Page 99 of Deviant Knight (Knight's Ridge Empire 4)

THEO

Ihate the defeat in her posture as she hangs up on the call.

There is a part of me that thinks she deserves it. But there’s a bigger part that doesn’t believe that, that wants to comfort her.

She sits in the dark unmoving for a few seconds before I push from the chair and crawl onto the bed behind her.

Her spine straightens the second she senses me, but she doesn’t turn around or try to rip me a new one when she discovers that I’ve been eavesdropping.

Pushing my fingers into her soft hair, I tilt her head to the side and run my nose up the smooth column of her throat.

“I thought you were at home playing with your brother and sisters,” she whispers, sounding as dejected as she looks.

“They’re asleep. And I can think of much better ways to spend my Christmas night than hanging out with my parents.”

“Hanging out with your friends, maybe.”

“Maybe.” She shivers when I brush my lips over her soft skin. “You lied to them,” I state, making it very clear that I listened to every word.

“Did I?” she asks, sounding a little breathless already.

“Yeah. You told Stella that everything was cool. It’s not though, is it?”

My lips brush over the shell of her ear as I wait for her response.

“You still don’t believe I had nothing to do with it?” Hurt fills her voice.

“It doesn’t matter what I think. It’s your friends you care about.”

She blows out a breath. “True. I couldn’t give a fuck what you think.”

“Now I know you’re lying,” I whisper in her ear.

“It doesn’t really matter, does it?” she asks.

“Why?”

“You believe what you like. You steamroll over anything you think is wrong. If you decide I really am a threat then you’ll eliminate me like Joker. Like Jonas.”

I startle as the image her words form fills my eyes.

Emmie on the floor with bullet holes in her body, or worse, in one of Dad’s torture chambers.

I’m ruthless. I do what needs to be done to the people who wrong us. I’ve done it time and time again. More than I’m happy to confess to. But could I do it to her?

My blood turns cold.

I don’t even need to think about it. I know the answer. And I fear that if it comes to it, my refusal could ruin everything Dad’s trained me for over the years.

I swallow. Hard.

“You think I want to kill you?”

A shudder rips through her but she remains silent for a few seconds.

“I have this recurring dream that you do,” she confesses quietly. “Exactly like Stella killed Joker. Only I’m in his place, and you were in hers.”

“Is there a reason I’d want to kill you, Emmie?”