Page 37 of The Hunted

17

Knox

“I’m going to tell you things. Things that may turn you against me. If that’s the case and this. . . I’m too much for you, I’ll understand.”

I stroke the back of her hand, and those green eyes stare through me. I see the concern knitted in the wrinkle of her brow.

“I want to know. If you can trust me with your secret, I want to know.” She tilts that beautiful face in my direction, and this is the moment. This is the moment I share this story.

“I’m not a good man. I will never be a good man. I’ve done a lot of bad things in this life. Things that put me in danger. Possibly you, just for being with me. I want you to know I will never let any harm come to you because of my actions, ever.” I take a steadying breath.

“This is my family home. Where I grew up. I had a very happy childhood. My father was away on business often, but my mother was my constant. We spent our days riding horses around the grounds, swimming, playing games, the usual things. We were happy when my father was gone.”

She was my best friend.

She was my only friend.

“My father met my mother when she was eighteen and he was twenty-nine. She fell head over-heels in love with him. She told me many times how handsome and charming she thought he was. That I reminded her of him.”

I flash her my best toothy grin and get rewarded with a giggle. Such a beautiful sound.

“What she didn’t know at the time was he was a devil in disguise. He was after her family fortune, her family home, this home. It became our prison.” I momentarily stop speaking as a shudder passes through me. The memories come rolling back just like it was yesterday.

“My father was wealthy in his own right. My mother’s parents approved of him. He met their standards. His many ventures, legal and other wise, had paid off for him. What he didn’t have was power, influence. Marrying my mother brought him those things. My mother’s family was influential. Her father was old money and had many interests and ties. My mother was young enough for my father to control. Once he wed her, he slowly manipulated her to sign over all her assets into his name. Once my grandparents passed away, everything belonged to my father.”

I try to ease the worried crease between her brows, rubbing it gently, before continuing to travel back in time to a place I tried desperately to leave there.

“His control of us knew no limits. When I say we were prisoners here, I mean that. We lived in a beautiful gilded cage. I believe now, with some age and reflection, that my mother sheltered me from him as much as she could, did so many activities with me when I was young because she couldn’t leave the grounds with me. I wasn’t allowed to attend school. I was taught at home. My father hired tutors to come to the manor. I had no friends until I was about ten and Ace’s mother, Ruby, became my teacher.”

I twirl a lock of her hair between my fingers, brushing the ends against her bottom lip. I smile at the memory of Ace and me as children and all the shit we got into around here. Her soft hand touches my cheek, and I lean into it. Turning my head slightly, I place a kiss on her palm. She nuzzles deeper into my embrace.

“Ace’s mom knew I wasn’t allowed to have friends, so when she knew my father wouldn’t be here, she would bring Ace with her. Instead of having class, she would let us play. She became my mother’s best friend and Ace became mine.”

“Knox, what kind of man doesn’t let his son or wife have friends?”

Tears rim her eyes but don’t fall. I don’t want her to feel sad but she has to know this shit. I want her to know.

“The fucked-up kind. He was grooming me. Of course, I didn’t know it at the time, but he wanted me to have no ties so I could be ruthless and cold like him. My father ran many ventures, Raven, but he was also the leader of an elite group of for-hire assassins. The group is called Albatross.”

She gasps as she sits up. Her eyes search mine, as if the truth of my words lies somewhere inside me; some place where she can reach in, pluck them out, and inspect them. Turning my head, I continue because I can’t tell her this and see her face fall. It will. I know it will. My life is no fucking fairy tale even though I do live in a god damn castle.

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