Chapter 34 #3
Knox got up immediately and took the man off my shoulder. “I’ll carry the guys. You carry the burgers. We’ll eat downstairs.”
A stupid and very inappropriate fond smile took over my face. He was just so thoughtful and caring. “Fine.”
I left Zara a text saying I had to go downstairs and not to worry about the two idiot customers, then led the way to the basement.
Knox whistled low when we entered the large, open space with all the gym equipment lined along the wall, a massive open area in the center, and a boxing ring at the far corner.
He walked to the boxing ring and dropped the two bodies there, while I dragged a table from the corner and pulled two chairs from the stack of them.
We polished off the burgers before I sighed and clutched my head. “This might be the first murder I’ve done without recon.”
“I murdered them, not you.”
“But it was for me!” I screamed, standing up over the table, leaning on him.
“No, it was for me!” he yelled back, following suit and leaning over me, his eyes glaring daggers at me.
Terror washed through every cell in my body. What if they were innocent? A harmless comment does not warrant a death sentence.
“Why?” I whispered, trying to find the proper justification for the deaths. While I didn’t feel bad that Knox killed them for being assholes and rejoiced in the carnage momentarily, eating those burgers seemed to have brought back my senses. Should’ve stayed fucking hungry.
He grabbed my face and leaned closer. “I do not tolerate people insulting my toys.”
“I’m not a fucking toy.”
His grip on my jaw tightened as he slammed his mouth on me, consuming every one of my thoughts, leaving me breathless and panting. “You’re my fucking toy. My fucking plaything. My girl. Only mine. And no one who disrespects you is allowed to keep breathing the same air as you.”
Shivers turned my legs to jelly, and I dropped back down onto my chair. “What am I gonna tell Lena? She’s gonna kill us.”
“Something tells me she’ll understand.”
I shook my head and hit the call button. In just one ring, Lena picked up the call. “Tara, everything alright?”
My eyes snapped to the two dead bodies in the fighting ring, and I bit my lip. “Umm…there is a situation.”
“I’m listening.”
“Knox and I were eating at Thunder Claw, you know, at my usual spot. Two guys took a seat closer to my booth, and I made the mistake of removing my mask to eat.”
“Removing your mask isn’t a mistake.”
“Umm…you might not think that. Well, the two guys got rude and mouthy. And Knox snapped their necks.”
There was a long pause on her end before she cleared her throat. “I see.”
“We’re in the basement with the bodies. Could you send the cleanup crew?"
Knox sat at the table, staring at my face, not an ounce of guilt or worry in his expression.
Lena was silent before she said in a soft tone, “Hand the phone to Knox.”
I bit my lip as I met his eyes and handed him the phone. Knox put the phone to his ear, and Lena must’ve asked him why he did it, because he looked at me when he answered, “They insulted Tara.”
She said something to which Knox said, “Yes.” Again, after a beat, he said, “Yes.”
Lena must’ve really asked him something triggering because he suddenly got up from his seat and rounded the table to stand in front of me, leaning his face over mine and brushing my jaw with his thumb. “Because she’s mine. Nobody hurts Tara under my watch. And I’ll always be fucking watching.”
Without waiting for Lena’s response, he handed the phone back to me.
When I pressed my phone to my ear, I said, “Lena, it’s me.”
She whistled low in my ear, finally sounding relaxed. “He’s so into you, it’s ridiculous.”
My lips stretched into a giddy smile as I looked at Knox. His eyes widened in surprise before he smiled at me in return. And what a beautiful fucking sight that was. “No, it’s not. It’s sweet.”
I shook my head and blew him a kiss. The man had just killed two men for me.
He deserved to have his cock stuffed down my throat.
He quickly caught the flying kiss in his hand, pulled out his wallet, and tucked it in, snapping it closed and putting it back in his pocket. The entire thing had me giggling.
“I’m happy for you, Tara. Now, stay there. I’ll make a call. The cleanup should be there in an hour or two.”
“Perfect.”
Once I ended the call, I slowly walked to Knox and climbed into his lap.
A groan rumbled up his chest as his large hands grabbed my ass. I wrapped my arms around his neck, rubbing my tits against his hard chest. His eyes widened when I leaned closer and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for killing those two monsters in my honor.”
He grabbed my neck with one hand while he clutched my ass with the other, caressing it softly, before pulling me closer to him. “I’d slay a thousand monsters for you, my little beauty, if it makes you climb over my lap and grant me your sinfully sweet kiss.”
I pressed my lips back to his mouth, tasting his words, feeling his permanent obsession with me. “Do you have any idea what you do to me, Knox Steele?”
His breath fell heavy against my lips as he clutched me against him, his hard cock pressing between us. “Tell me, Tara Soni.”
“You figured out my last name?”
“You finally left stray mail on the coffee table.”
“Aah, that’ll do it.” I brushed my fingers through his hair, feeling the lush, soft strands on my skin.
“Now, tell me what I do to you.”
My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to formulate the words in the face of the man who claimed me as his.
“You terrify me. The kind of terror that wracked through my body when I knew that my past life was over. When I had no idea how I’d take my next fucking breath.
It took me five years to reach a point where I had a purpose to live.
Friends to cherish. My little baby to love.
To live this life with some semblance of strength and dignity.
But you, Knox. You pushed me out of my little cocoon.
You make me face myself. You make me want to remove my mask.
You make me feel high with pleasure, giddy with excitement, and fucking hungry for your touch.
I’m afraid to even think about what I’ll do if you ever choose to walk away. ”
Knox’s chest expanded, and he slammed his lips on mine.
His tongue licked into my mouth, seeking entrance.
I opened for him, because of course I would, and his groan reached my chest. He pulled back and leaned his forehead against mine, holding my cheeks in his hands like I was precious to him.
“Thirty-five years, Tara. I’ve lived thirty-five years in this godforsaken world, among the double-faced, rotten people, with violent urges to end them all.
You, my beautiful little criminal, are my fresh dose of reality.
You remind me that, despite the ugliness of the world, no matter how much you beat down and bruise a person, the ones with the strongest hearts will always rise.
They will always triumph over the dark and the evil.
You are proof of that. You are my brave little warrior.
You inspire me every single day to use my violent urges in the right direction.
In protecting you. Only ever you. This world could go up in flames, and I’ll be covering you until I’m bones and ashes.
How could you ever be afraid of losing me?
You are the very spark within me keeping me alive.
Without you, I would be a soulless monster. You are my soul, Tara.”
My soul fucking levitated off my chest, bouncing around with so much lightness and joy, my eyes filled with tears.
I couldn’t even stop them from slipping down my cheeks.
I knew I was falling for the man, and there was no way what I was feeling was anything but love.
“I’m falling in love with you, Knox, and I don’t think I can stop. ”
My heart crashed in my chest as I waited for his response.
He smiled and pressed a soft kiss on my nose.
“Don’t stop. I have never loved anybody.
I don’t know this emotion. I know passion.
Obsession. Madness. Lust. Hunger. Sacrifice.
Revenge. Protection. But love? That four-letter word has always confused me.
Everybody has their own definition of love, their own level of intensity. ”
I chuckled because he was right. I clutched his jaw and kissed him in return, feeling the softness of his lips.
My heart ached when I looked at him. The need I had to be safely tucked into his arms, to fight all my battles with him at my back, to sleep with him buried inside me, had me praying to the universe.
To let me have this. To let me have him.
“For me, love is an undying obsession, heart-stopping adoration, maddening lust, and a willingness to sacrifice yourself to protect the person you love.”
A wide, beaming smile overtook his entire face, his eyes shining with relief and happiness. “Baby, if that is your definition of love, I’ve been in love with you ever since you broke into my apartment and came all over my uniform.”
My heart soared. Tears streaked down my face. The weight of my world suddenly got infinitely lighter, all the carefully constructed walls around my heart melting away. Yet his little declaration made me chuckle because it was so him. “How romantic.”
He winked. “I know.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed his face, unable to deny myself his mouth any longer. “Now, kiss me, you fool.”