I laugh as I push up onto my tiptoes and brush my lips over his. “And don’t you ever forget it.”
19
KNIGHT
It’s late on Thursday night as I sit at my desk, thumbing through papers while organizing the next field training day for my team. There are certain requirements we have to meet, but I ensure that my team works far beyond that.
Their bullshit requirements, while impressive at an entry level, are a joke to my team now. We’re simply too good, the best of the best, and that’s not my ego talking. There’s a reason why we’re the most sought-after team across the country.
I sit back in my chair, hearing the sound of Ace and Diesel beating the shit out of each other in the gym, and as I run my hands through my hair, I can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. I’m not exactly fond of paperwork, and while I understand the importance of it, I hate this part of my job. I’d give anything to be in there with the guys, fucking around and training, but this is what reality looks like for me. I knew this was part of the gig when I accepted the role. I just fucking hate it.
It was always my goal to get here, and I don’t regret stepping up and filling the position, but there’s no denying that being at the top comes with a few painful downfalls. But someone’s gotta do it, right? Diesel would be great leading the team. He’s already proved that time and time again, but he’s crafted the same as me. While he’d love the physical part of the job, he’s never envied me for the amount of paperwork I’ve got to complete to keep the suits satisfied. On the other hand, Ace would be more than capable of stepping up; the only problem is, he doesn’t want it bad enough. He’s content where he is, happy to chill and let the world pass him by while the responsibility rests on somebody else’s shoulders.
Letting out a sigh, I get back to work, but as soon as I put pen to paper, my phone rings. When I scoop it off the desk, Harper’s name staring up at me makes my chest tighten. I accept her call and lift the phone to my ear. She’s been through a lot, but ever since she blocked her mother’s number, something seems to have eased within her. She seems happier, carefree, and I fucking love it.
“Hey, doll.”
“Hi,” she says, a smile in her tone. “Thought I’d check to make sure all that paperwork wasn’t kicking your ass.”
“You know it is.”
“Damn. And I thought I was the only one allowed to kick your ass.”
I laugh at the absurdity of Harper thinking she could possibly beat me and flick the pen between my fingers. “You wish you could kick my ass.”
“Actually, speaking of that, I was actually thinking that maybe you could teach me.”
“Teach you?” I ask, my brows furrowed. “Teach you what?”
“How to defend myself,” she tells me. “With everything going on . . . I don’t know. I guess I’m tired of feeling weak all thetime. I don’t want to have to steal scalpels from work just to feel safe walking to my car. I don’t think I need to know how to beat someone almost to death, but I think it’ll be good to know how to escape as a bare minimum, you know? Give myself a chance to get free so that there’s something left for you to swoop in and save.”
“I can get down with that,” I tell her, pride sweeping through me. “Don’t get me wrong, doll. I will always be there if you’re in trouble, but knowing you were capable of defending yourself would go a long way in making me feel better. I’ve always been an advocate for learning basic self-defense, especially for women.”
“So you’ll teach me?”
I grin. “It depends. Will you be a behaved student?”
“Oh, I don’t know. If I’m not, will you call me a bad girl and spank me?”
“You don’t need to misbehave for me to do that,” I tell her. “I’m more than happy to bend you over my knee and spank you until you’ve learned a lesson.”
Harper sucks in a breath, pausing for a moment before groaning. “Shit, Knight, you got me right in the daddy issues.”
“It’s fucking on when you get home,” I warn her. “You better come prepared.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” she murmurs, her voice low. “I’m already wet.”
“Goddamn it, Morticia. How the fuck am I supposed to focus on this shit now?”
Harper laughs, and the sound seems to wrap around me like a warm hug, refusing to let go, but I don’t want it to. If I get the pleasure of hearing that laugh every day for the rest of my life, I’d die a happy man. “That sounds like a you problem.”
I grin and roll my eyes, leaning back in my chair. “What are you doing, doll?”
“Just had a break, but I’m heading back in and trying to convince myself to get started on this next autopsy,” she tells me. “It’s a young mom, and from what I can tell of the markings on her skin, my guess is that this is an extreme domestic violence case, and it breaks my heart. I’ve been avoiding starting it all night.”
She lets out a heavy breath, loud enough that I hear it through the phone, and I can’t help but feel for her. Just like me, there are parts of her job that aren’t always the easiest, but she faces them with courage because at the end of the day, all she wants is justice for the victims on her table.
“You can handle it, doll,” I tell her. “Be thorough. Dot all the i’s and cross the t’s so you can help put this bastard away.”
