Chapter Seven
Knox
“King said that he has a few men in mind.”
Taylor’s whispered voice is the first sound I hear when I wake up. It doesn’t take but a few seconds before the events of the day before blast through my head.
My safe place is gone. Our club is gone.
“I don’t doubt that for a second,” someone says. Parker, I think. “But this is Emily we’re talking about. We have to go.”
“I’ll get the coordinates from Knox and give them to King,” Taylor says firmly. “Parker and Hayes, you will tag along while the rest of us stay close to home.”
“Knox must be something special,” Parker says softly. “Especially if you’re not going to go get Emily yourself.”
“I have to believe that my sister is safe right now,” Taylor says, his voice rough with worry. “And to be completely honest, yes, I don’t want to leave Knox alone, and I really don’t want him involved in this any more than he needs to be.”
“He could always keep communication with her so that she knows when we arrive.”
“She’ll know regardless,” I say, sitting up from where I was lying on the couch. “Do I smell coffee?”
“Hey, baby. I’m sorry we woke you.”
“Knoxy boy, how do you like your nectar?”
“Sweet and pale,” I yawn.
“Yuck,” Reynolds says. “It’ll no longer taste like coffee if I do that.”
“Perfect,” I smile. “I hate the taste.”
“Maybe you should take him to the doctor,” Reynolds tells Taylor. “I think he might have hit his head.”
“He’s perfect,” Taylor says, holding out a hand for me to join him. “However, we will be cutting back on the amount of caffeine you ingest.”
“Those are fighting words,” I glare.
“It’s not healthy,” he says, grabbing my hand and guiding me to the kitchen table.
“There isn’t a single coder in the history of existence that has been able to focus for days at a time without the wonders of over caffeinating themselves.”
“There’s no reason for you to focus on something for days straight without rest,” he scolds. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get plenty of sleep.”
“I don’t think we can be friends anymore,” I say sadly.
“Oh, I plan on being much more than your friend, baby boy,” he says, an evil glint in his eyes.
Everyone laughs, and my face heats.
“Not one for mincing words, I see,” I mumble. “Anyway, what’s this I hear about you not going to save your sister?”
“Naughty boy,” he scolds. “I trust King to get my sister to safety.”
“Then why didn’t you go to him in the first place?” I ask. “He has his own ways of finding people. He probably would have found her sooner.”
“We did, Knoxy,” Reynolds says, placing my creamy coffee on the table in front of me. “There wasn’t a trail for him to find.”
“And, he isn’t one for giving out information on his family,” Hayes says. “So, he didn’t even say that he knew someone that might be able to help.”
“We’ve known about Little Knox for a few years now,” Sullivan says. “The twins have mentioned you here and there a few times, but until our meeting with the entire club, we had no idea that you were computer-smart.”
“Little?” I ask. “So, everyone here knows my… uhm.”
“Your kink?” Reynolds says unhelpfully. “Course we do, Knoxy. We’re all members of Oasis. We know about all of the kinks.”
“All of you?” I ask. “I thought Taylor took over this club. How are you all part of the lifestyle?”
“Ben was the last bad member of the old club,” Sullivan says. “Taylor and Reynolds ran into the five of us at Obsidian Oasis one night, and we clicked. We explained that we were a new motorcycle club, but our founder’s son, and current president, was an ass.”
“A few months later, Taylor found the fucker in the middle of robbing an old woman and beat the shit out of him,” Hayes explains. “He simply said he was taking over and for him to take his trash and leave.”
“Nine people left the club,” Taylor tells me, eyeing my coffee. “These four and Ben were the only ones to stay behind. The way that fucker treated you snapped the last bit of patience toward the man I had left. Now, the club is just the men in this room.”
Taylor grabs my cup and takes a sip of my coffee.
His eyes widen and his face puckers as if he just tasted something sour.
Giggling, I take my cup back and take a few large gulps.
“We will be finding an alternative to that poison,” he tells me. “No way in hell am I letting you drink that every day.”
“Letting me?” I ask.
“Yes, baby boy. As in not allowing.”
“He’s very bossy,” I tell the room.
“Oh, Knoxy, you haven’t seen anything yet,” Reynolds winks. “But don’t worry. I’ve already told boss man that you and I are going to be best friends and gang up on him from time to time.”
I look at Taylor, his long black hair resting in a messy bun atop his head. His black beard neatly trimmed against his face, and his brown eyes alive with something that I can’t quite decipher.
Then I look at his friends. They’re all attractive in their own ways. All of them emit a power that has me feeling the smallest I ever have. But nowhere near as small as when I look back at Taylor.
Power. Authority. Dominance.
Everything in me wants to submit to this man. I have to literally stop myself from flopping on my back and asking for belly rubs.
“Let’s get back to the topic you were on when I woke up,” I say breathlessly. “I don’t think you all realize how smart your Emily is.”
“She’s very brilliant,” Taylor says proudly.
“Yes, but she’s more than that. Emily is playing the long game.”
“Which is?”
“Do you really think she married Eddy because she loved him?” I ask. “Think about it, guys. I’ve never met her and even I know what type of person she is after the few conversations we’ve had. Really think about it.”
“I never approved of her and Edward,” Taylor admits.
“I hated the man since she first brought him home,” Reynolds says. “But she was so positive that she was in love with the bastard after only a few months.”
Emily didn’t tell me that I couldn’t tell her family what we talked about, but I know they’re going to be pissed.
“There’s a reason she wants us to back off,” I say.
“Yeah, because there was already a threat to your life,” Taylor growls.
“No. I mean, yeah, there was. But that was something that I already knew about and wasn’t too concerned.”
“Fuck, Knox,” Taylor growls. “Your safety is always something to be concerned about.”
“Anyway,” I say, ignoring the big man. “That’s not the real reason she wanted us to back off. She did it so that she doesn’t get exposed. The more I dug into her, the more likely attention would be drawn.”
“Baby boy, I only have so much patience.”
“Sorry,” I flinch. “Sometimes I talk too much. Anyway, Emily is, and has been, undercover for three years now.”
“Come again?” Taylor growls.
Oh boy.
“She’s not a cop,” Reynolds hisses, all playful tones completely gone.
“No, but she was trained to do what she’s doing,” I say. “She has police contact and a way out if she needs it. But things aren’t going as planned. Her boss wants her to wait it out for a few more months before they raid. She won’t last another few months.”
“I thought you said she was safe?” Taylor growls, looking at me with so much anger that I stand from the table and take a few steps back.
“She is,” I say shakily. Dang, he’s scary when he’s mad. “But she won’t just sit idly by much longer. She’s being used to lure in those young kids, and her next target is a six-year-old boy that they’ve had their eyes on. She can’t mentally handle it anymore.”
“Taylor, settle the fuck down,” Reynolds growls deadly. “Can’t you see that you’re scaring your boy?”
“Not his boy,” I pant. There is so much anger in Taylor’s eyes that I can’t breathe. I lower my head and clasp my hands together.
Freaking submission bullcrap.
I used to love being submissive. I love it when I’m not in control. I’ve always wanted to be completely owned. But it also comes with its drawbacks. Like, when a Dom, mine or not, is angry, I just shut down.
“Fuck,” Taylor sighs. “I’m not mad at you, baby boy. I’m fuckin’ furious at the situation. Please, don’t be afraid of me.”
Be brave, Knox. Just freaking look up.
“Please, come to me,” Taylor begs. “I need to hold you again.”
“You need an anchor?” I ask, raising my eyes to meet his.
“Yeah, baby boy,” he nods, his face completely torn. “I need my anchor again.”
Making a decision, I walk into his open arms and let him manhandle me into whatever position he wants.
“Start from the beginning,” Taylor says several minutes later. He spent time inhaling the top of my head before he was able to calm down.
“While sitting on your lap?” I ask, fully aware of the rest of the men in the room.
“Actually, let’s wait fifteen minutes,” Reynolds says. “The Obsidian’s are on their way.”
“I should probably get dressed,” I mutter, only just noticing that I’m wearing boxer shorts and a shirt. “Never mind. They see me wearing my onesie pajamas all the time. They might actually be concerned that I’m dressed in normal sleep attire for a change.”
I giggle at my own joke, which causes the man beneath me to vibrate with his own laughter.
“I wonder if you look cute in your onesie jammies?” Taylor asks.
“That’s a silly thing to wonder,” I tell him. “Course I do.”
“Course he does,” Parker laughs.
“I has about ten of them,” I say cheekily. “My favs are the superheroes.”
“I’ll have to remember that, little one,” he says against the top of my head.
I smile and cuddle closer to the man’s chest.
I like being an anchor.
***Taylor***
Knox’s sweet little voice has gone soft. His Little is peeking his head out to play, and I couldn’t be more happy.
I fuckin’ hate that I’m about to shove him right back in as soon as his family gets here. It appears that little Knox hasn’t been completely forthcoming about the conversations he’s had with my sister.
Fuckin’ undercover with sex traffickers and pedophiles. I’m locking that crazy woman up when she gets back home.
“Knoxy, do you think you could loan me a pair of your jammies?” Reynolds asks.
“No way,” Knox laughs. “You’re way too big. It won’t zip over your whole body.”
“Well, then we’re just going to have to go shopping at a store that sells some for big men like me and your Papa. What do you say?”
I glare at my best friend. What the fuck is he doing? He’s going to scare the boy away before I have a chance to talk to him.
“Course,” Knox answers. “Then we can play superheroes together.”
“Well, you and I would be the heroes,” Reynolds says. “Your Papa is definitely the villain who goes around destroying city after city. Think we can find him a Godzilla onesie?”
“Course,” Knox laughs.
Shaking my head, I ignore how my insides feel at the reaction between the two. Then, I extra ignore the knowing looks of the rest of the men in my house.
Fuckers. Every last one of them.
Reynolds and I have been friends for years. I’m sure he knows my internal emotional roller coaster. He just doesn’t seem to fuckin’ care.
“Do you think you’ll ever be able to go back outside, Knoxy?” Reynolds asks.
I was prepared for Knox to stiffen in my arms, but he didn’t.
“Prolly,” he says. “But only if I can escape.”
“Steel told me that you were able to go outside the clubhouse at night,” I say.
“Yeah. Cause the buildings near it are closed at night, and there’s no mean peoples.”
“What about the gate?” Sullivan asks. “Didn’t that make you feel safe? No one can gain access to the grounds without being let it.”
“It does keep peoples out,” he says. “But it also locks me in. If I needed to run to escape, I wouldn’t be able to unless I used the passcode. Then it takes forever to open.”
“I hope this doesn’t scare you,” Reynolds starts. “Did you know that your Papa doesn’t have any neighbors? He bought this land five years ago, and he and I built our own homes here. I live on the other end of the property, five minutes down the road.”
The tips of Knox’s ears turn red, and I can only assume that he’s blushing.
“I did know that,” he giggles. “I know everything bouts all of you.”
“Everything?” Hayes questions. “Tell me something then that none of these men would know about me.”
Knox sits up and looks at Hayes. I place my hands gently on his hips. I’d much rather he go back to leaning against my body, but this will do.
“Prolly shouldn’t,” he says.
“Go on,” Hayes encourages. “It’s alright. I’m sure it’s nothing major.”
Knox hesitates, chewing on his bottom lip. His eyes dart between Hayes and me as if seeking reassurance or permission. Finally, he takes a deep breath and speaks, his voice barely above a whisper.
“You used to sleep with a stuffed bunny when you were a kid,” Knox reveals, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
There’s a collective chuckle from the rest of the group, but Hayes’s expression remains unreadable. He meets Knox’s gaze with a mixture of surprise and something else, something deeper that I can’t quite decipher.
“Is that so?” Hayes says softly, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “I actually still have that bunny.”
“I threw out all my stuffies,” Knox says. “I’m not the same Little I once was. I tried to keep that side pushed down, but I guess he’ll always be there.”
“I actually think you’re a borderline Middle, baby boy,” I say.
“Yeah,” he sighs. “I think so, too. But, if I’m a little bit of a Middle, then why do you keep calling me baby boy?”
“I don’t think you’re ready for that answer just yet,” I say, tickling his sides. “Now, let’s order food.”
***Knox***
Ghost, Steel, Blaze, and Venom are all sitting in random places inside Taylor’s house.
“King with the rest of the family?” I ask, picking at my slice of pizza.
“He has them all at his house,” Ghost answers. “He also wanted to extend the invitation that you are more than welcome to stay with him and Maddy.”
I smile but shake my head. I’ve been to King’s place many times. We all have. It’s where we do most of our cookouts and parties.
At least, it was before I got sick. I frown as the realization hits me that everyone has been coming to the clubhouse for everything since I was too afraid to leave it.
Not once have we done anything as a family for the past year.
Tears fall before I even realize I’m crying.
“What’s wrong, little one?” Blaze asks.
“I’m nothing but a nuisance,” I whisper.
“Excuse me?” Steel growls.
“Because of me, we haven’t been able to spend time at King and Maddy’s place,” I say. “We used to go over there weekly to have cookouts and pool parties, but we haven’t been since I was attacked. I’ve ruined all of your lives.”
“That’s simply not true, kid,” Ghost says. “We’ve changed things around a bit, but it’s not because we had to. We wanted to do what we could to remind you that you’re still part of our family.”
“I know,” I sigh, wiping away the tears. “And I’ve never once felt like I was on the outside with you guys. But it doesn’t change the fact that my illness is affecting more lives than my own.”
I take a look around the room at my old friends and then at my new ones.
My gaze lingers on Taylor, and a calmness enters me. I’m drawn to the man like I have never felt before. Right in this moment, I make a decision.
I’m going to get better. I’m going to fight myself to take back control of my life. I’m not sure if Taylor will be part of that future. I’m not even sure he’s interested in men that way. But maybe somewhere out there is another Taylor that’s just for me.
And I won’t find him by cowering behind walls.
“I can practically see your mind working on something, baby boy,” Taylor smiles.
“Let’s just say that I’ve had a breakthrough on a few things,” I respond. “Alright. Let’s get this meeting started. There are some things you all need to know before you do something that’s going to get Emily killed. Is my laptop here?”
“I got it, Knoxy,” Reynolds says, placing my laptop on the table in front of me.
“Thanks,” I say, booting it up. I look up at the waiting faces looking back at me. “Alright. A little over three years ago, Emily Taylor was caught hacking into the FBI database to steal information on some suspects.”
“She never told me that,” Taylor mutters.
“She was given a choice,” I continue. “Either live the next ten years behind bars or become an undercover informant.”
“What the fuck?” Reynolds yells. “Emily would never.”
“Well, she did. Anyway, Emily was trying to obtain information on some of the suspects they had for an online pedophile ring operating inside of the Celtic Cartel. Emily is part of a group called Code Justice. It’s a group of coders who go on specific forums where Peds are known to frequent. They draw the Peds in and then hack into their lives, for lack of a better phrase.”
“Fuckin’ sneaky brat,” Taylor shakes his head.
“What does that have to do with her marrying Edward?” asks Hayes.
“A good story starts from the beginning so that you can better understand the ending, Hayes,” I tell him. “Be patient. Anyway, they wanted her to find a way to get close to the Cartel. Now, seeing as how the Cartel itself operates out of New York and she lived in Kentucky, she had a problem. With a little digging, she found out that the Cartel was led by a man named, Finn McCarthy. McCarthy is in his sixties and married, and she didn’t want to arouse suspicion by attracting his attention.”
Once my laptop is completely booted up, I open up the encrypted site that Emily and I have been using to communicate.
I’m telling them everything before they get you killed by coming to your rescue.
I send the message and get back to the story.
“It didn’t take much digging for her to find a better suitor,” I continue. “McCarthy has a grandson. Can anyone guess his name?”
“Fuckin’ Edward.”
“Right, you are,” I nod at Taylor. “Edward Thompson is not only McCarthy’s grandson. He’s also the next one in line to take over the family business should McCarthy step down. Or die.”
“So, Emily finds Edward and pretends to fall in love?” Reynolds asks.
“Exactly,” I say. “She watched him for several weeks to learn his schedule. Then proceeded to accidentally keep running into him. She did everything she could to make him fall in love with her. And it worked.”
My laptop dings, and I look down to read Emily’s message.
You tell that damn brother of mine that if he ruins this mission, I will make it my goal to make his dog hate him.
Laughing, I turn the laptop over and nod at Taylor to read it.
He smiles sadly.
“She’s really okay?” he asks, not taking his eyes off the screen.
Turning the laptop back around, I type a message.
He’s right here and is worried about you.
I promise that I’m safe, big brother. I am almost ready to leave this evil place but not until I have as much information as possible about something that’s about to happen. I only need a few more days. And take care of my new friend. These Celtic coders know way too much about him. He’s in more danger than I am. I can’t wait to meet him in person. Gotta go. I’ll check back in later.
I read the message out loud and am rewarded with multiple concerned looks.
“What?” I ask, confused. “She said she’s fine. She only needs one more week, and then we can rescue her.”
“She said you were in danger,” Blaze growls.
“I don’t think you guys realize how many people have their eyes on me,” I admit. “I have a high clearance level to work for some pretty high-up government officials. Most of them are shady. Someone is always watching. But I’m watching my watchers, and they know it. Everyone has secrets that they don’t want exposed. Including all of you.”
I giggle when the room grows eerily quiet.
Yeah, everyone in this room has secrets, too. But I would never betray my family and friends.
“Anyway, Eddy wanted to move back to New York and told Emily that since she was family, she needed to be part of the family business. So, not knowing how freaking smart his new wife was, he had her trained by the coders that work for him to work online. Now, she sneaks the FBI pieces of information that she collects from the people around her.”
“While luring in innocent victims?” Ghost growls.
“She doesn’t have a choice, Prez,” I sigh. “She tried backing out when they wanted her to start dressing and acting like a teenage girl and gain online friendships with other teenagers. They beat her. They had children raped in front of her. And by “they,”I mean Eddy. Now, she tries her best to connect only with teenagers who have strong family connections with powerful people. Once she’s set up a time and place to meet, she shoots the information to her cop buddies, who handle the rest.”
“And she hasn’t been caught?” Hayes asks.
“Of course not,” I smile. “The only teens she sets up a meet time with are ones she knows won’t actually show up or are undercover cops. She’s freaking smart. Plus, she’s been hacking into the other workers’ systems while they work and stealing their information. She’s saved a lot of kids since she’s been there.”
I pause, giving myself a moment before I reveal this next bit.
“However,” I start. “Lately, there have been cases where she couldn’t save them. The last three times, actually. And she’s terrified that this little boy that Eddy wants will be number four. He’s an orphan living in foster care and doesn’t have a single person alive who cares about him. He’s only nine, and Em says that he’s extremely depressed. She’s been having chats with him using the chat feature of a popular mobile game. If she’s ordered to set up a meet and greet with this boy, she’s afraid he’ll agree and her FBI guys won’t get to him in time.”
“What’s changed?” Taylor asks. “If she was able to save them before, why can’t she now?”
“McCarthy knows someone is feeding info to the police,” I explain. “They don’t know who, so they’ve changed their tactics. Emily and the few others who do what she does only gain the trust of the victims now. Eddy is the one who takes over once that trust is made, pretending to be the one behind the screen. He sets up the time and place to meet, and Emily doesn’t find out until after the child is taken.”
“What can we do to help?” Steel asks.
“We wait,” I admit. “There’s an auction happening in a few days. The entire Celtic Cartel is required to be there to work. Emily has already sent over everything she knows to the FBI. They want her to stay longer, but she’s pulling herself out once this bust goes down.”
“Do you know where?”
“You’re just going to be in the way, Hayes,” I sigh. “As soon as she’s out of their grasp, she’ll let us know, and then you guys can bring her back home.”
“So, we wait?” Taylor asks.
“We wait,” I smile. “She’s about to be the sole reason an entire freaking cartel gets taken down. It’s not just the kids. They’re also trafficking adults, drugs, and weapons. They’re responsible for countless murders and bomb threats. And don’t even get me started on their coders. They’re the ones responsible for making any trace of the Cartel’s crimes disappear. That’s why it was so hard to find Emily. Your sister is about to become a freaking hero.”
Tension is still palpable throughout the room, but Taylor’s eyes are overflowing with pride. As it should be. Emily will be remembered for a long time because of the sacrifices she’s made to take this evil group down.
I can’t wait to meet her.