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“I don’t know,” Miranda murmurs, her tone honest. “I handle all of Knox’s accounts, both private and professional. Until a month ago, there were payments from a federal prison once a month, but there are no records of that money being forwarded to River.”
“Maybe he used another account for River?” I don’t know why I’m making excuses. I’ve had an inkling things aren’t as they seem for a few days now. I just figured all my concerns were based on the feelings I’ve grown for my best friend’s supposed girl.
Needing answers, I twist to face Dallas before asking, “Can you watch Nicole until I get back?”
I swore only hours ago not to leave Nicole’s care in anyone’s hands but mine, but Dallas was extremely remorseful about his fuck-up this morning, and he proved he’s willing to do anything to protect her when he decked the paparazzo who shoved his camera in her face with enough force to mark.
I trust him to keep his eye on Nicole. Don’t ask me to guarantee the same if her interview wasn’t being undertaken on the hotel’s roof.
When Dallas’s head bob isn’t enough incentive for me to leave, he adds words into the mix. “I won’t let her out of my sight. You have my word”—he marks a cross over his chest tattoo hidden by his security shirt—“and my brother’s.”
Knox fooled him the same way as he fooled me—by convincing him to place his baby brother’s needs before his own.
I slap Dallas’s back in thanks before galloping down the emergency exit stairs. My adrenaline is too high to use the elevator. I need to disperse some of it in a healthy way before approaching Knox, because I can’t guarantee I won’t wring his neck if any of the thoughts in my head are true.
He’s been acting like a dick all week, but his efforts today have topped the cake.
I honestly didn’t know who the fuck he was when he stood across from me earlier and threatened me.
After everything I’ve done for him, I’m the last person he should be threatening.
“Knox,” I call out when I enter the penthouse suites. “Are you here?”
He tapped out of Nicole’s interview only minutes after it started, giving the same excuse as River. Exhaustion.
“Knox.” When I notice a light under his office door, I rack my knuckles against the wood before pushing it open. “What the fuck?”
I spin away from the image of a woman with red hair on her knees before a man I once thought held a snippet of morals.
I was so fucking wrong.
“Don’t act like this is something you’ve never seen before,” Knox gabbers out like it’s funny he’s going through more prostitutes than underwear.
This redhead is the same one he walked to the door the other night.
“We once shared—”
“We didn’t share shit,” I fight back, pissed he’s trying to bring me down to his level so soon after threatening to do exactly that. “YouhopedI’d go sniffing for your leftovers. That isn’t sharing.”
“Leftovers you would have never had the chance to sample if it weren’t for me.”
With Knox’s agitation unmissable, Candy says, “That’s my cue to leave.” After patting Knox’s chest and assuring him he’ll receive a discount next time, she flashes me an apologetic smile as she bypasses me in the entryway of his office before racing for the door.
When the slam of her exit booms down the hallway, Knox grumbles, “Thanks a lot, fuckhead. There’s two thousand I’ll never get back.”
“You’re worried about a measly two grand when you’ve been siphoning money from my brother for years?” My reply emulates the man I once was. A straight-to-the-fucking-point sharpshooter.
“What the fuck are you on about, Laken?”
Unappreciative of his mocking tone, I step closer to him. “The money I sent River every month. Miranda said it never moved beyond your bank account.”
“What the…?” He exhales harshly. “She doesn’t know what the fuck she’s talking about. She’s not in charge of my trusts.”
“Trusts?” I ask, my anger too firm for confusion to make itself comfortable.
“Yeah, trusts. You know, where you put money for someone to keep it safe. That’s where I placed River’s money. I didn’t want him wasting it on Twizzlers and sarsaparilla pop.” His reply makes it seem as if I wired him a pittance each month instead of several thousand. “I’ll take you down to First National tomorrow morning and sign the trust into your name. Then you can do whatever you want with it.”
“I don’t want it back. That money was for River. It was meant to help support him.”
