Page 11 of Riot
Lana nodded, satisfied.“Good.Now let’s get you both back to your hotel.You’re booked under a different name.Right?”
“Yes.”I continued to stare out the window as we pulled away.I could see Riot behind us in the rearview mirror.“I paid cash for two weeks.”There was something reassuring about his large presence following us, like a shadow that for once meant protection rather than threat.
The small hotel where we were staying wasn’t anything fancy.It was a chain hotel for people on a budget, so there were two beds, a bathroom, a small table, two chairs, and a tiny fridge.That was pretty much it.But you had to have a key card to get anywhere inside but the main entrance, so it was more secure than some hotels.I’d chosen a room like this on purpose because Doug would never look someplace like this for me.He thought I was a spoiled, dimwitted trophy wife, but my dad married me off to Doug to bring the rest of my family into Doug’s lifestyle.I grew up on ramen noodles and cereal.This hotel was a couple steps up from some places I’d lived growing up.
We parked and Riot pulled alongside us, shutting down his bike.I opened my door and slid out.Caleb followed, putting himself between me and Riot.I thought the big man would take exception or act irritated.Instead, he met Caleb’s gaze and gave him an approving nod.The gesture seemed to shock Caleb as much as it did me.Riot moved behind us while I led the way to the side entrance.I swiped us in, then we all headed down the hall.
“Are you sure your husband doesn’t know where you’re staying?”Riot’s voice was soft and low, not quite a whisper but not much louder.
“If he knew where we were, he’d already have us back at the estate.”I swiped open our room door.“Whether we wanted to go or not.”
Riot nodded, a grim look on his face.Then he entered the room ahead of us, looking in the bathroom and small closet before letting us in.“Even if you’re positive he doesn’t know where you’re staying, I’ll feel better checking your room any time you come back here.”
Caleb glanced at me, his eyes wide with shock.“Wow.That’s just like in the movies.”
“Well, I did watch a lot of TV in prison.”Riot kept his face perfectly blank, but Caleb chuckled before trying to smother it with a cough.When he looked up at Riot, the man winked at my son before stepping further into the room so we could all go inside.
“You have my number, Violet.Make sure Caleb and Riot have it as well.”Then she addressed Riot.“Let me know if you need anything and I’ll get it done.”He nodded, and Lana pulled me into her arms for a hug.“I’m going to help you through this.You’re not alone, as you’ll soon find out.Trust Riot, but you can always call me if you need a second opinion.You’re not boxed in.OK?”
I nodded.“Yeah.I understand.”
“Good.I’ll leave you to it.Get to know Riot.Ask him questions.He’ll either tell you or he won’t, but I believe we’ve established he doesn’t lie.”That last was said like a dig at Riot when I knew she was trying to put me at ease.Riot must have known too, because he growled his displeasure.
Caleb shook his head with a wide grin.“That’s never gonna get old.”He flopped down on his bead and groaned.“That wasn’t like I thought it was going to be.”
“Oh?How’s that?”After checking the door and even attaching the safety chain, Riot sat in one of the chairs while I took the other one.
Caleb turned his head to look at us.“I’m not really sure.I thought it would be harder somehow.Or like I’d feel sad.”He turned to me.“I can see now how mean Dad was to you for a long time, but he wasn’t bad to me.Not until that night.”
“I’m so sorry, Caleb.”I could feel the tears threatening again.I thought I’d cried all the tears left inside me, but apparently there were a few more.“I never wanted this for you.”
“I don’t want it for you either, but here we are.”My son moved to the edge of the bed and turned to take my hands in his.“It hurts, Mom.I’m not gonna pretend it doesn’t make either of us feel better.But he betrayed me too.Not in the same way he did you, but he made me believe he was a good man when he’s really nothing but evil.”
I closed my eyes and let out a breath.“You deserve better than what you got handed, honey.”
He shrugged.“Up until now, I’ve had a good life.Even now, it’s not that bad.I’m gonna miss my gaming systems, but I was spending too much time on them anyway.One failed algebra test and all of a sudden he grounded me for my grades.”He chuckled, like it was all a big joke.
It was on the tip of my tongue to defend the bastard.He’d ingrained it in me to agree with him.To show a united front.Not just with Caleb, but in every aspect of my life.I was to follow his lead.But he was wrong.And my son was worth fighting that instinct and admitting to him and myself I could form my own opinions and ideas.
“You failed one test.One test.And you failed because you were sick the day before the review.You’ve never been anything other than a straight A student.When he grounded you, you didn’t say a word in protest, yet Doug and Mr.Todd made you sound like a petulant child.”I had a good mad building.“If I ever see either of them again, I may punch them in the nose.”I rarely got angry because it didn’t do me any good with Doug.But when I lost my temper, it was the only time I was ever capable of fighting back.
I stopped to take a breath.I thought Caleb might say something to tease me like he did when I was upset on his behalf if he wanted to diffuse the situation.Instead, neither he nor Riot said anything.Caleb raised an eyebrow as he looked at Riot.Riot looked at me like he was trying to fit me neatly into a box, only to find out he couldn’t quite make it work to suit him.There was a spark of something in his eyes, but I wasn’t sure what.He was definitely looking at me differently.
“That was, uh…” Caleb cleared his throat before continuing.“That was a lot of words, Mom.”He gave me a solemn look.“And a little violent.”
I blinked, looking from Caleb to Riot in confusion.“Violent?”
“Yeah,” Caleb said.“I mean, we shouldn’t punch people.”
Riot snorted out a laugh before coughing like he’d gotten choked.Caleb cracked up too.I wanted to be irritated, but was so happy to see Caleb’s smile I found myself laughing at my own expense.I wasn’t sure I’d see him smile like this so soon.Sure, I’d seen a few sparks, but mostly when we were around Riot.In the couple hours we’d been around the man, Riot seemed to know what to say to make things, if not better, at least bearable.For that alone I could give Riot the benefit of the doubt.
“So, what do we do now?”I continued to hold Caleb’s hand, but I addressed Riot.
He sat back in his chair and sprawled out lazily.“I’m going to go talk to the front desk and see if anyone’s taken the adjoining room.”He pointed to the door that would open into the next room.“It will simplify things.”
“What if it’s not available?”Caleb asked.
“I’ll worry about that if it comes to it.”
