Page 37 of Wicked Knight (Knight's Ridge Empire 1)

CHAPTEREIGHT

Sebastian

My hand lifts and my fingers touch the tender patch of skin that was just under the blade of my own knife as I watch her walk away.

I’m not sure if I’m mortified that she managed to get the upper hand on me yet again, or impressed at how easily she turned the tables.

She’s definitely one of us, and I’m not sure I like knowing that given the chance, she could fit right in. Hell, it seems that Toby has already embraced her into his life if the smile on his face and the way he talked about her when he got to Theo’s last night were anything to go by.

The second I saw his reaction to her, I knew that dragging him away was the right thing to do.

He didn’t tell us anything happened, and I was too scared to ask, but Stella sure took pleasure in announcing that he was better than me.

My fist curls at the thought of him touching her, at taking what’s mine, when a gust of autumn wind blows and makes my morning a whole fucking lot better.

It’s only for the briefest moment, but the sight of her bare, knickerless arse makes my cock harden even more than it already is and forces all the air out of my lungs.

“Fuuuuck,” I breathe, my hand dropping from my neck in favour of the ruined scrap of lace that’s in my lap.

I’m about to lift them when she suddenly turns and locks her light blue eyes on mine. They’re full of achievement and joy. And when she lifts her middle finger up at me, her smile would knock me on my arse if I weren’t already sitting on it.

I shake my head, my eyes narrowing in warning, but it’s a fight not to let my true feelings show at this very moment.

Stella Doukas is a mystery that I might want to destroy, but hell if I’m suddenly not interested in finding out a little more about the missing mafia princess before I put an end to it all.

After all, she seems like she could be a lot of fun while she lasts.

When she finally turns around, I make my move, lifting her knickers to my nose and inhaling her scent. Just as fucking sweet as the night in the graveyard that started my addiction with my little hellion.

I decide to give myself thirty seconds to get a grip on myself, but I quickly discover that I’m not going to get that long because Theo’s Maserati pulls into his space and a furious looking Toby stumbles out of the passenger seat and makes a beeline straight toward me.

“What the fuck, Seb?” he barks when he’s halfway between us.

“Shouldn’t have drunk so much, huh?”

My words are like fuel to his already out of control fire, and he closes the space between us with shocking speed considering his raging hangover.

My back collides with his car.

“You got me fucking wasted so you could get to her, you arsehole,” he booms in my face, his spittle hitting my skin.

“Someone needed to help her, and you weren’t exactly capable.”

His lips twist in anger, and I brace myself for the hit that’s sure to come.

Toby might not show his inner monster all that often like the rest of us, but don’t think that’s because it’s not there. He’s just better at controlling his demons.

“You’re a fucking cunt for pulling that stunt, Seb,” he says, seconds before the pain I was expecting blooms across my face as his fist collides with my jaw.

I’m about to retaliate when we’re dragged apart.

Nico wraps his arms around Toby’s chest while Theo comes to stand between us.

“Finished?”

“Barely fucking started,” Toby seethes, his face reddening even more when my only response is to smirk at him over Theo’s shoulder.

“Let’s fucking go,” Theo barks, shoving me in the direction we should be heading in.