Page 117 of Misrule
“I refuse to hide like I’m a damn boy,” he told her, still at a distance. He hadn’t come any closer. “I’m sick of this. I don’t want to sneak around anymore, like we had to do yesterday.”
Roxy sighed. Motherfuckers and their egos. Getting pussy-blocked was damn annoying, but, after she stewed over Mortician’s explanation, she found it funny and a little endearing that he was going through all this trouble to protect her.
“We can get another quick forest fuck,” she suggested.
“No.”
The one word came out terse and final. Counting to ten, Roxy told herself to stay calm. Knox had every right to be so put out.
“Why don’t we go to the club house and get a cup of coffee?” she asked as sweet as can be. “I can meet you there. I’ll throw some clothes on and start breakfast early.”
He released an irritated sigh. “Are you sure Mortician will allow you to—”
“I understand you’re frustrated,” she broke in. “But it’s kind of funny, too. The boy is going through so much trouble…” Her voice trailed off and the little voice in her head that made her confront Mortician yesterday and insisted there was a method to his madness rose up. The one thing Mort wasn’t was a fucking hypocrite. As distasteful as the thought was, both he and Roxy knew he’d fucked Bailey before they were married, then acted like a pure ‘D’ fool afterwards. A grade-A ass…A…Roxy’s train of thought slipped away.
She hated how much she forgot. Her oncologist insisted she’d had very strong chemotherapy, and was still taking another type of strong chemotherapy, so side effects were to be expected.
“Roxanne, why did you stop me if you have nothing to say that I want to hear?”
“Knox—”
“You promised me you’d find a way for us to be together. Yet, you find Mortician’s bullshitendearing.”
Her hackles rose at how he sneered the word. “I did find a way for us to be together yesterday.”
Knox ignored her. “Why the fuck are you allowing his high-handedness?”
“I told you—” she started.
“Excuse me, but I don’t believe you. You’re the first person to tell someone to fuck off. You’ve done it to me. You’ve done it to my mother. Everyone, except Outlaw and Mortician. What gives, Roxanne?”
Roxy sighed. “I miss you as much as you miss me, sugar. But protecting me is important to him, Knox. He’s a good man. Let’s just go along with him to put him at ease.”
After hearing from Joyner, she knew it also went back to how many times she’d been married—and divorced. It stemmed from Duke’s words—how he saw her. Each day a new fear rose up; a new concern that marrying Knox wasn’t the best idea. She couldn’t get over her fear that she would ruin a good thing if she married Knox.
His uppityness didn’t help. Roxy had only to look at Kendall, and how unhappy she stayed because she could never find her place in the club. Thought herselfaboveeveryone.
Knox was the same way. And his mother was the worst bitch in the world, which really didn’t help matters.
“Maybe, I want to see how well you fit in at the club. Those boys are my family. I don’t want you to decide you’ve made a mistakeafterour vows, Knox.”
He released a bitter laugh. “I told you that wouldn’t happen when you first mentioned this to me. Obviously, you don’t believe me. You think that little of me?”
“Of course not,” she protested. “I love you very much. That’s just the point. Think about Kendall. The child is so unhappy because she doesn’t think she’s on the same level as Meggie and any of the other women.”
“She isn’t,” Knox told her. “However, I resent the comparison.”
Revealing herself to Knox had been a mistake. She hadn’t been able to sleep, so she’d decided to go stand on her landing for a little fresh air.
She’d been relishing the serenity of damp earth smells, barren trees, and cold air and missing Knox with everything in her. Since he’d moved to the club, she hadn’t slept well. Surrounded by quietness, she’d heard the banging on Mortician and Bailey’s front door. Two guards, who’d not so long returned to duty, after sleeping in the garage, rushed from their posts around her quarters. They weren’t alarmed, so Roxy’s suspicions had roused. She’d casually invited them in for coffee since it had already been brewing, then told them she needed to talk to Bailey.
Getting away, she’d quickly run to find Knox. She didn’t expect to find an argument.
“Roxanne, if all you’re going to do is stand there and stare at me, I will take my leave. I have nothing more to say to you, until you tell me what I want to hear.”
“What about what I want to hear, Knox?” she snapped, frustrated by his attitude, He took offense at everything the boys did.
“And what might that be?” he sneered. “Maybe, how I’m fed up with Mortician’s interference? Or, maybe, that I’m sick of hearing you tell me why you have to keep apurplefucking Navigator? It has ignorant trash written all over it. Just like Outlaw is.”
