68. Big Mistake

River sat at the dining table, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge, his mind churning with the weight of the decision before him. Alexander didn’t seem to be cooperating so that meant deciding what to do with Riley. River’s jaw clenched as he considered his options, each more distasteful than the last. He could not bring himself to kill Riley despite the leverage it would give him over Alexander. He had killed numerous men before. But an innocent like Riley? Never. Riley was an innocent girl, and he figured that out. No matter how strong she acted, how much attitude she gave him, he knew she wasn’t a tainted soul like him. He couldn’t violate her either. The very thought made his stomach turn. He was a father to a fourteen-year-old girl, for fuck’s sake! Ellie’s face also flashed through his mind, her kind eyes and gentle smile a stark reminder of the man he used to be, the man she had loved. He could not betray her memory, could not cross that line and become the very monster he