Page 119 of Ride or Die

They’d figure it out. Somehow.

“Yeah, we’re okay.” Riley let her forehead rest against his chest and listened to the steady heartbeat.

“You should move in,” he murmured into her hair, then tensed like he hadn’t meant to say it. A prick of fear ghosted past; from when this was a test she passed or failed. Payment for services rendered.

But Saint wasn’t that guy.

She waited for him to take it back, and when he didn’t, she huffed a laugh into his chest. She breathed him in, cedar and coffee, and it felt like home.

The thud under her ear sped up. “Ri…”

For a second she wondered if he was scared. Maybe they’d already fallen over the edge of the cliff and just hadn’t realized yet.

“Not today,” she said, and she smiled up at him. “…Ask me next week.”

Surprise flicked across his face, and he dropped a kiss onto her upturned lips. “Okay,” he murmured against her mouth. She rested in the space they’d created. Just for a second.

She’d deal with everything after.

Chapter 37

Riley

A shrill alarm ripped through the loft, and cold screamed over Riley’s skin. She recognized the tone sent by Cascadia Public Service. Wheeler grunted from the living room and reached for his phone to shut it off.

It usually announced amber alerts on abducted kids, or missing elderly people. Her phone was in the bedroom with Kristi. She moved to get it, but Saint’s arms tightened.

He turned them so he was between her and the entry to the loft, as if he’d heard something, but nothing was there.

Like a ghost, Aaron appeared in the doorway. His cheeks were hollow, and it looked like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Black hair framed his face, and there was a wild look in his eyes. Riley froze.

He stalked in on silent feet, eyes fixed on Saint. His face was all hard lines, his shoulders tense.

“You look like shit. You okay?” Wheeler stood in the living room, belting his tactical pants with sure fingers. Cookie was on his feet, hair on his back lifted, closer to Wheeler than he’d usually tolerate. Almost hiding behind him.

“The docks exploded.” Aaron raked a hand through his hair. “We need to make some choices about who knows what. Right now.” His tone rippled through the room and left ice wherever it touched.

Riley twisted to look at Saint as cold crept down her back.

He didn’t look at her. His face was unreadable. She couldn’t ignore the feeling that she was missing something any longer.

The bedroom door burst open, and Kristi stumbled out, just in her bra and underwear. A pillow had creased one cheek, and her hair was tangled.

“What the fuck was that?” Kristi waved a phone and crossed the loft with bare feet, path wavering slightly before it corrected.

Wheeler, Aaron and Saint tracked every step she took, but her eyes focused on Riley. She pressed Riley’s phone into her hand when she reached them.

“Are you okay—?”

Kristi tapped the phone screen with her nail, eyes wide.

Riley glanced down at the screen.

Emergency Alert: Explosion at the Cascadia Port Authority. Casualties reported. Leave the area and keep main routes clear for emergency responders.

She swallowed.

“What happened to her?” Aaron’s voice raised the hair on Riley’s neck.