Page 113 of Knox Unleashed
And my heart drops.
Missed calls from last night. And a message….
Knox:Sweetheart, there’s been a bit of trouble. I’m fine. Call me. But it would be safer if you’d ask the prospects outside to lead you to either the clubhouse or go to my house. There’s a lockbox hidden by the chair on the porch you sat on. The number is 2221. Let yourself in and I’ll be home when I can.
I stare at his name for a second, check the time, and then, call him.
It rings twice. “Maren. You okay, sweetheart?” His words are rough and weathered, like I woke him.
“AmIokay? How about you? Areyouokay? Are you safe? What happened?”
“It’s club business, babe. But we know who those two men are, now. That’s the good news. The bad news is they have a fucking army behind them, and they showed up at the clubhouse last night. They’ve beaten Vandal to a fucking pulp.”
“Oh, no. How is he?”
There’s the sound of sheets rustling as he moves. “Reaper has taken him for X-rays. He’s gonna need surgery. We’ll know soon.”
I put my hand to my chest and look at the painting of the two of us. Looking at it again, it’s like the air around us is frenetic, like I painted the chaos into the canvas and we’re at the center.
“We’re going to have to be super careful for the next week,” he continues. “I know my message had two options, come here or go to my place, but now that I’ve slept on it, I’d feel better if you were at my house. It’s impossible to find if you don’t know the area.”
“If it makes you feel better, of course I’ll come stay at your house. It won’t take me long to drive to the bait shop from there every day.”
“No,” Knox says. “I mean, stay there. Like, don’t leave.”
“I can’t just ignore my work,” I say before I think to soften the words. “I have a business. Bookings. Airboat tours. People who rely on me.”
“Maren,” he says. “None of that matters if you aren’t safe.”
“Knox—”
“No,” he cuts in. “We’re not doing this. I can’t do what I have to do if I’m worrying about you, as well.”
I take a deep breath. “Knox. I’ll let you off for being bossy and demanding, seeing it’s coming from a place of fear for my safety, and you’ve had a truly horrific night. But I can’t hide. I feel like I just broke free of one man’s hold. I can’t just walk straight intoanother’s. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, when there is a direct and meaningful real-time threat, I will let you lead and take your advice. But I can’t hide out every time something gets bumpy with your club.”
Silence stretches between us.
“Fuck,” Knox curses.
“I’m going to work today. You have prospects here. I’ll keep it short. Reduce the hours after the last airboat tour. And I’ll lock up early. I’ll grab groceries on the way to your place.” Because I remember he was running pretty low on them.
“Just pop over to the convenience store,” Knox says.
“No. Your cupboards were bare, and I’ll make sure there’s enough food if hiding out becomes the only option. And that means a drive to the bigger store.”
He doesn’t say anything, and I have the nervous need to keep talking, to fill the silence.
“I’ll even bring my supplies and spare easel so I can paint while I’m there too.”
There’s another pause. Longer, this time.
“Don’t lock me up,” I say quietly. “I don’t think I could take feeling trapped again.”
“Fuck, sweetheart. I’m not trying to do that. Just…don’t go anywhere alone. I’ll tell the prospects to escort you wherever you want to go. If there’s a problem, drive straight for me or the sheriff’s office. Whichever is closest. You understand me?”
“I do. I don’t want to die, Knox. Trust me, I won’t be taking a single risk I don’t need to.”
“Good,” he says finally, a resigned sigh following the word. “You see or hear anything off, even if you think it’s probably nothing, you call me. Don’t handle it yourself, and don’t hesitate.”
