He wanted details? Yeah. That was an expressway to problems. “Pass.”
“If you don’t, it’s going to eat me alive, Harper.” My name in his mouth. Low. Rough. “I’ll imagine worst-case scenarios. And trust me, you don’t want me imagining worst-case scenarios.”
“That sounds like manipulation if I ever heard it.”
“Manipulation?” Offense flashed through his voice. But after a moment, he let out a slow breath. “That piece of shit made you doubt anyone’s sincerity.”
The words hit somewhere I didn’t expect. I stayed quiet, unsure how to respond.
“Tell me his last name.”
“Never.” I lifted my chin, meeting his eyes head-on. “And FYI, you’re trapped in prison. Even if you wanted to go all protector mode, there’s nothing you can do from in here.”
“Watch me.”
I studied him then. Really studied him. This dangerous man, the most feared inmate at Coldwater, was staring at me with the promise of vengeance burning in his eyes. And somehow, I suspected that if I let Silas’s last name slip, something very bad might happen.
The terrifying part? A dark, hidden corner of my soul wanted something bad to happen to Silas.
I shoved that thought down. Because what the hell? I was not that person. Never had been, never would be. Why had that feeling raced through my head for a split second?
“I don’t need other people fighting my battles for me. And for the last time, I’m not talking about this. If that’s too much for you to understand, you can go mop a floor somewhere and leave me alone.”
His chest swelled up slowly. Held. And eventually hollowed back out. “Fine.” Knox’s jaw ticced. “I’ll stop asking. For now. But know this: I’ll find out the full name of the man who did this to you.”
“No,” I said firmly. “You won’t.”
“If he ever hurts you again?—”
I shook my head. “He won’t. I left. It’s over.”
Knox’s eyes stayed locked on mine.
“Over, huh? In the text, you mentioned a note.” His voice had gone low. Dangerous. “The fuck does that mean?”
I stiffened. Of course he’d caught that. Of course he’d filed it away and waited for the right moment to strike.
“It means nothing.”
“Bullshit. What note, Harper?”
“Drop it.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“No. No threat.” I met his gaze head-on, letting him see the steel in my eyes. “And I said, drop it.”
Knox’s jaw worked. I could practically see him warring with himself, the need to know battling against the understanding that pushing harder would only make me shut down completely.
The silence between us stretched, but somehow, the sharp edges of it began to soften. The explosive energy in the room slowly bled away, replaced by something I didn’t have a name for.
Knox took a step back, giving me space. Giving me room to breathe. But he didn’t leave. Just leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching me with those eyes that saw too much.
When Knox spoke again, his voice had gentled. “You don’t need to be so guarded with me.”
“You’re an inmate. I’m a nurse.” I motioned between us. “That’s the extent of this …” I trailed off. What was I going to say? Relationship?
Knox winced slightly at the formality in my tone. “It’s more than that. And you know it.”
