Page 14 of Riot’s Thorn (Sons of Erebus: Reno, NV #4)

Whoever it is must decide it’s okay to come in because the door swings open all the way to reveal a petite woman with short black hair around my age.

She’s beautiful, but the same darkness that emanates from Riot comes off her too.

Was this the other person in the mansion?

If so, is she here to do what Riot can’t?

“Hi,” she says, not looking the slightest bit unnerved I’m cuffed to the bed.

“Hello,” I reply warily.

“I’m not here to hurt you. The opposite, actually. I saw Riot having a beer in the clubhouse, so I popped over to check on you.”

“Clubhouse?” I ask, taking in her attire.

She’s wearing a black cropped tank, baggy black jeans with holes in the knees, black boots, and a black leather vest with a patch that says “Killer” on the lapel.

It’s the same vest Riot has. I can’t see the back of hers, but I’d guess it also has the scary embroidered skull patch with Sons of Erebus around it.

After seeing the emblem on the coffee mug, I noticed Riot’s vest hanging by the front door, which was all the confirmation I needed.

I haven’t found the right time to bring it up and ask the many questions I have.

“Do you know where you are?” She cautiously approaches.

“No.” Feeling less concerned because she hasn’t attacked me, I push the covers down, not realizing I’m exposing my neck, which no doubt has bruises around it, and from the woman’s reaction, they’re bad.

“He did that?”

“Yes.”

“Fuckin’ hell. That asshole.” She shakes her head, muttering to herself. “Could they not have given me a babysitter who doesn’t walk the line of insanity?”

“Babysitter?” I ask.

“Yeah, sorry.” She sits on the edge of the bed.

“First, you should know I’m the reason your dad is dead, not Riot.

” I open my mouth to argue because I know what I saw, but she cuts me off.

“He’s just in charge of making sure I stay safe while I go on my.

. . missions. He’s supposed to leave the killing to me, but this one really got to him.

Normally, he’s not emotionally invested in what I do, but when I told him the ages of the girls and boys being trafficked. . . well, I guess even he has limits.”

A sudden rush of embarrassment heats my cheeks. She thinks Dad was a pedophile too, and it’s humiliating, both because I never knew and because I’m his daughter. I’m still not certain they’re telling the truth, but the more I learn, the more I’m starting to believe.

“Do you have proof?” I ask quietly. Even if it’s damning, I need to know the truth.

“You’re fucking with me, right? You think I’d go into a mansion with tens of armed guards, risking my life, for something I wasn’t sure of?”

“I-I don’t know you,” I stutter, feeling the rage emanating from her.

“You don’t have to know someone to answer that question, but okay.

” She holds out a hand. “Hi. I’m Killer, the newest member of the Sons of Erebus.

Want to know how I got my road name? Great, I’ll tell you.

” Her words are strung together without pause, so I don’t bother answering.

“After being beaten, abused, and violated by multiple men, I had a choice to make: either go to therapy and try to heal or get vengeance. Guess which one I chose?”

This time, she waits for a response. I whisper, “Vengeance.”

“Smart cookie.” She boops me on the nose. “I research, I study, I watch, and I never act until I’m absolutely sure the monster I’m hunting deserves what they get.”

“A monster like my dad?”

“I don’t mean to be cruel, but yes.”

I want to think she’s trying to fool me, but I can’t think of one reason why. “I can’t wrap my head around it.”

“I know it must be a hard pill to swallow, but choke that shit down because it’s true.

Your dad bought women and even some children.

He’d then invite all his buddies, who paid your dad a ridiculous amount of money to rape and abuse said women and children as if they weren’t even human, over for his special parties, as if they were put on this Earth to suffer for the benefit of old, rich men.

And before your dad, there was your grandpa.

This has been going on for quite some time. ”

“I’m going to be sick.” I lean over the side of the bed, and thanks to Killer’s quick thinking, there’s a trash can under me before the first fiery stream of bile comes up my throat. It’s been a while since breakfast, and I didn’t have lunch or dinner, so I retch more than anything.

“Let it out.” Killer bundles up my hair in her fist.

I spit and spew until there’s nothing left and I dry heave, fat tears streaming from my eyes. Once my stomach is done cramping, I sit back up, wiping my mouth on the sleeve of my shirt. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I’d feel the same way if my relatives were caught doing the vile things yours were.”

Her words don’t make me feel any better, but I don’t think they were meant to. This woman isn’t warm and fuzzy. She seems like the kind of person who speaks the truth, regardless of the consequences.

“I didn’t know.”

“No, you didn’t. If you did, you’d be in the morgue with your dad.”

My lip quivers. “Why do you do what you do? Why not leave it to the cops?”

“Have you met the police chief?” she asks.

“Yeah, he attends a lot of the same functions my dad used to drag me to.” When Killer pins me with a look, I realize why she asked in the first place. “He would’ve covered it up, huh?”

“Yep, but when we go in and make a big mess like we did, it’s harder to keep quiet. I’m waiting to see just how deep the corruption goes because the story they’re spinning now is that it was a home invasion gone wrong. If it stays that way, I have a lot more work to do.”

Or maybe the reason is that she’s wrong and Dad wasn’t doing what she thought. “I see.”

“I didn’t come in here to make you feel bad; I just wanted to make sure Riot wasn’t. . . being Riot. But I can tell by those nasty bruises he has been.”

“He almost killed me,” I say, testing to see if she’ll release me.

“Shit.” She blows out a breath. “I don’t know what happened to Riot to make him this way, but I know from passing comments that it has to do with his mom.

She was abusive. I’m not sure in what way, but for a guy who probably wasn’t good at human interaction in the first place, I’m pretty sure it fucked him up.

I also know, deep down, he’s a good person.

He wouldn’t have volunteered to keep me safe each time I go hunting if he weren’t.

He and I have become sort of friends, and I probably know him the best, though that’s not saying much. ”

“Good people don’t try and strangle innocent women they’ve abducted.”

“Maybe in that cushy life you once led, but sweetheart, you’re far from it now.

You’ve been hurled into the harsh realm of reality, where nothing is simply black or white.

” She shrugs. “I might not look it now, but I was you once. My biggest worry was whether my shoes matched my new dress. When I broke free, I was hit hard by the brutal truth of the world’s suffering and pain that had been hidden from me my whole life.

Yet, it was all worth it because out here, you find people who are truly in your corner, not the ones ready to plunge a knife into your back. "

“That’s not me,” I say, even though it is me. I went to the college Dad wanted me to, and I’m studying business so I can one day take over the family business. He never asked me if that’s what I wanted; it was just implied.

“Sure, babe.” She pats my knee. “Keep telling yourself that.”

I’m not even ready to admit to myself everything I’ve done to please Dad, so I’m sure as hell not about to admit it to her. This isn’t a conversation I want to have with a stranger, so I simply ask, “You’re not here to rescue me, are you?”

“Not a chance.” She stands, clasping her hands in front of herself. “Give the guy a break, would ya? He won’t always do the right thing, but most of the time, I don’t think he knows what that even is.”