Page 19 of Reckless Knight (Knight's Ridge Empire 7)

“Ah, my prize,” he announces. “Oh, and so damn sweet.”

I grimace, knowing exactly what he’s doing without needing to turn around.

“You’re disgusting.”

“Tell me, Tobes, what did you do with the pair you stole from Jodie last weekend?” he asks smugly while my fingers curl around the kitchen counter. “Don’t lie to me now,” he teases.

“Then you know exactly where they are, and we don’t need to discuss it.”

“She’s really got you all twisted up, huh?”

“It’s not like that,” I hiss.

“No? So what is it like? Wanna tell me some details yet?” he asks, marching up to me and stealing my coffee.

Resting his ass back against the counter, he sips it, burning his mouth.

With a smirk, I grab another mug and start the process again.

“Don’t have one,” I lie, hating that I feel guilty for it.

“So last night’s video bootycall wasn’t planned, then?” It takes a couple of seconds for his words to register. But when they do, my heart drops into my feet.

“Last night’s…” In a rush, I drag my phone from my pocket and open my chat with Jodie, my heart racing at a mile an hour.

Whatever’s left of last night’s alcohol in my stomach almost makes a reappearance when I find the evidence of a video call.

“Oh my God,” I breathe. “What did I say to her?”

“Fuck knows. I went and crashed in your bed.”

“Shit. Shit. Fuck.”

There are no messages after our call ended.

That’s got to be a bad thing.

“Shit.”

“I’m sure it’s fine. You probably just told her how much you wanted to tie her up and fuck her again or something,” he suggests with a shrug.

“Yeah, maybe,” I whisper. Or I told her fucking everything and ruined my plan before it’s even really begun. “I need to talk to her.”

“I fucking knew she’d got you whipped already. Was she really that good a lay?”

My lips part to agree, because she was fucking epic. But then I think of the bigger picture, and the memories from that night begin to twist and morph into darker thoughts of a man not so far away.

“I just want to get some truth.”

“Bullshit,” he spits. “You want to hurt him. And you’re going to use her to do it.”

I stare at him, my mouth opening and closing like a fucking goldfish.

“I know you, Tobes. Better than you know yourself. Talk to me. Hell knows I’m not going to judge you for any of it. If it helps get your head back on straight, then I’ll even help you.

“I hate seeing you like this. I hate knowing you’re suffering and we can’t do anything about it.”

“Fuck, Nic. That’s deep for you.”