Page 12 of Mine to Keep (Bloody Desires #10)

seven

chance encounters

“Knox?” Talon asks, squinting his wet and swollen eyes at me. “What are you doing here?”

“That’s a rude question,” Javier says, though he looks skeptical about my being here.

I shrug. “All good. I just got in from Paris. A friend wanted me to…” I let the words trail off as my eyes bounce around Talon’s face. Along with his swollen eyes, his nose is red and his cheeks are flushed. “You okay?”

He shakes his head, but it’s Javier that answers. “Just days of fucked up shit. We’re not having the best time in Canada, that’s for sure.”

Something comes over me, some protective instinct I haven’t felt in years. “What happened? Did someone hurt one of you?” I step closer to them, dropping my voice so people walking past won’t hear if they divulge any information.

“You could say that,” Talon says with a hiccup before turning his face into Javier’s chest, sobbing. Javier shushes him gently, rubbing his back and whispering into his ear. Talon says something against his chest that I don’t catch.

“Say again?” I say, stepping even closer.

Before he can repeat it, someone bumps into the back of Javier, scoffing as if he didn’t see him. “Wanna watch out, big guy?” the disgruntled man says, brushing his suit jacket off as if he got dirt on himself.

The man takes two steps, but I stop him, gripping his bicep with force. It’s not smart to do something that could draw attention to myself, but I don’t like the disrespect shown to Javier and Talon.

With wide eyes, the man looks at me, then down at my hand. “Let me go.”

“Apologize first,” I practically growl.

“What?” The rude motherfucker sounds incredulous, like I’m asking him to do something unthinkable.

Taking a step closer and lowering my voice to a menacing volume, I say, “Apologize to them. You bumped into them and you were rude. Fucking. Apologize.”

His voice tear drenched, Talon says, “It’s fine. It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” I growl, looking down at the man who still hasn’t said anything. “I will count to three. You won’t like what happens when I finish counting.”

“Fine,” he says, nose in the air. “I’m sorry. Shouldn’t have bumped into you. Happy?”

“Not really, but get the fuck on.” I let him go and he scurries away, checking over his shoulder that I’m not following him.

When I turn around, Talon looks scared, but Javier looks impressed.

“Give me that kind of power any day. It wasn’t necessary, but thank you for that.

Most of the people here are kind, but you get some that…

” He inclines his head to the retreating back of the fuckboy that decided today was the day to be a dick.

I stuff my hands in my pockets and stare at the two of them.

Javier is bigger, with a protective air around him for Talon, but I can tell he needs the same protection.

Someone to watch out for him. Talon just looks wrung out.

Like something or someone took away that spark he had just a few days ago.

I need to get to the bottom of it.

Fuck…my mind better not be going where I fucking think it is.

It’s only that thought that has me looking at their hands. Their bags are near their feet, probably dropped when I bumped into them. “Where are you two going?”

Javier stares at me for a few beats, assessing me with his shrewd eyes. Huh. Maybe he would be a good employee with The Void. “Why?”

“You both have your bags. Talon is crying. You’re in front of the train station. Gotta be going somewhere.”

Talon sighs, hanging on tighter to Javier. “It’s a long story.”

“Tell me over lunch.” I grab their bags and trot towards the bay of taxis. I turn around to see them both looking at me with their mouths open. “Y’all comin’?”

Talon looks at Javier and shrugs, and they walk over. I open the door to the closest taxi for them and they slide into the back. I get in the front passenger seat and tell the driver to take us to the nearest restaurant.

Once we’re there and seated, I order for them, since neither seem to want to talk right now. Steak and potatoes are universal, so they shouldn’t have any objections.

When the server leaves us alone, I look over at the two of them, both looking sad and lost. “What happened since you last talked my ear off in the airport? I thought you were going to Waterkilty.”

That gets a sad but genuine smile from Talon, but it only lasts for a moment. “You tell him,” he says to Javier.

Anger flashes across Javier’s face, but it’s not directed at Talon.

“Fucking Cole. We came here so Talon could surprise him, but instead, we found him with his tongue down some English girl’s throat.

” I raise an eyebrow at that. Was Talon what some bi-curious dudes would call a phase or an experiment?

Was this Cole motherfucker playing with his feelings?

My thoughts must show on my face because Talon shakes his head. “Cole is openly bi.”

I nod and Javier continues. “There was a big fight on campus, with Talon trying to hold me back from beating Cole’s face in. Someone caught it on camera and tagged Cole on his social media page. We didn’t see it until this morning. Apparently, it’s been shared pretty wide.”

Talon sniffles. “Do you know what that will do to our job opportunities? Well, Javier will be fine—he’s going into business with his family in Puerto Rico.

But me, being involved in a viral video will be the first thing an employer sees.

I fucked up my future because my boyfrie—” he pauses with a grumble, “ ex- boyfriend couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. ”

“Now,” Javier says, “we’re trying to find a cheap hotel.”

The server comes back with our drinks, informing us our food will be out shortly. Once she leaves, I tick up an eyebrow. “Why? Did you not have one already?”

Now Javier looks tired and a little embarrassed.

“We were in Waterkilty, it’s about twenty minutes away on foot.

We wanted to get away from Cole. But most of my cards are for banks in PR.

I didn’t tell my father I was traveling, so when the bank called him about a charge for a hotel room and some other stuff, he thought it was fraud and he canceled my cards.

We planned to only have the room we booked a few days, thinking we’d be hanging out with Cole at his place.

Since all my cards are cancelled, I only have the cash I pulled out of the ATM on me and?—”

“And I barely have money on my card to cover anything but the least expensive meals. I’m useless,” Talon adds sadly.

“Well, don’t worry about this meal,” I tell them. “It’s on me since I invited you two. Can you at least change your flight? Get home sooner?”

A tear streaks down Talon’s face, but he wipes it quickly.

“We tried. Both to North Carolina and to PR. The flights to North Carolina are booked until next week and the one for PR is a few days after that. The flights available that could take us directly to our airport are an extra few hundred dollars each. Money we don’t have. ”

Javier wraps an arm around Talon and kisses his forehead. Talon melts into him, but neither of them look as if it’s in a romantic way. They’re close. Best friends. It radiates off them. They comfort each other when they need it. Their friendship reminds me of Olivia.

Minus all the sex we used to have.

A few minutes later, our food is placed in front of us and we all dig in, Talon and Javier more ravenously than me.

I’m not sure if they had breakfast, what with the excitement of seeing Cole cheating, finding out they had no money, not having somewhere to sleep tonight, and finding out they can’t get a flight out for at least a week.

“I can help,” slips from my lips before I can rethink the words.

Talon looks up quickly, almost choking on his food. He swallows roughly, then wipes his mouth with a napkin. “We can’t ask that of you, Knox. You’ve already fed us. And you barely know us.”

I place my utensils down and thread my fingers together. “What kind of person would I be if I let the two of you leave here with nowhere to sleep tonight? I’m not an animal.” Without a contract, anyway. “There are plenty of hotels that will have rooms available that won’t be too expensive.”

Javier bites his lip. “Look, I have money. I can pay you back. Like Talon told you at the airport, my family is wealthy so I’m good for it. I don’t want it to seem like we’re freeloading or something. I just?—”

I hold my hand up and he stops talking. “You didn’t ask, Javier. I offered. Where were the two of you staying?” They tell me the hotel and I nod.

We’re silent for a few more minutes, the only sounds our knives and forks scraping across our plates.

Talon sighs and puts his napkin on his plate. “Thank you for this, Knox. First, you found my wallet, then you rescue us here. If I weren’t such a heartbroken little bitch, I’d fall in love with you right now.”

“Hey,” Javier says, placing his hand on top of Talon’s. “You’re not…heartbroken.” He winks and Talon barks a laugh, looking like the man I met in the airport.

Poking Javier in the belly, Talon asks, “Are you calling me a little bitch?”

“I’d never call you that…to your face.”

I watch their easy banter, jealousy lighting up my chest. Not because Javier is touching Talon or vice versa. Because I had this once. It seems like a lifetime ago, but once, I was happy. I was…free.

Before I can spiral, Talon calls my name. “Yeah?” I say, clearing my mind of painful memories.

“I asked if you were ready to go? If I’m not sounding too pushy, I’m…

emotionally drained. I want to lie down.

Crying takes it out of you. You know the feeling, right?

Like your body has been wrung out and laid out to dry?

That’s how I feel. My skin’s too loose and too tight at the same time.

I need to relax. God, I just wanna curl around a pillow and sleep. ”