Page 10 of Possessed By Knox
My head whips around to look at Knox, and I find him watching me. “A women’s shelter,” I whisper, my heart aching and head drumming with guilt. The thought of Abby suffering and hurting alone in this place breaks me. “How…h-how bad was she hurt?”
“Ruth—”
“Give it to me straight.Please.”
“She had a black eye, a broken lip, and bruised ribs.”
“Oh God.”
I never should have left. This is all my fault for not staying and taking care of my sister when I knew darn well my parents were not people who should be raising anything, let alone a child. I should have stayed, borne it all if only to spare my sister such a fate.
“The Rebels opened this shelter to help children and women like your sister. She was well cared for, and the choice toleave and move in with Ransom was hers.” Knox lays a hand on my back and steers me forward. “Let me show you the inside.”
The chaos of the outside world disappears when we walk in, and a sudden peace sets in. The walls are painted with warm colors, and comfortable-looking furniture is neatly organized all over the room. Sheer linen curtains allow sunlight to create patterns on the polished floors. The children’s paintings hanging all over the walls immediately put me at ease. Or maybe it’s the scent of freshly baked bread and flowers that pulls me in. But it’s the giggling laughter of a child that finally yanks some of the guilt away.
“Knox!” the child shrieks, and the sound of little feet pattering on the floor draws my attention to the common area where I spot three toddlers running toward us. One slips on the floor but is up in seconds, catching up with the others as they launch themselves against the mountain of a man standing next to me. “Knox! Knox!”
It’s a chorus, one that attracts other children and the attention of women who look up and smile at the new company. “Did the scoundrel finally settle down and get himself a girlfriend?” teases one of the women. She has a scarred cheek, and when she smiles, I spot a chipped tooth.
“Now don’t go sullying my good name, Diana,” Knox says, bending down to pick up all three toddlers at once. My heart swells as they giggle and cling to him. It’s odd, linking this man who is adored by toddlers to the charming bartender. I find myself drawn to both sides of him.
“You’re a rogue, Knox, and you know it.” Diana laughs, and I’m surprised to read warmth on her face despite the scars marring it. “Now, will you introduce us to your pretty girlfriend or are you going to make us keep guessing?”
“This is Ruth Chester,” he says. “She’s Abby’s sister.”
“Oh, that’s lovely. Abby is such a darling girl. How is she doing now? I haven’t seen her in a couple of weeks.”
“School, work,” I offer awkwardly, unsure how to act. These people probably know more about my own sister than I do. “I’ll tell her you said hi.”
Diana smiles at me and I can’t help but mirror it. When Knox offers to show me around, I find myself falling in love with the place, and isn’t that a shocker? I’ve found a corner of Chicago that I don’t want to burn to bits. The people in this place, and the sense of calm in the air, make me feel a little better knowing my sister had a place and people to turn to. But she won’t ever worry about any of that when I take her away with me.
After the tour, Knox and I accompany a few other bikers to pick up the older kids from school. He tells me that the abusive fathers hide away when they spot the Rebels, and it puts the mothers at ease knowing their kids are safe. We walk the kids back home, and I find myself once more drawn into their cheer, loving it every bit as much as Knox said I would.
“We’re not done yet,” he says, taking my hand after we drop off the kids. “I need your help with something else.” He has a backpack he grabbed when he disappeared inside for a few minutes, but I don’t ask him what’s in there. I try not to let my mind run wild, but my thoughts keep moving to drugs.
Fine, maybe I need to lay off the crime movies a bit.
I nod and let him guide me down the road and away from Haven House, his hand tightening on mine like he’s afraid I’ll run away. We walk a few blocks before the street opens up to a park, small and a bit run-down compared to the one my parents loved taking us to. Homeless people are lying on the grass and on benches, scattered all over the park. Knox takes off his backpack and opens it to reveal food, packed along with several bottles of water.
“You bring food to the homeless too?”
“Surprised, huh?” He smirks, passing me the water bottles. “Help me hand these out. A couple more guys should join us shortly with more food and water.”
I follow him to a man lying on a bench, who grins when he spots Knox. The two chat a bit before Knox passes him a lunch bag and water and we move on to the next.
“How come stuff like this never makes it to the news?”
“Because people live for the shock value,” he says, passing out food as I hand out the water. “Have you been to this side of town before?”
“No.”
“I don’t imagine a girl born in the wealthy northern suburbs of Chicago would have reason to come to this side of town unless they were looking to slum it.”
Shame sets in at his words, and I look down, kicking a rock. “I guess not.”
“Ruth—” He stops, grabs my shoulders, and turns me to face him. “I’m not mocking or shaming you.”
“Aren’t you?”
