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I’ve known him for years. Put everything out there on the field, with him by my side. We went to school dances, parties, family gatherings. We even got .matching Rebels tattoos.
He let Graham lean on him after Kenzie’s car crash, attended her mother’s funeral.
He visited Atlas and Graham in the hospital after their accidents this past year.
He’s not just a friend. He’s a teammate, a brother.
But all this time he’s been the devil in disguise . . .
A sob escapes the back of Brynn’s throat, reminding me of what’s most important. She’s all that matters. Making sure she’s okay, and that she knows I believe her. So, I fight the urge to take care of Knox and take care of her instead.
My arms come around her, and the dam on her emotions breaks. The floodgates open as her tears soak into my shirt while I rub her arms, her back, trying my best to comfort her. I whisper that everything’s going to be okay over and over in her ear, feeling fucking useless because there’s nothing else I can say or do to make her pain go away.
Eventually, her breathing evens out and her tears subside. She pulls away by the tiniest of fractions, and stares up at me through wet eyes. “I was so afraid you wouldn’t believe me,” she says, her voice scratchy from crying. “I thought you’d take his word over mine.”
“Never.” I shake my head, brushing the hair from her eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers.
“Don’t ever apologize for this.” I swipe my thumbs beneath her eyes, wiping away the soft mascara smudges, before I place a soft kiss over her head. “You okay?” I ask her.
She nods and glances up at me. “But Iamsorry I doubted you.”
“What did I say about apologizing?” I drag my hands down her arms. “I can’t imagine how you felt when you realized . . .” I trail off, my throat constricting as anger shoots through me, bright and sharp like a shooting star.
“What are you gonna do?” she asks, looking up at me from underneath the fringe of her lashes.
I exhale a ragged breath because what I want to do and what I should do are probably two very different things. “I don’t know.”
She searches my expression as my jaw tightens. I have no idea what she sees on my face, but I can’t imagine I’m succeeding at hiding the fury running through my veins.
“Can we go to your place for a while?” she asks.
The question surprises me, and I wonder briefly if she’s worried about what I might do to Knox when she adds, “I want to go somewhere so we can be alone. Somewhere we won’t get interrupted. I just need time with you.”
I nod, relief blooming inside my chest. For a moment, I was afraid she was going to ask me to let this go, and I’m not sure I’m capable of pretending that I don’t know one of my best friends is a monster. “Of course. Whatever you need,” I say because I would give this girl the fucking world if I could.
She sniffs and takes a step back. “Let me just clean up really quick.” When she tips her head toward the bathroom, I force a smile.
“Take your time. Meet you downstairs?”
I watch as she nods and heads for the bathroom, waiting until she closes the door to leave the room.
I take the stairs two at a time with one destination in mind.
For Knox’s sake, he better pray he’s gone when I get there because if not, I don’t trust myself to stop until he’s no longer breathing.
My feet hit the landing, echoing in the walls around me, joining the sound of voices trickling to me from the living room. I round the corner, passing Teagan who’s standing in the entryway. They must’ve slipped inside when Brynn and I retreated to her room.
“Hey, where’s—” Teagan starts, but I don’t give him time to finish before I zero in on Knox, propped on the arm of a chair in the Nichols’ living room.
I head straight for him, giving him no time to react as I cock my arm and pop him in the mouth. The blow is so hard he falls from the chair onto the floor.
I idly recognize the sound of someone screaming as I hover above him while he covers his face like the fucking coward he is.
“Are you insane?” Graham calls out, grabbing at my arms while I pin Knox to the ground with a hand around his throat.
“I know what you fucking did,” I grind out, staring into the ice of his blue eyes. “And you’re going to fucking pay for it.”
