Riley woke slowly, feeling half-drowsy, half awake.
She honestly didn’t know the feeling was possible.
She opened her eyes a slit, looking at the bed she rested on lazily before pushing her hand to the mattress to sit up.
She knew her hair was a mess and that she probably had drool stained on her cheek, but she didn’t really care.
She was more curious as to where she was.
Her brows pinched together when she took in the unfamiliar room.
The walls were white, but bare, and the floors were stone and slightly glossy. She sat fully then, taking in the entire area.
The curtains were drawn, letting sunlight beam onto the bed like she was under a spotlight, and the sheets someone had drawn over her were white and silky.
Where was she…?
“Ah, finally awake,” Paris said from the doorway, almost making her jump. When she looked at him, he smiled. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”
Her gaze shot around the room before settling back on him. “Where am I?”
He stepped up to her and stopped at the foot of the bed, settling gently on the side as he eyed her curiously. “You’re in a safe place now, Riley,” he promised, then smiled. “My place.”
She gave him a concerned look before wrapping her arms around herself as an attempt to warm her cold body. “Who are you?” she asked him for the hundredth time.
“Paris,” he responded, “I’m Paris Lucan.”
She gave him a sharp look. “Who are you?”
His lashes lowered at her tone. “I just said—”
She shook her head, cutting him off; she knew he was dodging the question, and wasn’t in the mood to argue. “I want to go home.”
“You can’t go home,” Paris told her, clearly keeping his distance and she didn’t really know why. “It’s burned down, Riley.”
Her heart stopped for a moment, and his expression seemed grim at her reaction.
“No…” she whispered, “no, that isn’t possible.”
“Riley….”
“It was a dream,” she told him. “It was a dream.”
“Riley,” he said, “you know it’s the truth.”
But she ignored his words, immediately snapping into action. “Where’s my mom? Where is Claire?”
“Riley….”
“Where is CLAIRE?” she yelled.
“Fix the tone,” he said, annoyed, “and calm the fuck down, okay? She’s in her room, Riley.”
“What about Julie?” Riley said, something hot washing through her at his choice of words. “My niece?”
She was supposed to be watching over the child. Julie practically lived with her and Violet because her parents died.
“Everyone you love,” Paris said, “is here, Riley.”
Her heart pounded in her chest. “Everyone…? Claire? Mom? Julie?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Take me to them,” she said. “Take me. I want to see them.”
Three minutes later, Riley and Paris entered a second bedroom which had similar colors as the one she was in, but this one had a girl in it, and she was seated in a wheelchair, staring out the window blankly.
“Claire…?” Riley whispered.
She gazed up at her voice, and smiled. “Riley!”
Since her friend was in a wheelchair, Riley ran over and tackled her like she did the morning she woke up in the hospital. And Claire hugged her back, burying her face into her hair.
“Riley…” she whispered, “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Riley let go then and stared at her friend fearfully. “How did they get you passed the security guards? The officers?How?”
“They were the officers,” Claire said.
“What?”
“The police outside my door worked for Paris.”
She shot her gaze behind her to Paris who was leaning against the door casually.
He smiled, the look saying, I’m everywhere, huh?
“Why are you doing this?” she questioned him, suspecting a catch.
He sighed, shaking his head. “Because I have some things I have to patch up, and you’re in the center of it.”
She looked down to Claire, ignoring his response. “So… you’ll never be able to walk again?”
She shook her head, smiling sadly. “But don’t blame yourself, okay? It’s not your fault.”
Riley looked taken aback. “I’m fine. I’m not blaming myself.”
She wouldn’t admit it out loud with him standing there; it would show him that she was weak, and that was the last thing she wanted if he was really the bad guy.
“Let’s go see Julie,” Paris suggested. “You and Claire. Come on.”
Claire wheeled out of the room behind Riley, and Riley after Paris, memorizing all exits and entrances, and all stairways to the basements if she needed to hide.
How would she escape if Paris had everyone she loved tied into his hands?
About a minute later, they entered the kitchen of Paris’s mansion, and Julie sat there, a straw from a chocolate milk bottle pressed to her lips as Veo stood behind the counter, creating shadow puppets on the walls to entertain her.
She giggled at a joke Veo said that Riley couldn’t hear, and Riley then ran over to her niece and picked her up without another word, earning a squeal when she stepped away from Veo, watching him with suspicious eyes.
“He’s funny, Riley,” Julie said, hiccuping when she swallowed the milk too fast.
After everyone kept their distance, Riley set her down and rolled up her sleeves, checking for bruises or cuts, but found none. “Did they hut you?” she questioned the child. “In any way?”
She shook her head, and smiled happily, the light in her eyes glowing. “Oh! Veo gave me a teddy bear, wanna see?”
She immediately ran over to the counter and set the milk on the granite, grabbing something from a chair and ran back over to Riley. “Look! Look! See?” She waved it in front of Riley’s eyes. “It’s exactly like Julie Junior! The one I lost two years ago? I love it!”
When Riley gazed up at Veo with suspicion, he nodded to Paris. “He told me to.”
She gazed at Paris then, questioning him silently.
“Veo’s good with kids, too, Riley,” he explained.
Riley looked down to Julie then; who ran back over to the counter to grab her chocolate milk and sipped it through the straw again.
She wasn’t sure what to think of this, honestly.
Was Paris manipulating her or was he really this kind?
“Come here, Julie,” Riley said, the little girl running over to her and Riley lifted her in her arms. “I want to keep you with me,” she told the child. “Don’t leave my sight, okay?”
“It’s okay, Riley,” Claire spoke for the first time. “Paris wanted to take you out. I’ll watch over her, okay?”
Riley glanced at Paris, and then at her friend, then back at Paris again.
“Just you and me,” Paris told her. “Traditional. No chauffeurs.”
She didn’t like the sound of that.
Especially with all these weird feelings he’d been giving her.
“Do I have to?” she said.
Paris tipped his head to the side. “No choice.”
She paused when his eyes raked her again, skin burning when they trailed up and down her.
What was so interesting about her that he kept doing this?
She looked back down at Julie, hoping if she didn’t pay attention to him, the warmth in her would settle.
Well… she trusted Claire with all her heart and knew that Julie would be safe with her, and she wanted answers, anyway.
“Hey, Julie,” Claire said in a silly voice, “wanna ride back to my room?”
“Yes! Yes!” Julie said excitedly, making Riley yelp when she jumped out of her arms, running over to Claire and jumping on her lap.
“Wait!” Riley said. “I didn’t agree yet!”
“Go on,” Paris said, and Claire sputtered her lips, imitating an engine.
“Full speed ahead!” Claire yelled, speeding off while Julie’s laughter filled the room.
Riley stared off into the distance, questioning everything that was happening.
Who should she trust? Who should she avoid? Who should she confide in? Was Julie safe here…?
Paris held out his hand, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Well, ready to go?”
She gazed at his hand for a moment before walking past him, clearly not in the mood to take it and made her way to the front door, slipping on her shoes that someone left.
She stood by the exit then, waiting.
Paris and Veo exchanged a look before Paris stepped to the door, unlocking the many bolts and holding it open for her.
She stepped out numbly, waiting on the front porch as he stepped out and locked the door behind him.
She couldn’t run now.
Not when everyone she loved was in that house.
Paris stepped beside her then, looking at her curiously, though more suspiciously.
She tried to erase every emotion from her expression just like he did.
And she succeeded; because he sighed in annoyance and walked past her, stopping at the bottom the of the steps while waiting for her.
She followed, though silently, and they didn’t speak the entire time as he held the passenger door for her and she got in, him getting in the driver’s side seconds later.
The drive was also very quiet, and the silence crawled through his skin like bugs.
“So,” he said, “how are you doing?”
She mumbled something, and he glanced at her.
“Huh?” he said.
“Are you really taking me out to talk or is this a date?” she asked him.
He paused for a moment, and glanced at her with a smile. “Ah, so you knew my intentions. You’re very smart, you know that?”
“I can tell because of how you look at me, and are you being sarcastic?” She sounded slightly irritated.
“Partly,” he answered. “I just want to go out with you. Is that too much to ask?”
“Yes,” she said coldly. “For one: I barely even know you. And Two; you are weirdly interested in my sex toy drawer. Three? Last time I went on a first date, he suddenly showed his true colors, and I realized I was in denial for so long, so if you’re planning on getting in my pants, back off boyo.”
He was silent for a moment. “You have trust issues now, don’t you?”
“It keeps me safe,” she answered coldly. “And something is clearly missing from this situation. I’m starting to wonder if you have an ulterior motive. So what is it, Paris?”
“Who was this guy?” he asked instead.
“Why are you so interested?” she said. “And why do you want me alone with you? Are you going to kill me? Go right ahead. I might even give you the satisfaction and stand next to a building so my blood splatters on it, like a painting.”
He raised his brows. “That got dark fast.”
She looked out the window, silent.
“I’m not going to kill you,” he said, annoyed. “Fucking god, I’m serious. And I want to know who my competitor is, Riley. Tell me his name.”
“He’s not a competitor,” she answered. “I hate him, he’s a dick, but I’ve been stuck with him because he won’t leave my fucking friend group. And for the record, I’m not a romantic. So fuck off.”
“Wow,” he commented, “someone’s angry. I usually don’t let people speak to me that way, so calm down, and there will be no consequences.”
“You’re egocentric,” she said, “good to know.”
“Riley,” he warned.
She stared off into the distance. “Don’t even try with me, Paris. Yeah, you’re cute and all, but I know men like you. You’re manipulators. One second you want me because you ‘love’ me, and the next I’m thrown out on the street because you asked the big question and I said no.”
He was silent.
“You’re all the same,” she whispered. “All of you.”
“Who’s the guy?” Paris asked again, making her exhale an annoyed groan.
“It’s none of your business.”
“I want to know.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s your business.”
He glanced at her. “It is.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Tell me, Riley. I want to know who he is.”
“No.”
“Riley…” he uttered. “Riley. I’ll pester until you tell me. Riley—Riley—Riley—Riley—”
“Shut up.”
“Riley—Riley—Riiiiiley—Riley—Riley—Riley.”
Her blood started simmering.
“Riiiiiiiiiiiley—Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiley—Riiiiiiiiiiley.”
“Don’t push it,” she growled.
“Riley—Riley—Riley—Riiiiiley—Riley—Riley—Ri—”
“RYAN!” she yelled angrily. “It was RYAN, OKAY? NOW SHUT IT!”
He glanced at her, smiling in satisfaction despite anger burning him inside. “See? Was that so hard?”
“What do you want from me?” she said then. “What do you want?”
“I’m protecting you,” he answered, still smiling.
“From who?”
“The person who wants to kill you, Riley,” he said. “He won’t stop until you’re dead.”
“Why?” she said. “Why are you doing this? There has to be a catch.”
He glanced at her. “What if there isn’t?”
“Then I don’t believe you,” she responded.
He sighed, staring out the windshield. “You’re a smart one,” he said not for the first time. “But need you to trust me if you want to live.”
“I don’t trust anyone,” Riley said. “Especially you who’s the leader of the California Mafia.”
Paris froze, swerving to the side and breaking.
He stared at her then, eyes widening. “How did you know that?”
