“Can I tell you something?” Knox prompted.
“I … uh…” I gestured toward Rule and Jinx. “Those are my…”
“Biblical boyfriends?” he said, tossing my terminology back at me.
“Yes.”
“I know.”
I looked at him. “What do you mean, you know?”
Instead of answering, he held out his hand again. When he continued to wait for me to shake it, I stared, confused. Did he forget he’d already introduced himself? Or was I so drunk I’d imagined that?
Figuring I could appease him, I shook his hand again.
He held my hand a bit more firmly than he had before. “Knox Montgomery.”
“We’ve kind of established that,” I replied.
“I’m your brother, Laikyn.”
I saw only sincerity and keen interest as I stared into his twinkling green eyes.
Every part of my body went completely numb, and this time, I couldn’t blame it on the alcohol.
* * *
Jinx
We approached Laikyn in time to hearKnox introduce himself as her brother.
I watched Laikyn’s face, the expressions that shifted over every beautiful feature as she processed that information.
I expected her to be bold and come back with some smartass remark. She didn’t. She simply sat there staring at him as though she wasn’t sure where she was or what was happening.
I started toward her. When Rule attempted to stop me, I pulled my arm from his grasp. I was done playing this his way. Knox shouldn’t have sprung that on her without her having someone there for support. She’d had enough of that shit in her life, and I wanted her to know I had her back, regardless.
Knox looked up as I neared. I nodded my head, then put my hand on Laikyn’s shoulder.
Her head tilted, and her eyes locked with mine. A moment later, her expression softened, and the vise squeezing my chest relaxed.
“Knox Montgomery,” he said as he got to his feet and held out a hand.
I couldn’t respond, but I didn’t need to. Laikyn did for me.
She got to her feet and curled her arm through mine. “This is Jinx.”
Knox’s eyes crinkled as his smile spread. “It’s nice to meet you.”
I nodded again.
He didn’t appear surprised that I didn’t speak.
Knox leaned in toward Laikyn. “The boyfriend, right?”
She choked on a laugh and squeezed my arm. “Yes. He’s not being rude. He doesn’t speak.”
Boyfriend, huh? I’d never been anyone’s boyfriend before. I found I liked the title far more than I expected I would.
