Chapter 9 - Knox
NINE
KNOX
I don’t know how I managed to walk away from her, but I did. Needing time to get myself under control, I tell Miles goodbye before quickly leaving the bar. My usual way of dealing with emotions is just to pick someone up for the night, so I don’t have to think…so I don’t have to feel.
It doesn’t feel right tonight, though. All my thoughts lately keep coming back to her. I don’t know how much longer I can keep telling myself this isn’t a good idea when all I want to do is give her what she wants.
At this point, I don’t know which is more terrifying…agreeing to her little proposition or leaving her to fend on her own with another guy. After tonight, I’m clearly not okay with option two since I wanted to break the guy in half when I saw them together.
I drive around for another two hours, making sure she will be asleep by the time I get home. Walking away twice in one night would use strength I’m not sure I have anymore.
Parking my car next to hers in the garage, I start to head toward the side door leading out to the backyard when I hear a muffled scream.
My blood turns to ice as I quickly change directions and run into the main house.
Bypassing the kitchen, I open Savi’s bedroom door and see her curled up in a ball, silently crying in her sleep.
Her covers are thrown everywhere as if she were fighting the devil himself, which I know all too well.
“No,” she moans. “Please stop,” she cries, and my heart feels like it’s shattered into a million pieces as I walk over to her.
“Savi…baby, wake up. It’s just a dream,” I say softly, wanting more than anything to take away her pain and hold it for her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I brush back her damp hair and gently swipe away her tears with my thumb.
Her eyes slowly blink open, and she focuses on me. “Knox?”
“Yeah, sunshine. It’s me,” I smile.
“Oh, thank God,” she cries out before jumping into my arms and holding me tight.
“I was so scared you were going to get in trouble, and I couldn’t get you to stop,” she sobs.
“But you’re here…you’re safe.” She buries her face in my neck, and I let myself sink into her embrace as my arms come around her.
“I’m here. It was just a bad dream.”
“They always feel so real,” she quietly cries into my neck. I feel her tears dampen my skin as I allow myself to hold her tight. Her heart is beating frantically against my chest as I start to rub her back in soothing motions.
“How often do you get them?” I ask softly.
“Not too much anymore,” she hiccups in my ear as her breathing begins to level out. “I used to get them every night that first year, but it’s only once every few months now.”
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there sooner. If I had just been faster getting there, I could have stopped him.” My voice catches as the guilt consumes me all over again.
“What are you talking about?” She pulls back, her eyes wide.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. What you did…” She stops as the words fail her.
“You saved me, Knox. It could have been so much worse if you hadn’t stopped him.
He was talking about his friends coming to have fun next,” she swallows hard as her lips begin to tremor and the tears start to fall again.
Anger slashes through me, and for once, I wish he weren’t dead so I could seek him out to punish him more.
If it hadn’t been for her, I would have killed him.
Memories resurface in a rush as I hold her while the dark secret that binds us pulls me back to that night.
Knox - Twenty-One Years Old
“What do you mean she’s there? She’s fifteen fucking years old, and it’s a college party,” I yell into the phone as I whip my car around and head in the other direction. “How long has she been there?”
“I don’t know, man. I just got here, and Kylie’s brother told me he let them stay to keep them quiet so they wouldn’t tell their parents about the party. You told me to call you if I ever heard news about her. I’ll let you know if I see her, but she’s probably hanging out with Kylie somewhere.”
Ben isn’t the only one who keeps tabs on Savi for me. When I got called up to New York, I made sure there were eyes on her everywhere. I know she has her brothers, but I needed the extra protection on her for my own peace of mind.
“I’m on my way now. If you see her before I get there, don’t let her out of your sight.”
Thoughts begin to race through my head of all the things that could go wrong.
“Will do.” He hangs up, and I throw my phone on the seat next to me.
“Fuck!” I yell, stepping on the gas and weaving through traffic. I know Kylie’s brother and the crowd that usually shows up at his parties. He doesn’t care who he lets in as long as they show up with drugs and alcohol.
I debate whether to call Miles, but I’m closer to Bryce’s house than he is. I’ll have her out of that scene before he can even make it there. He’ll bring his brothers too, and there’s no telling what will go down, not to mention how much trouble Savi will be facing.
Right now, I just need to make sure she’s safe, then I can decide if her brothers need to be involved.
I speed onto the street that takes me further out of town, where the house is tucked away on a dead-end street. Cars line the curbs on either side and fill the front yard as I quickly shove my car into park and jump out, as I scan the area for any sign of her.
I ask every person I see as I walk toward the house if they’ve seen the person I describe before someone finally thinks they saw her with Todd a few minutes ago walking down the road toward the woods along the property line.
My heart hammers in my chest as I jog in that direction, praying the feeling in my gut is dead wrong and I’m not too late.
I see movement in a car as I get closer, and when a muffled scream fills the air, I break out into a run and yank open the back door. I grab the guy from the back and throw him out of the car, not even knowing if Savi is in there.
When I peer in, all the blood drains from my body as I realize it’s her.
The blue eyes that were once so full of light are filled with so much fear that it cuts me to the core.
Torn fabric is on the seat, and her clothes are askew as she curls herself into a ball and cries.
When I see the blood, I feel a rage like I’ve never felt before rear up inside me as I turn toward the guy who’s about to take his last breath.
“What the hell, man? Can’t you see I was busy in there?” His eyes go wide as I descend upon him with the wrath of fury nipping at my heels.
I see red as my fist slams into his face, one after another. Blood pours from his nose as he falls to the ground, but I keep going as he tries to dodge the blows.
Savi’s voice barely registers in the background. Something about how I’m going to kill him and my career.
Fuck my career. He needs to die as I get another blow in, sending another spray of blood from his mouth.
Then I hear it.
“I need you,” she cries, and then begs for me to take her home. Her sobs break through the red haze I’m in as I push off the guy and leave him coughing and spitting out a tooth on the ground.
Without saying a word, I pick up Savi and cradle her to my chest. She continues to sob against me as I walk down the dark road and put her gently in the front seat of my car.
“I…I can’t go home like this,” she says, her voice in a complete panic. “Please take me to your place.”
“We need to go to the police, Savi. You need an exam and…” I swallow down the guilt that’s suffocating me. “They need to make sure there isn’t any damage. You’re bleeding,” I say, straining to breathe through the pain in my chest.
“And I will go. I promise. I just need a minute. Please Knox. Don’t make me go now. I can’t face everyone just yet. Please,” she says, breaking down again and burying her face in her hands as sobs wreck her small frame.
“Shhh. It’s okay.” I put my hand on her leg to try to soothe her, and she flinches at my touch. She curls up into a ball further, and I hate that she’s afraid of me.
I quickly pull away as my fingers curl into a fist. It’s killing me to see her eyes still wide with fear. My fingernails dig into my palm painfully as I resist the violent urge to seek him out again.
I suck in a painful breath, knowing she’ll never look at me the same way again. Can I blame her?
She just watched me practically kill a guy in front of her. I’m the last person she’s ever going to feel safe with now that she knows what I’m capable of.
“Just for a few minutes, okay? Then it’s straight to the police, and your family will make sure you’re taken care of.”
“Thank you,” she whispers, hugging her knees to her chest and sniffling.
The drive back to my place is silent while we both deal with our own personal hell of what just happened. When we get to the Airbnb I’m staying at for the week, I get out and pick her up again, carrying her inside and gently setting her on the sofa.
Walking to the kitchen, I get her a glass of water before handing it to her.
“Thanks,” she sniffs, taking a small sip before her eyes get wide. “You're hurt,” she whispers, grabbing my right hand and lightly touching my knuckles that are split wide open and coated in dried blood.
She’s the one who’s been through hell, yet she still wants to take care of me.
“I’m fine,” I say quickly, not wanting her to waste a single second worried about me. I pull my hand away just as my phone rings. I see Ben’s name on my screen and should probably answer it. He may know more about this Todd guy and where I can find him later.
I step away, putting the phone up to my ear, making sure I keep a close watch on her as she drinks some more water.
“Knox, are you here? I can’t find you anywhere. Kylie’s looking all over for Savannah.”
“She’s with me. Tell Kylie she wasn’t feeling well, and I took her home.”