Page 127 of Dark Knight (Knight's Ridge Empire 10)

“I’m going to shower. You two play nice, yeah?”

I don’t need to look to know that Alex watches her every move. And as much as I hate that his eyes are locked on her curves right now. I also understand it. She’s captivating. Mesmerising. And she’s got me totally under her spell.

Grabbing a towel, she wraps it around herself and looks back.

She smiles at Alex before her eyes shoot to mine.

Just for that brief moment, I stop breathing. The invitation for me to join her is more than obvious in her blue, sparkling eyes, but I can’t. And she knows it. Which is why her shoulders drop as she turns her back on us once more and walks away.

“Thought she was gonna invite us to join her then. Beer?” Alex asks the second she’s disappeared from our view, making my head spin. He stands out of the water and reaches to the table beside the tub, knocking the lids off two bottles.

“Thanks,” I mutter, taking one from him.

“So,” he says, after swallowing a mouthful.

My heart pounds as I wait for him to call me out on what happened last night. For him to rip me a new one for going anywhere near our princess and forbid me from doing it ever again.

But then he throws me for a loop once again.

“How’s it feel being normal for a change?”

“Uh…” His eyes twinkle with amusement. “Yeah. It’s great. I should be banned from working more often,” I mutter, frustration clawing at my insides.

“I know you hate it. But it’ll be worth it in the end.”

I stare at him, irritated by his constant positive outlook on life.

“I’m gonna fail those exams, A. Nothing about this situation is going to get better anytime soon.”

“Only you can control that, Bro. You wanna pass, you’ve got the power to make it happen. You’ve got us. All of us. Use us. Let us help.”

My lips twitch, begging to turn into a snarl at his comments.

“You’re a hard-headed, stubborn prick, you know that?” he hisses, changing tack. “You’re more than capable of passing those exams. You’re not fucking stupid. You just allow everyone to get inside your head. You allow Dad and Gram—”

“Don’t,” I growl. “Don’t fucking go there.”

“They were wrong, Daemon. You are not the person they thought you were. You’ve proved that a million times over with everything you’ve done in the past few years. Why can’t you get past it with the school stuff?”

“Because none of it makes any fucking sense,” I snap. “They might have been wrong about all the other stuff, but they’re right about me being a dumb-arse who’ll never make anything of myself.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. Dad is freaking the fuck out at the prospect of losing you. He needs you, man.”

“Then he shouldn’t have told me I’m out unless I pass.”

“He’s just pushing you because, like me, he knows you can do it,” Alex argues.

“No, he doesn’t,” I boom. “He thinks I’m a fuck-up, that I should be more like you.”

Alex shakes his head. “You’re fucking delusional, man. You seem to think that I’ve got it so good just because I can pass a few exams. Did you ever think that all the things you’re good at are all the things I’m bad at, and that I get held to the same impossible standards for those?”

“You’re not bad at anything, golden boy.”

“Delusional,” he mutters again. “You don’t want help from us? Fine. I get that your pride is too important to show the guys your weaknesses. But what about Calli?”

“What about Calli?” I snap, my hands trembling beneath the surface of the water.

“She’ll help you. She won’t judge you.” I shake my head, refusing his suggestion. “Why not? She’s done it before, right?”