Chapter 10

"Shift, shift, shift, Riley!" Katie screamed, jumping up and down on the couch next to Riley, nearly causing her to drive into the ditch. "He's going to beat you if you don't get out of there!"

"Do you want to drive?" Riley growled, grabbing Katie by the ankle and yanking her down on the couch. Katie went flying and landed on her butt in a flurry of hot pink painted toenails, fingernails and mini skirt. All male eyes in the vicinity were on the blond to see if they could catch a glimpse of panty as she fell.

"Oomph!" The breath whooshed out of her as she landed. "Bitch!"

Riley looped an arm around Katie's neck and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek as she continued racing her virtual McLaren against Roadkill's Lamborghini in Need for Speed. An eruption of sound went up around them as Riley beat him out. He won the first two races so she wasn't exactly on a winning streak. Still, she was pretty pleased with herself. She shouted and laughed, pointing at him as he took the ribbing with good humour.

He pointed back at her. "This isn't over, Reaper. Next time I'll toss you off the cliff myself."

"You'd have to catch me first, Aussie!" she shouted after him as he grabbed his girlfriend and headed across the bar to get another drink. He gave her the finger over his shoulder.

Katie laughed and picked up her cosmopolitan. "As much as I love watching you kick Roadkill's ass, I'd rather play a shooter next. I suck at these ones."

"You're on, Kit Kat. Let's go find one," Riley agreed, hopping off the couch and holding out a hand for her friend.

She needed a quieter space anyway so she could talk to Katie. They hadn't had two seconds to themselves since they'd arrived at the bar. They found a quiet corner with one of Katie's favourite games, Star Wars Battlefront, ready and available for play. Plunking down next to each other, they picked up the Playstation controllers and entered their information. They played for a few minutes before Riley broached the subject she needed to discuss.

"I need to ask you something and I don't think you're going to like it, so promise not to get mad at me, okay? We don't get enough bestie time when you come in for the odd weekend for you to be pissed at me."

Katie gave her a quick frown and then returned her focus to the game. "I'm not going to get mad at you. Trust me, after the years of shit you've pulled, I'm pretty immune to your surprising me. I mean, I kind of want to slap you silly every time you enter one of those stupid races, but I haven't yet, have I?"

Riley gave her a crooked smile. "Good point."

"So, what's up, Grim Reaper?" Katie only called her that when Riley got serious, which wasn't very often. They usually reserved Katie's weekends home for good times.

Riley sighed and glanced at Katie's lovely, blond profile. It always amazed her that the sophisticated, poised woman came out of the same hood as the rest of them. She was so much better and had risen so much higher. Yet she kept coming back to them and diving into their crap with a grin. She was priceless. Which is why Riley would do anything to protect the sweet, delicate beauty.

"Do you know Roman Valdez? And I don't mean as just a friend of Dexter's, but as something else. Something more?" Riley asked quietly.

Katie stiffened on the seat next to her. Slowly her thumb went to the pause button on her controller and her head turned toward Riley. Her sky-blue eyes held utter and complete shock. "Wh-why do you ask?" She shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment. "I mean, when did you see him? You did see him right... that's why you're asking me this?"

Riley nodded and glanced away from the intense longing in Katie's face. Fuck. There was definitely something going on between Roman and Katie. And apparently it went both ways. This was so not good.

"I saw him last night. He works for Soloman Hart."

Katie gasped and covered her mouth with a hand. Her eyes went even wider. She whispered, "I wondered what happened to him... after D-Dexter."

The aching in her voice was impossible to miss. It was like something had been wrenched away from her and was now just within reach. Riley reached out and took Katie's hand in hers. "Katie, these are dangerous men. They don't fuck around. It's bad enough that I somehow got mixed up in whatever this is that I'm mixed up in. I'm trying to get out. I need you to listen to me, okay?"

"Oh my god," Katie gasped, appalled. "What kind of trouble are you in? What are we going to do?"

Riley loved that her friend was talking like they could both solve the problem of Soloman Hart. She reached out and hugged her best friend. She missed having her in the same city. They had grown up just a few blocks from each other. Riley was two years older, but they had been fast friends since Riley was fourteen and Katie was twelve, when Riley had beat the shit out of two school bullies that had flipped Katie's skirt up on the playground.

"I need you to please, please stay out of things," Riley begged. "I want you to take another business contract and leave town for a while. As much as I love seeing you, I need you to be scarce right now until I can sort this thing out."

She looked into Katie's face to make sure she understood and agreed. Katie nodded. "I don't like the idea of leaving you alone to deal with someone like him. Jesus, Riley, this is Soloman Hart we're talking about. The Soloman Hart! Your dad would lose his mind if he knew you got mixed up with that guy. He's so dangerous. People that mess with him disappear."

Riley swallowed and nodded. "I know. That's why I can't have you around right now. He doesn't play nice. He'll go after the people I'm closest to. This Roman guy is his right hand and... and there's something between you two."

"There's nothing!" Katie protested. "Not really, and not for years. I shouldn't leave you just based on something small like that. He had a thing for me, but we never acted on it."

"It doesn't matter," Riley continued. "He wants you. He made it clear that he planned on going after you, regardless of how you or I feel on the matter. And Katie, this guy doesn't mess around. If you think Soloman Hart's reputation is ruthless, Roman is just as bad. He's a legend on the streets these days. You need to leave town and do it now. Just pack up and go once we're done here."

Katie shivered under Riley's hands. She nodded and said, "Yeah, I'll go if it means that much to you. I already know I can't handle Roman. It's why I never tried. I have another job lined up for Paris anyway. I can leave tomorrow morning. But first, let's play. I need at least a few hours of bestie time to tide me over."

Riley arched a brow and grinned. Reaching for her controller, she said, "Paris? Ooh la la. Fancy little darling, aren't we? Bring me back something good."

Katie laughed and hit the play button on her controller. "I always do."