"I’m not here to pass judgment on him, but our personalities are so different. He barely speaks—"except in grunts and growls, which, admittedly, has a certain appeal. If you go in for the alphahole type of man… Which I do not. I don't. "He barely acknowledged me when we met. And even then, he spent all of that time glowering at me. I, on the other hand, like to be friendly to people. I want to be positive. I prefer to believe in the goodness of others. While he seems to expect the worst from those around him."
"Which is why you’re perfect for him."
"Which is why we’re all wrong for each other," I scoff.
She rises from her seat behind the desk and crosses the floor to sit down next to me. "Look, Penny, Knight wasn’t always like this. He was an idealist. He believed in the greater good."
"This, from the man who now wants to join your father’s organized crime business?"
"He wants to join my father’s legal business," she corrects me.
"Which was built using the money that came from the illegal activities your father was involved in, as you’ve told me many times."
She winces. "Not denying that. But if that’s what he wants to do, I can’t stop him."
"It doesn’t make sense. He was on a mission for the government, and from everything you've told me, he was a patriot. A believer in wanting to contribute to the greater good. Now, he wants to embrace capitalism and make money?"
"And grow the company to become the foremost in the world in its field." She lowers her chin to her chest. "He’s changed. Something happened to him when he was taken captive by the enemy."
"Yeah, well, he was a prisoner of war; can’t imagine that’d be an enjoyable experience," I murmur.
She locks her fingers together. "He was there for six months. Whatever they did to him killed the humanity inside him." She presses her knuckles to the space over her heart. "I don’t recognize my brother anymore. He used to be warm, and even though being a soldier is not the easiest job in the world, he loved it. It was his calling, you know? There was not a day when he didn’t want to make the world a better place for everyone. But now… It’s like all traces of that man are gone. I don’t recognize who he is anymore."
I lean forward in my seat. "He’s only been back a week. As long as he’s getting help, that should get him through the aftermath of what happened, and hopefully, he'll go back to leading a normal life."
"That’s just it. He refuses to get help."
"Eh?" I blink. "So, he’s not seeing a therapist."
"Forget about a therapist. He’s refusing to meet me or his friends. He, Cade, and Declan were always so close, but he’s been refusing to talk to them or see them since the day he briefly saw everyone at Declan’s place."
"And your parents?"
She grimaces. "My ma’s worried about him but she’s more concerned about her society events, so she’s not going to push it if he says he doesn’t want to see a therapist. My father’s happy he’s returned back to the family business, so he’s not asking too many questions." She locks and unlocks her fingers. "Honestly, I’m at my wit's end about what I can do to help him. It’s one reason I agreed to help him out with his PR. I thought I could keep an eye on him, but I have Cade to think of now. I can’t spend my time trying to make sure he’s okay."
"Whereas I can because I’m single?"
She flushes a little. "I didn’t mean it that way. If you work with him, you’ll have a better idea of how he’s doing. Besides, I’m his sister. Perhaps he doesn’t feel too comfortable talking to me, but he might with you."
I roll my eyes. "That man probably wouldn’t recognize his own voice if he heard it; that’s how little he spoke that day."
"Which is good, right? There’s less for you to contend with. You only have to do your job and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid."
I frown. "Anything stupid like—？"
She looks to the side then back at me. "It’s just, you know, he’s retired from the military. That was his whole life. I thought he’d be a career military guy. But what happened made him lose his faith in his beliefs, in a way of life he had subscribed to whole-heartedly. He’s someone who doesn’t know what he believes anymore."
"Well, clearly, he believes in this company." I look around her plush office. It’s almost as big as the entire flat I’m sharing with Mira. Sometimes, I forget that Abby’s a Mafia princess. As was Solene, which is how the two of them met. They have a lot in common, as do Mira and me. The four of us hung out a lot over the past year while Abby and Solene went through their respective romances and heartbreaks, only to get back together with Cade and Declan. The two of them have their happy endings, and I'm so happy for them. I truly am, even if a part of me wishes I could find someone as devoted to me as Cade and Declan are to their women.
"He wasn’t always like that. In fact, Knight and I hated what our father did for a living."
"You mean, because your father used to be in the Mafia?"
"And because he was so focused on growing his business, he never had time for his family. We swore we’d never be like him. But since Knight has come back, he’s spent hours closeted with our father. A man he refused to meet earlier. It’s very confusing." She bites the inside of her cheek. "Which is why I think having you on his team will help me find out more about where his mind’s at."
"You want me to spy on him?"
"Oh, Penny, you make it sound so bad. I'm just worried about him and want to make sure he's in a good place, mentally, you know?"
"Hmm." I lock my fingers together. "You’re sure the business is legitimate?
She tilts her head. "My father runs one of the largest media conglomerates in Europe, so I have to answer yes to that."
"And you think that’s what your brother wants to do now? Run the company?"
She glances at the door to make sure we're alone, then turns her gaze on me. "I think my brother is confused. I think he’s trying to find something to believe in. And yes, I think he wants some kind of revenge for what happened to him. He’s searching for a cause after losing the one he was so passionate about, and he found it in my father’s company."
I purse my lips. "And you want me to work for him?”
5
Knight
"You want to work for me?" I lean back in my armchair. My jacket stretches across my shoulders. The collar of my shirt digs into my throat. My fingers tingle. I want to rip off the tie and fling it across the room—or perhaps, use it to blindfold the wide-eyed gaze of the woman who’s staring at me from the doorway of my office. Her blue eyes are large, round, and surprised, her pink lips slightly parted. Her blonde hair is streaked pink and halos her heart-shaped face. She’s wearing a suit—which is, you guessed it, pink—with a skirt that comes to above her knees. It hints at her plump thighs. Thighs which would be creamy and soft and perfect for marking with my fingers. My dick twitches. The first sign of life I’ve felt there since my escape from the enemy.