how much he hated you. It all seemed too personal to be entirely true.”
“Well, you should have. I’m a murderer. I can’t keep doing this with you. I can’t let you get in the middle of this and ruin your life.”
Adrian stood and stepped toward her, putting his hands on the back of her arms. “Why don’t you let me decide? I don’t care who you were in the past, or what you did, because I know there’s a powerful reason. If I wasn’t sure of that, you would’ve been behind bars a long time ago.”
“God, Adrian, you have no idea how big of a mistake you’re getting yourself into, and–”
Adrian grinned and pressed a finger to her lips. “The only mistake would be to walk away without seeing you take down Julius. Trust me, I’m not missing that for the world.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Adrian found it strange that Julius hadn’t called him for almost a week, especially since two of his men had again died at the hands of the Midnight Vigilante. When his phone finally rang, though, Adrian rushed to his brother’s house, knowing that Julius was drunk yet again and Riley was working there.
When he entered the house, Adrian found his brother on the couch with a glass of whiskey in his hand.
“Goddammit. How can you be high and wasted again?” Adrian asked.
Julius
