Page 78 of Deviant Knight (Knight's Ridge Empire 4)

They might be fully grown adults, but it doesn’t stop them whispering and ogling him like they’re horny teenagers. I get it. Cruz was gifted with some dangerously good looks. Just like my dad, not that I like to admit that very often.

“No hooking up when you’re hanging with your niece,” I remind him when he leisurely checks each of them out. Knowing him, he’s probably imagining having them all at the same time.

He might be a looker, but he’s also a massive fucking man whore.

“I know the rules, baby girl.”

“Ugh, really?” I ask, shuddering at the name Dad calls Piper when he thinks I’m not listening. Cruz only does it to get a rise out of me, and it works every damn time.

Cruz laughs as he presses his hand to my lower back and pushes me forward. The move is purely for the women, I’m not stupid, but damn, it works. They all swoon so hard I’m worried we might have to go and pick the three of them up.

“You’re so in there,” I say as we walk through the door and get blasted by hot air from the heater above it.

Rubbing my hands together, I allow Cruz to push me toward a booth at the back. The scent of sugar and chocolate makes my mouth water and my stomach growl.

I stuffed a cereal bar in my mouth as I left the house earlier, but that’s all I’ve had since stopping for burgers with Calli and Stella after the spa last night.

“I thought women were banned on our dates,” Cruz sulks behind me.

“They are. Mostly for my entertainment. Anyway, something tells me you’re not lacking for action if the dark circles around your eyes are anything to go by.”

“Maybe I was out with the guys.” The mischief in his eyes tells me that he was not, in fact, out with the guys.

“Sure. You having the usual?” I ask when I spot one of the regular waitresses heading our way.

“Good afternoon,” she says happily, her eyes lingering on Cruz a beat too long as they usually do.

“Lacey, how’s it going?” he drawls, making her cheeks heat.

“Ignore him,” I say, kicking him in the shin under the table. “We’ll have our usual please, Lace.”

“You got it, sweetheart.” She smiles at me before racing across the small seating area to place our order.

“I can’t take you anywhere.”

He shrugs and stretches his big arse body out on the bench.

“Got you something, kiddo,” he says, pulling a box from the inside of his jacket.

“Cruz,” I complain, remembering the conversation we had not so long ago about Christmas presents.

He just shrugs. “Open it.”

He slides a black box across the table.

My curiosity stops me from arguing and I pull the top off and lift the little piece of foam protecting the contents.

“Oh my God. Cruz!” I half squeal, half laugh as I stare down at a dog tag with the Reapers emblem engraved on it. “Does Pops know you’ve given me this?”

He shakes his head. “Thought it was time,” he says as if it’s nothing.

This tag… owning one of these is as life-changing for anyone who’s a part of the Reapers as having their ink on your skin.

Lifting my eyes from the gift, I hold his for a beat.

“I know shit’s been weird this year, kid.” He shifts awkwardly and rests his elbows on the table, wrapping his hand around his clenched fist. “All that shit with Piper and—”

“It’s okay,” I say in a rush. I mean, it’s not really. He abducted Piper and threatened to kill her, and got my dad shot in the meantime.