Page 117 of Knot Going Down

Glenn tsks, stepping fully into the office like it belongs to him, which, unfortunately, it does. His dark suit catches the light as he folds his hands behind his back, eyes sweeping the room like he’s already catalogued every sin.

“You should have known there’d be cameras,” he says, almost disappointed. “Sloppy work.”

Shit! Fuck!

Knox flashes a lazy smile. “Your décor distracted me.”

Glenn’s gaze slides to me, sharp, but composed. “And the plus one. Still tagging along?”

“Yeah,” Knox says, lacing our fingers. “He’s got good taste.”

“I’m sure he does,” Glenn says, voice like a knife in silk. “Though I can’t help wondering if he knows what he’s stepped into.”

I smile coolly. “You always this charming to your guests?”

“Only the ones who let themselves in.” Glenn steps close enough to test the air between us. “There are rules, sweetheart. You don’t stroll into a lion’s den without a way out.”

“Maybe I like lions,” I say, steady.

The threat hums in the silence between us.

My heart’s steady, but every instinct in me is screaming. I’m trained for this—tight quarters, high stakes—but being here with Knox at my side changes the math. I’m not just protecting the mission anymore. I’m protecting him. My bonded.

“Boss,” a man says, stepping inside. “Found some uninvited guests loitering around the neighborhood. What do you want us to do with them?”

Glenn tilts his head, gaze flicking to Knox. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that?”

Knox cuts his eyes to me, silently asking, ‘Your guys?’

I shake my head. No way. My boss would never set up that close. Too obvious. Too sloppy.

“Let go of me!” Ava’s voice slices through me like a hot blade.

No.

A second later, Ava, Emily, and Lucas are dragged in, surrounded by four armed men. Emily’s fighting, Ava’s snarling, and Lucas is yelling about lawyers and violations and something that might actually get him shot.

I freeze. Can’t breathe.

It’s Kyle all over again. Different situation. Same crushing weight on my heart. I can’t lose them, too.

I lunge forward, only to be yanked back by two of Glenn’s guys. I kick and swing, but get nowhere. Knox tries the same and is slammed into the wall. Hard. Pain shoots through our bond, right to my shoulder joint. He releases a feral howl. I’ve never heard anything so full of fury. My anger joins his and I throw off the guys holding me with a wild lunge.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Glenn says, eternally calm. He sets the barrel of a gun right on Ava’s temple.

Everything stops.

I go still. Knox goes quiet. The fight drains from me in a single breath. Because all it would take is one twitch. One nervous finger. And Ava?—

No.No.

“What do you want?” I snarl, voice low and shaking. “What will it take to let them go?”

Glenn smiles like a cat with its paw on a broken-winged bird. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

He runs his thumb along the side of the pistol, thoughtful. “Let’s see…”

Emily makes a choked sound. My eyes snap to her. The man holding her has his fingers digging too hard into her biceps, and she’s biting her lip like she’s trying not to scream.