Chapter 6 Octavia #3
Seemingly oblivious to my heightened arousal, Knight taps at his cell, and the garage door starts to lift.
Seconds later, he accelerates forward, and we shoot out of the garage and down a dirt track heading in the opposite direction of the road.
After driving for a few minutes, we approach a high metal fence that seems to extend as far as I can see in both directions.
When we get closer, a panel starts to move, sliding open far enough for Knight to drive through it.
Turning my head, I watch the panel, which I can now see is a gate, slowly start to close behind us. Knight steers the ATV through a patch of woodland and into a clearing, and moments later, the Barnetts’ house comes into view in the distance.
Parking the ATV behind Betty’s pink monstrosity of a car, Knight kills the engine, and the vibrations that have been pulsing through my core abruptly stop.
Without a word, he jumps out and jogs to my side, releasing me from the harness, before he lifts me out of the ATV and places me on my feet, taking my hand before I can step away.
“Wait,” I blurt when he starts to walk us toward the front door.
Immediately stopping, he turns and gives me his full attention.
“Did Betty know you were coming to get me?” I ask.
“No,” he says, turning and marching to the door, knocking before I have a chance to tell him not to.
Cody answers, his smile warm when it lands on Knight, turning curious, then immediately ecstatic when it settles on me. “Octy,” he exclaims. “You’re here. Betty is going to lose her mind.”
Stepping back, he motions for us to step inside, then rushes through the house and toward the door that leads to their place. I’ve barely closed the door behind us when a visibly pregnant Betty emerges from their home within the home and storms toward me.
“You’re here,” she says, dragging me into her arms, before promptly bursting into tears.
Loudly crying pregnant women are not my forte, so instead of comforting her, I find myself frozen to the spot, my hand still tightly gripped in Knight’s as he refuses to relinquish his hold on me, despite my friend blubbering all over me.
“Come on, little mama, let’s give Octy some room to breathe,” Cody says with an amused chuckle, carefully peeling Betty away from me and turning her into his chest.
“Bett, are you okay?” I eventually question, suddenly worrying that she’s crying over something other than me being here.
“I’m fine,” she says between sobs, her chest hitching as she gasps for air. “But you’re here, and I didn’t think you were coming.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell her sincerely, guilt over my extended return to Rapid City settling like a rock in my stomach.
Knight squeezes my hand and tugs me backward until my back hits his chest, and his body heat instantly nullifies some of my guilt. He doesn’t speak, but even after only a few hours with him, I’ve started to get used to his silence and how loud his actions can be, even when he doesn’t say a word.
Ignoring us, Cody close-talks with Betty, speaking quietly before tipping her chin up and kissing her softly.
Unable to look away, I watch them together, while I’m curled into the shelter of Knight’s huge body. Is this how we looked when I was crying earlier? What would he do now if I got emotional? Would he handle me the way Cody is handling Betty, and would I want him to?
The truth is, I don’t think I’d hate him treating me the way Cody treats my friend. But I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. I let Abel influence me in ways I shouldn’t have. I let him change me and suppress me. Was I just under Abel’s spell, or would I let Knight do the same? Would he try?
Knight is nothing like Abel. I don’t know him that well, but he doesn’t seem like the type of man who would want me to be someone I’m not. But then I didn’t see the red flags with Abel until it was too late, either, and by then the damage had already been done.
Like he can sense my thoughts, Knight’s arms band around my waist, holding me close, reassuring me even though he can’t possibly know what I’m thinking and the internal dilemma I’m having.
“Oh god,” Betty says with a laugh, spinning around to face me, wiping tears from her cheeks with her fingers. “I’m sorry. These pregnancy hormones are making me crazy. I’m just really glad you’re here, Octy. I wasn’t sure if you’d changed your mind.”
A fresh wave of guilt hits me. “No, I’m the one who should be apologizing. The stuff with my landlord and…Abel took longer to sort out than I expected. But I’m here now.”
Betty’s gaze moves from me to the man behind me, and a smile curves her lips. “Yes, you are,” she says in a singsong voice. “Thanks for bringing her home,” she tells Knight.
I can’t see him and don’t feel him move behind me, but I have a feeling he probably did something awesome, like just nod like a total badass.
“Where’s your stuff? You’re going to stay here until you find a place, right?” Betty asks, stepping out of her husband’s arms, grabbing hold of my hand, and tugging me forward.
“No,” Knight says, the single word detonating through the room.
Instead of releasing me, Knight tightens his arm around me, holding me in place while Betty continues to pull me forward.
“Come on, I’ll get you settled in the guest room, then I’ll have Cody call the realtors to see what they have available,” Betty says, oblivious to the building tension in the man wrapped possessively around me.
“No,” Knight says again, a little louder and a lot more insistently.
“I’m sorry?” Betty snaps, finally looking at him, her eyes narrowing.
“Octavia will not be staying here, nor will she require a realtor,” he says, each word low and rough, but full of a terrifying authority that makes my slutty body snap to attention.
Releasing my hand, Betty turns to fully face us again, placing her hands on her hips in an attempt to look assertive, which is completely ruined by her huge pregnant belly. “And where exactly will she be staying then?” she asks.
“In our home,” he says simply, like the answer should have been obvious.
“Your home?” Betty questions, her brows arching in surprise.
“The house I built for us, yes,” Knight tells her, his body rigid behind me.
Cody’s splutter of amusement diffuses the tension a little bit. “Should have guessed,” he says.
“Wait,” Betty shouts, looking at me, then at the man behind me. “So you two are together?”
Knight answers before I have a chance to speak. “Yes.”
“What?” she blurts. Blinking wildly, she turns to look at her husband, then spins around to look at me again. “What?”
“Octavia is my wife,” Knight says.
“What?” both Betty and I say at the same time.
“I’m not your wife,” I protest, but it’s weak, and I know everyone hears it.
“When did you get married?” Betty demands.
“We didn’t,” I tell her.
“The actual wedding is merely a formality,” Knight announces quietly.
“Oh my god, this freaking town,” Betty mutters.
“Congratulations,” Cody says, a wide smile spreading across his face. “I’m really happy for you guys.”
“Don’t congratulate them,” Betty hisses at her husband. “Do you even know each other? When did this happen? You were only here for a couple of days before you went back to Rapid City to pack up your apartment, and that was months ago.”
“This is Rockhead Point,” Cody says with a laugh.
“This fucking town,” Betty sighs, tipping her head back and looking at the ceiling above us, like she’s searching for answers in the heavens. “Octy, can I talk to you for a minute?”
Moving to step forward, I find myself pinned in place by the silent, but dominant man behind me. Twisting my head to look at him, I force my lips into a soft smile. “I won’t be long.”
“No,” he says, his expression closed down.
“Knight, I want to talk to my friend,” I whisper-yell.
“Then talk,” he says calmly.
“In private.”
Instead of releasing me, Knight lifts his chin and speaks directly to Betty. “Betty, while I appreciate your concern for Octavia and both your and Cody’s friendship, I will not take kindly to you attempting to insert yourself into my marriage.”
“Excuse me,” Betty splutters.
Ignoring her, Knight turns his attention to Cody. “It was nice to see you, Cody, but I think it’s time for us to leave.”
Smiling sadly, Cody nods. “Give me a minute,” he says, taking Betty’s hand and leading her a few feet away.
Spinning angrily in his steel-like hold, I tip my head back to glare at Knight. “You do not get to dictate how and when I speak to my friends,” I snarl furiously.
“You wanted to come here, so I brought you. But I will not allow anyone to affect our marriage,” Knight says slowly, his eyes going cold, his expression lethally calm. “We’re leaving. We’ll come back in a day or so.”
While I’m not scared of the man looking down at me, and I don’t believe he would physically hurt me, the startling realization that I don’t know him at all makes my skin prickle with apprehension.
He could be dangerous. He could be deranged.
He could be as crazy as I’ve accused him of being, and for the first time since I opened the door to him, doubt creeps into my mind.
I’ve allowed the sense of peace and calm he invokes in me to suppress all the very real and sensible questions I should be asking myself. Like, why the fuck am I letting myself get carried away with all of this you’re mine bullshit he keeps spouting?
Shuffling, I try to step back, but his hold on me stops me from moving. “Let go of me,” I say quietly.
“No,” he says, too calm, too unaffected.
“Get your hands off me,” I say, trying to mimic his tone, but failing when my voice cracks.
Instead of releasing me, he boldly bends down and lifts me off my feet, hoisting me into the air and over his shoulder.
“Put me down,” I shriek, as he turns and strides toward the door.
“Oh my god, Octy,” Betty calls.