“Well, good thing it’s not your business,” Riley snaps.
“You don’t deserve her,” Matt finally says.
“I know,” Riley replies solemnly.
“She is so hopelessly devoted to you, no matter how many times you break her. I don’t fucking understand it. I mess up, but at least I always try to make it right. I have done nothing but show her I can be what she needs, but she refuses to let go of whatever bullshit hope she holds onto for you. How is she so committed to a man who beats her just because he is nice sometimes?” he says, growing louder.
Riley almost feels for him. He knows how absolutely incredible she is, but he had no idea the man before him also held real feelings for her.
Riley goes to the cabinet, pulling a bottle of whiskey down and fills a glass, handing it to Matt.
“I told Liz I wouldn’t kill you, but if you say that shit one more fuckin’ time, I swear to whatever god you believe in, I will show you just how much the human body can takewithoutdying,” he says, all too casually.
“Why? Can’t handle hearing it out loud? We all saw her when she came back—crying, wearing your handprint as a necklace. Your little buddies may ignore it, letting you do whatever you want, but I won’t,” Matt sneers.
“They ignore it because they know what happened over the arm of that couch.” He looks over, picturing her bent over it again. Matt slams the glass on the table, hearing the confession, staring atRiley with wide, panicked eyes. “She enjoyed every second, I promise.”
“So, she was telling the truth.” He leans back in his chair, shaking his head. “And what? You brought her over here to mark your territory?”
“No, I brought her over because you stressed me out, and I needed some relief,” Riley says, attempting to sound indifferent. “I thought she told you we have a complicated relationship.”
“I thought complicated meant she was in love with you, and you couldn’t stand her. Not that you fuck her whenever the mood strikes.”
“What can I say? She’s hot, and I’m just a man,” he says with a shrug.
“You are the reason she keeps turning me down, turning everyone down. Everytime you use her, you’re giving her false hope,” Matt yells, standing from his seat.
“What do you mean everyone?” Riley asks.
“There are plenty of men in other platoons that have been dying to talk to her, but they are too scared of you. Jesus christ, your own best friend wants to fuck her.”
“What?” Riley asks, dumbfounded.
That was the last thing he expected to hear. Mikey has no problems making it known that he finds Liz unbelievably attractive, but when it comes to sexual feelings, he had assumed his friend wouldn’t have any for her.
“He told her she had never looked hotter with the makeup running down her face before humping the air. She clearly felt the same way rubbing his damn stomach. The point is, you’re keeping her from finding any real happiness.” The words come out too fast to stop.
“Well, that’s good to know, but believe it or not, I don’t control what she does or doesn’t do. I made my feelings clear, therest is out of my hands. If you think you, or anyone else for that matter, can get her to agree to a date, she’s all yours. I will back off,” Riley says, knowing that was the last thing he expected to hear. “God, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but do you want to know how it happened? Why we have the relationship we do?” Riley groans, waiting to see his choice. Matt nods, slinking back into his chair.
Riley does exactly what Liz asked, he keeps him distracted, even if it means carefully picking and choosing what details to tell him, essentially handing him a playbook to her heart.
CHAPTER 21
Liz follows the voice in her ear across the eerily empty base. Tyler has timed everything perfectly to make sure she is able to make it to the office with minimal distractions. If anyonedoesspeak to her, she is to tell them she is meeting Paula and keep going.
After only being stopped once, she reaches the building she is sick of seeing. As soon as she is in, Tyler starts turning the cameras just enough for her to walk by as close to the wall as she can without looking suspicious and out of place. She makes her way through the maze of corridors until Tyler finally points out the stairwell. Her heart thunders in her chest, taking the steps two at a time to make it to the top floor before the conference room empties.
The hall lined with photos and metals comes into view. Practically sprinting on silent feet, she stops just outside the door. Tyler gives her the all clear and she shoves the small lock-pick into the knob, doing everything he tells her to do until she feels the lock give.
“Alright, camera is scattered. There should be a USB port onthe back of his monitor, just plug it in there and I can take care of the rest,” he says through her earpiece.
Liz does as he says. With Tyler left to his work, she starts poking around in drawers. Mostly filled with junk and food wrappers, she carefully moves them around, trying to find anything of value. A glint of metal catches her eye as she pushes the very bottom drawer closed. There, tucked into the back, nearly the same color of the wood, is a lock.
“Hey, will this lock-pick work on anything?” she asks the void.
“Should. Why? You got something?” Tyler’s voice cuts through the static.
“I think this drawer has a fake bottom,” Liz says, gently knocking on it. It sounds hollow. Liz doesn’t bother making sure it’s fine to mess with before shoving the lock-pick into it. The pick jiggles around, finally springing the lock free. As if diffusing a bomb, Liz lifts the wooden plate, wrappers and all, disgusted by what she finds under it.
