Page 50 of Knot a Tie
“Scared of what?” I ask.
“Being hurt.”
His open answer makes me feel all sorts of things for him, especially all the warm and fuzzy things.
“Stand up, all of you.”
They do as I say and Cameron hands me the chocolates and flowers. I take them from him with a smile.
“I think we’ve come to a deal,” I say, sniffing the flowers gently.
“Wait!” Cameron exclaims. “Will has something for you!”
“More gifts?” I ask in surprise.
William steps forward, holding out a black velvet box. “I think this one will show you what you mean to us.”
I take it suspiciously, lowering the flowers to the bed. It looks like jewellery. I’m not sure what to make of that.
But I lift the lid carefully and stare at the contents for a brief moment. “Holy shit,” I mutter. “How?”
“Not the black market, so you are safe,” Cameron pipes up.
“My sister got them all above board from our family doctor this morning,” William says.
I meet his gaze. “Wow,” I say, shocked and touched. “Wow.” Tears spring into my eyes. There is nothing better they could’ve done for me, apart from taking me home and I know that’s not possible right now. “Thank you. Thank your sister for me. I know that mustn’t have been easy for her.” I take one out and place the box carefully on the bed. Without waiting for them to leave, I rip the cap off with my teeth and lift my t-shirt. Squeezing my flesh together, I jab myself, injecting the suppressant into me, relief making me light-headed.
“We’ll leave you to eat and rest,” James murmurs and they back out just as William’s phone rings. He takes the call quietly, disappearing down the hall and James closes the door.
“Well,” I say, picking up my discarded muffin and shoving it into my mouth with less grace than my mum would care for. I take the velvet box and place it carefully in the bathroom, throwing the needle in the bin, remembering to ask them for a sharps box at some point, but now seems a bit ungrateful. I pick the bin up and take it into the bedroom, putting it up high on a shelf in the wardrobe out of everyone’s way.
“I’m impressed pack St. Stevens. Very impressed indeed.”
ChapterTwenty-Eight
William
“Willow,” I say quietly into the phone as I head downstairs, relieved things worked out with Rayne. “Everything okay?”
“Yep. That guy you told me about yesterday. He’s here.”
I frown. “What?”
“Richard St. Stevens,” she hisses quietly. “He’s in with Lisa right now signing a contract of some kind.”
“What is he doing there?”
“I dunno. He just had a meeting with Halstead. The bullpen is taking bets on what it was about.”
“Huh,” I murmur. “Can you keep him there?”
I pass Jones in the entrance hall and gesture for him to give me the keys he is about to place down on the side table.
“These are for the Merc,” he whispers.
“Doesn’t matter,” I whisper back and take them, heading out of the door without mentioning anything to anyone. I don’t want to get James’s hopes up.
“How?” Willow asks. I hear her shuffling around. She works as an MP aide while she gains enough experience to run a campaign to get her elected. When I spoke to her last night, I told her about Richard and James’s idea that he wants to re-integrate him into the pack and my concerns about the balance of it. I never expected her to take his name and remember it to the point where she’s now calling me with this information. We are close. Very close. We only had each other growing up, with our parents too busy with their careers and pack life to notice us much. I will be the exact opposite when I become a parent, and I know Willow will too.
