Page 10 of Knox

CILLIAN

There are a few things I absolutely hate in this world, and for some reason, life has decided to be an asshole and bring them all together right here, right now.

Yay…

I lean back on my outdoor chair and stare at the redheaded lawyer as he says lawyery things like “right of exclusive operational control,” “intrusive surveillance,” and “course of conduct.”

I nod as if I care what he’s talking about.

Which I don’t.

Stuffy business meetings like this are high on my list of things I hate. Even out here in the garden, my favorite place in my grandfather’s house, everything they say makes me feel claustrophobic, as if I’m suffocating.

“Yes, Damián, our profiler confirmed it,” replies the man sitting closest to my great-uncle and—I think his name is Logan?

An hour ago, once the shock of seeing an F1 champion park a helicopter on my grandfather’s lawn passed, I could swear I heard Björn call this man “boss.”

But watching the four of them now, I see no real difference in power between any of them.

They all look equally strong and equally aware of everything around us… and I bet it’s exactly the same with the four missing Harknetts.

“The main clue is in the usage of these three words,” Logan explains, moving his hands as he talks, and I zone out, my eyes locking on his infinity tattoo.

The famous Harknett mark.

They all have it, and from what I can see, the only thing that changes is the secondary color.

Logan’s is black and yellow, while the lawyer’s is black and blue.

Björn’s is purple, and…

My eyes move across the table until they land on the black-and-orange infinity tattoo on the hand of the person who just jumped straight to the top of my hate list.

Knox.

I hate him.

I hate what he represents… a constant reminder that I live in a stupid cage that will only get smaller.

I hate what he does because even though I’m thirty-six, I’m being forced to have a babysitter.

I hate that he’s an insufferably rude asshole who does nothing but growl, frown, and judge me.

But what I hate the most is the fact that he is, without a doubt, the most gorgeous man I have ever seen in my life.

His skin is dark and impossibly smooth, paired with arms as thick as my thighs and piercing green eyes that take my freaking breath away.

And his mouth…

No!

Fuck his mouth!

I hate him.

“…and these four phrases tell us whoever wrote this is exhibiting signs of malignant narcissism coupled with a persecutory delusion,” the lawyer says.

Narcissism coupled with delusion?