Page 74

Knight

FIVE MONTHS LATER

Having people in my space isn't getting any easier. The urge to activate security locks still hits every time the elevator announces visitors. Three months of Eva living here hasn't changed that. Neither has the fact that today's invasion consists of my brothers and their partners … again … bypassing the alarms with the access codes Eva insisted I give them.

I watch through the feed as they exit the elevator. Eden's carrying takeout bags from that place downtown Eva likes, while Magdalena follows with a bottle of wine. My brothers bring up the rear.

"Stop lurking and come into the other room." Eva appears beside me, close enough that her scent reminds me why I let her past my defenses in the first place. "And try not to look like you're planning escape routes."

"I always plan escape routes. It's part of my charm."

"Be nice. They're family."

"That’s debatable." But I let her pull me up without too much resistance. I lock the door behind us, then follow her into the kitchen, where the smell of takeout fills the air, mixing with the more familiar, comforting smells of our apartment. It’s not the same as before she moved in—before, it was just me. Now, there’s a clutter of things. A bag here, a book there, clothes on the back of a chair. It’s not perfect, but it’s ours . The apartment feels like a real home now, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more okay with it.

"So this is what domestication looks like." Rook takes a seat on the couch, his casual posture at odds with the way his gaze sweeps the room.

He’s taking in everything, cataloging the details with the sharpness of someone who’s learned to read a room, not with the intention of fitting in but finding angles. Old habits. All three of us have them.

Eden smirks. "Eva deserves a medal. Probably several."

"And patience points for putting up with all his security measures," Magdalena adds, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Did he finally convince you to replace that ancient phone?"

Eva shoots me a look that says she’s about to make me regret everything. "Replace it? You mean waged a crusade to save me from my 'prehistoric artifact' ?"

Magdalena laughs, and even Rook’s lips twitch. I can’t help the grin that tugs at my mouth.

"Sounds about right. How bad was it?"

"Oh, he hacked into it during dinner and started listing all the ways it was a security nightmare," Eva replies, her voice full of mock exasperation. "By dessert, there was a new phone in my hand."

"You’re welcome. That thing was a liability."

"It was functional," she counters.

“You’ll thank me when your personal data isn’t stolen by a teenager with basic hacking skills."

She shakes her head, but her smile tells me she’s not as upset by my antics as she’s making out. "I’m sure."

The conversation shifts and moves easily now. It’s almost normal, effortless. Eva has a way of making everything feel like this is how it’s always been … how it was always supposed to be. And somehow, she manages to keep me from checking my security feeds more than twice. The few glances I do give the door to my workspace now seem more like a habit than a genuine desire to escape.

My brothers throw in a few remarks about my habits. It’s their way of checking in, of trying to gauge where things stand.

When they finally leave hours later, Eva’s arms slide around my waist from behind.

"That wasn’t so bad."

"Says you." But I lean back into her embrace. "I counted at least six potential security breaches."

Her laugh vibrates against my spine. "Of course you did."

I close my eyes for a moment, just letting the sound of her voice settle the tension in my shoulders. It should be frustrating really, how easily she slips past my defenses.

I turn in her arms, studying the way she fits against me. "You’re not helping."

"No?" Her smile carries heat. "Want me to distract you instead?"

My hands find her hips, pulling her closer. "Depends. Are you going to admit the phone was a good call?"

She narrows her eyes in mock defiance. "I’ll admit it was an upgrade when you admit you’re obsessed with being right."

"I am right."

"Obsession confirmed."

But her lips curve into a smile. I kiss her, just long enough to remind us both that this— us —is real, and then she’s leading me toward our bedroom. Somehow that’s enough to make me forget about security protocols. At least temporarily.

I’ll change the codes tomorrow.

Probably.

Thank you for reading Knight. This is the end of the Chambers Brothers series, but I’m sure they will pop up in other stories.

If you enjoyed this series, you might like my Ruthless Games duology.

A man sent to prison for the murder of his best friend.

Now he’s been exonerated, and he’s looking for the girl who was responsible for his prison sentence.