"He did?" She seems taken aback, then a small smile curves her lips. "He did, huh?"
"It took me by surprise, too. But then a lot of what he’s doing of late seems to be out of character."
"Not if you knew him before he was taken by the enemy. My brother is one of the warmest, most generous, most easy-going people I know. It’s why, though he went against our father’s wishes, my parents didn’t disown him completely. Not like me."
"It hurts, huh?"
She half laughs. "To their credit, once I got married, they did make up with me and welcomed Cade to the family."
"They did?" I frown. "No one else from your family has met me yet."
"Oh, I’m so sorry I brought that up." She rises from the table and rushes around to embrace me. "I’m such an ass for bringing that up."
"Not that it matters, except I’m floundering a little right now. I’m so pleased I can talk to you, though. It helps me understand him better, you know."
"In which case, I’m sure talking to me will help you." A new voice interrupts us.
Abby and I turn to the door. An older man walks in. He’s almost as tall as Knight, but leaner. His hair is greying at the temples. His shoulders are not as broad as Knight's, but the way he wears his suit, the way he strides in with that arrogant confidence clinging to him, it’s clear, it’s his father.
He walks over to me and holds out his hand. "I’m Knight and Abby’s father."
"I gathered." I shake his hand. I heard through the office grapevine that their father prefers to work from home. Knight had not invited either of his parents to our wedding. So, I haven't had the chance to meet him before this.
He turns to Abby. "How’s Cade? It’s been a while since I saw the two of you."
Abby nods. The look on her face is half-polite, half-resigned. It’s almost like she’s not sure how to act toward her father. Which is a pity. I’d do anything to speak with my father one more time. To have him in my life and be able to pick up the phone and talk to him at any time? That would my dream come true.
Her father’s features seem to soften. He moves forward and pats her shoulder. "You can stop looking so wary, I merely wanted to meet the woman who agreed to marry my son."
"Hmm." She looks between us, clearly unconvinced of his intentions.
"Five minutes; that’s all I want. She is my daughter-in-law, after all?"
64
Knight
"You left her with him?" I round the table and race for the door of my office. I fling it open and am greeted by the empty desk. "They’re in your office?"
"That’s where I left them."
"You should have stayed."
As I'm about to walk out the door, Abby calls out behind me, "He wanted to catch up with her. It didn’t seem wrong. After all, he is our father.”
“He’s a shark. The only thing he understands is money. He has no idea about feelings and emotions and that there’s life beyond the business."
"And you do?" she cries.
I pause, then turn to look over my shoulder. "What are you trying to say?"
She closes the distance between us. "You love her. Why don’t you tell her that?"
"Because—" I shake my head. "You wouldn’t understand."
She touches my arm. "What I understand is you have feelings for her. That you might have secrets you’re holding back from her.”
I begin to speak, but she holds up her hand. “I’m not judging you. I’m not. You’ve been through so much Knight, and it can’t be easy for someone in your position to trust another with your emotions. But she’s not ‘anyone.’ She’s your wife, and you need to tell her everything, or else you’re going to destroy the trust you've built so far with her.”
The blood drains from my features. Sweat pools under my armpits. I can’t lose her trust. I can’t lose her. I can’t.
She takes in my features, then lowers her arm. "Go to her, brother."
I run out the door, down the corridor, and I slap at the button of the elevator, but of course, the car is nowhere close to arriving. "Fucking fuck." I race toward the stairs, tear open the door, then leap down the stairs. That military training I went through is being put to good use. Down one floor, then the other, through the doorway, up the corridor. I reach Abby’s office, fling the door open, step in… and come face to face with her.
Her features are pale, her lips red like she’s been biting down on them. Her eyes glitter—with tears? With anger? With both?
"Penny—" I reach for her, but she steps around me.
"Don’t touch me." She pushes past me.
I turn, grab her arm.
She stares down at where I have my fingers locked around her wrist, then up at my gaze.
The hurt in them sends a piercing pain through my chest. "Penny, please, give me a chance to explain."
"How many chances should I give you, Knight? You lied to me. And after I asked you if you had any more secrets to share with me, you said no."
"Penny, it’s not what it sounds like."
She laughs, the sound is so bitter, my heart threatens to break apart. My lungs burn. This beautiful, innocent, sunny, happy girl… Look what I've turned her into. I should have known I would corrupt her. Take her joie-de-vivre and leave her with that cynical look in her eyes. The one thing about her that attracted me to her is the very thing I destroyed.
"Penny—"
"No, you don’t get to tell me what to do. Never again. You hear me. I don’t want to see you. I wish you’d never come back alive." Her features twist. She gasps. "Oh, my god, I didn't mean that. Why did I say it? What’s happening to me?"
"It’s me." I swallow. "It’s all my fault."
She looks at me with an anguished expression on her face, then she slips off her wedding and engagement rings and holds them out to me.
“No—” I shake my head. My heart leaps into my throat. My blood is pounding so hard in my ears, I can barely hear myself speak. “Don’t do that, Penny.”
“Take it, Knight, please,” she pleads.
“You’re my wife—”
“—your fake wife.”
“It's always felt real to me. More than real.” I swallow around the ball of something that’s blocking my throat.
“And I thought so, too.” She hunches her shoulders. “I hoped it was more than what the contract between us was about, but it’s clear, you don’t trust me. If you did, you’d have told me about Bobbie. If you felt anything for me, you wouldn’t have hidden something so big from me. Now I understand, there was nothing real between us.”
“There was… There is,” I snap.
“Whatever there was, you destroyed it by your actions. Me wearing your ring is making a mockery of the kind of marriage I’d hoped to have one day. One in which my husband would have enough confidence in me to share his secrets, as I would with him. That’s not what we have, Knight. What we have is…” She swallows. “Nothing.” She holds out the rings. “You’ve hurt me enough. Please don’t make this more difficult for me. Please take back your rings.”