Page 105 of Hard Bargain

“Alright.”

“And have people in position,” Dominic added. “Out of sight. I want coverage on every exit. I’m not walking in blind.”

“Understood.”

Dominic ended the call. The meeting didn’t concern him. Cassian would set it up right, and Keegan would either be useful or he wouldn’t. That part was simple. Bringing Knox made sense; he would be an asset. It was a strategic decision.

Who was he kidding?

He knew this wasn’t smart. Knew it by every measure he’d ever used to evaluate a decision. But apparently that didn’t matter anymore. He was taking Knox with him anyway, and the reasons he kept constructing to justify it were getting thinner by the hour. The honest reason—the real one—was simply that he wanted Knox near him.

That was it. That was the whole thing. Dominic picked up his keys and headed for the door.

Consequences be damned.

* * *

Knox’s door came into view. Dominic stopped in front of it, his gaze settling on the chipped paint and the scuff marks near the handle—signs of a life pressed into a space that had too little room for it.

He lifted his hand and rang the bell, the sound echoing through the thin walls.

The door opened and Knox stood there, filling the frame—barefoot, fresh clothes, a dark shirt that fit him too well. His hair was still damp and disheveled, like he’d just stepped out of a shower.

Dominic’s eyes went straight to his mouth. They caught on Knox’s full lips before he could stop it. The awareness hit him a second too late, and by then his attention had lingered longer than it should have. Annoyance moved through him at his own lack of discipline.

He looked up and found Knox watching him. He had noticed the glance at his lips—of course he had. A brief flicker of curiosity crossed his eyes, yet he said nothing.

“What are you doing here?” Knox asked.

“I told you,” he said evenly. “You’re shadowing me for a while.”

Knox leaned against the doorframe, arms loose at his sides. “Yeah. Didn’t think that meant showing up at my place.”

“There’s a meeting this afternoon,” Dominic continued, ignoring that. “I need you there.”

Knox’s brows creased. “What kind of meeting?”

“One where I want you paying attention.”

That was enough to tell him this wasn’t routine. Knox’s posture shifted, the casual lean turned into something more alert. His gaze flicked away, then back. “Groceries showed up,” he said.

Dominic didn’t react immediately. He hadn’t expected Knox to bring it up. Had expected him to pretend it away, the way he did with most things that touched too close to home.

“Sounded like you needed them,” he said finally.

Knox studied him, something unreadable passing through his expression—not gratitude exactly, something more complicated. “Thanks,” he said. Almost a whisper.

The word landed strangely. Dominic wasn’t used to being thanked for things like that. Wasn’t even sure why he’d done it in the first place.

“Don’t make it a thing,” he said, tone flattening.

Knox’s mouth twitched. “Wasn’t planning to.”

Good.

Dominic reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope, holding it out without ceremony. “This is for last month.”

Knox took it, glancing down before looking up. “What’s this?”