Riot Hearts: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Saints of Crow Book 1)

by Livy North

  I needed to face Emory sooner or later, and I’d rather do it now that I was on an endorphin high.

  But Emory was gone when I returned to our room and so was her stuff.

  I was mortified.

  If I could stay drunk for the rest of my life, I’d chose that over being sober. God, couldn’t I at least have drunk enough so I didn’t remember anything from last night?

  My main issue was that I remembered everything vividly. His lips on mine, his fingers triggering fireworks in me, and his smell and taste enveloping me—

  No. Not going there.

  I called Evie for the second time, but quickly hung up when I realized what I was doing. I couldn’t tell her. I didn’t want anyone to know what had happened. I didn’t want anyone to know that I hooked-up with River Sinclair and that he rejected me.

  I was planning to have sex with him.

  Oh God.

  I couldn’t even face him. He was out when I woke up, so I saw my opportunity and grabbed my suitcase and bailed. Of course, I didn’t want to ruin everything, so I couldn’t check into a fancy hotel most likely owned by some of the businessmen we were meeting tomorrow, so I rented an Airbnb.

  Sure, the place was shitty—it was the only one I could find on such short notice—but it was better than sleeping in the same bed as River.

  I could endure the slightly thick, moldy air and the squeaky mattress for a few days—all in a shady neighborhood. But at least I had my pepper spray.

  As the day went by, I got numerous calls from River. I didn’t have his number stored, but I’d memorized the digits. I ignored them all.

  I didn’t meet nor speak to River until the next day when he came stalking toward me as soon as I got out of the cab that had taken me to the building where we had our first meeting.

  “Where have you been?” he seethed, his cheeks and neck flushed. The muscles in his jaw clenched. His chest rose and fell rapidly, straining against the crisp white shirt he wore.

  “Not your concern,” I snapped, hiking my beige trench coat and purse up my shoulder to have something to fiddle with. I tried to walk around him, but River’s legs were longer than mine and he blocked my path. Avoiding his gaze, I looked to the side.

  “Are you crazy? I’ve been worried out of my mind for the last twenty-eight hours,” he growled, stepping closer to me and cocking his head in an attempt to gain my attention. “Where did you stay last night? And don’t say at a friend’s because if that were true, you would have stayed there since we arrived. And I know you haven’t checked into any hotels because I spent the entirety of my Sunday checking every single one of them!”

  I scowled at him, furious that he’d figured all that out on his own. He was resourceful.

  “I rented a place, okay? Now don’t talk to me.” I knew I sounded like an immature brat, but I was too embarrassed to speak to him.

  I’d rather forget he existed.

  “Is this about what happened two nights ago—”

  “La, la, la, I can’t hear you.” Giving him a hard push he wasn’t prepared for, I managed to slip past him and inside the revolving doors. The doors were on my side because they were slow, and River got stuck in them while I made my way to the elevator.

  The doors of the elevator closed and I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. My heart beat a little harder when it didn’t move at first, and the second after the doors opened again, River pushed inside.

  “You can’t ignore me.”

  “Sure I can.”

  “Emory,” he said, sounding flustered as he clutched the nape of his neck. “I don’t care where you’ve been staying… come back to the hotel.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we’re supposed to be staying together and it looks bad.” He pressed his lips together and blinked rapidly.

  “How about no?”

  He let out a muffled curse. “Emory, come back. You can’t stay alone. It’s not safe.”

  I turned to him with a defiant glare. “Don’t pretend you care about my safety or about me in general. We were never friends, and we probably never will be, so leave me alone.” My throat burned.

  His nostrils flared. “Of course, I care. What do you suppose I’d do if I came home with you in a casket because you were killed by a burglar or you were beaten up by a hobo who wanted to rape you?”

  Of course, this was all about business and convenience for him.

  I narrowed my eyes and puffed out my chest as the elevator pinged open and I stalked out of it.

  “I can handle myself,” I muttered stubbornly, my adrenaline rising as I increased my speed.

  “Really?” River matched my strides easily. He looked like he was on a midday stroll. “How? Not to offend you, but you’d easily be overpowered by a man.”

  “I would not!” I sneered. “Girls aren’t weak. You’re such a chauvinist.”

  “No, but statistically, the average girl is physically weaker than the average man because of the male hormone that is testosterone, which allows wider bone structure and muscle growth, which women have less of… Is that what you would like to hear?”

  I huffed out a silent protest, but I couldn’t argue with anatomy. “I’ll be fine, even if a strong man attacks me,” I growled at him, continuing down the hall. Thank God it was empty.

  My breath was sucked out of me when I was tackled from behind and I collided with the ground with River on top. Next thing I knew, I was spun around and the moment later, River was pinning my hands on either side of my head.

  “You’ll be fine?” he mused with irony in his voice. “You sure look fine now.”

  I stared at him in horror. “What are you doing? Get off me!”

  “No, I’m proving a point.”

  Lifting my leg, I tried to kick him, but he pressed me down with his body weight. The air caught in my lungs and my breathing turned labored, while he seemed completely calm, sitting on top of me, looking down.

  “Someone can see us!” I snapped, glancing around. The halls were empty, but I still lowered my voice. “Get off.”

  River’s face was inches from mine, and I could almost feel his heartbeat. “I won’t until you tell me I’m right. You’re not safe on your own, and you’d be pretty much helpless if a guy like me attacked you.”

  “The only guy who has a track record of attacking me is you.”

  “Say the words, Emory, or else I’ll sit here all day, and everyone who walks by will think I’m about to fuck you right here on the floor for everyone to see.”

  My cheeks burned and my body was on fire. It was hard to breathe with his weight pressing down on me, but it was my pride that kept me from saying another word. River waited for the words he wanted like he would, in fact, sit there all day, but I turned my head in defiance.

  “Fine. So, if I were out to rape you for example,” he murmured and I frowned in confusion, “I’d grab your hip.”

  I smothered a gasp when he grabbed my hip while catching both my wrists in one hand.

  “And then I’d peel your shirt up.” His finger slipped under my blouse, and his warm finger skimmed across the side of my stomach. Shivers ran through me, making me choke on the air in my lungs.

  “River,” I growled in warning, “you’ve proven your point.”

  “Say the words,” he demanded.

  His hand continued traveling up until it skated over my bra cup. A gasp slipped from my lips and my thighs clenched. No, my whole body clenched. And it was as if I’d been jolted awake again. “Okay, okay, fine! You’re right. It’s not safe. I’m not safe.”

  He was off me in a second and chilled air wrapped around me. I huffed out a breath before stumbling to my feet and I straightened my clothes. I sent River an accusatory glare. “Someone could have walked by us.”

  “But no one did. So, next time I ask you something, answer honestly and don’t be so damn stubborn.”

  I huffed out an agitated breath. “That pride you keep around you? It’s like a flame, and every time yo
u feed it, it grows. One day you’ll get burned.”

  Without replying, River shouldered past me with a straight face and square shoulders.

  Catching my breath, I reluctantly followed him.

  The guy had ruined my hair and wrinkled my clothes while he still looked like he was fresh off the runway. Asshole.

  I hated him.

  I hated him so much.

  And I hated that I didn’t hate him nearly as much as he deserved.

  With meetings all day, the hours passed and River and I only spoke when necessary. We even managed to get through lunch together too, but the mood was odd. It was awkward, and things between us were never awkward. Sure, we butted heads and argued, but I was always comfortable being with him. Except for when he made my skin itch and my heart flutter.

  I knew it wasn’t technically his fault that I was mad—it was me and my pride that took a hit—but it was easier to blame him for it. Besides, he blamed me for everything wrong in his life, so I figured it was justified. But still, that reasonable part of me wanted to apologize for being a bitch. I wouldn’t go back to the hotel, though. That would feel like a win for him, and I didn’t want that embarrassment on top of everything else.

  When the last meeting ended that day, I said my goodbyes to everyone before slipping out of the room and getting a cab before River could catch up with me.

  The dusty air I was met with when I exited the cab made my throat itch. I paid the driver and the yellow bubble shot off into the distance. I guess he didn’t like the neighborhood any more than I did. I shivered when I noticed some guys on the corner by a streetlamp doing some shady business.

  I headed inside before I could let my fantasy wander. Inside, the place was small and cramped. Walking in the door, I stumbled upon the kitchen counters immediately, and the bed was in the corner. Thankfully, the bathroom wasn’t a part of the open floor plan.

  I sat on the foam mattress carefully and fished out my phone from my purse. Evie had called me back. Inhaling a breath, I dialed her number.

  “Hey, you called earlier, what’s up?” she asked as soon as she answered.

  “Hi. Nothing special, I just needed some moral support.”

  “Ooh, did something happen?”

  A fly flew up in my face and I smacked it away with my hand. Jesus, this place was rotting.

  “Sorry. A fly,” I explained, grimacing in disgust. “Yes, something happened. River and I… We don’t get along. Like, at all. I moved out.”

  “Moved out?” Evie exclaimed in confusion.

  “Yeah,” I muttered. “Long story short, I rented an Airbnb, but the place is rotting and the neighborhood is shady. I don’t want to sleep here another night, but I can’t move back to the hotel.”

  “Why not?”

  “My pride, Evie! River is so arrogant and an asshole, and stubborn and—”

  “You’re stubborn too, Em.”

  “I know! That’s why I can’t move back. That would be the humiliation of the century.”

  “Em…” Evie sighed. “Just admit that you hate wherever you’re staying, and he’ll mock you for the rest of the trip but then he’ll forget about it.”

  I groaned. “No, he won’t. River’s too cocky, and smart, and so handsome and—”

  “Emory,” Evie interrupted with a dark hum, “now you’re just reciting all the superlatives that apply to him.”

  “No, I’m not,” I growled.

  “Are you sure?” I could practically hear the smug smile in her voice.

  I scowled. “Why do you sound like you’re supporting the idea of… him?”

  “Hey!” she squealed. “You know I’m not his biggest fan, but I am your biggest one, and I think he brings out your strengths.”

  “Evie,” I groaned. “I need serious help; I don’t need you telling me why I should like him. I don’t know what to do.”

  Leaving the hotel was a big mistake. Damn me for not realizing it sooner.

  A loud bang on the door made me flinch and my heart jumped up into my throat. Another knock sent my body into freeze mode.

  “There’s someone at the door,” I whisper-hissed into the phone.

  “Who?” Evie whispered back.

  “I don’t know.”

  Another knock came, this time with more anger fused into it, and then a voice. “Emory? Are you in there?”

  I froze. “It’s River.”

  “Open the door,” Evie whisper-shouted back at me.

  “I don’t want to see him.” Except, a small part of me wished he would beg me to come back so I wouldn’t have to stay here. But everything was silent for the next minute. “He went quiet.”

  I peeked through the peephole and saw that the hallway was empty.

  “He’s gone,” I said, my body slumping and heartbeat winding down.

  “Yay, right?”

  “Right,” I mumbled. “Hey, I’ll call you later. I’m going out to eat soon and I have some stuff to do before then.”

  “Okay, sure. Stay safe.”

  “You, too.” I smiled as I hung up, but as soon as I was alone in the silence of my cupboard of a living space, a wash of exhaustion and sadness washed over me.

  Today sucked. New York City was nothing like I had expected. It was so much worse.

  But funny enough, River wasn’t the main reason for that.

  I’d been the one acting like someone else. I didn’t know myself. Maybe River was messing more with my head than I had thought.

  After going through the meeting minutes from earlier, I changed into a jumpsuit. I was stupid enough to not bring anything comfortable to wear besides pajamas. I hadn’t expecting all of this to happen.

  The sun had almost merged with the horizon, making the district seem haunted. Like in an action movie, sirens wailed in the distance.

  My stomach grumbled, reminding me that I should get some food before it was too late. The town wouldn’t become more inviting as the hours passed.

  Slipping on a coat and grabbing my purse, I headed out. My heels clicked against the concrete floor of the apartment building. Stepping out onto the holey pavement, I scurried down the street. The noises and voices around me weren’t welcoming, nor did they make me feel any type of safe.

  Unease slithered down my spine and the autumn air suddenly felt spiky cold against me. Tugging the coat tighter around me didn’t help. Disregarding my gut feeling, I walked down the pavement, clutching my purse closer.

  Suddenly a strong arm grabbed me and forced me up against the brick wall of the building behind us. “Give me your purse!”

  I screamed, but the attacker placed a gloved hand over my mouth. Instinctively, I bit down on it, causing the guy to howl into the mask he was wearing.

  “Don’t try anything funny, rich kid.” He shoved me hard, my skull smacking against the massive wall.

  I closed my eyes and groaned as warm pain spread from my head. Fear pulsated through my veins and my heart galloped in my chest. Adrenaline fueled my body, and my instincts were clear.

  I stomped my heel on his foot, but he was wearing solid shoes. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I thrashed around with my arms. The guy lunged for me and pressed me up against the wall. Dizziness clouded my sight and I coughed. The man fiddled with my purse and although I still clawed and kicked as much as I could, I didn’t have the strength to fight him off.

  “I just want your money,” the guy growled tensely.

  But out of nowhere, a tall shadow flew by, dragging the man away from me. They tumbled to the ground with a thud. All I saw was the back of someone in a black coat as he plunged his fist into the attacker’s face.

  Again and again and again.

  Darkness was all around. Only the streetlights were throwing a yellow hue that reflected in the water from the earlier shower of rain. The attacker groaned and his head fell back into a puddle.

  The coated guy pushed off the man and swung around, heading straight for me with aggressive steps. “Let’s go,” he barked. />
  My heart jumped.

  I knew that voice.

  “River—” I was cut off when he grabbed my hand and marched on, now with me in tow.

  I gaped at him as he pulled me through the darkness and around a corner. He didn’t stop until he’d pulled me into the backseat of a car. Brushing a hand through his damp hair, he finally looked at me.

  His eyes we’re almost iridescent, flashing with an emotion, though I didn’t know which. He looked like a dark angel.

  He regarded me cautiously with an intense gaze. “Are you okay?” he asked gruffly, piercing me with his enchanting eyes.

  Still in shock, I disregarded his question. “What were you doing there? Were you following me?”

  “No. I’ve been watching you since I left your apartment this afternoon,” he growled. “I couldn’t let you stay unchaperoned in this awful neighborhood.” He breathed so heavily, the signature strand of hair hanging in front of his forehead almost moved from it.

  “Are you saying I told you so?” My eyes narrowed at him. “Because I don’t need you to save me or help me or anything.”

  My adrenaline was ebbing and stubbornness took over in its place. I hated when he was right, because he usually was.

  “It’s nice to see I’m appreciated. Are you okay?” he repeated, firmer this time. It was a casual question, but between the two of us, it was loaded. “Seriously. I’m not playing any mind games; I just want to know how you’re doing. You know, so you don’t go whining to my father that I’m a rude bastard and all that.”

  Sinking back into the leather seat, I sighed and crossed my arms. “I’m okay. Hit my head, but okay. Thanks.”

  “Have you eaten?” It was a caring question, but he sounded slightly annoyed.

  “No. I was headed out to eat when that guy jumped me,” I admitted in defeat.

  “Hm.” River’s face was drawn tight in thought. “Then you should eat something. If you hit your head, you shouldn’t have low blood sugar. I won’t have you fainting on me like a damsel in distress.” River’s lips twitched as he opened the car door and went to the driver’s seat while I remained in the backseat like a kid.