Chapter 21 Knox
KNOX
SINNERS AND SAINTS GROUP CHAT
Me: Need a favor.
Axel: Nail file in a cake? Say less.
Blake: Why is that your first thought? *Eye roll emoji*
Axel: Why ISN’T it yours?
Ryker: For fuck’s sake. GET RID OF THE PHONE. How do you even keep it charged?
Me: Prison secrets.
Axel: My money’s on a butt plug that harnesses electricity from his colon. *Smirking emoji*
Blake: What is wrong with you? *Eye roll emoji*
Axel: Medically or philosophically?
Blake: Both. The answer is both. *Laughing emoji*
Jace: I have a meeting in six minutes. What do you need, Knox?
Axel: Look at Mr. CEO over here with his “meetings” and “minutes.”
Jace: It’s called a job, Axel.
Axel: Sounds fake.
Me: There’s someone I need you to watch out for.
Axel: He said cryptically, like a brooding antihero in a romance novel.
Blake: Define “watch out for.”
Me: Just … keep an eye on her. Make sure she’s safe.
Axel: HER?! *Shocked face emoji*
Blake: Her??
Ryker: For fuck’s sake.
Jace: Who is she, Knox?
Ryker: It’s the fucking nurse, isn’t it?
Axel: Hold on. HOLD ON. Knox is in a PRISON. With a NURSE. That he needs us to PROTECT. *Mind blown emoji*
Blake: Tessa is going to lose her entire mind. *Smirking emoji*
Axel: This is the plot of literally every romance novel Dakota has ever made me listen to.
Blake: “Made you” listen to. Sure.
Axel: I was being SUPPORTIVE of her INTERESTS.
Jace: You cried at the end of the last one. *Single tear emoji*
Axel: THE DOG DIED, JACE. And I didn’t cry. I had something in my eye.
Me: Can we focus?
Axel: No. Absolutely not. I have QUESTIONS. *Raised hand emoji*
Blake: Same actually.
Me: The woman is Faith’s friend and neighbor. Harper.
Axel: Oh, that lady?
Me: You’ve met her?
Axel: She lives right next to Faith. Well, technically DID live next to her. Faith has been staying with Ryker these days. *Winking emoji*
Me: So, you all knew Faith’s friend was working here and didn’t mention it?
Jace: You just got this phone recently.
Axel: Knox. Buddy. Brother. Fellow sinner. Are you in a forbidden prison romance right now?
Me: No.
Axel: Enemies to lovers. Only one bed. Except your bed is a cot. And there’s no door, just bars.
Ryker: Don’t get mad, but after our last visit, I already ran a check on the woman causing all these problems.
Me: Excuse me?
Axel: Ooooh, Ryker went rogue. And insulted Knox’s lady friend. I’m grabbing my popcorn. Ryker, Knox is gonna shank you. *Knife emoji*
Ryker: It’s not rogue. It’s due diligence. Because SOMEONE has to think about Knox’s parole hearing.
Ryker: I told you, do NOT get involved with anyone. Not the guards. Not the inmates. And especially not the goddamn medical staff.
Me: Ryker, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.
Axel: Uh-oh. *Warning sign emoji*
Blake: Here it comes.
Axel: I can hear Knox’s detonation sequence initiating from space. T-minus five seconds.
Me: But I’m my own fucking man. You can give advice, but stop trying to control me. In case you haven’t noticed, it doesn’t work.
Axel: KABOOM. *Explosion emoji*
Ryker: No shit it doesn’t work. Nothing works with you. I’ve been trying to get you out of that hellhole for years, and every time we get close, you do something SPECTACULARLY stupid.
Me: Are you done?
Blake: Guys, same team. Remember?
Ryker: Are we though? Because I’m on Team Get Knox Out Of Prison. And Knox is on Team Do Everything Fucking Possible To Sabotage His Own Parole.
Me: ENOUGH.
Jace: Ryker, stand down.
Axel: Ooooh, Big Boss Energy activated. *Crown emoji*
Blake: Axel, I swear to God.
Axel: What?! I’m just narrating!
Ryker: [typing…]
Ryker: [typing…]
Ryker: [typing…]
Axel: Three typing notifications. He’s either writing an essay or deleting a lot of curse words.
Blake: Probably both.
Ryker: What do you need?
Me: I need you to watch out for her. I think she might be in trouble. I’m still trying to get information from her, but I’d sleep better, knowing someone on the outside has eyes on her when I can’t.
Jace: What kind of trouble?
Me: The kind that leaves scars.
Blake: She had a shiner the first time I met her.
Jace: Why the FUCK would you tell him that??? Now he’s going to go even more ballistic!
Me: She had a BLACK EYE???
Jace: See?
Me: How long ago?
Jace: Maybe it was from an accident?
Me: Was it?
Ryker: Dude, you need to focus on YOU.
Me: Fuck! CO is coming. Gotta go. Watch out for her!
Axel: Quick! Everyone say something meaningful!
Blake: Stay safe, Knox. We’ve got her.
Ryker: For the love of God, stay out of any sign of trouble until the hearing.
Ryker: And do NOT pursue this woman.
Axel: Oh, he’s ABSOLUTELY going to pursue this woman. *Fire emoji*
Blake: This is either going to be the greatest love story ever told or a complete catastrophe.
Axel: With Knox? Probably both.
Axel: But wait, Knox. You still haven’t answered my question: What are you going to do with this phone?