Page 76 of Riordan's Revenge
My mind summoned a series of pictures starting with her on her knees in front of Riordan and ending with my hands around her scrawny throat. I produced a tight smile and gestured for her to take a seat. At the top of the room, there was enough space to speak without being heard, though I took care to make sure the guard noticed my visitor. With an elbow to the bright workstation, I leaned in. No fucking way was I waiting on her to start.
“Did ye give my name as a target to the Four Milers?”
She widened her eyes. “What? No!”
I waited. Liars had tells. The longer you gave them, the more they revealed.
“I never would. I didn’t even know your name until we spoke on the phone. Plus I have nothing to do with them now my cousin’s gone. When would I even have done it?”
“When Red came to your flat.”
She dropped her gaze. “He wanted to recruit me as a sex worker. I’m a girls’ girl. The last thing I’d do is try to get them to pick on someone else.”
“Has he been back?”
“No. I think he assumed I was alone and would come running, and I am, but in the opposite direction. I swear I’m telling the truth.” She shuddered. “I actually came here to ask if I could take you up on your job offer. I didn’t want to call Riordan to do it. It didn’t feel right if you two are together. I’ll delete his number.”
For fuck’s sake. Her words rang true, which made it much more difficult to hate her.
Though not impossible.
I chewed on that for a moment, trying to make sense of what I knew. Bronson mentioned me at the bunker, though his rape threat felt more like him trying to get a rise out of Shade because he’d failed to do so with Everly.
If Moniqua hadn’t fed him my name, then who?
Maybe I was just one of a long list of potential murder candidates.
Either way, I had to make a decision about the slumped-shouldered woman in front of me. It would be better to keep her close.
“Ye can work the bars down here,” I decided. “Between Divine and Divide, we have shifts every night. Clem runs them. This side, the uniform’s like Lara’s, in Divide, it’s a skeleton crewt-shirt and black shorts. Ye can wear a bandanna if ye like the vibe, though most of the staff don’t bother. We protect our own here.”
Moniqua’s gaze flew to mine. “Thank you. I’m so grateful. I can’t even explain.”
“Then don’t, and don’t make me regret my decision. Go to Divine’s bar now. I’ll text Clem to meet ye.”
She left me.
With my notepad open, I ran over the revenge ideas my colleagues had given me. Everything from minor irritations to rage-inducing acts.
Perhaps I’d save one or two for Riordan’s sort-of-ex, if she crossed me.
I turned to my next list. The sex positions training the girls had given me. Several had offered demos which I fully intended to take them up on. I pulled my phone from my pocket to take a picture for Riordan.
Instead, there were missed calls from him along with several texts. With bated breath, I read through them. I’d switched my phone onto silent when talking to the staff and had forgotten to check it for a while.
Riordan: I’m taking a break for a couple of hours. Meet me in your room if you can.
Riordan: I guess you’re busy. I ran into Everly and had a quick chat.
Riordan: Don’t freak out, but I’m heading out for a little while. There’s something I need to do.
My breathing stopped. What the hell? I scanned the final message.
Riordan: I know you can track me. Watch my location if you want, but don’t you dare leave the warehouse. Let me do this thing.
Another heartbeat, and the tracker I’d glued to his bike loaded on my screen. Holy fuck. I burst from my seat and ran for the corridor as if his words had lit me on fire.
Chapter 24