Page 85 of It's a Wonderful Knife

“Now, I don’t want you approaching Jax or following him at night. Do you understand? If Jax is mixed up in something illegal, it could be dangerous if he caught you spying on him.”

“I don’tthinkJax would hurt me,” Dakota said softly.

“But you don’t know that. Desperate men do desperate things.” I studied the kid, taking in his angular features and cinnamon-brown hair. Lucky for him he looked more like his mom than his dad. His dad had blunter features and wasn’t really a very attractive man. Dakota had his mother’s warm smile and demeanor.

“Sorry I don’t have any real dirty details. I didn’t see anyone loading gold bars into a truck or anything. There weren’t any hostages.” Dakota gave a weak smile. “I just know something is going on under our noses.”

“I agree. Like I said, I’ll keep an eye on Jax.” Royce stood and glanced at me. “I’m going to walk Dakota back to the house.”

“Okay.” I nodded.

“You don’t have to do that. I can find my way back. I’m not a little kid.” Dakota almost looked insulted.

Royce’s lips twitched. “Sorry. I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t escort you, kid.” He moved to the door.

“Fine.” Dakota rose and followed Royce to the doorway.

“I’ll be back lickety-split.” Royce opened the door. “Lock this behind us, Max.”

“Will do.” I moved to the door and watched them head down the steps, out onto the wet road. Their dark figures melted into the night as the wind hissed through the trees at the edge of the porch. Once again, the sensation of being watched nipped at me. As a chill zipped down my spine, I quickly stepped inside the cabin and closed the door.

After locking the door, I closed the curtains and sat on the edge of the mattress. My pulse was racing a little because I didn’t think I’d imagined the feeling of being watched. Of course, maybe I had. I was embarrassed to feel so spooked. I was a grown man and was used to being alone. But Santiago’s murder had me unnerved.

As I waited for Royce to return, I sat staring at the door, listening to the wind howling outside. Every little creak of the cabin made me uneasy. It was weird how cozy the little house felt when Royce was with me, but how creepy it felt when I was alone. I’d been living with Royce since my clinic burned down. Maybe I was becoming used to having someone around me all the time. Was that good or bad?

When I finally heard the key in the lock, relief washed through me. Royce opened the door and came in, stomping and shaking the rain off his coat. He glanced up and smiled at me, and my stomach buzzed with happiness.

I guess getting used to having someone around wasn’t so bad. Especially since that someone was Royce.

Chapter Eleven

Royce

My hope that the rain would subside by morning was dashed, when Max and I had to fight our way through icy sleet to the main house for breakfast. Just as we entered the main house, the electricity went out. There was a collective groan from the guests and staff alike.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get the generators going, folks.” Mona sounded confident that all would be well. “Elle has the table loaded with goodies, so go ahead and have a seat.”

“I suspect Mona could power a generator with her positivity,” Max said dryly.

“That’s not a bad thing.”

“I agree.” Max smirked. “Unfortunately, Ezra could drain one with his negativity.”

My lips twitched.

Max and I took a seat across from Joe and Joey. Gloomy though it was, there was enough natural light for everyone to see well enough to serve themselves. It only took about ten minutes and the lights came on again. They flickered a bit but then stayed steady.

“See, told you it would be fine. I’m sure the regular electricity will return in a couple of hours. This happens a lot during these thunderstorms.” Mona set a small platter of turkey bacon on the table.

I glanced at Max. “Well, looky there. Elle made turkey bacon too.”

“Is that allowed?” Max helped himself to two pieces. “Won’t the Bacon Police descend at any moment because of this breach in full-fat protocol?”

Joey laughed, which surprised me. “I like turkey bacon too,” he said, taking a few pieces. “Granddad likes the regular kind.”

“It’s true. I should eat the turkey bacon though. It’s better for me.” Joe sighed.

Mona stopped near us. “Royce, I took a plate of food up to Gianna. She asked me to ask you when she’ll be allowed to come downstairs.”