Gangster's Paradise // Rio (Good Girls)

16. what are you going to do about it?

Isla walked down the aisle, carefully inspecting the various cages of dogs. She had made up her mind to get a guard dog, especially after the unsettling incident during their recent self-defense classes. Axel had informed her that Rio had called him afterward, revealing that she had almost broken the assailant's nose.

As Isla peered into each cage, her attention was momentarily diverted by the creaking sound of the large metal door opening. Assuming it was one of the workers, she ignored it and focused on the dogs in front of her.

"You sure packed a punch, Isla," a familiar voice remarked. Her heart sank, and she instinctively squeezed her eyes shut upon hearing his voice. Slowly, she turned her head to the side, stealing a glance at him from the corner of her eye.

"Thank you," Isla replied curtly, her voice laced with unease. She quickened her pace, hoping to put some distance between them. Yet, he persisted, following her down the aisle.

"You haven't been home in the past couple of days," Rio stated. Isla pressed her lips together, finally turning to face him fully. She had deliberately avoided going home, staying at Emma's house instead. She had even taken a double shift at the hospital to keep herself occupied.

"I've had a lot going on," Isla replied, her voice tight with tension. Rio nodded, licking his bottom lip as he leaned against one of the kennels, hands in his pockets. His dark eyes studied her intently.

"Come on, Mama, let's take a ride," Rio suggested. Isla's nerves got the better of her, and she nervously chewed on her bottom lip. Her bright blue eyes met his gaze.

"For what?" Isla asked, attempting to maintain a calm demeanor. "If you want to talk, we can do it right here." She took a slow, steadying breath as Rio pushed himself off the kennel and walked up to her. She remained composed, remembering Luke's advice.

Isla felt a rush of warmth as Rio's compliment reached her ears. "You look good today," he said, his voice carrying a husky tone. His hand gently lifted, delicately tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear "really good" he said Isla's tongue grazed her bottom lip before she nervously tucked it between her teeth, glancing up at him through her long lashes.

Rio's hand shifted, tenderly resting on her cheek. His thumb traced her bottom lip, enticing it out from between her teeth. Isla was rendered speechless, her gaze locked with his. She attempted to retract her bottom lip, but instead, she lightly grazed his thumb with her teeth.

With a subtle turn, Rio guided Isla to the side, gently backing her up until her back met the kennel behind her. His hand found support on the chain link fence, while the other continued to caress her face, trailing down her jawline. Isla tilted her head slightly, her eyes fluttering in response to the gentle touch of his hand.

Rio leaned down a little more, his breath brushing against her lips as she tilted her head up, gazing softly into his eyes. She couldn't comprehend what had come over her. This man had single-handedly turned her life upside down in the past couple of weeks, and yet here she stood, captivated.

He inhaled deeply through his nose, taking a step back, leaving Isla slightly flustered. Her eyes darted to his as he gave her a small smirk, sliding his hands back into his pockets.

"What are you doing here, Isla?" Rio asked, his tone implying that he was well aware of her interest in the dogs, as if a dog could resolve the situation at hand.

"I'm just looking," Isla replied, her voice filled with a soft breeze, her gaze fixed on him. Rio raised an eyebrow and moistened his lips.

"You think a dog is going to help?" Rio questioned, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Do you believe a dog can keep me away from..." He paused, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. "...you?"

"It's worth a shot," Isla responded, her voice determined. "But I don't know, Rio. So why don't you tell me? Will a dog keep you away from..." Her eyes traveled up and down his frame, a hint of mockery in her tone. "...me?" A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips in response.

"Come on, Mama," Rio urged, but Isla shook her head, pushing herself off the kennel.

"I'm not going with you, Rio," Isla stated firmly. "But now you can tell me. What did you really come here for?" she inquired, her voice tinged with curiosity and a touch of caution.

"You hit one of my guys," Rio stated, his gaze fixed on Isla. She nodded lightly in response, her head held high.

"I nearly broke his nose, I heard," Isla hummed softly, continuing to walk back down the aisle. "What of it?" she challenged.

"Come on, Ma, you know I can't just let you get away with it," Rio replied. Isla stopped, taking a deep breath before turning sideways to face him.

"And what exactly are you going to do about it, Rio?" Isla questioned, her voice laced with defiance. Rio gave her another sly smirk, his dark eyes locked onto her.

"Oh, I already took care of it," Rio said cryptically. Confusion she furrowed her brows as she looked at him once again.

"What?" Isla exclaimed, her attention momentarily pulled away when her phone began to ring. She glanced down at the screen, seeing Emma's name displayed. Swallowing hard, her gaze shifted back up to Rio, then back down to her phone before answering the call.

"Hello?" Isla spoke into the phone, her voice filled with concern.

"Isla, I need you to come to Axles," Emma's voice came through urgently.

"Is he okay?" Isla asked, her eyes fixated on Rio, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Well, he's still breathing," Emma replied, her tone tinged with worry. "But he's going to need some fixing up."

"Okay, I'm on my way," Isla responded, ending the call. Her eyes lifted from her phone to meet Rio's gaze as she started walking towards the door. She opened it, paused, and then turned to face him. "You're a fucking asshole," she spat, her words filled with anger and hurt. With that, she walked out, leaving Rio behind.