I didn’t look away. “It’s easy to say that now.”
Knox inched toward the edge of the cushion and angled so he faced me. “I want to meet my sister. If my father left her a trust, it was because he cared about her.”
“He never met her. He died when she was three. She doesn’t know who he is.”
“Then that was his loss. Maybe he went to the grave knowing he’d missed out on something important,” Knox said, his tone harder than before. “But I won’t turn my back on my family. I don’t care if she wants to fight me for every penny I’ve got.”
I considered telling him she didn’t want to do that, but it wasn’t my business what Laikyn did after I made the introduction. I figured as soon as she realized that, with the right investments, her net worth would put her in the same stratosphere as the man the world referred to as the filthy hot billionaire, it wouldn’t matter what I thought. She wouldn’t have room for me anymore.
“Let’s have dinner tonight,” Creed interjected. “All of us.”
Knox shook his head.
“No to dinner?”
“Dinner’s fine,” he said with a wave of his hand. “But I want to meet her now. I can introduce her to my husband and wife tonight, but I’d like to meet her first.”
Husband and wife? How had I not uncovered that yet?
Creed dropped his foot to the floor and sat up straight. “Are Kieran and Emily here?”
“They will be. They’re coming in for this weekend’s auction.”
Clearly, I looked confused because Knox explained.
“My wife owns Delta June’s, the auction house.”
Ah. Well, that made more sense.
“We spend most of our time in New York, but this is our home away from home.” Knox set his glass on the coffee table and got to his feet. He buttoned his suit jacket. “Please introduce me to my sister.”
That was the reason I was there, wasn’t it? To introduce Laikyn to her brother? It wasn’t like I could stall any longer.
I nodded as I stood.
On our way down to the casino floor, I texted Jinx to find out where they were. I wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of throwing Laikyn to the wolf, which appeared to be the case here, but I wasn’t sure how to stop it. The only thing I could do was stick close in case she needed me.
Not that she would. I knew her pretty damn well, and I didn’t think there was anything Laikyn couldn’t handle.
Jinx’s response was almost immediate.
— Sitting at the bar. Behind a piano. Fair warning, she’s had a few.
I turned my phone so Knox could read the screen.
He grinned. “Would you mind asking him to excuse himself? I’d like to meet her alone if that’s alright with you?”
I messaged Jinx and told him of Knox’s request. I assumed by his lack of response that he would do as I asked.
When the elevator stopped on the main floor, Knox walked out first, with me and Creed following behind him.
“Don’t you dare confront her,” I warned. “Ask Creed, I’m a formidable enemy.”
Knox turned to face me. “You can trust me with her, Rule. I won’t say anything to upset her. In fact, I may not tell her who I am yet. But if she gives me an opportunity to get to know even a little about her, I’d like to take it.”
I nodded. As though I actually had a choice.
* * *
