Page 9 of The Handyman
Reece
Iglanced at my watch impatiently, shuffling from foot to foot as my narrowed gaze shifted to my phone. Riley was supposed to be at Black Cat 45 minutes ago, and she hadn’t returned any of my texts all day. Unlocking my phone to tap the call button under her contact, I clenched and released my free hand into a fist as worry turned my blood to sludge.
“Hello?” Her voice was rough, hoarse, like she’d been crying.
My brows knit in concern. “Where are you, Riley?” My mouth dried when she choked a little into the receiver, and I reached to rake my hand through my hair in agitation. “Tell me where you are, sweetheart.”
“Just. . . stop.” She hung up on me, and disbelief rose my brows to my hairline as I stared, wide eyed, at my phone. Tapping around my contacts, I shot Jerry a quick text to find Riley— his ass was probably part of his computer chair by now. The perks of working for one of the most powerful men in the world meant accessing the best resources, and Jerry wasthe bestcomputer nerd in the world.
Obviously, Riley wasn’t at Black Cat. I glanced up at the sign briefly before turning on my heel and heading down the street. I knew she was having a rough time of it lately, but why would she pull away from me? Did she talk to her mother? I’d never met the bitch, but she was clearly not someone that approved of her kid’s lifestyle and proved it. Did her old dom see her out and threaten or intimidate her?
What if she just had a really crap day or lost a contract or something? What did ‘I’m a writer’ even mean? Did Riley write fiction books, or was she a blogger, or did she make slogans?
Turning the corner, I rubbed my jaw and around my neck as the hairs against my nape bristled at all the questions racing through my head. My phone pinged, the screen lighting up, and my eyes narrowed under tightly knit brows as I read the address Jerry sent back to me.
That’s around where I dropped her off, which means she’s home.Honestly, I couldn’t say if that was a bad thing or not. Jogging the rest of the way to the small parking lot, I fished my keys out of my jeans’ pocket. My heart beat hard and fast, pumping adrenaline through my system as her tone echoed against my skull.
The drive to Riley’s apartment complex was a blur of lights and angry honks of taxis, and I squeezed up in front to turn my car off. Blood drummed in my ears, and I paused climbing out of my car to grab the gun in my glove compartment. If Riley did see Brandon, he could’ve followed her home, and she could’ve answered the phone under duress.
“She’s got me wild,” muttering to myself as I left my car, I glanced at my phone to make sure this was the right address. Jerry was quick and his info led me to the third floor. The elevator didn’t work, forcing me to take two stairs at a time, but it helped ease some of the tension in me.
Knocking gently on Riley’s apartment door, I leaned heavily on the door frame to close my eyes and listen. Not a peep struggled through the thin barrier, and I reached up to knock again. My chest tightened as the seconds ticked by until a softsnitchof a lock sliding out of place slammed into me.
Red-rimmed, teary eyes met mine over the chain lock on her door.
I gave her a small smile as I rested my head on the door frame.
Riley’s face was pale but for her eyes, rough from wiping away her tears without tissues.
My fingers itched to grab her, my arms aching to hold her to my chest and peel her messy, frizzy hair from her gaunt cheeks. “Hey, Riley. I was worried for you, baby.”
Huge, heavy tears dripped off her eyelashes at my coo, and some red tinged around her mouth and ears when she gulped.
Ice lodged in my chest as I had to physically stop myself from reaching between the door. “Can I come in?”
“How’d you know where I live?”
Her croak assaulted my ears and made my teeth chatter, and I licked my lips heavily.Crap. I haven’t thought this far ahead yet.“I’m into some really illegal stuff and tracked your phone. This is aboutyou, Riley. Don’t change the subject.”
The distress on her face just got more intense at my insistence before she slowly shut the door.
For a second, I debated forcing my way in until she released the chain lock. I was so stiff with worry, and my elbow cracked when I reached to cover my frown.
“You can come in.”
Clearing my throat, I pushed myself off the frame to step through the threshold.
Riley hugged herself as she shivered under her pajama shorts and half-shirt, her eyes cast downward. “I’m sorry. I’m just—not feeling it right now.”
“That’s totally okay, baby. You sounded like shit, and I’m not gonna lie— I panicked.” Truth rang in my tone. “What happened?”
This explanation seemed to help Riley as she heaved a shuddering sigh. “I answered my mom’s call.”
A fucked up sense of relief washed over me like a bucket of cold water, dropping my shoulders from my ears. Exhaling a heavy breath, I reached for Riley’s wrists, prying them from her body to hold her hands. Closing the small distance between us, my heart thundered harder when she squeezed her eyes shut and scrunched up her heart-shaped face. “Riley. . . there’s no shame in being upset that your mom doesn’t accept you. She’s your mom, and no matter what anyone says, people’s opinions of you matter. Stranger’s opinions matter less, and friends, a little bit more. Your parents’ matter a lot. Everything someone says to you will impact you, whether it makes you angry or sad or happy.” I rubbed the backs of her smooth hands with my thumbs, and her shivering started to get violently noticeable.
Riley trembled as if she was holding an earthquake at bay.
My chest tightened, and my heart ached for her, but. . . What could I say?Fuck your mom, don’t listen to her. She’s a bitch.