Chapter 12
CASSIA
When I wake up, I feel groggy as hell, my body aching something fierce. Especially my lower back.
The urge to cry wells in my chest as I listlessly turn my head from side to side.
“What’s wrong?” Knight asks, drawing my attention to him.
“Pain.”
He gets up and stalks out the door, and less than a minute later, Jasmine comes rushing into the room as if hellhounds are chasing her.
“Hi,” she says with a tight smile around her lips. “Your guard says you’re in pain?”
I nod while trying to smile at her.
“I’ll give you something that will start working fast. It might make you drowsy.”
“Okay.”
I watch as she injects the medication into the IV. When she’s done, she asks, “Do you want to eat something while you’re up?”
I shake my head.
“Bring food, Jasmine,” Knight mutters. “I’ll make sure she eats.”
“I’m not hungry,” I argue.
“Doesn’t matter.”
Jasmine hightails it out of the room while Knight moves closer and places his palm over my forehead.
Seemingly pleased with my temperature, he asks, “Is the pain better?”
It is. I’ve been so focused on the man I didn’t even realize the pain meds started working.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
Knight checks the time on his wristwatch, then mutters, “It’s six-forty-three pm.”
I didn’t ask, but okay.
An uncomfortable silence falls between us, making me remember how I cried in front of him.
Shit. Why did I do that?
“About earlier.” I clear my throat. “Don’t tell anyone.”
He nods.
The uncomfortable silence returns, feeling thicker than before, and it has me asking the first thing I can think of. “What’s your real name? I assume Knight is a nickname?”
“Knight is my last name,” he grumbles while his eyes lock on me with an intense expression I can’t place.
“What’s your first name?”
“Lincoln.” He takes a breath then adds, “My friends used to call me Link.”
“Used to? You don’t have friends anymore?”
He stares at me for the longest moment before he replies, “No. I don’t. They are from before –”
He stops talking the instant Jasmine returns with a tray. I wish she could’ve taken a little longer.
Slowly, I sit up in bed, and when she lifts the silver food cover, the delicious aroma of roast beef, butternut squash, and creamed spinach hits my nostrils.
Fine. I’ll eat a little.
I smile at Jasmine. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She glances at Knight, then asks, “Are you going to eat?”
“I’ll grab something later,” he replies.
“I can bring you a tray,” she offers.
“Yes, he’ll eat. You can bring the food, Jasmine,” I answer on behalf of Knight. “Thank you.”
I can feel his eyes burning on me while she leaves the room, and avoiding his gaze, I take a bite of the sweet butternut.
After swallowing, I say, “You’re going to thank me once you taste the food.”
“It smells good,” he mentions.
I take another couple of bites, then risk a glance at him. “So…no friends?”
I’m only given a nod.
“Do you prefer being called Knight, Lincoln, or Link?”
He shrugs. “Doesn’t matter.”
I pause eating so I can focus on him as I ask, “So I can call you Lincoln?”
He doesn’t look bothered as he replies, “Sure.”
I stare at him for a moment, then ask, “What ruffles your feathers, Lincoln?”
The man doesn’t break eye contact, and I quickly realize I’ll lose a staring competition against him.
“Not much,” he mutters.
So what does it mean that I ruffled his feathers earlier?
Remembering how he gripped my chin while laying down the law has my heart skipping a beat. I was angry when we were arguing. But now I think having the man who took down an army of Russian soldiers protecting me is…hot.
A slight frown forms on my forehead, but before I can overthink things, Jasmine comes into the room again.
She places a tray on the small table in the corner. “Enjoy the food.”
Knight waits for her to leave before he takes a seat at the table. His eyes flick to me while he removes the food cover, then he orders, “Eat, Cassia.”
Right.
I shove a bite of creamed spinach into my mouth and glance at the drawn blinds obstructing my view of the hallway. Remembering how Knight shut the door and blinds before holding me has me wondering about him.
I was almost asleep when I heard him talk about his sister. It shocked me and brought my own grief to the surface.
Before I can think twice about it, the question leaves my lips. “What did you do before you became a killer?”
He uses the fabric napkin to wipe his mouth, then answers, “I was a Navy Seal with the US Navy.”
His reply surprises the living hell out of me.
Jesus, what happened to his sister that turned a Navy Seal into a cold-blooded killer?
His eyes meet mine, and he must see the question on my face because he answers, “She was kidnapped while I was away on a tour. They sold her into sex slavery, and when I found her, it was too late.”
Not only do his words hit hard, but the gruffness of his voice makes goosebumps spread over my skin.
My lips part on a gasp as I stare at Knight. I take in the lines by his eyes and mouth, realizing they’ve been carved into his skin by grief.
God.
I suck in a slow breath as the curtain of mystery is drawn back, revealing the man behind the gun.
I take in his short black hair, strong features, and dark eyebrows. My eyes lock with his dark green ones, and all I see is a world of pain.
He’s broken beyond repair, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
This man loved his sister so much that losing her turned him into the angel of death, reaping the souls of those he deems evil.
“I’m a criminal,” I whisper. “I smuggle illegal goods.”
Not breaking eye contact, he asks, “Do you smuggle people against their will?”
“No.”
“Do you force people into slavery?” he shoots another question at me.
“No. I just smuggle contraband.”
His eyes flick to the door before focusing on the plate of food in front of him. “Then we don’t have a problem.”
My gaze lowers to his mouth, and I wonder if he ever smiles.
Maybe he’s lost the ability?
When silence falls between us, I lie back against the pillows, and my thoughts turn to my family. My throat strains, and unshed tears make my eyes sting.
I hear Knight get up and watch as he shuts the door. Instead of heading back to the table, he comes to stand beside the bed. He lifts his arm, and as his palm cups my cheek, I can’t stop my tears from flowing.
He sits down on the side of the bed, tilting his head while his eyebrows draw together.
I’m not sure why I’m letting this man see my vulnerable side. All I know is I need him because I don’t think I can make it on my own.
I suck in a shuddering breath while my tears keep falling, then the pad of his thumb brushes over the swell of my cheek, and a sob bursts from me.
“They’re all g-gone,” I whimper. It looks like he feels my pain, and I press my face harder into his palm as I whisper, “I don’t know what to do next.”
Knight leans closer. “Just rest and heal, Cassia. We’ll deal with everything else once you’re better.”
Staring into his eyes, I’ve never been more vulnerable in my life as I admit, “I’m scared. If the alliance members or the men in my organization catch a whiff of my fear, they’ll kill me.”
Slowly, he shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. You’re really good at fooling them.”
My voice is hoarse as I mutter, “I didn’t fool you.”
When the corner of his mouth lifts, I’m surprised. The slight smile makes him look unbelievably hot.
“It’s your eyes. The darker they are, the more scared you are.”
“How dark are they now?” I ask softly.
It feels as if everything else is falling away until it’s just me and Knight.
He tilts his head again while his eyes drift over my face, then he says, “They look like caramel, and there are golden flecks in the right one.”
I lower my head and stare down at the spot where the IV is inserted into my arm as my thoughts return to the devastating blow I just suffered.
“I killed three men,” I whisper. “I didn’t think I had it in me.”
“Everyone has it in them when they’re in a kill-or-be-killed situation.”
I close my eyes as I admit, “Yeah, but I don’t think I’ll be able to kill someone for disobeying me. What do I do if I manage to rebuild my organization and someone steals from me? Or worse, I’m betrayed. How do I pull the trigger? I’m not ruthless like that.”
“I know.” Knight's palm brushes over my hair before his fingers wrap around the back of my neck. When I lift my head, he leans in and presses his forehead to mine. “That’s why I’ll do the killing.”
His eyes are so intense and feeling his breaths on my face makes my abdomen tighten. I should be focusing on the serious conversation we’re having, but it’s becoming increasingly more difficult with him this close to me.
I’ve never initiated a kiss, and I don’t have any experience when it comes to dating and sex because Dad made sure we stayed pure for marriage, and he would’ve arranged a suitable match for me within the next few months. He wanted me married before I took over from him so I’d have a powerful man by my side.
Knight exhales, and his breath warms my lips. There’s a fluttering in my stomach as I lean forward, but at the same time, he moves backward.
As he pulls away from me, I’m hit with an intense wave of embarrassment.
Shit. Did he pull back to avoid me, or didn’t he notice I was leaning in for a kiss?
While Knight walks to the door and opens it, he mutters, “I’ll call Jasmine to take away the trays.”
It feels like my face is on fire as he leaves the room.
“Jesus,” I whisper, not sure what just happened.