The Knight (Stolen Duet 2)

“She stayed.” I closed my eyes and saw the graceful lines of my mother’s face. She was smiling, and it was real. I couldn’t remember a time my mother’s smile hadn’t been forced. “It eventually killed her.”

“Why don’t the cops know she’s dead?”

“People go missing all the time and bodies would have raised too many questions. I wish I could have buried her even though she wouldn’t have thought her life had been worth celebrating.” But she didn’t deserve to be discarded, either.

“I hope they found each other,” she whispered so softly I almost didn’t catch it.

“Who?”

“Our moms.”

I didn’t know anything about Cecily Ross, but the love my mother reserved in her heart for her and the adoration in Mian’s eyes made me want the same thing. “Me too.”* * *I WATCHED MIAN work for a few hours before she grew irritated with my barrage of questions and kicked me out. It was nearing lunch, so I decided to make us grilled cheese since my culinary skills were limited to the most basic of cuisines. When the food was done, I dragged her from the bedroom, ignoring her argument that she needed to work as I did.

“We’re supposed to spend time together. That means sharing meals,” I said as I pulled her into the living room. As if on cue, her stomach growled, and I remembered she didn’t eat this morning.

She didn’t seem to notice as she took a look around. “What did you do to my living room?”

I’d covered the coffee table with the red tablecloth I found and placed a candle in the center with a place setting on each side. “I’m dating you.”

“You know you can take me on an actual date.” She sat on one side and folded her legs.

“I don’t want what’s out there to ruin what we have in here.”

“But if we can’t make it out there, it won’t matter what we have when we’re alone.” Her voice was empty of emotion. “One way or another, we’d be pretending.” I handed her a can of soda before taking my place at the other end of the table.

I started to eat when my head replayed her words, making my stomach turn, and my appetite evaporate. Dropping my sandwich on the plate, I sighed. “I can’t do this without you, Mian.” I spoke so softly I was surprised she’d heard.

Her chewing slowed as she placed her own sandwich back on her plate. “You’re the only one who wants to do this at all.”

I could feel my ire rising and took a deep breath. “We both know that’s not true.”

“You invited yourself into my home so I’d give you a chance.”

“And it was your choice to let me stay.” I lost the battle for patience and pushed aside the table until there was nothing but air between us. Her gasp and squeal as I pulled her into my lap and wrapped my arms around her went ignored.

“We said no touching.”

“You said no touching. I’ve wanted to touch you since you opened the door last night wearing that thin robe and sent me away. I’ve had nothing but my right hand and memories for three years, Mian.”

“You’re trying to confuse me,” she whimpered.

“You already know what you want. You’re just too afraid to take it.”

“How do you know what I want?”

“Because I want the same thing. Possibly more.”

Her nose wrinkled as she leaned away from me. She couldn’t go far with my arm wrapped around her waist. “It’s not a contest.”

“Then why are you such a sore loser?” My heart lifted—it fucking lifted—at the sound of her reluctant laughter.

I almost begged to see her smile again when it faded. “I can’t believe we’re doing this right now. We’re wrong for each other.”

“You don’t know what’s right until you’ve had it, and we’ve never had the chance to figure it out. There will never be anyone else I’d lose a war for, and if I had to, I’d fall again so you would rise.”

I wanted to kiss her when she relaxed against me, but that would be pushing it.

“How did you do it? How did you break free?”

“I rewrote the rules.”

“But wouldn’t your family have killed you? When you left, I kept thinking someone would come to hurt us while you were safely behind prison bars.”

“I gave them all a future they couldn’t refuse. Most of my family lived in fear that their sons would inherit a death sentence and their daughters would be sold off to men without morals.”

“What did you do?”

“I returned Alexander’s legacy to his line and anyone who wanted freedom got it, but they no longer benefit financially either. A bigger piece of the pie was the only way I could convince the others without bloodshed.”

“They didn’t think it was a trick?”

“After Reginald and Andrew, they were afraid I was trying to weed out traitors, but I convinced them it was legit when I told them my plan to free your dad. The only one I really needed to convince anyway was Aurora. She’s Reginald’s younger sister and her son was next in line to succeed since I don’t have an heir and Andrew was dead.”