"I need to talk to Trent, okay?" Riot murmurs in my ear and bends to set me down once we're tucked behind the line of our trucks. "Give me a minute, please."
I don't want him farther than an inch away from me, but I let him go. When Jarek, Silas, and Kade descend on me and try to pull me toward our truck, I refuse to budge. I need to hear what they say.
"Did you tell them?" Riot growls low, stepping close to Trent.
Trent doesn't look all that perturbed with his arms crossed, leaning against the driver’s door. "No. You don't know that much about bonds, do you? As soon as you left, they felt the distance."
"Why didn't you tell me?" my mate snarls. "I put them in danger!"
Trent stays calm. "I'm not in the business of managing other people’s decisions. You asked for vengeance; I offered it to you."
Riot curses and glances over his shoulder at me. He closes his eyes for a moment and sighs. "What now?" he asks Trent.
"Now you go home, take a shower, and be happy, man. Isn't that obvious?"
The shadows deepen on his face as he frowns. "What about the others? All the people out there who need help."
"I had a feeling you'd ask that." Trent cocks his head, studying my man. "So I have a job for you."
My heart seizes and I try my damnedest to keep the fear out of the bonds, but I don't think I do a good job. Jarek wraps his arms around me from behind, and Silas steps forward like he's about to force Riot not to leave. Kade hasn't so much as twitched.
"I'm not going anywhere," Riot declares, lifting his chin at Trent. "No more killing. This was it."
Trent smiles, shocking me a bit. I've never seen him smile before. "I'd hope not. You're a family man now. But you can help me with some information right? You've been tracking down so many groups all across the country. Can I count on you to give me intel when I call? I'll pay you of course."
Riot seems to think about it for a moment. "I'll help you. But I reserve the right to say no at any time if I think it will put my pack in danger. This also won't be a for life situation. If I want out, you'll let me go with no strings or threats."
Trent chuckles and slaps Riot on the shoulder. "You've lived a hard life, my friend. I'm one of the good guys, no matter how many bodies I've put in the ground. Family above all, you have my word."
A sense of fulfillment fills the bond as Riot shakes Trent's hand. He's lived his life helping people. I can't imagine how hard it must have felt to not be able to do that anymore. Now he can. Safely.
"Now get your ass home before Kade tries to pick a fight with me. He won't win, so have mercy on your pack alpha," Trent jokes and reaches for his door handle.
Kade growls and steps forward, but Trent just chuckles and jumps into the driver’s seat. With a salute and a small smile, he drives away, leaving me and my men in a tense bubble.
"Let's go," Kade rumbles, grabbing Riot's upper arm and hauling him toward our truck. Riot doesn't fight him, and even stays quiet. Jarek does the same with me, albeit more gently.
Silas sucks in a horrified breath when the interior lights highlight the copious amount of blood Riot's soaked with. Our beta jumps to lay a blanket down on the seat and steps aside when Riot robotically moves onto it.
I can't read anyone very well. There's too much going on in the pack bond for me to pinpoint one emotion. That reminds me. Glancing at Jarek as I jump in next to Riot, I see the strain on his face.
I can make this better for someone...
Closing my eyes, I tip my head back on the seat and pull. Their chaotic energy swirls into one tether, helping me to absorb the brunt of their struggles. Jarek's relieved sigh beside me makes me smile. His hand on my thigh warms me, and when he whispers thank you in my ear, I feel better.
No matter the lecture Riot and I are in for, we're already living our next chapter. It's time for our happily ever after.
Thirty-Five
Silas
"You can't fucking do that! Do you understand the amount of danger you put yourself in?! We could have lost you!" Kade is losing his shit, and rightfully so.
What's surprising to me is he's only lecturing Riot. Those words, the fear of losing his mate, are for Riot. The heavy horror of Vivian rushing into the dark night was awful, but we had eyes on her the whole time. As much as we hated letting her watch Riot, we needed to let her make that choice for herself. At least that's what Kade said. Though I'm sure his hindbrain was tearing him apart.
Everything about this evening went against our instincts. It tore me apart knowing Riot was gone, and I could barely stomach the fact that Vivian watched him kill someone.
Reverently and lost in my thoughts, I continue rubbing the soap into Riot's chest. His bullet wound has healed into a reddish purple, angry spot, but I stay gentle on it. The red loofah lies abandoned on the shower floor because I need to feel him.
