KNOX: Volume 1 (3 page)

“When did you get out of prison?”

“This morning.”

He got out this morning. That means he hasn’t kissed a girl in at least nineteen months. No wonder he keeps staring at my lips.

Suddenly, I’m in his lap, my hands clutching his face, my mouth on his. We’re both breathing so heavily I can hear the air whooshing inside our mouths.

“Stop,” he insists as his hands slide over my hips. “We can’t do this.”

“Why not? I’m not a virgin.”

It’s a lie, but when am I going to have an opportunity like this? After today, I’ll never see him again. Then I’ll always wonder about that energy.

He grabs my face and forces my head back so he can look me in the eye. “You’re fifteen and you’re not a virgin?” He looks appalled. “Who was it? Who the fuck did it? Tell me and I’ll fucking kill him.”

I can’t help but smile at this reaction. For a moment, I consider making up a name. But I can see from the fierce glare in his eyes, that he would probably hunt down this fictional guy and tear out his eyes.

“Okay, fine. I’m still a virgin.” He easily lifts me off his lap and sets me down on the sofa next to him. “But I don’t want to be a virgin anymore.”

He shakes his head as he stands front the sofa. “I can’t stay here.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re fifteen years old and I don’t want your dad to murder me. Like I said, I’ve got shit to take care of. And I need to be alive to do that.”

He heads for the door and I follow after him. “But I thought you had to see my dad.”

He looks me in the eye as he thinks. “Just tell him I came by and I’ll get in touch with him soon. But only tell
him
. Don’t tell anyone else. Understood?”

I nod, pressing my lips together to try to hold back the tears of rejection. He lets go of the door handle and turns to me. He takes my face in his strong hands and forces me to look at him.

“Don’t just give yourself to any asshole who’ll have you. You’re too beautiful for that. Promise me you’ll wait.”

I nod again as the first tear rolls down my cheek and he leans in to kiss me. This is not the hungry kiss we shared a couple of minutes ago. This is a slow, tender kiss; the kind that will be burned into my memory forever. He pulls away and lays a soft kiss on my forehead.

“Tampering with evidence in a federal investigation,” he whispers with that crooked smile that makes the dimple in his chin more pronounced.

Then he kisses my cheekbone and walks out of my life forever.

7

“Marco?”

There’s a flash of recognition in his eyes, but it’s gone in an instant. “That’s not my name.” His mouth is set in a hard line as he tightens his grip on my arms again. “What do you know about Frank?”

We’re so close, my chest is pressed against his. I should knee him in the crotch, but I have nowhere to run to. And I’m losing my resolve. I should never have walked Lita to the train today.

Who am I kidding?

If they hadn’t found me on 42
^nd
Street, they would have found me in my apartment. Knox works for my father. And if Knox is really Marco — I think I’d recognize those blue eyes anywhere — then he’s been working for my father since before he was sent to prison for tampering with evidence. Ten years can do a lot to a man in this line of business.

“Tell me who you are — who you
really
are — and I’ll tell you about Frank.”

He loosens his grasp and shakes his head. “You think this is a game? I’ve already told you, you’re in no position to negotiate.” He smiles and tilts his head. “And you know that.”

The heat of his breath on my nose makes my heart race. I can’t outtalk him or outsmart him. But maybe… maybe I can outrun him.

“Okay. I’ll go to work tomorrow and do whatever you want me to do. Can I go now?”

“No.” He finally lets go of my arms. “You’re going to sit down and tell me everything you know about Frank Mainella. Then you can do whatever I want you to do.”

He points at a stack of three tires for me to sit down. I sigh as I walk over, pulling up my skirt so I don’t get tire dust or grease on it, and take a seat. The hard rubber is cool against the backs of my bare legs.

“Tell me what this is all about.” He glares at me, angry that I’m still making demands. “Please,” I plead softly. “Is my father in trouble?”

His chiseled features soften. “Yes. Your dad’s in a lot of trouble. He’s being arraigned tomorrow afternoon for the murder of Frank Mainella.”

I cover my face with my hands and will myself not to cry. This is what I wanted, isn’t it?

“I need to know everything you know about Frank Mainella’s death, and the weeks leading up to it. Can you do that?”

His voice is softer now, as if “angry Knox Savage” was just a role he was playing. I draw in a deep breath and look up. His eyes are pleading with me to cooperate. He doesn’t want to keep me here any more than I want to be here.

“I saw him do it.” I suck in another shaky breath. “My father killed him, in our living room, ten years ago.”

He kneels before me and looks up into my eyes. “Rebecca, you have to tell me everything you saw.”

That look. Those eyes. The way he lays his hand on my knee. That’s all it takes for me to tell him everything. Because that’s what my father wants. Isn’t it?

His hand slides off my knee and I nearly gasp at the way his touch feels so electric. Not at all clumsy the way August’s touch often feels.

He stands and offers his hand to help me up. “I’ll drive you home.”

“That’s it?” I ask, taking his hand.

He pulls me up and my body feels as exhausted as my mind. It must be close to midnight. But, suddenly, I’m not ready to leave.

“No, that’s not it. Tomorrow the hard part begins.”

8

Knox’s goons look reluctant when he tells them he’ll be driving me home himself. But they know better than to argue with him. We walk silently through another corridor then exit the garage through a back door. The alley is dark, but the moonlight glistens on the silver sports car.

“I’m taking you home myself so I can check your home for bugs. So, when we enter your apartment, don’t say anything until I give you the all clear signal.”

He presses the key fob to unlock the car then opens the passenger door for me.

“What’s the all clear signal?”

I slide into the passenger seat and he pauses to watch me pull on my seatbelt. “I’ll let you know when it’s all clear.”

The hum of the engine tells me this is one powerful ride. Powerful and silent. We slip unnoticed through the streets of Manhattan. I’m surprised I wasn’t blindfolded again. Now I can see that we were in a garage in Harlem.

There are so many questions I want to ask him as we drive toward midtown. Mainly, I want to know if this sexy, self-possessed man is Marco. His face only looks like Marco in the sharp edges of his chiseled cheekbones. And his eyes. I’m certain I’d recognize those eyes anywhere. But his nose is different; a bit broader. And the dimple in his chin is gone.

We arrive at my building while I’m still contemplating his face. He pulls his expensive car into a guest space in the underground parking lot. Then he grabs my hand before I can exit the car.

“Remember: Don’t say a word. There could be bugs everywhere. Even in the elevator. Got it?”

I nod, already practicing my tight-lipped act. Eager to please this complete stranger. He smiles as if he can hear my thoughts.

We ride the elevator up to the fourth floor. He follows closely behind me as I lead him to my door. Before I can turn the key in the lock, he places his hand over mine.

“I’ll go in first.”

He finishes turning the key, then hands it over to me. I take a step back as he turns the knob and slowly pushes the door open.

The apartment is pitch black, just the way I like it.

“The light switch is —”

He shushes me and a swell of anger overcomes me. I didn’t leave Bensonhurst four years ago only to get mixed up in another one of my dad’s schemes. I’m about to tell him to leave my apartment, when he turns around. He’s smiling as he points at the light switch on the wall. That smile is so disarming. I nod and he flips the switch.

She presses a finger to his lips to indicate the need for silence, then he continues into my apartment. I grab a couple of glasses of ice water while he searches the kitchen and the bathroom. When he moves toward the living-slash-sleeping area, I follow him.

My stomach is clenched tightly as he sifts through my closet and my dresser. When he reaches for the top drawer of my nightstand, I almost yell for him to stop. He slides the drawer open and pauses as he stares at the contents. Then he reaches into the drawer and pulls out a very large vibrator and a box of ribbed condoms.

“Please put those back.”

He shushes me again as he opens the box of condoms. Does he really think he’s going to find a listening device in there? Then he pulls out a strip of condoms. He dangles the strip from his fingers, eyeing it curiously. Then he tosses the condoms onto the bed and places the empty box and the vibrator back in the drawer.

He rounds the bed and my heart races as he makes his way toward me. Stopping right in front of me, he leans in until his lips are on my ear.

“All clear.”

A shiver travels over my neck and shoulders as he wraps his lips around my earlobe. His breath is hot in my ear. I don’t know if I want this. All I know is that I don’t want him to stop.

“Is that the signal?” I ask breathily.

His hand is firm as he clasps the back of my head, tilting my head to the side so he can kiss my neck. His other hand slides around my waist and down to my butt. He pulls my hips against his so his erection is stiff against my thigh.
That
must be the signal. A very
huge
signal.

Oh, God.
Am I really going to do this? Am I going to cheat on August with a guy I met hours ago? When I’m
sober
?

As he gathers up the back of my skirt and slides his firm hand into my panties, I know the answer to that is yes. A very
huge
yes.

9

I raise my hands so I can unknot his tie. But he grabs my hands and glares at me.

“I’ll do that,” he says, pushing my hands down near his crotch.

“But¸ I want to do it.”

I flash him my sexiest come-hither smile and he shakes his head.

“You’re not going to do anything,” he growls. “You’re going to lie back and pay attention as I show you what it means to be fucked, in every sense of the word. And when I’m done, you’re going to have only one choice: To do everything I ask of you. Understood?”

Holy shit.
What have I gotten myself into?

Something so completely screwed up that I know there’s no way out. I’m falling further into this rabbit hole by the second. Gleefully falling in after Knox. Hoping he’ll soften the impact when I hit the bottom.

“Understood,” I whisper.

Then his mouth is on mine. The moment I’ve been waiting for. And it’s as perfect, and electric, as I imagined it would be. The way he kisses me, fast and then slow, hard and then tender, I know there’s no turning back. Because there’s no way he can deny it now.

This is Marco.

Once he’s kissed me long enough for me to relinquish all control, he steps back. “Take off your panties.”

I slip out of my panties and kick them a few feet away. He steps forward and slides his hand between my thighs. His finger quickly finds my clit and my knees instantly begin to buckle. He wraps his thick arm around my waist to steady me, caressing me slowly as my limbs grow weaker.

Then, suddenly, he jams two fingers inside me and I gasp. “Oh, my God.”

He slides his fingers out of me and my moisture gushes out at the same time. He rubs my clit again, firmer this time, until I can’t breathe. He tightens his arm around my waist and lifts me off the floor. Then he sits me down on the edge of the bed. I begin to lie back and he shakes his head.

He kneels before me, slowly pulling off his tie, then his coat and shirt. Spreading my knees slowly, he lifts my skirt to look at me. I can feel my cheeks getting hot. He lowers his head between my legs and I dig my nails into his muscular back as he devours me.

His tongue massages my hard nub until I’m certain my juices have soaked through the comforter and the sheets beneath it. My body trembling, his back screaming with red scratch marks, he finally comes up for air. The thirst in his eyes is not even close to be sated. He doesn’t just want more. He
needs
more.

“Take off your clothes and lie down on your belly.”

I do as he says and, when I lie down, I notice the strip of condoms. The mattress shifts under his weight as he slides my legs apart and climbs on behind me. The skin of his leg rubs against the inside of my thigh. He takes my hands and pulls them behind my back. Then the smooth silk fabric of his tie is cool against my skin as he loops it around my wrists. He pulls the knot tight and lets out a soft chuckle.

“You’ve never been on the wrong side of the law, Rebecca.” He lies down on top of me, his weight pressing me into the mattress as his erection rubs against the crease of my cheeks. “I’m going to teach you a little lesson about having your freedom taken away, so you can know just how serious I am about this job.”

His hand slides beneath me to cup my breast. Then he lifts my hips and the tip of his erection is at the entrance of my vagina.

“Wait! Aren’t you going to put on one of those?”

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes.”

“Then, no. I’m not.”

“Wait, wait, wait! No! I mean,
no
. That’s
not
what I want.” Shut up, Rebecca. He’s not going to fall for your stupid attempt to salvage this last shred of control.

He laughs again, but this time his laugh sounds a little insane. “Rebecca, I’m not going to impregnate you. I’m incapable of such things.”

I let out a deep sigh. “Please just tell me who you are.”

“How does it feel to be in this position? Physically surrendered.” He slides his cock inside me and I cry out. “Mentally surrendered. Incapable of getting the answers you so desperately need.”