Before I could focus anymore on the what-ifs, the shadow disappeared and a dark shape loomed in front of me.

I didn’t even pause before I took the first swing.

Chapter Five

EVIE

One minute, Riley was pressing me into the wall, his hands telling me without words to stay right where I was, and the next I heard the sickening sound of flesh against bone, followed immediately by a grunt. I held my breath, praying the groans I was hearing weren’t coming from Riley. While I tried in vain to see what was going on, I listened to the sounds of the fight, my back flattened against the wall. It was too dark, though, the shadows playing tricks on my eyes, and I couldn’t tell what was happening, who was getting hits in … who was the one taking those hits.

I didn’t know how long it’d gone on for, me standing against the wall, watching and listening and waiting, before I realized this wasn’t me—the girl who stayed out of the way while a guy fought her battles for her. That was Genevieve, the girl who’d never been in fights, who’d never learned to defend herself.

The girl who’d never had to.

As much as I didn’t want to distract Riley from what he was doing, I couldn’t stay still any longer. I had the ability to help, and I was going to. This was my fight, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let someone else fight it for me.

As quietly as I could, I slipped away and toward the front entry where there was a heavy plaster figurine. I’d always hated it, this woman wrapped in flowers, her pale blond hair flowing down her back, a serene smile on her face.

With the statue gripped in my hand, I crept over to where Riley and the other man were in a full-out brawl now. One person definitely had the upper hand, getting in most—if not all—of the hits. I only hoped it was Riley. Squinting my eyes, I tried to make sense of the bodies in front of me. One was taller than the other by several inches, bigger, too. And while Riley wasn’t massive, he also wasn’t scrawny, not like the dark form I saw attempting to block the near-constant incoming strikes.

Confident the smaller shape was the intruder, I moved around to the other side, being sure to stay in the shadows so I didn’t distract Riley from what he was doing. When I got into place, the alcove off the dining room my cover, I gripped the statue in my hands and waited.

Riley and the other man stumbled in front of the staircase and into the light spilling down from upstairs. Riley’s face was more pronounced in the shadows, the hard, sharp edge of his jaw and the hollows under his cheeks making him look intimidating … and so different from the boy I once knew. I was so relieved to see that he was free of any cuts and bruises that I forgot what I was doing for a moment, not moving as swiftly as I should’ve.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I stepped out of the shadows, coming up behind the intruder. My movement alerted Riley and he looked up at me, shifting his attention from the fight in front of him to me. The look in his eyes was something I’d seen from him more times than I could count.

Pure, undiluted fear. For me.

Years ago, back when we’d been together, we’d run jobs for the crew, the two of us a team, though no one there had ever known of our relationship besides Ghost. My job hadn’t been physical—I had always been the knowledge collector, used to ferret out information. And I’d been good, but Riley had always come with, just in case. He’d been smaller then, but he’d always known how to fight, and every time he’d had to step up and fight off someone, I’d be right there next to him, helping in any way I could. And every time, there had always been a moment where Riley would look at me, his expression full of worry and uncertainty … full of terror for my safety.

I’d loved that look, because it’d meant someone had cared for me. Truly cared for me, for more than what I could give them—whether that was my body or my mind.

But just like before, I didn’t like staying in the shadows. I didn’t like other people fighting for me. Riley and I had always worked best as a team, and I was sure that would still ring true now.

I raised the statue over my head, ready to bring it down on this guy, when he used Riley’s distraction to his advantage. He got a punch in, and Riley staggered back, his head snapping to the side at the same time I swung.

RILEY

A thud sounded, followed by a grunt, and then I twisted back around and watched as the guy’s body slumped to the floor. Evie was standing over him, some object clutched in her hand. When she looked up at me, the dim light from upstairs casting shadows over her face, her eyes were brimming with determination.

And that pissed me off.

“Evie, what the fuck?” I snapped, walking over and pushing at the guy on the ground with my boot. He flopped over, his body lifeless, and I reached down to feel for a pulse.

“He’s just unconscious,” she said with certainty. Then with irritation lacing her voice, she continued, “I fended him off. You should be thanking me, not yelling at me.”

I stood from where I was squatting and glared at her. “You could’ve killed him. You’ve got to think, Evie. What the hell would we do if you had a dead body in your house? Jesus Christ.” I clasped my hands together behind my head and spun in a circle.

“Well, I’m not apologizing for it.” Her voice was hard, and if I’d been looking at her, I knew she’d be staring back at me with eyes just as hard. “Jesus, Riley, you act like I’ve never had your back in a fight before.”

Walking up to her, I didn’t stop until we were mere inches apart, her head tipped back to look at me. “A lot has changed in the past five years, me included. Starting now, we do things my way or not at all.”

“Not at all it is, then.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I pointed to the guy sprawled out on her floor. “Not at all isn’t an option for you anymore, baby. Sorry. Now here’s what’s going to happen.” I gripped her shoulders, turned her around, and pushed her toward the steps. “Go get whatever necessities you need. And I mean basic necessities. You’ve got five minutes and then we’re leaving.”

She breathed out a laugh. “You’re kidding, right? This Neanderthal bullshit didn’t work back then, and it’s sure as hell not going to work now.”

“Oh, it’s going to work, because I’m not leaving here without you. So you can either get your shit and come with me willingly, or I can toss you over my shoulder and haul you out of here. Your choice.”

Her mouth dropped open before her eyes narrowed. “You cannot haul me out of here, that’s—”

“Exactly what I’ll do if you don’t get your ass in gear.” I went over and flipped on a light, then walked back to see who the guy was. Squatting next to the unconscious form, I turned his head toward me so I could get a good look at his face.

“Shit,” I muttered.

It was Frankie, a greasy, creepy son of a bitch who used to work with the crew. He’d made himself scarce since an incident involving Gage and his girlfriend, Madison. Frankie had been aggressive toward her and made some brutally crude comment about Madison. If Gage ever saw him again, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop him from bringing a world of hurt down on this asshole. A world of hurt that would make getting knocked unconscious by a statue seem like child’s play.

“See what you’re dealing with? It’s not going to stop with him, Evie, more are—” I glanced up at her, and her face had gone white, her eyes wide as she stared at the unconscious form of Frankie on the floor. “Evie?”

She didn’t move at the sound of my voice, and I stood from my crouched position, then walked over to her, my hand settling on the bare skin where her shoulder met her neck. She flinched away from me.

“Hey,” I said, my voice softer than it had been, my thumb brushing back and forth against her collarbone. “It’s just me. It’s okay. He’s out cold.”