Rounding a bend in the trail, I stop dead at the sight of an open field that has a two hundred and seventy degree view of the mountains filled with wildflowers overlooking a pristine, crystal clear blue lake. It’s magnificent, and one of the many reasons I wouldn’t consider leaving Colorado for anything. Ever.
Slowly making my way down the incline, careful not to disturb the untouched field too much, I sit down and bring my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. Inhaling the clean, crisp mountain air and letting the thin layer of sweat dry on my skin, I let my thoughts wander. And as usual, they all circle back to Knight.
The decision to sign my share of Dark Knights over to Locke was an easy one. Bluntly put, I didn’t want there to be anything in between Knight and I that could be perceived as leverage. The last thing I needed to think was that he was offering to sleep with me in lieu of payment for returning his company to him. Not that I honestly believed he’d stoop that low, but I can’t lie and say it didn’t cross my mind.
There are so many roadblocks on the way to any kind of relationship with Knight, and while that may have been the least complicated, it was one I could do something about. The rest…Well, Knight being the owner of an escort service and one of the main attractions, and the fact that he’s still in love with his ex-wife is out of my control. And that’s something I’ve come to accept. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change and the courage to change the things I can and all that jazz.
Over the last few days, I’ve asked myself dozens of times if on the off chance Knight and I started anything together if I would be okay with what he does for a living, and the answer is no. That’s not me. I will never be able to give him a kiss and send him off to work like a normal girlfriend would when I know he is about to have sex with another woman. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it, let alone living it. And that’s not even touching on the big one; Knight holding a candle and the door open for Lena.
What helped me make my decision to take the contract Brent’s team was offering was running into Lena at the mall the day before I left.
*****
“Zara, is that you?” I heard from somewhere behind me while I was digging through a rack of last season lingerie at Agent Provocateur.
Shh, that’s my dirty little secret so don’t tell anyone. My Nan always said that you shouldn’t leave home without your wallet, keys, phone, can of mace, and a clean pair of panties on. I may or may not have taken that last piece of advice to an extreme, adapting it to include your best and sexiest pair of panties, but I figured my Nan wouldn’t mind as long as they were clean.
I knew the voice; I just didn’t want to acknowledge her if I didn’t have to. It was rude but considering how much I hate Lena it was best for all involved if I ignored her. Killing her and getting arrested would only piss my dad off, and he’s a beast of a man when he’s angry, so my options were limited.
“Oh my God, I thought that was you, but I couldn’t tell. Your hair is so different, I love it,” she shrieks dramatically, throwing my plan to get the hell out of there without making contact with the enemy out the window.
Turning around, I meet her eyes and notice immediately that they are glassy and unfocused. God give me strength, I pray silently hoping that I have it in me not to shank a bitch.
“Oh hey, Lena.”
She flicks her hair over her shoulder and looks around nervously.
“Are you here on your own or are you with someone?”
“Just picking up a few things,” I say, opting not to answer her question. Glancing at my non-existent watch, I gasp, “Look at the time. I’m running late so I better go. See you later, Lena.”
“Wait,” she shouts louder than necessary grabbing my wrist. “Can I, I just need to tell you something before you go.”
Eyeing her warily, I nod my ascent but not before tugging my hand out of her grasp.
“Sure.”
“Knight and I are talking about getting back together,” she blurts out. “And I just thought, well, since you work for him that you should know. I mean, it’s none of your business, but you’re his friend, and it would really help me out if you could give us some space to work through our issues.”
Now, I know what you’re thinking; only a gullible fool would fall for anything this scheming bitch has to say, right? But consider it from my perspective for a second before judging me.
All the outward signs point to Knight being hung up on his ex-wife. His newly acquired manwhore tendencies, his excessive drinking, lack of regard for his family business, and unwillingness to move on paints a convincing picture. I’m not saying I believe her, but there is a ring of truth to her confession that I can’t ignore.
Attempting to appear unfazed, I shrug.
“You’re right it’s not my business, but we are friends, and I do work for him so it’s pretty much impossible for me to avoid him altogether if that’s what you’re asking me to do.”
Lena’s open and friendly expression sours as her posture straightens.
“All I’m suggesting is that you start looking for alternative employment that will be more conducive to us getting our marriage back on track. Knight values your friendship, but I can guarantee you, he values me more. If I tell him you make me feel uncomfortable, he’ll fire your ass faster than you can say unemployment check.”
Throwing my head back, I laugh at her.
“Listen up Lena, Knight fires me on a daily basis so that’s hardly a threat. If you want me gone, then feel free to tell him as much, but I highly doubt Knight will get rid of me just because you feel intimidated by me.”
“We’ll see about that,” she snaps waspishly.
“Yeah, we will,” I grin and start to walk away.
Before I can make it more than a few feet, Lena spits the last of her venom, which is also the most painful.
“He will never love you. He can’t. Knight was built to love one woman and one woman only in his lifetime, and that is me. If you think you’ve got a hope in hell of changing that, then I feel truly sorry for you, Zara. Why would he fall for a girl when he can have a woman? You didn’t go to college for God’s sake. I doubt you were bright enough to get your high school diploma otherwise why would you still be stuck in this tiny shithole town in the middle of nowhere? Face it, Zara, you couldn’t get a man like Knight to notice you if you stripped right in front of him and gave him a lap dance.”
*****
Every doubt I had about myself came crashing in that day. On a whole, I’m not one of those insecure women who worry about what other people think of her, but Lena hit every one of my sore spots. She broke down my carefully constructed barriers until the glaring reality of my life and my failures came slamming to the forefront of my mind. And it is possible, I hate her even more for that because, in part, she was right.
I barely graduated high school, and I didn’t go to college. It wasn’t a matter of money, my dad and Pop both offered to pay for my education, but more a matter of not wanting to. Studying and school weren’t my thing. I struggled all throughout high school, not for lack of trying, and college would be more of the same just worse.
On top of that, I couldn’t bear to leave my dad, his wife, my step-mom, Ashleigh, Pop, or my brothers. Then there was Knight. Strong, stoic, beautiful, Knight. The man I had a crush on from the time I understood what the word meant until now. Leaving him would cause an unfathomable pain I didn’t want to experience, so I didn’t. I stayed in Lower Falls, and not once until Lena’s hateful speech have I regretted it.
My phone ringing interrupts my wayward, depressing musings as I reach into the zippered pocket at the small of my back to answer it.
“Hey, dad.”
“Hey, baby girl. How you doing?” His rich baritone washes over me, soothing me almost instantaneously.
Sniffing a little, I whisper,
“I’ve been better, but I’m okay. How’s Ashleigh? Are Pax and Pop behaving?” I ask, hoping to dis
tract him.
It doesn’t work, though.
“What’s wrong? Why’s my girl crying, and who the fuck do I need to kill?”
Chase Dion, resident badass bounty hunter, owner of an impressive firearm collection, capable of killing a man with his mind alone, but otherwise known as dad to me has what some would call impulse control issues. As in, he likes to shoot first and ask questions never. In all honesty, dad is a big teddy bear with one small caveat. Do not fuck with his family or all bets are off.
Marrying Ashleigh, who is five years his senior was the best thing that ever happened to him and me. I was two when they met and from what dad has told me he fell in love with her at first sight. But in my eyes, the best part of dad and Ashleigh dating and marrying four months later was the ten-year-old Locke that came with her.
Until then, I only had my dad, and my Nan and Pop. While I loved being spoiled and doted on by them, I yearned for siblings, so when Locke came along I thought I was in seventh heaven. The only thing that was better than suddenly having a brother was being told Ashleigh was expecting twins that were born five months after she and dad got married. Uh-huh, you do the math.
However, don’t for a second think they had a shotgun wedding because that couldn’t be further from the truth. Dad married Ashleigh because she is the love of his life, and all you need to do is look at them today to see that’s true.
Shaking my head, I mumble,
“No one. Really, I’m fine, daddy,” cursing myself for worrying him.
Dad has enough on his plate chasing dangerous skips with large bounties on their heads. He doesn’t need me adding to his list of burdens. As if he can read my thoughts, dad groans,
“Every time you call me daddy, I know you’re full of shit, baby girl. Now tell me what’s going on or I’m driving up there to check on you myself, and I won’t give the first fuck what kind of security that meathead has.”
Smiling at his description of Brent, I roll my eyes – something I wouldn’t dare to do if dad could see me.
“I’m out on a run, and I just stopped for a minute and got to thinking about Nan,” I lie. “I miss her, daddy.”
“Yeah, baby girl. I do too,” dad replies gruffly. “But that’s not all you were thinking about, is it? You still considering taking that job because if you are, you’re going to have to tell him and your brothers soon. No sense putting it off. And you might want to give your Pop a heads up too. The old bastard will miss the hell out of you if you go, and telling him at the last minute will break his heart.”
Ashleigh is the only person I confided in after my run in with Lena. Where usually I would have gone to Scarlet and commiserated with a bottle of vodka, a six-pack of beer, and a Prison Break marathon – because who can say no to a little Lincoln in their lives – this time I didn’t.
Scarlet has her own problems with the male of the species at the moment, which would make her less than sympathetic to my plight. In short, Scarlet has a lady boner for my oldest brother that she refuses to act on. I have no doubt Locke would be more than happy to give her pipes a lube job, but since Scarlet has no intention of being treated for herpes in the near future or ever, she scarcely looks in his direction.
Back to the point, though.
I dragged my sorry ass home to dad and Ashleigh’s, and over a tub of Ben and Jerry’s butterscotch ice cream told my step-mom all of my woes. I cried, she cried, we laughed at how ridiculous we looked crying over frozen diabetes in a carton, and then cried some more.
After said emotional breakdown, Ashleigh told me about her sister in Las Vegas who needed an assistant to help her out for six or so months. As luck would have it, Sarah, Ashleigh’s sister, didn’t need whoever it was to start immediately, which means I could work out the term of my contract with Brent and then head to Vegas. I’m still weighing my options, but all things considered, it’s becoming more and more attractive by the day.
Sighing heavily, I drop my head to rest on my bent knees.
“It’s a great opportunity, daddy. I’ve never been to Vegas, and living with Sarah will mean that I can save enough in six months to put a down payment on a place of my own when I come home.”
“That’s all well and good, baby girl, but six months is a long fucking time. If it’s a matter of money, you know I can give…”
I cut him off there knowing what comes next.
“No. Absolutely not. I want to do it on my own. If I wanted help, I would have accepted one of the dozens of offers you and Pop have made over the years,” I remind him firmly.
“I know,” Dad grunts. “You’re too independent for my own good sometimes.”
“You should know, you made me this way,” I offer in the way of a joke that falls flat.
“And that’s my cross to bear. I love you, baby girl. All I want is for you to be happy, so if this will make you smile again, then do it. But just promise me one thing.” He doesn’t wait for me to answer before going on to say, “Promise me you’ll come home. It might only be a two-hour flight, but that’s still too far for me to get to you quickly if you ever need me.”
“I’ll always come home, daddy. You never have to worry about that,” I exhale.
“Sure I do,” he huffs, and I can envisage him sitting heavily in his well-worn recliner he refuses to let Ashleigh get rid of. “One day some guy who’s not even close too good enough for my baby is going to come along and sweep you off your feet, then where will that leave your old man? Alone and crying into his beer, that’s where,” he rumbles melodramatically.
Giggling at the image, I snort,
“You’ll be in good company then because Pop could always use a drinking buddy.”
“Don’t even get me started on that old coot. I caught the slippery bastard trying to convince the new liquor store clerk that he had a standing home delivery order for six bottles of bourbon over the phone yesterday, I swear, he’s trying to kill either himself or me, I just haven’t worked out which yet.”
Thoughts of Dad and Pops escapades make me homesick. I know dad has him under control for now, but I can’t deny that I’ll miss their daily bickering and Pop complaining about being treated like a naughty child with the way dad chastises him.
With a heavy heart and a lot to think about, I tell dad,
“I better head back. Brent has a friend coming to spar with him this afternoon, and I haven’t had lunch yet. Apparently, I’m playing referee, so wish me luck.”
“I love you, baby girl. Tell that fucker to keep his hands to himself or he won’t be fighting that next match because I’ll chop them off,” Dad mutters, following it up with a goodbye.
“I love you more. Kiss Ashleigh for me but lose the tongue this time. And tell Pop I miss him and I love him. Oh, and to behave himself or I might just forget to pick up that thing he asked me for on the way back.”
Chuckling, dad grunts,
“Will do, baby. Be good and be safe.”
When I hang up, I don’t feel lighter, but I do feel happier than I have in a long time. My dad’s approval means the world to me, and him giving his blessing for me to move across the country was more than I’d hoped for. I just hope my brothers and Knight feel the same way when I break the news to them.
CHAPTER TEN
~ Knight ~
“Money makes the world go round, but fighting feeds the soul.”
– Knight’s truth
“Brother, long time no see,” Brent greets me as I unfold myself from the driver’s seat of my truck.
Pulling me into a one-armed hug, he grins wolfishly as he sees my eyes searching for my little runaway that just happens to be his current house guest and trainer.
“She’s not here,” he says, answering my unasked question.
“What do you mean, she isn’t here?” I snap, not bothering to waste time with small talk.
With humor lacing his voice, Brent nods toward the walking trail that borders his property.
“I told her to go take some time for hers
elf. She left for a run about forty-five minutes ago, so she should be back any minute now. By the way, any idea why here dad would call me threatening to chop my balls off if I laid a hand on his baby girl?”
“Did he tell you who he is?” I ask, smirking at the confused look on his face.
“We didn’t get that far. Chase called, and I answered. He told me I was a dead man walking if I touched his daughter, then he hung the fuck up,” Brent admits, shaking his head.
Nodding agreeably, I shrug,
“Sounds like Chase.”
“Chase?” Brent confirms, his brow furrowing. “As in, the Chase Dion. The bounty hunter that got involved in that shootout at a bar outside Colorado Springs last month? The very same dude who’s got a body count higher than my undefeated record of 33-0? That Chase?”
“That’d be him,” I grin wryly.
Shifting his stance, Brent crosses his arms over his shirtless chest. Fucker needs to put clothes on around my woman, I think to myself just as Brent asks,
Vengeance MC Box Set - Volume 2: Gage ~ Cash ~ Knight (Vengeance MC series Book 8) Page 62