Page 96 of Riot’s Revenge

“Yeah.”

He nodded once. “You tell Maria?”

“No. No point worrying her until we know what we’re dealing with. Was going to bring it to church tomorrow.”

Reaper was quiet for a moment. Finally, he looked back toward the road. “Church. First thing tomorrow.”

I crushed the cigarette beneath my boot. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Reaper didn’t answer, but the look on his face told me he’d started sharing the same feeling.

39

RIOT

Maria and I stayed the night at the clubhouse, and I was up early the next morning. I was halfway from the bathroom when she spoke up.

“Do I need to be worried about anything?” she asked, picking up on my mood.

I stopped.

She was still curled beneath the blankets, hair spread across my pillow, watching me through tired eyes.

Maria had known me too well.

Years ago, I could’ve told her everything was fine, and she’d have rolled her eyes, called me an emotionally constipated bastard, and eventually let it go. Now, she noticed the things I didn’t realize I was doing. The cigarettes I smoked too quickly. The nights I didn’t sleep. The way my shoulders tightened when my phone rang at the wrong time.

I crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “No.”

Her eyes stayed on mine.

It wasn’t quite a lie. At least, that was what I told myself.

Until Spider came back with something useful, all I had were two cars, a couple of registration numbers and a feeling in my gut I couldn’t explain. Telling Maria now wouldn’t change any of that. It would only mean she’d start looking over her shoulder every time she walked out of the clinic.

I didn’t want that for her.

“You’ve got that look,” she murmured.

“What look?”

“The one where you’re carrying the entire club around in your head and pretending it weighs nothing.”

I pulled back the blankets, revealing her naked body, and settled between her thighs.

Maria’s arms came around my shoulders as I lowered myself over her.

Her fingers moved slowly through the hair at the back of my neck. “No, baby. You don’t need to worry about anything but allowing me inside you.” I lowered my mouth to hers before she could question me again.

Maria melted beneath me, her arms winding around my neck as the kiss deepened. I slid my hand slowly along her bare thigh, drawing it around my hip, and the soft sound she made against my mouth sent heat straight through me.

“Riot . . .”

“Been thinking about you lying here naked since I opened my eyes.”

Her lips curved against mine. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have gotten out of bed.”

“Had to piss.”