Page 16 of UnWholly Angels (Crestview Cardinals #1)

It happened so fast. The swig of water forced its way up my throat, and I spit it out in a rushed wave. The contents made their way across the table and pelted Riley right in the face. Nick’s eyes widened along with Chloe’s, and I shot out of my chair.

“I’m sorry. I swear it was an accident,” I rambled. Panicked, I ran to the kitchen to grab a few extra napkins.

My hands were shaking when I felt a presence behind me, causing my body to go rigid. “Maya…” Riley murmured, his voice calm and almost concerned, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. “Maya, it’s really okay. Would you look at me?”

After a moment, I turned slowly and faced him. His gaze met mine, and he sighed heavily.

“Look, I’m sure that was only half-intentional, but next time you’re surprised by something I say, either tell me or aim the other way.

Okay?” he quipped, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

His tone was less demanding than before, and my shoulders loosened just a bit.

“Jokes aside,” Riley continued, “I know it’s hard for you, but moving forward, I really need you to just communicate with me. ”

I shook my head, baffled by how easily he could switch how he acted toward me. “We don’t communicate on your terms, Riley. It doesn’t work like that,” I argued.

“When it has to do with the only person I’ve ever loved still being alive and being lied to about it for twelve years? Yeah, I’d say this happens on my terms,” he said firmly.

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s not like you’ve given me a reason to hear anything you have to say,” I scoffed. Any interaction we’ve had since I escaped has been less than ideal; if that was our future, I’d be better off going back to Rocco. It would hurt less.

Leaning back against the counter, I shook away the thought and decided to change the subject.

“You want to communicate? Why don’t you tell me about your alter ego?

” He looked confused, and I chuckled dangerously.

“Angel fucking Kingston, hockey star and Crestview’s playboy, is so famous he has to hide behind a screenname.

DeviantKing…not very original,” I snapped.

He narrowed his eyes at me, but I couldn’t stop myself.

“I was Rocco's prisoner for years while you were off creating a lavish life for yourself. How can I trust someone who already abandoned me not once, but twice, when I needed him most?”

“That’s not fair,” he frowned, his eyes burning holes in mine. The air around us was thick with years of pent-up tension, and it felt insanely heavy. “And I’m not a fucking playboy.”

“Could've fooled me,” I shrugged. “I saw that PR disaster a few years back. You were sloppy.”

His hands balled into fists, and I swallowed, my instincts screaming to back off.

“Why did you stay with him all these years? We were going to run. Why didn’t you run, Freckles?

” His voice cracked on my nickname, and the heat of the room enveloped me.

The act I was putting on, the confidence I tried to portray, began to falter.

Riley stepped forward, his muscular frame towering over my body and invading my space. “Answer me,” he whispered.

“I tried, Riley,” I explained, “multiple times. After the assault, I woke up in the hospital to find out my mother was dead, and I was going home with the Whitlocks. And you…you were gone. No one would tell me where you went. So, I waited. I waited for one thousand, four hundred and sixty days for you to come for me. But Rocco found me first…I had no choice.”

Riley placed his arms on either side of me, caging me against the counter, and my shaky legs threatened to give out.

His knuckles skimmed up my arm and over my cheek before resting lightly under my chin, tipping it upward to face him.

“I want to hate you so much,” he rasped.

“You should feel how I felt, ripped apart and guilty that I couldn’t save you. ”

I swallowed thickly at the action, waiting for his next move. He leaned closer, brushing the tip of his nose along my ear and whispering, “I did that to Lorenzo, you know. He got a skate to the eye for putting his hands on you.”

My heart pounded against my ribcage, my chest rising and falling rapidly at his proximity.

What was he talking about? Riley did that to Lorenzo’s eye?

Before I could ask, he took another step and pressed himself into my body.

Pushing the thought aside, I shakily asked, “Where were you? I waited for you. I waited for so long.”

“I was set up the night you were assaulted by them.” His breath ghosted along my neck, and when his lips barely skimmed my collarbone, I couldn’t stop from leaning into him.

“They said it was me, that I did that to you. As I’ve said before, I spent three years in jail for a crime I didn’t commit. Sorry to keep you waiting,” he jabbed.

My face flushed as he finally pressed his lips into my neck, the contact sending sparks across my skin. “Do you want to hurt me, Riley?” I asked.

My breathlessness only spurred him on, his fingers dancing along the base of my neck as a sinister smile crossed his lips.

“Oh, it’s so much more than that,” he murmured.

“I want to watch you writhe under me as I let go. You need to be reminded that it’s always been us.

” Our eyes met, and he gripped the base of my neck, squeezing just hard enough for my breath to falter.

“I have every intention of hurting you,” he said.

“But I won’t break your heart again. That’s a promise I can keep. ”

“I’d be trading one monster for another. I’ve heard the stories. Chloe told me everything that went on at the cabin between the three of you,” I stammered.

“The cabin, from what I’ve heard, was your fault. Very naughty to set up someone you claim to love,” he replied seductively.

I swallowed thickly beneath his tightening grip. “Chloe needed a hard dose of reality,” I said softly. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Placing my hand over his wrist, I attempted to peel it off with a challenging grin. “Make me bleed then, I can take it.”

Riley looked impressed by my response. The cold metal of his Rolex knocked against my skin as he adjusted his grip on my throat.

He wasn’t hurting me or squeezing hard enough to cut off my oxygen, but the potential was there, and we both knew it.

After a minute, he dropped his hand, standing up straight and smoothing his shirt down.

“You know nothing about the person I’ve become, Maya. If you think I could hurt Chloe for sport, then I can’t wait to play with you, too. Now go pack, we’ll be leaving soon.” His tone was bored as he ended our conversation, dismissing me like a child after an argument.

I clenched my jaw but knew better than to argue. Turning to leave the kitchen, I paused, glancing back over my shoulder. “What did you do with the money?”

“From the auction?” he asked, and I nodded. “I donated it,” he replied with a smirk. “Back to my pocket as services rendered.”