Page 26 of Knox
“Nothing is wrong. More like… I had a massive revelation.”
“Oooh, I love revelations.” Leo’s face brightens. “I had a brilliant one two weeks ago when I realized I hate grapes solely because I hate the color purple. What’s your revelation about?” He lifts his glass, taking a sip of his latte.
“That I’m a masochist.”
Leo chokes, and a spray of coffee and milk escapes his mouth as he grabs a handful of napkins to clean himself up.
“Wow. How incredibly classy.”
“Jesus, Cil,” Leo rasps, his voice hoarse. “A little warning before you drop a life-altering, psychological bomb on me next time?”
“Can’t make any promises.”
“Can I at least know what exactly happened to inspire this sudden new perspective?”
“I hate a man.”
“That’s not a revelation,” Leo points out. “You hate most people. Especially before ten AM.”
“But this one… I hate him almost as much as I want him to fuck me into the mattress.”
Leo sets his latte down and smiles. “Well, okay. That is new. Who is he? Where on earth did you meet him?”
“I hired him.”
“A hooker?!”
“Security, you ass.”
“Oh! So… you’re finally doing something about the threats?”
“Arthur is,” I correct him, my mood instantly souring as the reality of my shrinking world comes back into my mind.
“He’s a smart man,” Leo says, and I glare at him. “What? I know you hate the thought of it, Cil, but I’m worried too. Those letters aren’t normal. Not even for a family with your kind of visibility.”
“Yeah, well.” I pick up my straw, stirring the ice in my glass. “What’s one more lock on the freaking golden cage, right?”
“No. No depressing thoughts, Cillian. Instead, tell me, is this security guy hot?”
“Ugh… unfortunately, yes.”
“Maybe it’s just the celibacy talking,” Leo suggests, waving his hand dismissively. “It’s been a while for you. Ever since the disaster with Aurelio, you’ve basically lived like a monk.”
“Fuck Aurelio,” I mutter, wanting to puke whenever I think about my gold-digging, cheating ex. “But no, this is completely different. I could have a month-long orgy with a legion of Greek gods, Leo, and I’d still find this particular infuriating, judgmental asshole hot.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Yeah… Knox is nothing but bad news.”
Leo freezes, his brown eyes going wide. “Wait. What? Knox? As in Knox Adler?”
“Yes…?”
“You hired the Harknetts?!”
“My uncle did.”
“Oh, my God.” Leo clutches his chest dramatically.
