Page 29 of Knox (The Devil’s Luck MC #6)

CAROLINE

K nox and I pitched the plan to the Devil’s Luck.

None of them took to it immediately. Other ideas were tossed around, some dumb enough to know they were just taking the chance to ridicule me.

I was vulnerable on their turf and didn’t blame them for even this petty chatter as a form of revenge.

I took each sneer with grace. My heartlessness hadn’t gone away entirely.

I didn’t think it ever would, so I just let that shit bounce off my armor and waited until it was my turn to speak.

It was two hours later when the meeting—if you could call it that; war council might fit, but so did interrogation—finally concluded with Sam and Elle complaining about their backs aching.

Jackson and Abel turned into goo for their women, helping them out of their seats and guiding their waddling steps out of the room.

Without realizing it, I watched them go, lost in thought that wasn’t centered around defending myself or pitching ideas to commit patricide.

I had done terrible, irreversible things to those women, and now they were growing two new humans in their wombs. I hated kids. They were sticky, stinky, obnoxious little gremlins. But they weren’t like that to most others.

And it sure as hell didn’t mean I would let anything take a baby away from its mother.

Even the thought of Walter planning anything against the Devils right now disgusted me to the marrow of my bones. If he didn’t care about his own daughter’s life, he wouldn’t care about anyone else’s.

At this point, I didn’t even know what Walter wanted from the Devil’s Luck anymore. What was the point of all this?

It didn’t matter. It just needed to end.

The other Devils stood to disperse. There was no conversation left in anyone. The couples just linked hands and went on their way. No one made eye contact with me.

Knox and I stayed sitting. Grant was last to stand, but before he could leave, Knox tossed his borrowed wallet and bike keys to him. “Thanks, man. You saved us.”

Grant caught them and just shrugged. I could tell he wanted to say something along the lines of, Yeah, but it didn’t save Gabriel , but he just followed the others.

Then it was just me and Knox.

I had been holding myself as poised as a puppet, but now, without an audience, I collapsed my head onto Knox’s shoulder. I was exhausted from the pretenses. So, so tired.

Knox’s arm wrapped around me and rubbed mine reassuringly. He was tired, too, but I knew he was annoyed with me. I had promised not to offer myself up as self-sacrificing bait, but I had broken that.

I wanted to apologize, but I had to think like a survivalist first. “Now what?” I asked.

“It’s too dangerous to go to my place,” he said. “The club keeps extra cards and cash in the basement. We’ll go grab some shit and take an Uber to another hotel.” There was a smirk in his voice when he added, “One with a honeymoon suite, perhaps.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Why? You like luxury.”

“Yes, but wasn’t it you who said I’m supposed to live like a normal person now? New me isn’t supposed to?—”

Knox grabbed my chin and turned my head so he could kiss the words right out of my mouth.

When he pulled away, I blinked and met his eyes.

“New you isn’t supposed to do nothing,” he said fiercely.

“You decide whatever you want, and do it. Or think it. Or wear it. Whatever. I don’t give a fuck as long as you do what makes you happy. ”

My throat tightened. I didn’t even consider lying when I said, “I don’t know how to be happy.”

Knox didn’t hesitate. “I’ll help you, Caroline. And I know the first step.”

He made me stay in plain sight of Jameson and Carrie, who were chilling at the bar, while he went to get resources downstairs.

I didn’t know where the others were, but as long as it wasn’t Jackson staring me down and plotting how to kill me on the spot, I was fine.

Even though these two weren’t the best case scenario, either.

I just stood near the front door and forced myself to make myself look as small and inconspicuous as I could.

When Knox returned, he pretended nothing was out of the ordinary and called cheerily, “See you bastards later! Don’t drink all the Daniels while we’re gone!”

“Fuck off,” Jameson said blandly.

Knox guided me out with an arm around my waist, his other hand now holding an iPhone five years out of date. “Still got juice,” he said when he saw my skeptical expression. “Right. Uber’s downloading now. Gotta stay in the Well’s Wi-Fi… Done. Right… Closest one… Five minutes away. Booked.”

He clicked the phone closed and kissed my temple. “Penny for your thoughts, spitfire?”

“Save it for the hotel.”

“Yes, ma’am. Can I stick my tongue down your throat to help you forget?”

“Please do.”

We kissed like no one was watching—even though we had a small audience as people came and went through the Well’s parking lot. I let Knox get handsy until the Uber arrived.

The driver was awkward but nice, an older guy with a scrappy beard. He chatted with Knox like old friends until he pulled up to one of the nicer hotels downtown, surrounded by nightlife, restaurants, and good shopping.

Knox guided me inside, arm still slung around my waist like he expected me to disappear if he let go. We booked an expensive room—thank fuck not the honeymoon suite—and bought a bottle of Prosecco from the lobby bar to take up.

But as we got in the elevator to take us up to the tenth floor, Knox went quiet. Something was wrong.

I followed him down the hall to our room. The hall smelled like old, expensive wallpaper and vacuumed floors.

It was a complete flip of his usual self.

What was he thinking? What was he feeling ?

Despite the kinks, I truly believed the meeting went well—as well as it could, of course, with so much distrust, but it was still progress.

If I could sense that, then shouldn’t Knox?

I figured he would be at least cautiously optimistic.

Knox used the key card to enter a nice, dimly lit room that smelled like clean laundry.

It was far nicer than the one we just stayed at.

And the nicest place I would sleep in in months .

Before yesterday’s hotel, it was Knox’s trailer.

Before that was the warehouse, and that had been the Wolverine’s base for a hell of a long time.

Before that had been the luxury I was used to.

Now that was all gone.

Good fucking riddance.

Knox dropped the duffel bag of stuff he’d brought at the foot of the bed. Then he sat on the edge of it, flattening the goose down comforter, and scrubbed his face with his hands like he was an overworked dad coming home from the office to screaming kids and a deadbeat wife.

I stalked over. I wasn’t letting him wallow in pity. It was embarrassing. But I could be nice about it.

I pushed his knees outward to stand between his legs. “You okay?”

The answer was obviously no. Knox’s shoulders sagged briefly, but then they were broad and straight, and he nodded. But he didn’t look up at me or even touch me.

I snorted. “I know a brush-off when I see one, you idiot. You don’t want to talk? Fine. Truth be told, neither do I. We know it’s not my strong suit and never will be. But we have to survive the next two days, Nate.”

Knox lifted his head to me. His expression was mostly blank, like he wanted to feel but couldn’t bring himself to do so. At least he tipped his head into my hand when I rested it on his uninjured cheek.

“Two days,” I said softly. “Then we can fall apart. Until then? Chin the fuck up.”

That coaxed a quick smirk. His hands rested on my hips with a light squeeze. “A pep talk if I’ve ever heard one.”

I leaned forward to press my lips to his. He moaned when I bit his lower lip, then winced when I held it between my teeth, pulling just enough to entice pain.

“Fuck, baby,” he growled, trying to escape the trap.

I released him and stepped out of reach. Knox dabbed his lip, checking for blood. “I’m not letting you feel sorry for yourself. If you won’t let me , I won’t let you .”

I crossed my arms. “Now. You got this expensive room because you think Bates won’t go looking for us in a luxury suite like this.”

Knox’s brows flicked up, impressed.

“You forget who I am already?” I asked teasingly. “ So we should take advantage of that. I saw a big-ass soaker tub in the bathroom. I intend to use it.”

Knox leaned forward and reached for me, but I took another step out of reach. His jaw clenched. “Get over here, woman,” he growled.

“Nope.”

I flipped my hair over my shoulder and walked to the bathroom, swaying my hips in a way I knew would make his cock go hard immediately. He growled my name in warning but didn’t follow me yet.

I went into the bathroom and flicked on the light.

It was decorated beautifully. I turned on the faucet to the tub—easily big enough to accommodate two people and their desire to fuck each other’s brains out while getting a nice bubble bath in.

The sound of the running water was oddly calming.

I found a bottle of lavender soap on the counter.

“In this goes,” I muttered as I unscrewed the lid and dumped half the bottle into the steaming water. “Fuck knows we need stress relief.”

I turned to the mirror—the flannel and jeans I’d already gotten used to felt out of place in this hotel. But that didn’t matter. I started to unbutton the shirt one button at a time.

A throat cleared in the doorway. I looked up.

Knox was leaning against the frame, huge arms crossed, his expression mock offended. “Excuse me, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Undressing.”

“Without me?”

“Duh.”

“I didn’t say we were going to bathe right now.”

Now it was my turn to cross my arms. “Excuse me ? I want to be drowning in those lavender bubbles, Knox.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” he said, eyes hooded. “I was just hoping you’d recall what I said before we got in the Uber.”

I raised a brow, waiting.

“‘I’ll help you, Caroline. And I know the first step.’ You don’t remember that?”

“I remember. I don’t care because I want to fuck you in a bathtub first.”

Knox took a step closer. “I understand that, baby girl. But what if I intended to take you to a tattoo shop to get that covered up?”

My hand flew to the nape of my neck where the Wolverine patch was inked into my skin forever. I forgot all about the bath and fucking Knox until there was no water left in it.

“Really?” I breathed.

“Really,” he said, closing the space between us, resting his hands on my hips. Then, his seriousness shifted, and he grinned devilishly. “But now you got me excited about this bath, so ink’s gotta wait.”

Before I could react, Knox grabbed my collar and ripped . The flannel’s buttons flew everywhere.

“Knox!” I gasped, swatting him away.

“What?” he purred. “Were you expecting me to be romantic? Get all that shit off, woman.”

I shrugged out of the shirt and unclipped my bra. A hungry light burned in Knox’s eyes at the sight of my tits springing free.

My jeans went next, kicked aside. I took my time taking off my panties, teasing, making Knox wait. His cock was already pressing against his jeans. He swallowed hard.

“Care,” he groaned. “I need to fuck you so fucking bad. Just take those fucking panties off before I rip them off.”

“Oh, that would be fun. But no. I’m fond of these thrift store undies.”

“Off. Now.”

I let the cotton slide down my legs and stepped out of them, leaving myself bare to him.

“Off,” I said. “You next.”