Beyond the Edge (the Knight Series Book 3)

by Mari Brown

  “Are you really marrying him?” I snicker a bit at his words.

  “Julie has a big mouth during pillow talk.” He laughs. I’m happy he moved to Belmont to be with Julie. I know at times he misses his family but he said he is home. It’s ironic both he and Julie are a twin and dating. “Did you just come to be a jackass?”

  “No, actually I have some documents I need you to sign.” He places his briefcase on my desk popping it open. He grabs out of folder and open it bringing out a stack of papers. “These need your signature.”

  I glance at the papers in front of me “Luke, is there something I should know about Bruce?”

  “No.” he chuckles “He’s just preparing for retirement. Wants to make sure each of his kids are taken care of no matter what.”

  I trust Luke’s assessment of the situation. Bruce isn’t keeping anything from the family like he’s dying. It is just making sure the family is taken care of. He has plenty of years left in him. Seth at nine, would benefit from his father being home more, less worried about the business side of things. There is no way Bruce won’t keep his finger on everything but he trusts Cole to be in charge.

  I’ve become so use to bad things happening in my life. I’m use to assuming the worst in a situation. I’m thankful to be wrong this time. Looking back down at the documents Luke has put in front of me I speak, “Where do I sign?”

  It takes about half an hour for Luke to walk me through the papers. Bruce has been more than generous to me. I will be taken care of no matter what happens with Cole and I. However, he has made it clear he wants Cole and I together. I’m certainly not opposed to the idea of marriage to Cole at least not like I was at first. The idea is really beginning to grow on me.

  “You’re really going to marry Cole?” Luke smiles.

  “Yep, soon as I get a real proposal”

  “A real one?”

  A smile crosses my face as I remember the day in the office Cole had Gracie bring at the calendar and I had to pick a date. I was only slightly shocked by his demanding way of asking me to marry him. Honestly, I was perfectly happy with marrying Cole. But I couldn’t let him think he could get away with bossing me around or our marriage would be one sided.

  “Yes, a real one. Not the bossy caveman one he tried to get away with.”

  Luke chuckles. “You two are so much fun to be around there’s never a dull moment.”

  He’s right Cole and I are far from a typical boring couple. Our personalities are as different as they are similar. It makes for an explosive combination. Truthfully no one can handle us but us. We fight passionately and we make up passionately.

  The things I do for Cole are unlike anything I have done for any other guy. We keep each other on our toes. We keep each other grounded. We are the yin to the others yang. We work!

  “Who wants boring?” I ask.

  “Liam and Ali.”

  At the mention of his twin and his fiancée I find myself smiling softly. He’s right, those two are the typical boy meets girl next door couple. It’s ironic that Luke and Liam are twins when they are so polar opposite of one another. Whereas Drew and I were cut from the same cloth. It seems the brothers were only alike in appearance and nothing else.

  “They’re cute. I can’t wait until we fly out next month for their wedding.” I turn the attention off me and Cole by bringing up the fact his brother gets married next month.

  “I already have the bachelor party planned.”

  “I’m sure you do. I almost wish I was going to it then hanging out with all the old sorority sisters.”

  I hadn’t done a really good job of staying in touch with my former sorority sisters after graduation and moving back to Belmont. I always was different from most of them in the way I grew up. I wasn’t from the privileged backgrounds they came from. I only had the generosity of Bruce Knight the last six years of my life. They certainly wouldn’t understand my killing a man in cold blood. Their biggest worries were what color to paint their nails this week. Most of them were engaged or already married to equally wealthy men.

  I would go out there and play my part. I had no choice as a bridesmaid. I can’t believe I let Ali talk me into doing that and now here I am getting ready to plan my own wedding in six months’ time. What the fuck was I thinking?

  That I love Cole Knight! That is all that mattered at the end of the day. That Cole and I were in each others arms.

  “Earth to Kat. Did I lose you?”

  “Sorry, got lost in my thoughts.”

  I’m becoming that woman…who goes all rainbows and butterflies over a man. How the hell did this happen to me? I was finding light to bring me out of the darkness. I was going to embrace the light. I was going to love Cole and let him be my strength. Fuck Sal Martin and all he has tried to do to us. We will overcome anything he throws at us.

  “It’s still weird for me to see you go stupid over a man” Luke and I share a little chuckle and a few memories of college. We are interrupted by Gracie rushing into my office unannounced. Luke and I both turn to face her. Her face is pale and drawn something bad is happening and I feel my heart begin pounding in my chest.

  “I’m sorry I just…”

  “Gracie, what is it?” I ask her, urgency clear in my tone.

  “explosion… site….” She mutters not making a whole lot of sense.

  “Gracie, slow down and try again.” I speak calmly even though my mind is racing.

  “There was an explosion.” Her hand rakes through her hair, “Knight Construction site. No other information being released yet.”

  “What?” my hand covers my mouth in horror. My heart is pounding in my chest, I’m on the verge of a panic attack. Cole and Drew were on site together today doing an inspection. “I need to get down there” I grab my purse in a hurry and bolt past Gracie.

  “Kat, wait up!” Luke calls out “I’ll drive you.” I barely pause as I acknowledge Luke, I briefly hear Luke tell Gracie to stay at the office as he follows me out the door.

  Luke grabs hold of my elbow and gently leads me to his car. We take off and my thoughts travel to the fear of the unknown. I begin to rummage in my purse looking for my Xanax. I haven’t taken one in a while but today I need one. My fears of Cole or Drew being hurt or even worse precipitates a full blown fight or flight response in me. What the hell happened? I turn on the radio flipping through until I find a station that is reporting to stay away from the downtown area that there are several dozen men injured from the explosion.

  Entering the area near the explosion, fear overtakes me. The scene before us is nothing but chaos. Black smoke billows all around. Fire trucks, ambulances and police cars are everywhere. Barricades have been erected to keep people out of the area. People hustle and bustle everywhere. I watch as paramedics attend to men sitting on the curb.

  The fear is clawing its way through me. I’m terrified. Luke reaches over and pats my knee. A gesture meant to bring comfort yet it brings none right now. I need to find Drew and Cole. I’m desperate. How the hell did this happen? Does it have anything to do with the reason Tom, the site foreman, called them yesterday? A burning sensation in my stomach gnaws at me.

  Luke and I make our way from his car to the police barricade. Looking around at all the people I still have not seen anyone I know. I begin to march toward the site. Ignoring the barricade.

  “Miss, you can’t be here. You have to go back” a uniformed officer calls out to me. I ignore him as I continue on my quest.

  “Fuck you! I’m looking for my family!” I dare someone to stop me.

  I notice Luke standing with a man in a suit who looks a little out of place in the chaos but then I hear him talking to the man. “I’m Luke Smith, attorney for the Knight family. She’s looking for her fiancée Cole Knight and brother Drew Roberts”

  I have stopped to watch them talk and I take in the man in front of me. He doesn’t scream local cop. I’m guessing he’s FBI or something like that. What I do notice is he calls out to a man be
hind him and next thing I know Luke has two clip on badges in his hand. He clips one of the front of my shirt and one on himself and I read them clear. “FBI ALL ACCESS”

  “This will keep us from being stopped” he says as we begin briskly walking toward the site once more. It’s harder to see as we get closer to what’s left of the four story building. People are milling everywhere a complete mess. I’m searching the faces trying to find someone I recognize. Someone who can tell me where Cole and my brother are. Tension knots in me tighter the longer I don’t see them.

  “Kat! Luke!” Justin’s voice calls out over the noise. “I just got here what the hell’s going on? Where are Cole and Drew?”

  Justin is wearing a clip on badge identical to mine and Luke’s. It’s obvious the Knight name got us this privilege, if that’s what you want to call it.

  “We don’t know we just got here. I’m looking for them now.” I place a hand above my eyes to block the glare of the sun and begin scanning the crowd as I talk. “I haven’t spotted them yet.”

  The three of us begin milling through the men and EMS personnel. I fight the beginning of a headache. I don’t have time for it. As we continue looking around I finally spot the foreman Tom,.

  “Tom…” I yell out to the man. His head pops up. I watch as his eyes grown round, something like fear showing in them. “Tom, where are they?”

  His adams apple noticeably bobs as he swallows hard. The fear has magnified not only in his eyes but the way he shrinks back from me.

  “I’m not asking again!” My teeth clench as I speak. All my emotions radiate off of me in waves of anger, fear, and pure anxiety.

  “Ms. Roberts,…um ...well you see ...” As Tom begins to stammer the knot in my stomach draws tighter. The fact he’s struggling to give me an answer is not good. In fact, it terrifies me.

  “Spit it out,- man.” Justin uses a more abrasive tone then I’m use to from him. He means business, it’s clear.

  “They were investigating the structure. I noticed some issues with materials that looked like they had been replaced since we originally constructed the biggest section of the basement.”

  He pauses, taking a deep breath. His blackened face is starting to sweat. “I suspected someone came in and made some switches taking out what we put in and replacing it with crap materials. I escorted Mr. Knight and Mr. Roberts to the site and left them with the original prints and specs.”

  His hand wipes at his brow. I notice his hand is shaking. “I left them to continue their inspection while going back to work. They didn’t want anyone to be alarmed by what they were doing in case it was one of our own crew. I was walking across the yard to check on some blueprints when there was a large BOOM;like fireworks going off.”

  My body begins to tremble., not just a little but a lot. Tears begin forming in my eyes.

  “You’re telling me that my brother and fiancée were in the basement when it exploded?” I barely whisper the words but all those around me hear me. I can tell by the eyes shifting away from me that no one wants to be the one to tell me.

  “Answer me! Damn it, someone just answer me!”

  Panic begins clawing at my chest. It’s been a few years since I had a full blown panic attack but I recognize the symptoms immediately. My hand clutches my chest at it tightens. My breathing becomes more rapid and shallow.

  “Kat…” I hear Luke call me name but it’s as if he is miles away from me not standing right beside me. I feel arms wrap around me.

  “Yes, Mr. Knight and Mr. Roberts were in the basement when it exploded.”

  Those words are the last I hear before my world pitches into a black abyss.

  Chapter 3

  Bright white light assaults my eyes. I squint to shut out the annoying light. I try to remember where I am and what is happening but nothing is coming to me. Then all at once it strikes me, Cole! Drew! The explosion. I try to sit up in the narrow bed.

  “Katarina, lay down.” Bruce Knight’s voice floats to me from a corner of the room. How did Bruce end up with me?

  I can’t argue right now because my body feels weak and drained right now. It’s like every ounce of energy I had has been zapped from me. What the hell happened to me? “Cole? Drew?”

  Bruce gives me an easy smile. “They are both okay. They were found pretty quickly and neither has serious injuries just banged up and some burns. They were lucky.”

  “I need to see them. Where are they?”

  Bruce pats my arm as he speaks, “You will see them soon enough both are being admitted overnight for observation.” He pauses smiling tightly “plus we need to wait for the doctor to clear you.”

  “I’m fine” I state while that’s not totally true I’m sure I could make it to see them. I still don’t understand what happened. I remember I was fine panic hitting then nothing until I woke up here in the ER.

  “I’m sure you are, dear” he smirks “Nothing can keep you down. I’ll just ring the nurse”

  The nurse comes in and makes a fuss over me checking my vitals. I’m antsy. I’m ready to be discharged and go see my brother and my man. “Let me get the doctor and tell him you are ready”

  Understatement of the year! If I could figure out how to break out of this joint, I already would be on my way where Cole is. Yet I am so damn tired. It feels as if I was in the explosion or something.

  It’s not long before a small stature man in scrubs enters my room. “Sleeping beauty is awake. The good news is that nothing serious is wrong with you.” His tone is light, reassuring me nothing scary is happening. . “It seems you’re a bit anemic. Combine that with what sounds like a major panic attack and I think you hyperventilated and passed out.

  I watch as the doctor eyes Bruce nervously. I wonder what he’s done to terrorize the hospital since we were all brought in. I feel a bit sorry for the hospital staff. I’m sure Bruce was barking orders as soon as he showed up.

  “I’m going to be fine then?” I focus on the doctor “I need to go see about my fiancée and brother.” I leave no room for discussion on that. I’m getting out of this bed and getting dressed. Bruce smiles at my word choice for his son. I smirk in return.

  “I’ll go start your discharge paperwork. I am sending you home with a prescription for iron supplements but you need to follow up with your doctor in about 10-14 days.

  “Thank you.” I smile sweetly at the doctor as he heads out into the hall.

  Bruce sits up straight in his chair beaming at me. “Shut it old man.” I can tell by the glint in his eye he is dying to say something.

  “I didn’t say anything.” he chuckles.

  “You were thinking it.” I sit up moving my legs over the side of the bed. My body is tired and weak. I’m like jello sitting on a plate wiggling in the air.

  “Katarina, you’ve made me a happy old man.”

  My eyes roll at his words. What is with him pushing marriage all of a sudden? “What are you up to?”

  His face takes on surprise at my question. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Why are you pushing Cole and me?”

  There is a long silence. It’s as if Bruce is thinking something over before he speaks. I keep my eyes on him but I remain silent.

  “You two fucked around enough. It’s time for Cole to marry and start a family. Which means it’s time for you as well.”

  “You want us married so I can start popping out babies?”

  “Something like that.” He grins at me. “Plus, I’ve spoiled you. I have let you have your way for far too long. This is going to be done my way.”

  “Now I get where Cole’s stubbornness comes from” I smile as the warmth of knowing Bruce loves me and is standing his ground with me. I have always wondered why he had such a soft spot but I never asked and he’s never explained himself. Not that he has too.

  “I think his stubbornness comes from his mother. God love that woman she was hard to budge once she made up her mind.” The bittersweet smile that crosses Br
uce’s face makes me feel a pang of sadness for him losing the love of his life so tragically. Life is short. We shouldn’t waste time and we should hold on to our loved ones every chance we get.

  Knowing I could have lost Cole today scared the shit out of me. It was bad enough to cause a panic attack that landed me in the ER. If that isn’t a big slap in the fucking face I don’t know what else it would take for me to realize Cole is my other half. Or what if I had lost my brother? Waking up and Bruce telling me that both would be okay was the best feeling in the world. I know I told Cole I wanted a romantic proposal but at this point I don’t give a shit it’s time to let him put a ring on my finger.

  The nurse enters my room, “I just need you to sign here stating that the doctor explained your treatment to you.” I take the pen she has in her hand and sign my name. “OK, you are free to go.”

  I’m barely done signing my name when I am jumping out of bed, grabbing my clothes from the counter and headed into the bathroom. I waste no time stripping off the hospital gown and putting my clothes back on. I give myself a cursory glance in the mirror and figure I could look worse. I rejoin Bruce who is waiting patiently in a chair.

  “Ready Katarina?” Bruce stands up taking my arm. Always a gentleman. I love the old fashion ways Bruce has of treating a woman. While Cole is not as suave, he has picked up a few pointers from his dad.

  “Let’s go to my brother first” Bruce leads me to an elevator and pushes the button for the second floor. I look around the small space as we move upward. “So what do we know about the explosion?”

  “Kat!” Bruce shakes his head slightly at my question. “I left Justin and Luke on the site to handle things until I can’t get back down there.”

  “Do you think it was done on purpose?”

  He sighs heavily. “You won’t let it go will you?”

  Not a chance in hell he should know this about me.

  “We don’t know what happened yet. We don’t know if it was error on our part or something else.