Chapter 21
KNIGHT
When I walk down the short hallway, I glance through the living room window and see three of the men I served with standing by their car.
Christ. It’s been over a year since I last saw them.
Most of the men and women I’ve met in the Navy and Army have gone into some kind of security business or ended up doing private jobs like this one.
But none of these guys have crossed the line like I have. Not that I’m aware of.
When I step out of the house, they all look at me, and it takes a few seconds before a smile splits over Davies’ face. He’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a brother, but we drifted apart after I lost Ronnie.
“Fuck, Knight,” Davies says as he walks toward me. “It’s been a hot minute since we last saw each other, brother.”
When I reach out my hand, he slaps it away and goes in for a hug, patting me hard on the back.
He pulls back and lets out a chuckle, “Still as ugly as I remember.”
“Fuck you,” I mutter playfully before I shake Miller’s and Saunders’ hands. “Thanks for coming.”
“The money wasn’t something we could pass up on,” Saunders says, then he glances past me toward the house and lets out a whistle. “Who’s the babe?”
I level him with a look of warning. “My woman and your boss. Treat her with respect.”
“Your woman?” Davies looks shell-shocked at the news. “You were never one for romantic relationships.”
I let out a sigh and get down to business. “Her name is Cassia Dimitrou. She’s the head of the Greek mafia. Her organization just took one hell of a hit from the Russians, and it’s our job to protect her while she goes to war to take back what’s hers.”
“That’s it?” Miller asks. “Just protection?”
“There will be combat to push the Russians out of Greece.”
Miller chuckles. “Thank fuck. You made it sound like we’ll be nothing more than glorified bodyguards.”
I shake my head, the corner of my mouth lifting. “There will be plenty of opportunities for action.”
When I start to turn around, Davies grabs my shoulder. “Hey, wait up. Tell us how you’ve been.”
“Good.” I let out a breath, then ask, “You?”
“Better than you by the looks of things.” He stares at me for a few seconds before compassion settles on his face. “How are you holding up after what happened with Ronnie?”
“I’m fine,” I mutter, my tone too harsh. “Let me introduce you to Cassia. We have a lot of work to do.”
As I walk the short distance to Cassia, the image of Ronnie flits through my mind, and I clench my jaw.
Cassia’s gaze moves between me and the men before she locks eyes with me. She instantly notices my clenched jaw and steps toward me, asking, “Everything okay?”
I nod as I stop next to her before placing my hand on her lower back. Pointing out the men, I introduce them to her. “Oliver Davies, Levi Miller, and Asher Saunders.”
Cassia nods at them with the grace of a fucking queen. “Thank you for coming. You’ll get your orders from me.”
They nod, then Davies holds out his hand to her, and with a broad smile, says, “Knight tells me you’re dating. You deserve a medal for putting up with his special brand of shit.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I mutter. “Don’t listen to the fucker. He’s a little mental since a landmine almost blew him to pieces.”
Davies knocks on his prosthetic leg. “I can kick your ass with the upgrade I got.”
Cassia glances between me and Davies with wide eyes, not sure what to make of our banter.
To set her at ease, I say, “Don’t worry. We used to be good friends.”
A frown forms on Davies’ face. “Used to? Is that how it is?”
Fuck.
These men know that I practically died when Ronnie was murdered. They shouldn’t be surprised.
To make things clear, I say, “The man you served with is long gone.
Davies looks at me for a moment. “It would break Ronnie’s fucking heart to see you now.” He gestures at the house with a nod of his head. “Living the way you do.”
“Enough,” Cassia snaps as she partially steps in front of me. “You’re here to work, not to play catch-up.”
“Sure,” Davies mutters. “Let’s get to work.”
Taking hold of Cassia’s elbow, I pull her to the side and say, “Give me a moment alone with them.”
Her eyes search my face. “You sure?” When I nod, she asks, “Can you give me your phone? I need to call Santiago.”
“Why?” I ask as I pull the device from my pocket.
“I need a private jet and a few other things.”
“Like?”
“Hotel bookings or a safe house near Greece. I’m hoping Leo can help with that, so I need to get his number from Santiago.”
“I’ll take care of all those things.” I nod toward the front door. “You’ve been on your feet for too long. Go rest in the bedroom.”
“I’m fine.”
“I didn’t ask whether you were fine,” I mutter. “Go get some rest while I deal with everything.”
She hesitates, and it has me gently pushing her toward the front door. Glancing inside, I tell Tobias, “Make sure she gets some rest.”
He nods as he jumps to his feet.
Pulling the front door shut, I walk back to Davies, Miller, and Saunders.
“Funny,” Davies chuckles while shaking his head, “I thought you said the man we knew was long gone? That’s not what it looked like while you were talking to your girl.”
“Davies,” Miller murmurs, “Take it easy.”
“No.” Davies’ face sets into a grim expression. “I traveled all this way to help a brother. Seems I got the wrong address.” He turns around and starts to walk back to the car.
“Hey now,” Saunders jumps in, grabbing hold of Davies’ shoulder to stop him. “Don’t be like that.”
Davies yanks away from Saunders, and when I see the pain in his eyes, I feel like shit.
He stalks back to me and only stops once we’re eye to eye. “You know what. I don’t accept that, Link. It’s been two fucking years, man! I’ve been patient as fuck with you, but after seeing how you are with your girlfriend, it fucking hurts like a bitch to know you only cut us off.”
When I try to think of a way to explain myself to him, and I take too long, Davies loses it and shoves hard at my chest. As I stagger a step backward, his fist flies at my face.
As Miller and Saunders move to grab Davies, the blow he delivers to my jaw has my head snapping to the right, in time to see Cassia rushing out of the house with her gun in her hand.
She trains the barrel on Davies while shouting, “Back the fuck off!”
I quickly move toward her before things really get out of control, and taking hold of her wrist, I push her arm down while crowding her with my body so she’s not able to dart past me.
“Everything is okay. I’ve got this.”
Her angry glare snaps to me. “No, you clearly don’t.” Her eyes lower to my mouth and her eyebrows draw together. She lifts her other hand and gently brushes her thumb over the corner of my mouth. “You’re bleeding, ángele mou .”
I take hold of her hand, and seeing the blood on her fingertip, I don’t think things through and suck it off her finger before saying, “I’m fine. Go back inside.” I give her a nudge to get her going and say, “Put the gun away.”
When she stops in her tracks and starts to lift her dress to get to her thigh holster, I snap, “In the bedroom, Cassia! Where there are no men.”
She lets out a chuckle and fucking proceeds to holster her gun right in front of everyone. Only then does she head back inside.
When I turn around, Saunders says, “Well, I, for one, totally understand why Knight is different with her. I mean…” He shakes his head, “God damn.”
“I’m going to kill you,” I warn him.
He holds his hands up in front of him while letting out a burst of laughter.
With a tip of my head, I indicate for Miller and Saunders to give me a moment alone with Davies.
I watch as they walk to the car, and when Miller lights a cigarette, I turn to look at Davies.
He gestures at my lip and mumbles something I can’t make out, but I assume it’s an apology.
“It’s okay. I deserved it.”
He shakes his head at me while our eyes lock. “That’s the problem, Link. You’re on this mission to make your life as miserable as possible. You’ve got this fucked up idea in your head that you need to suffer because Veronica was killed, and you couldn’t stop it.” He steps closer to me. “Don’t you hear how fucked up that is?”
I suck in a deep breath, and knowing I have to be honest with him or he won’t back down, I say, “I hear how fucked up it is, but I can’t change it.”
“Why not?”
“Because when I close my eyes, all I see is Ronnie...” The gruesome image flashes through my mind, the punch it delivers forcing me a step backward. “It’s all I fucking see…” I glance at the house, “Unless I’m around Cassia. The darkness isn’t as suffocating when I’m with her.”
I’ve only had two nightmares this past week. Even those are a little better.
I glance back at Davies. “I just don’t have it in me to maintain connections and put up an act that everything is fine because it will never be fine. I’ll never be the same again.” I wave a hand at nothing in particular. “This is my life now, Davies. I’m knee-deep in the underbelly of crime and don’t intend to ever leave.”
He takes a step closer to me. “Look, I understand why you’re here, killing fuckers like the ones who murdered Ronnie. I just don’t understand why you have to push me away.” He points at Miller and Saunders. “Why you’re pushing them away. We’ve been through hell with you, brother. You were there when I lost my leg and dragged my ass through the months of depression that followed, but you won’t let me do the same for you? How’s that fair?”
“I’m not depressed,” I mutter.
“No, you’re well past that.” He shows a tiny space between his forefinger and thumb. “You’re this close to blowing your brains out, aren’t you?”
When I shake my head, he takes another step closer. “Look me in the eye and tell me you haven’t sat with your loaded gun trying to work up the guts to pull the trigger.”
The fight with Cassia flashes through my mind, and I remember how I practically begged her to pull the trigger.
When I keep quiet, Davies shakes his head, heartbreak darkening his gray eyes. “I’ve been where you are, Link. You’re not going to get out of the darkness by yourself. Let us help.” He leans into me and places his hand on my shoulder. “At least let me help.”
I take a step backward. “I appreciate that you want to help me, Oliver, but…” I suck in a deep breath, “Cassia is good for me. She just lost her whole family in the attack.” I clear my throat, feeling uncomfortable as fuck having this talk with him. “She understands me.” I glance at the house again. “It’s nothing against you, man. It’s just easy to talk to her. I’ve told her things I’ve never told anyone.”
He nods and sucks in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “As long as you’re talking to someone.”
Christ, I’ve talked more in the past week than I have in a year. It feels like it’s all I’ve done since Cassia woke up in the hospital.
“Are we good?” I ask, feeling exhausted from the interaction.
“Yeah.” He looks at the house. “Fuck, this place is a dump.”
I let out a chuckle. “There’s only one bedroom. I didn’t think things through when I said everyone should meet here.”
“Clearly not. Can’t blame you, though. That girl of yours is feisty and probably keeps you on your toes.”
I nod, the corner of my mouth lifting in a smile. “Yeah, she does.”
“The guys and I will find a motel where we can crash. Let us know when everyone is here so we can meet to discuss the operation.”
I nod and walk with him to the car.
“Everything good?” Miller asks.
“Yes. We’re heading to a motel. Knight will call when everyone else has arrived.”
I watch as the men pile into the car, and when they drive off, I lift my hands and scrub my palms over my face before glancing at the other houses farther up the street.
Christ, what a fucking day.
I suppose it could’ve gone worse.
I remain standing outside while I think about everything that’s happened.
Up until now, I didn’t have to explain myself or how I choose to live my life to anyone, because I avoided Davies and the guys. Santiago just goes with my mood swings, but then again, he’s the one who found me in that room, holding Ronnie’s body.
It feels like Pandora's box is being pried open in my chest. Fuck knows what kind of shit will be unleashed, but I feel a weird sense of hopefulness that everything might turn out for the good…as long as I stay by Cassia’s side.
My thoughts turn to the argument we had and the kiss.
Fuck. The kiss.
No woman kisses a man the way she kissed me if there’s no attraction, so that answers that question for me.
She’s a virgin, though.
I assume.
She’s said she’s never been in a relationship, and I was the first man to see her naked, but you can have sex with clothes on.
A disgruntled sound rumbles from my chest, but then I remember she said our kiss was her first, so I seriously doubt she’s had sex.
My thoughts keep racing, and I’m not really looking at anything as it sinks in that I gave Cassia her first kiss.
How does she feel about that?
How do I feel?
Where I usually avoid it at all costs, I take a closer look at my emotions. There’s satisfaction that I got to be her first and an overwhelming sense of need to be her other firsts as well.
But there’s also fear. What if I can’t keep her alive? What if I let myself fall in love and I end up losing her?
I let out a heavy sigh as I stare at a random patch of sand.
It’s now too late to think about all the what-ifs.
Christ, it’s way too late.
The obsessive feeling I have for her has only been amplified by the kiss. Good or bad, there’s no stopping what’s happening between Cassia and me.
Yeah, but what if you’re the only one who falls in love?
I let out a snort. “Then I’m fucked.”
I hear Cassia coming up behind me, then her hand settles on my back and she asks, “Are you okay?”
I nod, and letting out a sigh, I turn around. “Let’s go inside.” I can feel her glancing up at me as we walk back to the house, so I reassure her, “I’m good. Don’t worry.”
Before we reach the front door, she takes hold of my hand and pulls me to a stop. Lifting her other hand to my face, she brushes the pad of her finger over the broken skin on my lip.
“How does it feel?”
“Fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.” But it feels fucking good having her fuss over me.
She lowers her hand and as we walk into the house, it’s to find Tobias eating beans straight out of the can.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Cassia says. “I’m not eating canned food. Half of it is about to expire, by the way.” She smiles up at me, and it’s so fucking blinding I almost miss it when she continues, “Give me the car keys and money so I can go get some groceries. Once we’re in Greece and I get my belongings from the house, I’ll pay you back.”
I frown at Cassia as if she’s lost her fucking mind and mutter, “You’re not driving anywhere without me.”
“Yeah, but you have to arrange the private jet and other stuff, so I figured I could go get a few things to make us dinner, or I can get takeout.”
Lifting my hand, I wrap my fingers around the side of her neck while taking the keys to the SUV from my pocket. I toss them to Tobias, who catches them.
“Go get takeout for us.”
He sets down the can, a grin spreading over his face.
I let go of Cassia to pull out my wallet and remove enough for the food then pass it to Tobias.
When he leaves the house, I look at Cassia. “Problem solved.”
She tilts her head. “I could’ve gone with Tobias.”
“No.” I turn around, walk to the couch, and take a seat. Pulling my phone out, I open the messaging app and send Santiago a text.
Knight: We need one of the private jets. Let me know how much it will cost to hire it, and I’ll transfer the funds.
While I wait for his reply, I say, “I assume everyone will make their own arrangements for accommodation in Athens. I’m only booking a place for you and me.”
“And Tobias?”
“He’s a grown-ass man who can take care of himself,” I mutter while making a booking at a five-star hotel in Athens. When I’m done, I lift my eyes to Cassia. “After all, you do pay him a salary, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Careful that you don’t care too much, or you’ll end up like Santiago, living on a compound with over a hundred people.”
When she nods, I ask, “Are you going to keep standing over there?”
She shakes her head and comes to take a seat beside me. When she leans back slowly and there’s a flash of discomfort on her face, I mutter, “You overdid it today.”
“We had a busy day.”
She lets out a sigh as she kicks off her high heels before pulling her legs beneath her and leaning more into the couch.
Reaching for her, I pull her down until her head is on my lap. “Sleep.” When she opens her mouth to protest, I press my fingers to her lips and shake my head. “Sleep, Cassia.”
She closes her eyes but still mumbles, “We need to talk.”
“Later.”
I place my hand on her bicep and gently brush my thumb over the scar that’s still swollen.
When she drifts off and her breaths even out, I unlock my phone and get back to work. I make all the payments to the mercenaries, so Cassia won’t have to worry about it.
A warm sensation trickles into my chest because it feels good taking care of my woman.