Chapter 25 #2
As soon as someone on the other end picked up his call—most likely his detectives on duty—he gave them a rundown on his encounter with the Russians. After giving them a statement—excluding me from it—he asked them to clear the streets.
We slammed into his apartment and ran to his bedroom. It took us seven minutes to pack up all his essentials—all his weapons, his IDs, his uniforms, and three pairs of clothes—before we ran down three blocks and got onto the subway. His car was completely trashed.
The moment the doors of the subway closed behind us, I sighed in relief. I looked around us and immediately found multiple gazes glued to my face.
Horror streaked down my spine and dropped like a boulder in my gut.
I’d forgotten my mask.
With the way Knox didn’t even bat an eye when he looked at me, and the way he rushed us to get his stuff, I didn’t even notice that I’d forgotten my mask.
For the first time since the incident, I’d forgotten my mask.
And now, under the heavy gaze of unknown people, I was very clearly reminded as to why I, in fact, wore my mask.
The waves of horror and mind-numbing discomfort rolled along my skin, making me feel dirty.
My vision blurred. My chest heaved. Shivers started to course down my spine, and bile threatened to creep up my throat, when, suddenly, a large wall of pure muscle stepped right in front of me, pushing me back until I leaned against the door of the subway, blocking me from the unflinching gaze of the people around us.
“Look at me.” The big wall of muscle, my stalker, gazed at me with an unhinged sort of passion. My vision turned misty, and I quickly blinked back the tears as his lips twitched in a smile. “There she is. My little criminal.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, knowing that I would’ve thrown up or passed out in the middle of the subway had he not stepped in.
“Do you want me to arrest them under the charge of misconduct and harassment?”
Amusement trickled in from between the cracks of horror and shame. “That’d be a gross misuse of your power, Lieutenant.”
A full-blown smile stretched across his face, making wonder and desire slam through the now-retreating horror and shame. “I think it’s the most appropriate use of my power.”
“I’ll spare them your wrath this time.”
“How magnanimous of you.”
“Someone has to be.”
When the train stopped at our station, I found Knox glaring at the people who’d stared at me with disgust. My heart squeezed inside my chest, filling that dark, hurt part of me with a soft, blooming warmth.
He walked on my outside on the way back to the building while I kept my gaze down. I didn’t need any more stares, and if I got them, I didn’t have the capacity to notice people’s scrutiny and disgust.
I breathed a sigh of relief once we stepped into my apartment, Knox following me closely in perfect harmony. I could feel his burning gaze on me throughout the entire walk. I could sense he wanted to say something, give an opinion. Thankfully, he stayed silent.
He wasn’t a big talker, and I enjoyed silence. Maybe living with him wouldn’t be so bad.
What I wasn’t ready to admit out loud to anyone—not even to myself—was that a small part of me was glad he was going to live with me.
He would be safer here than in his apartment.
He was the good guy, the cop, the one who put criminals behind bars.
I didn’t want harm to come to this man—the only man—who looked at me with heat and intrigue and obsession in his eyes.
I wanted more of it. I needed more of it.
His obsession.
The way he gazed at me with dark passion. His unhinged methods to reach me.
He made me remember the old me. He made me forget the scars on my face. His attention, his stalking, his every misguided effort to get close to me, unfurled the deeply suppressed, dark desires that the old me was obsessed with.
The dark need to be wanted. To be desired. To be the object of someone’s madness.
Just Knox’s desire for me, his obsession for me, left me breathless. My panties were drenched with arousal, my core aching with want.
He dropped the bag at the foot of the dining table, looking around the house. “Where’s Shadow?”
My lips twitched. “With Lena. Why?”
He shrugged. “He’s usually here, giving me a warm welcome.”
“Sure. If that’s what you wanna call it.”
He shrugged. “Do you need to update your Wildcats on today’s attack?”
I shook my head. “I’ll tell them about it tomorrow morning. I’m exhausted.”
When he gave me a nod in agreement, I walked to the hallway, leading him to the guest bedroom. “So this is your bedroom. There is a bathroom attached.”
His scoff had me turning to look at him. He stood at the door of the guest bedroom, gaze trained on me. “I’m sleeping with you.”
It was my turn to scoff. “Absolutely not.”
“Yes.”
“No. It’s either this bedroom or out you go.”
“You know you want me to sleep with you.”
He was batshit crazy. Just because I wanted to—and fuck how I really wanted to—did not mean that I should. He could put me behind bars the moment his obsession with me ended. “Um…no. I don't trust you enough to sleep with you.”
With a disgusted face, he walked into the guest bedroom and dropped his duffel in the walk-in closet. “Fine.”
His room was fucking huge, with a large king-size bed, a nice, cushioned headboard, the fluffiest two pillows, and a brand-new comforter.
The entire skyline of downtown NYC was visible from the full-length glass facade.
The bedroom had an en suite with a large claw-foot tub and a full walk-in closet, for fuck’s sake.
How dare he look at the room with disgust?
“A little appreciation for the room would be good. It’s better than your fucking apartment. ”
He crossed his arms over his large chest. “It’s not better than the view I would get if I could sleep with you in your room.”
My inner, needy ho let out a squeal of delight. But I kept my cool and rolled my eyes, walking out the door. “You’re a detective. You’re my stalker. You’re literally blackmailing me. Don’t try to take a mile when I’ve already given you an inch.”
A small smile appeared on his face. “You do realize that I’m the good guy here, right, my little criminal?”
I realized that. “Not yours,” I growled and stomped to my room before he caught the red blush coating my cheeks.
It was going to be a very long few months.