Page 62

I stood in that freezing parking lot for another ten minutes like a fucking idiot.

26

RIOT

The clinic sat in a rough part of town, which meant every creep and drunk bastard eventually wandered past around dawn. Most normal people were only just waking up when Maria finished her shift. Unfortunately, the drunk bastards stumbling out of pubs were usually still awake.

Before me, Maria used to walk to her car alone.

Now, she walked outside and found me somewhere nearby nearly every morning. I couldn’t stay away. I’d trawl through the city all night, looking for the Kings or any hint of them but always made sure I was outside, ready to watch her get to her car safely. Then I would follow her home, though not too close, and watch until I saw her go into an apartment.

One morning three drunk men stumbled out of the pub across the road right as Maria stepped out the clinic doors.

I saw the second they noticed her. I saw the way one nudged the other, and the way they started angling toward her across the pavement.

I crossed the street before Maria even realized what was happening.

“Hey, beautiful, I have something that needs patching up.”

The biggest one grinned when he saw me approaching. “Alright, man, we’re just talking⁠—”

I slammed him against the wall hard enough to shut him the fuck up. Brick cracked against his shoulder and his mates stumbled backwards instantly.

“Try again,” I said quietly.

The guy swallowed hard while my hand tightened around the front of his jacket.

“Riot,” Maria called, the sharp warning in her voice cut straight through the adrenaline.

I let the guy go before she got close enough to touch me.

The idiot practically sprinted away with his mates.

Maria stopped a few feet away, staring at me beneath the streetlights. “You can’t keep assaulting people.”

“I absolutely can.”

“That wasn’t funny.”

Neither was the thought of somebody touching her.

I dragged a cigarette from the packet slowly, trying to calm the adrenaline still moving beneath my skin.

Maria watched me for a long moment before sighing. “They were probably harmless.”

“No such thing.”

“You’ve got to stop doing this,” she said quietly.

“Doing what?”

“Acting like I still belong to you.” Maria rubbed tiredly at her face before stepping toward her car, then she paused beside me. “You waiting long?”

The question caught me off guard enough that I answered honestly. “Couple hours.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “Riot⁠—”

“I was nearby.”