Elliot glanced back at him with a little smile that made his reddened gaze shine so sweetly it gave Knight heartache. “Thanks. It means a lot to me.”
Knight licked his lips, staring into the dark eyes which were so much like Laurent’s—he could see that now—yet shone with a vulnerability that tugged at something deep inside him. Suddenly overwhelmed by the flood of heat to his face, Knight cleared his throat. “So, yeah. I’m carrying tattoos related to your ancestors. I guess I could use them to teach you some more of your history,” he said, once again fighting through the tightness growing in his throat.
He was a grown man, and he would not make a fuss just because it turned out his mom cheated on his dad. It didn’t matter that much. Only that the past was the only thing he could be proud of growing up. Between his deadbeat parents and the constant misery of not having money for necessities, the glorious past of the Merciers was the only thing that had Knight feeling special. The one thing that elevated him from being trailer trash.
“I don’t even know who my mom is, and my dad was no Mercier. I’m a nobody from nowhere, no matter what my bloodline is.”
“Bullshit. You have amazing history. Your ancestor is famous for stopping a serial killer. And then your great-great-grandmother was a major figure in women’s suffrage. There are so many people you need to know about. If I’m not gonna have this, then you will. I dedicated my entire fucking life to the Merciers, and this little thing’s not gonna stop me.” He tried to smile but failed spectacularly as his eyes started rapidly stinging. So he closed them, very briefly, because there were no cars around anyway.
Elliot’s fingers were warm as they stroked Knight’s arm in a way that wasn’t about anything sexual. He was just there to listen and talk, despite all the macabre things he’d gone through tonight. “I guess I will have to learn all about it then. And I can’t laugh at the Merciers anymore if I am one.”
“We’ll change your name. If you’re a Mercier, everyone should know.”
“Elliot Mercier. I like that.” Even the bruise on his face couldn’t make his growing smile any less pretty.
Knight’s heart felt somewhat lighter.
They could already see the familiar gate of the extensive trailer park where both Elliot and Knight’s family lived. Knight hit the brakes and drove in very slowly, because some of the inhabitants celebrated outside, gathering by a large bonfire that cast a warm glow at the piles of snow.
Knight slowed down when he spotted his half-sister by the fire. She pointed toward Mom’s trailer and shook her head, but he gave her a sign that it would be fine and drove on, all the way toward the large lump of steel and wood where he’d spent the worst years of his life. There was light coming through the old-fashioned curtains with an ugly flower print, which meant Mom was in, since he knew all his siblings had plans for the night.
“Are we picking up some of my stuff?” Elliot asked, clearly confused by Knight’s parking choice.
It was time to be honest, no matter how much embarrassment Knight felt at the truth. He gestured at the trailer. “That’s where I’m from. I was able to come so fast when Martin attacked you because I was at my mom’s.”
Elliot stared, blinking a few times. “You’re from Stone Grove?”
Knight shrugged. There was no keeping it hidden anymore. All his life he tried to leave the past behind, but it was close to impossible with a large family here. And unlike many other families who lived in Stone Grove—not too well-off but decent—his dad was a raging alcoholic, who was currently imprisoned for assaulting a group of young teens, and his mother wasn’t much better. “I was away as often as I could. We do have five years between us, and none of my siblings shares my surname. I’m not surprised you didn’t put two and two together.”
“I never liked this place much either, but it is what it is.”
“Yeah,” Knight agreed and forced himself to leave the vehicle. The sounds of music and laughter coming from inside the trailer already overpowered the noise outside.
Elliot’s footsteps followed close by. “I’d hate to be a burden to her, Knight…”
“It’s her who’s a burden to my brothers and sisters. And to me,” Knight said and knocked loudly enough to upset the string of laughter inside the trailer.
Someone stumbled inside, and after a few moments the door opened, revealing Knight’s mother along with a whiff of liquor coming from the living room. She looked far worse than at Christmas, although maybe it was due to the nature of tonight’s holiday. The pink lipstick had partially worn off, and so had the mascara, some of which crumbled, creating dark circles under her eyes. Despite the cold weather she wore a tank top and hipster jeans, which revealed her unnaturally thin body.