“Home sweet home,” I said, and shut the front door behind Carly.

“Hey Dad, guess what?” she asked, kicking off her sneakers, and swinging her backpack down from her shoulder.

“What?” I asked.

“It was nice that you picked me up from school today.”

“Aw, honey, it was nice to get you from school.” My daughter was one of the only people who made my heart soften. She had been the only one at all for the past four years, but Riley’s arrival had added to the number.

My thoughts darkened, right away. Tonight was the night. It was imperative that everything went according to plan. Failure wasn’t an option.

“Honey, you go upstairs and get changed, and I’ll see if I can find Riley. I’m sure she’s already got a ham, cheese, and pickle sandwich prepared for you.”

“Yum!” Carly hurried off upstairs, her little feet pattering on the tiles in the front hall.

I headed for the kitchen, hoping Riley was there. The house was quieter than usual. It wasn’t as if Riley would rush to the front door to greet me every time I got home, but she was usually hanging around close by. Making a noise. Filling the house with her sounds and scents.

Fuck, I missed her during the day.

I missed her face, and her body. Her smile. The way one particular strand of her hair, right behind her ear, refused to stay in control. It always stuck up in a kind of cow lick, though the rest of her locks were so smooth, dark and glossy.

Gorgeous. Down-to-earth. Fuck, I couldn’t lose her. Lose my family.

And I wouldn’t be bullied by that little shitpickle, Marcus.

I entered the kitchen and halted, frowning. It was empty. The counters spotless, no food out for Carly, and the lights off. I stepped back and glanced at the control pad for the alarm. It was off. Riley was particularly security conscious, so that was weird.

If she left, she usually set it. If she stayed, she’d keep it on the stay option with the beams outside on in case anyone tried anything.

Concern traveled through me, and I brought out my cell, tapped through to the #dateme app, and opened it. “Where are you?” I sent it off. No time for niceties. Something was wrong.

Carly was still upstairs, chatting to herself, by the sounds of it, and she’d put on some music—one of the pre-approved CDs I allowed her to have. No swearing, no adult themes, no rap.

I strode out into the hall, my eyes on my phone’s screen. “Answer,” I commanded.

The front door opened, and I spun toward it, a question mark forming my mind. Relief replaced it. “Riley,” I said.

She slammed the door shut behind her, pressed her back against it. Sweat coated her face, and her hair was tangled and damp. That cute cow-lick was out of control. The front of her blouse was soaking wet, right between her breasts.

“Riley? Fuck, what’s wrong?”

She shook her head, mute, her lips pulled into a thin line and white.

I strode over to her and took her by the arm, guided her into the living room, quickly. “Baby, what happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Riders,” she managed. She wobbled over to the sofa and lowered herself onto it, breathing hard. “Followed me home. Stopped at the gate. I got in. Gate closed.”

“What?”

She licked her dry lips, tentatively. “They could have followed me in,” she said, and the strain of forcing herself to speak in full sentences reflected on her wan face. “They didn’t. The guard ran for the gate and opened it, even though he probably shouldn’t have, and the Riders stopped just outside and watched me ride in. It was like they… were playing with me. Showing what they could do. What they wanted.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I scrubbed a hand through my hair. “Riley, I’m going to get you a glass of water and make Carly a sandwich. When she’s in the kitchen, go upstairs and to my room. I’ll meet you there in five, and we’ll talk about this, all right?”

She nodded.

Fuck it, I’d bring her a soda instead and pump her full of sugar for the shock.

“Did they hurt you?” I asked, just to be sure. “Do you need medical attention?”

She shook her head no, and I gave her a quick kiss on the top of the head, then left the room, my heart thudding in my chest. It took me ten minutes to sort out Carly, switch on cartoons in the now empty living room, and position her with a glass of chocolate milk and her lunch.

“All right, honey,” I said, “Dad’s going to get changed. I’ll be right back.”

“OK, Dad. I love you.”

“Love you, sweetheart.” I made for the exit of the living room.

“Dad?”

“Yeah, hon?”

“Where’s Riley?”

“Oh, she’s around here somewhere. I’m sure she’ll be down in a minute.” I left after that, grabbed a soda, set the alarm, then hoofed it up the stairs and down the hall, burst into my bedroom.

Riley sat on the edge of the bed, flushed now, still sweaty, but not as pale. Her eyes were brighter too, as I handed her the soda, cracked it open with one finger.

“Thanks,” she said, and downed some of it. She let out a burp behind her hand. “Sorry.”

“Walk me through this. What happened?”

Riley relayed it to me fast. Riders following her home after she’d come from visiting Bev. Terror reflected in her gaze, a flash of it, replaced by frustration, and I marveled at how strong she was. How amazing.

“Fuck,” I muttered, and scrubbed fingers through my hair, after she’d finished.

“That’s the thing,” she continued, almost to herself. “It’s like I said, they could have followed me in. They could’ve blown past the guard and into the community and chased me all the way up to the house. But they didn’t. Why not?”

“Power play,” I said, quietly. This was a little show. A warning to me not to double-cross Marcus. That he could find her at anytime, anywhere. That they would do what they had to if I so much as thought of going to the cops.

But that told me they didn’t know about my little plan with Clint for this evening.

“—means.”

“Huh?”

“Bryan,” Riley said, and stared at me, her hazel eyes sharpening to dagger points. “No lies. I heard you mention Marcus on a call last night, and today, the Riders turn up and follow me home? Level with me here, what’s going on?”

Fuck, I had to tell her at least some of it. Not all. If I mentioned my plan, the meeting, she’d try to get me to stay. I just fucking knew it. Riley wouldn’t want me to take the risk, and that was reasonable, probably safer, but the result would be at her expense.

And if she found out Marcus wanted her back? She’d probably offer herself up. To save Carly. To try to save me. She had no concept of just how deep this went, and what I’d do to keep her safe. Keep my family safe. She’d fast become a part of it.

We were past the dating phase, the sweet messages on the app. We were balls deep in romance, and though it should’ve scared my socks off, it didn’t. This was Riley. I trusted Riley.

“Bryan?”

“He’s back,” I said, honestly. “He wants more money.” Not so honestly on the latter.

“I knew it,” Riley whispered, and pressed a hand to her forehead. “Man, I knew paying him off wouldn’t make a difference. He’s greedy and always has been. He’ll think he can squeeze you until you pop, especially because you’re a millionaire. God, what are we going to do?”

“Don’t worry about it, Riley. I’ll handle this.”

“How can I not worry about it?” she asked. “I mean, this is—”

“Just trust me,” I said. “Can you do that? Can you trust me?”

She fell silent, but sucked the inside of her cheek between her teeth, creating an indent in that smooth exterior.

“Riley,” I said, “if you can’t—”

“I trust you.” She lowered her head and looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. “I have to start sometime. I just—why didn’t you tell me last night?”

“I didn’t want you to worry.” And that was 100 percent the truth. Riley couldn’t handle this situation on her own. She didn’t have the contacts I did, the options. She needed me, and I needed her. Sane, happy, and healthy. The alternative would cloud my thinking process, completely. “I want your happiness, Riley.”

“Thank you. I don’t think anyone’s ever said something like that to me before. Apart from your sister. But you know what I mean.”

“I do.” I sat down beside her on the bed and made to pull her close, but she put up a finger.

“I seriously need a shower,” she said. “I must stink like a friggin’ pig, right now. I’m covered in sweat.”

“Sure, whatever you want, gorgeous. I need a shower too.”

“But Carly’s—”

“Downstairs with the alarm set, enjoying a glass of milk and a sandwich.”

“Ham, pickles, ‘n cheese?”

“You bet,” I said.

Riley laughed then rose from the bed, and I did too. A thought occurred to me, and I caught her hand. “Riley,” I said.

“Yeah?”

“Speaking of alarms, why didn’t you set the house’s when you left to go see Bev?”

“Huh? I did. I totally did,” she replied. “It wasn’t set when you got home?”

“No,” I replied. “It wasn’t.”

She paled again and took a step toward the bedroom door, but I kept my hold on her arm. “No, it’s fine. It’s set now. Are you sure you set it, though? One hundred percent?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” she replied. “I think.”

“It doesn’t matter. Come on, let’s get you in that shower.” And naked. The alarm didn’t matter. The most likely answer was that Riley had accidentally left it unarmed this morning in her rush to get out and see my sister.

I couldn’t worry about it now.

What I needed was this. Her, right now. One last moment between us before tonight. Because if shit went wrong… No. It won’t go wrong.

That was all there was to it.