I stare at the wall just past Hunter’s head, my jaw clenched. Well, I guess that settles it. That woman’s going into early retirement—locked in a tower, guarded by a fire-breathing dragon if I can manage it. “He wants to hurt her,” says Hunter. “Maybe even Soraya. She’s stupid enough to think it's a mutual transaction in whatever twisted deal they have going on.” “Mutual transaction?” I ask. “What could she possibly need from him?” He shrugs. “I don’t know. Ask her. But for the record, I think I’m on the list of people he wants to hurt to get to you. So you’re paying for the extra security I hired. I told a psychopath to get lost yesterday and resigned from the CEO position in his company. You definitely owe me.” He turns around and starts climbing again, and I find myself staring at the back of his head while following him up. So this is where we are—Mateo’s decided I’m the scapegoat for what went down all those years ago. Figures. The man clearly skipped therapy and went straigh
*** ~~KNOX~~ *** My plans for the day certainly didn’t involve rescuing Soraya from a kidnapper who also happens to be my friend. But here I am—behind the wheel, staring through the windshield at Hunter’s fancy-ass townhouse. The driveway is as manicured as the man himself. As I kill the engine, I take a moment to breathe. I don’t want to be here. Not after last night. Not after dealing with my family's mess. I had planned to spend most of the day sweating it all out on the machines in my home gym. Now Soraya’s caught in some kind of craziness, and Hunter, of all people, decides this is the week to start committing felonies in my name. He doesn’t call for weeks, then reappears with an announcement that he's kidnapped my ex-wife. I step out of the car and shut the door with more force than necessary. The cool morning air does nothing to soothe me. I head up the stone path to the house and press the bell. A moment later, the door swings open. It’s one of Hunter’s rotating househ
Knox watches me the whole time. I slide the belt out in one quick pull and toss it aside, going for the zipper. When I finally reach in and wrap my hand around him, he jerks, hips twitching into my palm. His dick springs free, hard and ready, and as I hold it in my fist, he reaches up and pushes my bangs off my face. "You look hungry," he says. I can't pretend. "I am." "Food’s right here. All you gotta do is put it in your mouth." Those words are like a floodgate, releasing the pent-up need I've been holding back. I adjust myself, positioning my body so I can take him in my mouth. I start at the base and lick a slow line up his shaft, circling the piercing at the tip with my tongue. I can taste the slight metallic tang of his precum, and it only spurs me on. "Fuck," he groans, his hands gripping my hair, holding me in place. I take one of his balls into my mouth, rolling it gently with my tongue while I massage the other with my hand. His grunt of approval is music to my ears.
I’m off the ground the next second. Those large hands of Knox's are beneath my thighs as he lifts me up. Instinctively, my legs wrap around his waist, and my arms cling to him as tightly as my mouth does. He moves us across the living room with urgent steps, heading for the stairs. I hear the soft thud of his boots on each step, the creak of the banister as we pass, and the faint sound of our breaths mingling. When we reach the bedroom, he kicks the door open. He walks to the side of the bed and sets me down. My head finds the pillow behind me, and I keep my arms wrapped around his neck, refusing to let go. He doesn’t try to pull away. But before climbing on, he bends to tug off his shoes, one after the other, letting them thud against the floor. Then he joins me. He hovers over my head, looking down at me with eyes that still burn with a need I can feel pulsing off his skin. “Say it again,” he whispers. “Tell me how much you love me.” I open my mouth. “I—” But he leans in and
Lydia doesn’t answer. And that silence—God, that silence is enough. “You kept quiet because you wanted to protect Finn, didn't you?” I take a slow step forward. “One word from you would have fixed everything.” I let the words sink in. “One word. I was the only one who gave a damn about you in that house. I fucking mourned your death for the past twelve years. I lit candles for you in countries I couldn’t even pronounce because I thought I failed you. My father sent me away because of you. Do you have any idea what I went through? What it felt like waking up every day and believing I could’ve saved you if I had just—just been there?” I look at my mother. She’s crying again. Not that I care anymore. “And you,” I say, jaw tight. “You knew she was alive and kept up the charade. Even to your own husband. That has to be the coldest, most inhumane thing you’ve ever done.” “Knox—” “No.” I raise my voice just enough to silence hers. “I want you all to keep quiet and listen to me. You’
The silence after my mother's words goes on a little too long. My feet don’t move. Neither do my lips. I stand there with my hands slack at my sides and my eyes locked on hers. I can sense everyone else moving slightly, shifting, breathing, but it feels like I’ve been dropped inside a frozen frame, some slow-motion nightmare where the only thing moving is the throb behind my eyes. I know they’re all staring at me. Waiting. Waiting for me to react. To scream. To throw something. To fall apart. But I can’t take my eyes off her. Not yet. Her face is wet now—shiny in the light, as tears trail down both cheeks. She's doing that thing where people cry without blinking. Maybe she thinks if she holds my gaze long enough, I’ll understand. That I’ll see her regret, her sorrow, and forgive her. But I don’t feel forgiveness. My ears throb with the rush of blood, and it feels like I’m dragging a lifetime of memories behind me. “I guess this explains why you hated me,” I say. She flinc