Black Knight (Royal Elite 4)

Kimberly

Sometime later, everyone goes home.

Elsa wanted to stay the night, but she’s spent a lot of time with me lately and I can tell Aiden isn’t amused, so I sent her home, saying I need time with Kir.

And I do.

We talk for what seems like hours and he tells me all about the new letters he received and that he might consider replying to one of them.

My baby brother will grow to become a heartbreaker.

He falls asleep as soon as I lie beside him, after making me promise him I’ll never leave him for long again.

I make that promise, and unlike the other time, I have a strong belief that I’ll keep it.

After I tuck him in and kiss his cheeks and forehead, I untangle his small arm from around my waist and leave his room.

As if on autopilot, I find myself down the stairs and standing in front of the huge window that overlooks the Knights’ mansion.

Cole was right, it’s an impulsion and can’t be stopped.

My fingers trail to my scar, feeling over the bandage. Why do I feel like ripped tendons aren’t as bad as the pain creeping under my skin?

It’s slow and almost invisible, but it’ll surely break my heart.

I’m holding my breath for the moment, hoping against hope it won’t ruin me again once and for all.

“Here you are, Angel.”

I smile at Dad as he passes me a mug of Lady Grey tea, then takes a sip of his, its bergamot scent filling the air in no time. Dad is a sucker for tea, British through and through.

For a minute, we just stand there sipping our tea and watching the house opposite us.

“Xander said something that night, didn’t he?” Dad asks.

I pause mid-sip, gulping the liquid as if it’s poison. “How do you know?”

“You were showing signs of improvement before he came in. Besides, you haven’t stopped watching his house since we got here.”

I glance at Dad, unable to understand how he knows so much about me, even though he’s not my real dad.

No – he’s not my biological dad.

Calvin Reed is my real father and the only father I’ll ever have.

That’s why I don’t want to hurt him by revealing Jeanine’s affair, or worse, disclosing I’m not his biological daughter. He’s probably keeping up with my mess because he’s my father. Once he figures out he’s not and we share no familial ties, he’ll throw me away.

My chest squeezes at the thought and I take a large gulp of the tea in a helpless try to hide it.

I’d rather suffer in silence than lose my dad.

“You’re hiding again, Angel. Didn’t we agree you’d tell me everything?”

I keep my mouth on the cup, not wanting to meet his eyes. I’m hiding so I don’t lose you.

Lewis is okay, I guess, but he’s not my dad. He’s not the one who has been taking care of me since I was a baby.

I’m not his Angel.