The Crow & The Ghost: A Dystopian AU Simon Ghost Riley x Reader

Chapter Twenty-One: These Violent Delights

        You and your four guard dogs stalk through the city, silent and purposeful. The large gun strapped on your back thumps against you with each step, a reassuring reminder that you have a chance of being okay even if things get especially ugly.
        As you near Vampire Alley, Riley puts a hand on your shoulder. "We should come up with a plan." He says, his voice low. You come to a stop. Soap, Keegan, and Kieran are all attentive, only realizing you've stopped a few seconds after it happens. You gather in a small circle on the otherwise empty sidewalk.
        "My suggestion," Keegan says, his brow flat so that his eyes are more hooded than usual. "Is that myself, MacTavish, and Riley stand guard. We'll have to see what that will look like exactly once we get there. I think Crow and Corr need to enter on their own."
        "Absolutely the fuck not," Riley snaps, his eyes blazing. He looks to you. "There is no way you're going near her without me."
        "Why?" You shoot back, crossing your arms. "It makes perfect sense to have Kieran go in with me."
        And it does. You need Kieran with you for this. Keegan and Soap don't need to be in there—they would crowd the space too much, and what you really needed them for was back-up. And Riley... though you would like him by your side, he would only distract you. He would be too emotional now, you feared. You both could make a mistake when around one another, too focused on keeping the other safe. It was something General Moorehouse had been right about, and something you had come to genuinely fear now that it had been put in your head.
        You couldn't handle protecting yourself and him. You would lose out in the end, every time.
        Riley narrows his eyes. "I'm your partner in this. I should be there with you."
        Kieran puts a hand out into the circle, as if trying to halt anyone from speaking any further. "I'm her partner, period." He says directly to Riley, his eyes hard, and a muscle is ticking in his jaw. He's angry, you realize. "I'll be going in with her."
        You put a hand on Kieran's forearm and look at your friend standing beside you. "I think that's the best idea." You say. You shift your gaze to Riley. "Kieran was in the nightclub. He may have questions that only he can ask. We have to do it this way."
        Riley's eyes bounce from you to Kieran, but neither of you speak any further. Soap shifts from one leg to the other, and Keegan stays completely still. You can see from the corner of your eye that he's watching you closely.
        You keep your eyes on Riley, but you squeeze Kieran's arm in reassurance. "I can do this without you." You say to Riley.
        "Of course you can," Riley and Soap say at the same time, Riley's voice incredulous and Soap's voice lackadaisical, as if you were stating the obvious. Riley whips his head to Soap, who shrugs.
        Riley looks back at you, his dark eyes shining with an emotion you can't read. "You and Kieran will go inside."
        Kieran lowers his arm and then turns around to continue walking, not saying another word.
Don't abandon me, Crow.
        I have.
        You have.
        Kieran's terror and shock was melting into rage—you could see it unfolding before your eyes. Rage at what had happened, at the Undead, at you. At all of it. He hadn't wanted to be sucked into this mess, and now he was on the front lines. He was on the front lines and he didn't even feel like he could depend on you to back him up. You felt a pang in your chest that you had no choice but to ignore for now.
        Keegan and Soap start walking again, and when you turn to follow, you feel Riley's massive hand on your neck, his fingers squeezing so you can't move. He keeps you held in place as he takes one, two, three steps around you until he's facing you, his massive frame taking up almost the entirety of your field of vision.
        "You know that I know you can handle yourself, don't you, little Crow?" He asks, his voice painfully soft. Your eyes drift to the black collar around his neck.
        "I like to think so," You reply. You give him a soft smile and reach your hand up, hooking your index finger under the collar and pulling him towards you. The skin on his throat is warm. "Can you be a good dog for me, Riley? Keep me safe?"
        "Am I your wife or your housepet?" He asks, his breath fluttering against this mask. "I can't keep track."
        You pull him even closer, until your faces are inches apart. You angle your jaw so your lips brush the fabric of his mask as you speak. "When it comes to you, what's the difference?"
        You're both silent for a moment, the air between you taut. You so badly want to reach for him, for him to reach for you, but you both stay still. You both do remember where you are, and what's coming, though it feels like it's becoming more and more distant. This is why you can't have him with you when you confront Meara. You get utterly lost in him, and you are seemingly helpless to stop it.
Stay focused, Crow. Stay fucking focused.
        "I'll kill for you." Riley says, his voice rough. "I'll tear the building down brick by brick just to get to you, if that's what it comes to."
        You press your lips to his mask, feeling the warmth of his mouth beneath it. When you pull away, you look into his sunken gaze, which you can see is purposefully blank. He's fighting to stay focused, too.
        "I know, Ghost." You whisper, and then you unhook your finger from the collar and walk away, the grip of his fingers on your neck feeling like burn spots once he lets go.