“It’s perfect,” I assure him, stepping back into his body and resting my cheek on his hard chest. His heart thuds under my ear and I find my arms wrapping tightly around him as tears fill my eyes. “I wish you could stay.” The words hurt when they push past the lump in my throat as I try to hold the tears back; I’m just so fucking sick of crying. His arms band around me, pulling me in so close that no part of us isn’t touching.
“Fuck, princess. So do I,” he murmurs against my hair, his tone gruff. “I fucking hate leaving you like this.”
“Then stay,” I reply quietly, my words a plea as I grab the back of his jumper and fist it in my hands. He heaves a sigh and my stomach sinks.
“I can’t, Little Bird. Fuck, I’m going to fucking kill Aeron.”
Useless moisture spills down my cheeks at his words.
“He was angry, I get that. I–I think…” I swallow hard, taking a deep breath and letting it go through my mouth. “I think killing my mom really fucked him up. Especially knowing what happened to me afterwards.”
“You are too fucking good for us, you know that?” he states after a long moment, pulling me impossibly closer as he places a gentle kiss on top of my head. “You’ve had the roughest ride of us all, and yet you’re able to see the hurt in others who have harmed you. Shit, Little Bird. We don’t deserve you.” He pulls away, just enough to tip my chin upwards with one hand, the other arm still wrapped tightly around my back. “But I’m keeping you anyway, soulmate.”
My breath shudders out of me against his lips as he closes the distance between us, kissing me so tenderly that I can taste the salt of my tears as they fall. All too soon he ends the kiss, and I blink my eyes open to see his face creased in torment.
“I love you, Knox,” I tell him, needing to see him smile, just once before he goes.
“I love you, Lark,” he answers, his voice deep, and the way he says my name—something that they all rarely do—has shivers skating across my skin. “I have to go,” he whispers, not stepping away. “But I’ll be back in a couple of hours max, and then I’ll hold you for the rest of the night.”
“I’d like that,” I reply, being the brave one and dropping my arms, taking a step out of his warm embrace. Even though the room is heated, I’m suddenly chilled to the bone, and I wrap my arms around myself to stop the shivers that want to take over.
His shoulders rise and fall with another huge inhale. “Rook should be back soon, and Adam is here with you. There’s security patrolling the grounds with dogs. No one is getting in, you’re safe here, okay?” I give him a nod and he stands there, his jaw working and his forehead creased.
“Stay safe yourselves, okay? Even Aeron,” I command softly, and one side of his lips tugs up into that sexy half-smile of his.
“He may accidentally take a small fall into my fists, but don’t worry, princess, it’s an easy job tonight. No one will get hurt.” He takes a step as if to kiss me again, then clearly decides that if he does, he’s never leaving, so just turns around and leaves.
I look around the space after he closes the door, just breathing in everything that is Knox as I take in what is clearly his childhood home. Or well, some of his childhood anyway. I know he said I had the roughest start of all of us, but after hearing him briefly hint about his life before Adam took him in, and knowing what Tarl went through with the death of hisfamily, plus Aeron and Jude losing their sister and mother, I think we’re all a little fucked up.
I jump in surprise at the sound of a soft knock at the door.
“I’ve got a plate here for you, Lark,” Adam’s quiet voice filters through the closed door. Squaring my shoulders, I go over and twist the brass knob, opening the door to find Adam there with a covered plate and a bottle of water. “I didn’t think you’d want to eat downstairs, but you should try to eat something.”
“Thanks,” I reply in a croaking tone, suddenly so weary and wanting nothing more than to curl up on Knox’s bed and pretend that tonight didn’t happen. I take the offered plate and water, and Adam just stands there, his ocean eyes dark and tortured.
“I–I know what I’ve done cannot be forgiven,” he says, and I bite my lips until I taste copper to try to hold back the emotions that threaten to drown me. “But I will do everything in my power to help you and Rook from here on. As far as I am concerned, you’re both family now.”
I can feel my throat bob as I swallow hard, then a thought occurs to me. “Did you know my mom and Heather were friends?” His lack of surprise tells me the answer.
“Yes, and I tried to help her keep it a secret at first, even though she never knew that I knew, but I failed to protect her too, and after that night, after what the Soldiers did to my wife...” His voice is thick with emotion, and I can’t help the way my chest tightens at seeing this powerful man so broken and lost. “I could only see my need for revenge, that I needed Rufus to hurt as much as I did. So I had Aeron shoot your mom, betraying my own wife and, fuck, Lark…” He shakes his head, then turns to go, his shoulders slumped.
“Hey,” I murmur, and he looks back around at me, his eyes full of torment and turbulent storms. “Thanks for the food, Adam.”
He blinks, a deep exhale leaving his chest. “You’re welcome, Lark.” And then he turns back around again, walking down the long hallway.
I shut the door, setting the plate and water on the empty desk, my stomach roiling at the idea of eating anything right now. I know that Adam was acting because of his grief, but it doesn’t make it any easier. It also doesn’t change what happened.
My overnight bag sits on the bed—I assume the butler bought it up maybe—and so I go over to it, grabbing out a book and deciding to get lost in another world for a bit.
My eyes fly open at the sudden noise in the darkened room and it takes a moment for me to remember where I am. Knox’s room, big fuck-off MacMansion that the Taylors own. Then I remember Knox said he’d be back, and I turn to face the noise that I heard, my brows creasing as I realize I’m facing the window and not the door. I’m also sure that I left the lamp on before dozing off, otherwise, how would I?—
“Motherfucker!” I hiss, slapping a hand over my neck where a sharp sting has my whole body tensing. “What the fu—” My eyelids flutter, my mouth refusing to form the rest of the sentence as darkness rushes in to claim me.
Images come to me like flashes of an old black-and-white movie; the chill of the night air as it hits my face, then the rumble of the car engine, the feel of my ears popping, someone frantically calling my name.
“Lark!Eshgham! Wake up!” Nausea swirls through my stomach, making my mouth ache like I’ve eaten one of those super sour candies that Rook used to love as a kid. “That’s it,Koshgelam, open those beautiful eyes of yours.”
I try to scrub at my face, then panic flares hot and bright as I realize my hands are secured to the arms of a seat with what feels like…handcuffs? Swallowing back bile, I use sheer fucking will to force my fluttering eyelids open and try to focus on my surroundings. Looking around the space, I can see lines of small windows with the blinds drawn and a few seats. There’s a rushing sound all around me, and then I meet the mismatched stare of— “Tarl?”
