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"What have I done?" I realise he wasn't bowled over by my suggestion to bring Nico here. "I thought you liked him. I thought you wanted to help him."
"I have a reputation to uphold. Would you see Gavriil come here while he is recovering?"
"Does Gavriil have anyone else?"
"No. He doesn’t," Knox sighs. "Where does it end? When my runners break their legs?"
"No. Only if I feel sorry for them," I confess. "It was my fault. I looked at him when Vince was hanging there and I thought about his feelings, but I was so proud of myself for talking to your dad."
"Porter, you did nothing wrong. If anything, you helped him."
"Helping him felt so good. I thought maybe I could have a friend."
"I understand. I'm just asking you to mention it to me privately when you get these hairbrained ideas."
"I'm sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it, but I won't do it again." I have more to say, mainly about blurting out my ideas for my dance studio nightclub and how sorry I am for shouting that one in public, but Freddie walks across the hall, from the kitchen in the direction of the second office. I've not seen anyone use that room since my failed escape bid during another hair brained idea.
"Freddie, watch at the door will you. Call up if Nico wakes." Knox takes a step towards the stairs, and I'm so wrapped up in my guilt, I step with him without thinking.
"How long are you planning on keeping him around?" Freddie questions.
"I'm not sure.” Knox frowns, giving him a suspicious look. “Is there a problem?" He won't admit it, but I know he wants to have a part in Nico's recovery.
"Well, I'll be needing to keep an eye on the valuables." Freddie adds a chuckle after his words which makes me hate him for the suggestion.
"Do you have any proof that he's a thief?" I demand clenching my fists.
"Just let me know if he wakes up." Knox grabs my wrist and guides me to the stairs. "We will let you know our plans once they are made."
Knox ushers me all the way up to our room, and good thing too. I am fuming for what Freddie said.
"Don't make me choose between Freddie and Nico," I demand.
"Let me guess; you'll choose the one who didn't even know your name until today?"
"I'll choose the one who needs us."
"Porter. I need to tell you about Nico." Knox's tone has me worried; there is something he's not telling me.
"First tell me if it will break my heart?" It's not fair. He moved heaven and earth to save that donkey on the beach. Nico is no donkey, but he is a hardworking orphan who has been abused for far longer than his three day confinement.
"Porter…"
"OK, that's my heart broken." I flop down dramatically on the bed, too exhausted to deal with anything more. "I wanted to save a donkey and have my first proper friend."
"Well, Nico is a pain in the arse, so you're close." Knox's laugh is a failed attempt at lightening the mood.
"Is he a thief?"
"No. He is a cute, adorable orphan who I wanted to save from the first time I saw him."
"Right." I'm so confused right now, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel.
"He was twelve, and I wanted him for myself. I wanted to take him from his mum and give him a better life with me. I want to be very clear I didn’t want to fuck him, there was nothing sexual about my feelings. I just wanted to…” He pauses as he tries to think of how to say it. “own him."
"I think that is a relief to hear." I need more before I can understand what he is saying. Without anything sexual in his feelings, I'm not sure what he actually means. He sighs and tries again.
"He clung to his mum with complete obedience, did exactly what he was told. Both his mum and Gavriil. If someone said Gavriil and his mum were together, it wouldn't surprise me."
