Page 46 of Deadly Knight

Hey, look at me go. I did it.

Caleb never moves away, his touch lingering as he replies, “It’s a nice outlook, to be that person for kids, because you’re right. As a teacher, I see the other side, and it’s not sunshine and rainbows, that’s for sure. When I worked in schools, it was really difficult being one against thirty. Tutoring in small groups makes supporting them easier, but even so, I have to be careful about boundaries.”

“That’s why the centre hired for my role.” I smile up at him, realizing how genuine and easy it’s becoming. Being around most men takes effort I don’t usually have the mental bandwidth for. “Takes some of the load off you guys.”

His beaming grin finds me, his eyes almost twinkling in the fluorescent lights around us. “I’m a lucky man then.”

Heat builds in my stomach, and, thankful for his oversized sweater, I curl my hands into the material, burying my shyness.

This conversation is headed into places too fast for me. At least, that’s what I’m reading into it. So before we wander further into that territory, I ask, “What led you into teaching?”

He spends the remainder of the walk recounting stories about teachers from his youth.

I hatethis more than anything.

This feels different than usual. I tell myself it’s because Katya is in danger from my father, so granting her the freedom she desires is the hardest promise to keep at the moment.

But I’m not sure if it’s that at all.

Katya and the guy reach her apartment building.Mybuilding, technically, because he certainly didn’t buy buildings all to keep her safe, which suggests I’m the better man for her.

Fuck, get a grip.I rub my palms across my face and stay across the street to wait for her to go inside.

They linger by the door for longer than I’d like, and with a growing agitation to remove this fucker for good, I lift the hood over my head and start across the street, walking for the bus stop a few feet from where they’re standing.

My face remains tipped down while I do the one thing I haven’t in a long time: get close to her. It’s too risky normally.

The path I’ve taken will have me walking by them, which puts me close enough to overhear his goodbye.

“…that was fun. I’ll see you at work on Monday.”

Not if I kidnap her.The intrusive thought sounds better and better each passing second. Anything to keep her away from him.

While passing them, I’m struck with every desire, every fibre of my being to steal her right there. Every one of my senses are aware of how close I am to her. My steps slow, trying to linger as long as possible without giving them cause to worry about the creep hanging close. A breeze blows her scent my way, and my fucking god, I almost give it all up right there.

At the bus stop, I lean against the metal pole, rooting for my phone so I can feign being a person who’s waiting for the bus.

Katya slips his sweater off, and I’m caught between wanting to go over there and force it back on, just to hide her from his roving gaze, and wanting to burn the fucking thing and ensure nothing ofhisever touches her again.

She’s smiling at him like—no, don’t say it. Don’t think it. Just…don’t.

She’s looking at him in a way that guts me. There. They’re the simplest, most basic words I can put to her expression and the way it makes me feel worse than being stabbed or shot.

“Keep it,” I hear him say.

“That’s silly,” she argues, thrusting it at him again. “It’s chilly, and you need to get home.”

Yes, take it before I shove it over your head and kick you in front of a bus.

Thankfully, he takes it and slips his arms through again. His touch lingers too long for my liking, and my hand tingles with the urge to reach for my gun.

Get. A. Fucking. Grip.

“Thanks,” he replies.

This guy is apridurok.

She waves goodbye before heading inside. I keep my face angled down, but my eyes track her inside. He waits until the door shuts before retracing the path they took to get here.