The only similarities to Cal were that he was tall and just as built. The man gave me a half smile, revealing a dimple in his cheek too. I almost melted.
“Daddy?” He raised an eyebrow and butterflies went haywire in my belly.
“Uh, Callahan. He’s… who are you?” I pressed my lips together and tried to steady my raging heartbeat. What was going on? Why was I so attracted to a stranger?
“They call me Riot. You thirsty?” He kicked off the bottom cabinets and turned, opening a top one and pulling out a chipped coffee mug. I watched his tattooed muscles as he went to the percolator, poured me a steaming hot cup, and walked it over to me. “Careful, it’s hot.”
I looked up slowly, and as our eyes met, my heart exploded. His eyes were even more dazzling up close. They were green with specks of gold and brown. I wasn’t sure if it was some kind of makeup or just that his face was dirty, but his eyes were just lightly rimmed with black, making him look even more dangerous, more handsome and more… everything.
“What do I have to do to get you to call me that?”
“Call you what?” I said, my voice coming out breathless. My mind was blank. All I knew was Riot, his bright eyes and long yellow hair. Riot leaned down, bringing his face right next to mine. I inhaled deeply and his scent filled my lungs. It was the same mix of cologne and oil that was on my shirt.I was wearing his clothes. My heart hammered loudly in my ears as his warmth breath fell onto my ear.
“Daddy.”
Oh.
Oh no.
"I-- I like your tattoos," I blurted.
He stepped back and I could breathe again. He sat my cup on the wooden table. He ran his hand along his arm and grinned.He had a good smile for someone living above. I hadn't realized people could live above, let alone look this handsome.
"Yeah?" Riot chuckled. "You got tattoos where you're from?"
"What did Callahan say about me?" I wondered, how much did he know about us? Did Callahan tell him about the Young Lady program? About the bunker at all?
Riot rolled his eyes, and leaned back against the kitchen counter. "You're a bunker baby. Or bandit, I guess now. That has kind of a cute ring to it, Bunker Bandit. Maybe it'll catch on."
I stepped to the table, running my hand along it. Everything in the Young Lady floors were pristine, made of metal, and cold. This table was everything but that. I'd stepped into another world entirely.
"It was your room I slept in last night, wasn't it?" I looked back at him. Something in his expression changed, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. His eyes told more than his lips did.
"It was. Is my bed okay for you?"
"It was fine. Thank you. Where did you sleep?" If Callahan had taken the couch, did Riot take another bedroom?
"I didn't. I kept watch all night, just in case."
"In case what?"
He looked at me as if I had something on my face.
"The people from the bunker, Eleanor, do you realize how big of a deal what you two just did is?"
I swallowed. The butterflies from him saying my name were replaced with heavy rocks.
"I do," I lied. I knew that they wouldn't take us running off too lightly, but what were we supposed to do? They'd tried to kill us! Once in that underground bunker and again last night. If we didn't escape we wouldn't be alive. He sighed, not believing me. Which was fair, as I didn't believe myself either. We were in big trouble.
"Well, no one came last night, so there's that. I assume the next few days will be us keeping watch. Don't worry, Young Lady," he paused to smirk, and my belly fluttered again. "We won't let the big bad Daddy killers get you two."
There was energy between us for a moment, where I stared at him and he stared right back.
"How do you know Callahan?" I blurted the first thing that popped into my head. Riot raised his eyebrows as if considering my question. He reached for his coffee and brought it to his lips, taking a long sip.
"Milton led me to him."
I gasped. "You were friends with Milton?"
