Page 46 of Wicked Knight (Knight's Ridge Empire 1)

“Then he’d better come and get it.”

Theo pulls into my driveway, and I realize for the first time that I never gave him any directions.

“Oh look. Your replacement is here,” he says, nodding out the windshield.

“It’s fucking red,” I spit the second my eyes land on the new Porsche sitting in the driveway beside Angie’s car.

“Not my favourite either,” Theo mutters, pulling to a stop behind it.

“Where’s Toby? Why didn’t he just pick me up?” I ask before pushing the door open.

“He’s working.”

“Homework. Right.”

“R-right,” he mutters.

“Well, thanks, I guess. This whole journey was… enlightening.”

“See you tomorrow, Stella. Try to stay out of trouble.”

I nod at him, pretending to take his warning on board but mostly hearing it as a challenge.

“Hey, sweetie,” Angie replies from the kitchen when I call for her. “The keys are in the bowl if you want to check her out.”

“She’s only temporary, right?”

Angie laughs, already knowing how I feel about the color.

I dump my bags on the side and swipe the key before heading back outside once I’ve checked that Theo’s left.

The model, everything about the 911 looks to be the same as mine. Everything aside from the color.

Unlocking it, I pull the door open, and I’m about to drop into the seat when a white envelope stops me.

Picking it up, I turn it over but find it blank.

Assuming it’s from the garage, I drop it onto my lap as I start the engine and sit for a few minutes, letting her purr settle me. She’s not my baby, but she’s close.

Resting my head back, I close my eyes and just take a moment to absorb everything.

Theo was the last person—okay maybe not the last, but he was pretty far down on my list—that I was expecting to find after cheer practice. And although he might have said quite a bit on the way here, I don’t feel like I’ve really learned anything. Well, other than the fact that Seb’s lost a parent. That sucks. I should know. But what the hell has that got to do with me?

My stomach rumbling forces me to sit back up, ready to go and find what Angie might have made for me. The sight of the envelope stops me and I quickly rip it open.

Inside is one square piece of paper, and I quickly pull it out.

I soon find out that it’s not something from the garage but a photograph that makes my heart jump into my throat.

I stare down at the image. It’s a little fuzzy, but it’s obvious that it’s Toby and me… in my room last night.

“What the actual fuck?”

My hand trembles as I stare at it. Who the hell took this? Who would care enough to take this?

Flipping the image over, I find a note scrawled across the back.

You never should have come here.

“Motherfucker,” I bark, the image crinkling as my fist curls.

Fucking Sebastian.

No wonder he sent Theo to pick me up. He was busy trying to fucking play me.