CHAPTER 6
1037 Words
Outside the safe house, the rain didn’t stop all at once,
it lingered, as if reluctant to leave the night so beautiful in its aftermath.
Riley walked out of the safe house as irritable as ever outside, the night cold air slapped against her bruised skin, anger burning hot in her chest. The streets smelled of fried food and exhaust, neon lights buzzing overhead. She took a deep breath and leaned across the wall, taking a moment to recollect all that had happened.
"Ri" came from a familiar voice
She froze, then looked around.
Leaning against a lamppost was Trent Tucker, a tall young man in his early 30's with dark skin, blending into the night, wide broad shoulders and warm brown eyes. He was like an older brother to Riley, he was sharp where Dante's men were sloppy, calm where Riley was fire. To her, he was family her protector since they started running hustles together.
“TT” she let out, dragging her hood higher to hide her split lip and bruised face“What are you doing here?”
He pushed off the post, pulled his hands off his jacket pocket, walking towards Riley he said
“What am I doing here? The question is.....what the hell were you doing? Yeah...I heard about your little stunt.” His gaze dropped to the bruise blooming along her jaw and lip. His voice tightened. “And judging by your face, it didn’t go too well, did it???.....let me see, he said lifting up her hood and examining her face”
Riley sighed and let out a smile, he had always been like this, taking care of her, like an over protective big brother, she pushed him off and started walking. “Can you not start, please.... I'm fine”
Trent fell in step beside her, long strides matching hers easily. “Don’t start? You're fine?? You go after a score without telling me, without backup, and now you’re limping home looking like you went ten rounds with a pit bull. And you say you're fine???
Riley looked back at him, giving him a brutal side eye.
"Yeah.......I’m starting, and don't look at me like that”
"I called you, I called you countless times, and when I couldn't get through to you, I called Lucy, she said you had a job, why the hell do you even have a phone if you are not gonna use it??
Riley halted, her eyes widened "Shit.....my phone," she exclaimed as she pulled her phone from her back pocket.
"f**k" she muttered under her breath "the screen's broken" she continued, showing the phone to Trent.
"Of course the screen's broken, look at you.......... you're broken too, you were in a fight and you just had to drag your phone along with you into it"
"give it to me" he said yanked the phone off her palm, it's not all bad, I'll get it fixed for you
Riley smiled, "thank youuuuuu"
"Thank youuuuuu" he teased her making a silly face. They both laughed "okay seriously Ri, you've gotta be more careful "
She shot him a sharp look, though her lips twitched with reluctant amusement. “look, I can handle myself. And I did handle myself, I brought down two of them, for the mafia they are, they weren't all that tough to me.”
Trent brows shot up. “Mafia, did you just say mafia, you brought down two of the mafia men?? which gang exactly?”
Riley hesitated just a beat too long. His eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me…”
“I Senza Volto',” she admitted, almost casually, though her voice held a stubborn edge.
Trent stopped dead in the middle of the street. “I Senza Volto',”? You could have gotten in trouble with anyone, any gang at all, but you had mess with I Senza Volto',” Are you out of your damn mind?” Why are you always so reckless???? He said with worry written all over his voice
She turned back, chin high. “Don't blame me.....I thought they were just some small-time thieves. Dante's intel was trash.”
Trent rubbed his hands over his face, half relieved, half terrified. “Trash? Ri, more than half of Dante's Intel's are trash, you know that already, everybody does, did you forget about this? He said pointing to a scar on his eyebrow.
'Ri, that’s a death wish, a free ticket straight to hell. Do you even know what these people do to thieves?”
“I do remember and I made sure he doesn't make the mistake of ever giving me wrong intel, but they didn’t kill me,” she said flatly and confidently, then started walking again. “I'm kind of an asset to the boss now”
That shut him up for a second. He caught up, his jaw tight. “ Oh, so you work for the mafia now, what else? He gave you a trophy for trying to rub him?
Riley smirked, though her bruised lip made it sting. "I'm sure if he had one, he would have, though it could’ve been way worse.”
Trent gave her a long, searching look. His heart pounded, ached at the mere thought of what could’ve happened to her....her broken body dumped in some alley, gone before he ever had the chance to tell her how he really felt. Instead, he settled for his usual role: The protective friend
“Next time,” he said firmly, “you are taking me with you. No excuses. I’m not letting you run into something like this alone again.”
Riley glanced at him sidelong, softer now. “I didn’t want you caught up in it if it went bad.”
He snorted. “Newsflash....it went bad anyway.” but at least I'd have been there to protect you.
“Okay...Fineeee,” she said, bumping his arm lightly. “Next time, you’re in. But don’t slow me down.” Trent smiled faintly, hiding the warmth in his chest.
“Slow you down? Pleaseeeee, Someone’s gotta keep your reckless ass alive.”
They both laughed
And together, they disappeared into the quiet night of the neighborhood.
- Writer
