Page 2 of Dark Knight (Knight's Ridge Empire 10)

I regret the sad face the second I hit send, but it’s too late. It’s out there now, and I already know how he’s going to reply.

The bouncing dots start almost immediately.

Ant: Come hang with me. I miss you.

Excitement stirs in my belly. I shouldn’t go. We’re on borrowed time as it is, but I can’t deny the thrill that rushes through me every single time I defy expectations and spend time with him at his place.

Butterflies erupt within me as I consider sneaking to the other side of town and spending the night with him.

I glance down at my tablet, the screen now dark and only showing my reflection.

My hair is pulled back, my face clear of today’s makeup. I’m wearing leggings and a Christmas jumper that I should have packed away weeks ago, but it’s comfy and warm and quite frankly, I don’t really care.

Do I really want to get dressed up and go out?

I think about my friends, who are all probably enjoying themselves. Then, I think about my parents, who more than likely aren’t home, which is nothing new. And my brother, who’s probably out partying somewhere, treating some poor, unsuspecting woman to a night of less-than-mind-blowing sex.

“Ugh.” A shudder rips down my spine. “Fuck it.”

I could use some fun, some excitement.

Some attention.

Calli: Give me an hour. *smiley face emoji*

Another thrill shoots through me as I jump up. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to the rush I get from rebelling against all the rules and expectations that have been placed on me.

If only I knew this kind of fun existed before.

Leaving everything where it is, I strip out of my clothes and walk straight into the shower to freshen up.

I scrub every inch of my body and shave all the parts that need to be. Once I’m out and dry, I rub my favourite smelling moisturiser into my skin.

Feeling good, I pull out my sexiest underwear—which isn’t all that sexy, but at least it’s lace, not cotton—and I search through my wardrobe for something suitable.

Since Stella and Emmie entered my life, my wardrobe has seen a huge improvement. They haven’t just had an influence on how I act, but also how I look. Stella was the one who convinced me to shed the blonde hair Mum had demanded I keep, when deep down I’d craved to try something darker and to cut off the length that Mum always told me was as pretty as a princess.

I didn’t want to be a princess. The good girl who did as she was told and lived the dullest life in the world while locked up in her castle.

I wanted to experience life like Nico did. I wanted to paint the town red, be a teenager, or at least have the option to do so.

Happy with my reflection, I smooth my hair down once more and stuff my feet into my Uggs.

Grabbing my bag, I drop my phone into it and head out via my new back door.

Nico moving out was one of the best things to happen to me. I love having my own space, my own door, my freedom. Even if on most days I don’t take advantage of it, considering I have nothing to do. Just the knowledge that I have it, that my parents finally trust me at least a little bit, is enough.

The journey to the Italian side of town takes longer than I’m expecting, and I get more than one message from Ant on the way asking if I’m still coming.

His impatience to see me makes me smile as I pull up on the street, one over from the converted warehouse he calls home.

Everyone else parks right out the front of the building. But by slipping through the trees at the back, it’s allowed me to climb in and out unnoticed over the past few months.

The second I step out of the car, hidden in the shadows, I see him, standing under a streetlamp beside the gap in the trees.

“Hey, stranger,” he breathes, stepping forward to meet me. “I’ve missed you.”

His hand slips around the back of my neck and his lips brush against mine in the sweetest of kisses.