Page 87 of Misrule
“Mortician, sugar,” she started, breaking her intense gaze with Knox to look at her son-in-law. “What you’re doing is so old-fashioned and chivalrous. You’re trying to protect my honor and I will appreciate that to my dying day. But this is my choice to make and I want Knox beside me, in our bed.”
Mortician squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I might be a fucking hypocrite for keeping you from him, but there’s too much shit going on. Who knows what disagreement you’ll have before the wedding? He might want something that you don’t and decide to breakup with you if he don’t get it.” His face remained blank, not giving away the truth, gotten from Knox himself, behind those words. “Same with you.”
“There’s nothing that Knox would ask that he knows I wouldn’t be willing to give him,” Roxanne insisted, which not only annoyed Knox but sent guilt through him.
Mortician shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Knox waited for the interfering asshole to tell Roxanne about the prenup.
“You from two different worlds, Roxanne,” Mortician said instead, sounding weary. “You from our world and he’s from the other. One percenters, on different ends of the spectrum. We,this side of the one percent,accept you for who you are. His doesn’t.”
Roxanne studied Mortician a moment. “If you have something to tell me, spit it out. I’m not reading between the lines, Mortician.”
He shrugged. “I’m saying exactly what I need to say. If there’s more, it’s up to Knox to talk.”
She glanced at Knox. “Is there more?”
“No.” The lie fell from his mouth in a rush. Her emotions were running high. He didn’t want to risk her wrath by bringing up the prenup.
Mortician glared at him, but since Roxanne’s head was turned, she didn’t see the flare of anger.
Knox refused to budge. When he got her to sign the legal document, he intended to take her to dinner and discuss his reasoning. He wasn’t just going to spring it on her in front of a man who didn’t know how to mind his own business.
“I’m ready to leave, Roxanne,” Mortician announced.
“Good for you, boy,” she retorted. “I’m not.”
“We can do this easily,” Mortician started, “or I can knock Knox the fuck out and then carry you out. Your choice.”
Knox narrowed his eyes. “I’m sick of the threats around here.”
“You need another punch or something? You already on my bad fucking side. Don’t fucking push it.”
“Get over him wanting me with him,” Roxanne said, misunderstanding Mortician’s meaning.
“And, you right, Knox. I’mnotOutlaw. But Iwillkill you. As a matter of fact, I’ve lost fucking count of how many motherfuckers I fucked up.Enforcer. Remember? When I go to enforce club law, if death warranted, that’s what the fuck you get.”
“This is getting the fuck out of hand,” Roxanne shouted, planting her hands on her hips. “Knox is on the No-Kill list.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Knox blurted, appalled. “There’s a No-Kill list?”
“Yeah, sugar,” she said matter-of-factly, frowning in his direction. “It’s a short list and mainly for Outlaw. Meggie made him put Kendall, Val and Johnnie on it.”
“Roxanne, I don’t want your heart broken,” Mortician said. “That’s it. Once he put the ring on your finger, your relationship yours to handle. I swear I won’t interfere.”
Lifting her chin, she folded her arms. “I’ll agree as long as you put him on the No-Kill list.”
“The list belong to Prez,” Mortician reminded her. “Talk to him.”
“So everyone is fine that that psychopath has a No-Kill list like we’re a bunch of animals?” Knox demanded.
“We the only ones that know,” Mortician informed him.
“Yeah, just Outlaw’s inner circle,” Roxanne added.
Knox glared at her. “What? I’m not part of his group where this is concerned? You didn’t think this was information I needed to know?”
“I thought I mentioned it to you, sugar,” Roxanne said, waving her hand as if having aNo-Killlist wasn’t a big deal. “If I didn’t, it was just an oversight.” She leaned in to give him a kiss. He wrapped her in his arms, reveling in her nearness and the feel of her so close to him.
Mortician allowed the kiss to go on, until Roxanne pulled back, and thumbed Knox’s lips.
