BLOOD RETRIBUTION

by Blake Hudson

  “I know very little about his deals, only what I have read and seen in the news.” Isabella’s body language dropped and she looked as though she was talking about a father who had died, not one that gave her anything she wanted with no thought to cost. What she really wanted, what she needed, was her father’s time. Knox was sure that stemmed back to when she was very young. The loss of a mother is hard on a child of any age, Knox knew that all too well. But it must have been doubly hard to not have your father also, even though he was in plain sight. Neglect like that over time can do more damage than the pain of bereavement.

  “So, you never go to his business meetings or on work trips with him?” Knox said before taking a swig of his drink.

  “I have travelled with him sometimes to various places, normally if they are exotic or wonderful places to shop,” Isabella said disinterestedly, as she sleekly crossed her long legs after sitting down in front of Knox. A view most men would lap up but she was doing nothing for Knox.

  “But I am always left with a chaperone… normally a bodyguard or the son or daughter of one of the businessmen my father has met with,” Isabella said pausing to take a drink, a drink she obviously liked more and more. She held out her glass.

  “May I have another?” she softly asked giving Knox a look he was sure she used on her father when she wanted something.

  “I don’t see why not. One or two more won’t hurt,” Knox said as he downed the last of his drink and made his way to the kitchen. Shaking his head at the thought that if she was someone else, he would be happy to offer them another drink and it tended to take the nervous edge off most people. But Isabella, well now that’s the last thing he needed or wanted.

  “One thing is for sure, your father has pissed someone off or maybe a few people for all we know,” Knox said as he took ice out of the freezer and poured two more drinks.

  “You think there are more than one after me?” Isabella’s voice turned fearful.

  “I do yes, but I need you to do something for me,” Knox walked back over to Isabella as he spoke.

  “What do you want?” Isabella said with a confused look on her face. Knox knelt in front of Isabella and placed her drink in her hands, firmly cupping his own hands around hers as she held the drink.

  “I want you to remember that I am here to protect you, I won’t let anything happen to you. But I can’t do that if you don’t trust me and you keep things from me,” Knox said as he looked directly into Isabella’s eyes, speaking in a strong ‘I mean what I say’ kind of manner.

  “I am not keeping anything from you,” Isabella said with attitude. Knox, with a knowing smile, took a moment before saying.

  “Listen I am not pushing you, I didn’t mean it like that. I mean if you involve me in all your day to day decisions, then it makes my ability to keep you safe easier.” Knox stood back up as he spoke.

  “Trust me, I don’t enjoy or want to sound like a control freak who wants to know when, where and for how long on anything, let alone shit like when you drop the kids off at the pool," Knox smirked knowing full well Isabella would have no idea what he was talking about.

  “Drop the kids off at the pool? I don’t have children Lucas, you know that. Does this look like a body that’s borne children?” Isabella looked at Knox like he was crazy. Knox looked back at her almost fully displaying her body, and he thought to himself, it’s a shame she didn’t have a kid. It may have brought her spoilt arse kicking and screaming into the real world. But Christ what if the kid turned out as spoilt or worse. That was a hard one for him to call.

  “It’s a saying my mother used to use. I will tell you what it means one day.” Knox knew she would not be able to let it lie.

  “Tell me, Lucas, I want to know. Tell… me", Isabella crossed her arms and pointed her toe at Knox to emphasise the ‘tell' and ‘me'.

  “It means going to the toilet,” Knox said before he erupted into a roar of laughter. Isabella looked at him with utter disgust at first, but Knox’s laughter boomed and was infectious, so she couldn’t help but laugh herself. They talked for a few hours. Isabella told Knox of her childhood in private schools and the places she had been. Knox listened and kept the conversation away from him and his history. It wasn’t that Knox was ashamed of his history, but almost twenty-five years of military life and the last twelve years of it special operations was a life of pain, loneliness and being paid to kill…not a conversation most women could handle.

  It was getting late and Knox wanted Isabella to sleep not lie awake thinking about what could have happened earlier and getting her a little drunk was sure to help with that. He stood up and went into the bedroom and returned with a blanket and pillow.

  “Are they for me, Lucas?” Isabella asked in a ‘she really hoped not’ way.

  “No, for me. I will sleep on the sofa. Please take the bedroom, the sheets are fresh and you have the en-suite. Towels are on the bed for a shower when you want one, sorry no bath here,” Knox said as he put the pillow and blanket out on the sofa.

  “Are you sure?” Isabella sounded unusually concerned.

  “Yes, it is fine. I will not sleep much anyway as I will be keeping you safe remember?” Knox winked as Isabella got up to make her way to the bedroom. She stopped and turned to Knox.

  “Lucas?” Isabella paused.

  “Yes.” Knox turned to look in the direction of his quietly spoken name.

  “Thank you.” Isabella looked at him with a genuine look of sincerity.

  “You are welcome, go on, go get some sleep. See you in the morning. Night Isabella.” Knox nodded and smiled.

  Knox made himself a coffee, sat out on the balcony and looked out onto the Mediterranean. The ocean was as still as a mill pond. Knox could barely hear the waves washing ashore. He was wired, thoughts played in fast forward over and over in his mind. The Pérez family, Marco’s T.I.7 file, Isabella’s lack of understanding of what her father was into. Agreeing to work for T.I.7 and the team, the money, what he could do with it. And as always making her way to the top of his thoughts was Dani.

  Knox did what he always did when he needed to clear his mind and relax. He took out his gun and laid it on the table in front of him. He stared at it before picking it up again and stripping it down as fast as he could. Once stripped and laid out in perfect order, each bullet lined up in an arrow straight row. He took a breath then reassembled, and repeated, again, and again until he was doing it with his eyes closed. It was almost a ritual, like meditation. Of course, he wouldn’t be risking it if he didn’t have his back-up, Sig P229 nestled safely in his holster.

  “Lucas… Lucas.” A soft whispered voice called to him pulling him back out of his meditation… it was Isabella. Knox opened his eyes and turned to see Isabella stood in the doorway, naked in all her glory.

  “Isabella is everything alright?” Knox said as he averted his eyes.

  “I didn’t have you down as the shy type. I can’t sleep.” Isabella began walking over. As she reached Knox she slipped onto his lap and leant in whispering.

  “Come to bed with me, keep me company.” Isabella kissed Knox’s ear as she finished the last words.

  Knox held her firm and pushed her back a little. Isabella looked at him, shocked at first, then a big smile crossed her face before she leant in again to kiss him.

  “No! Isabella, you are confused,” Knox said as he stood up taking Isabella with him.

  “No! No?” Isabella shrieked, all affronted at the nerve of anyone saying no to her.

  “It’s not that I wouldn’t love to, you are very beautiful. Any man would give a limb to be with you,” Knox said as he turned away not looking at her.

  “But I don’t work like that, you are my client. You are a job and I don’t mix pleasure with business.

  “Bull shit Lucas, no one turns me down. Who is she?” Isabella said stamping her foot as she slapped her hand on his back.

  “Who is she?” Knox repeated as he looked back a
t Isabella.

  “Yes, you heard me, who is she? There is only one reason a man would pass up a chance of being with someone like me. They are a fool in love,” Isabella sneered.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about, now go to bed, Isabella,” Knox said as he turned away and listened for a response which never came. Instead, he felt Isabella’s hands slide over his back and round to his chest.

  “Please Lucas…” Isabella whispered as she leant into him, Knox could feel her soft breath on his neck. Knox turned to face her, their eyes locked and Isabella’s face lit up with a big smile at getting what she wanted. Knox took hold over her wrists, moving her hands back down to her sides.

  “Isabella, I said no!” Knox said as he picked her up over his shoulder and took her to his room. She didn’t know what to think. Shocked at being picked up, the only sound she made was a squeal as she kicked out her legs. Knox put her down on his bed with a small amount of force before pulling the sheets over her. Then walked out without saying a word.

  Shutting the door behind him, the sound of the door latching was followed by a scream and a thud as something hit the other side of the door. Knox smiled and shook his head at what had just happened. It was true that almost any red-blooded man would have jumped at the chance. But Isabella, for all her model looks and money, left Knox feeling cold. He could never be with a woman like that, even for just one night. Knox could just see it. She would be as selfish, demanding and pouty in bed as she was in her everyday life. For Knox that would not just be a turn-off, but a disaster in the making. Isabella had got something right though, it was another woman on his mind… Dani.

  Knox’s eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the morning light flooding into the room. The sound of running water could be heard.

  Isabella was taking a shower. Good, she needed a good cooling off. Knox made coffee wondering just how shitty she was going to be with him this morning after receiving his knock back. Right on cue, after Knox poured two big mugs of coffee, in flaunted Isabella. Her hair wet and wearing nothing but one of Knox’s t-shirts, one that was well over sized on her, but only falling just past where her arse cheeks met the top of her almost never-ending legs.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I didn’t want to put my dirty dress back on,” Isabella said as she sat at one of the two stools the other side of the kitchen breakfast bar.

  “No, not a problem, but we will need to sort you something out, as we can’t be taking you home in just my Biffy Clyro T-shirt,” Knox said still weighing up what mood Isabella was in and feeling a niggle at seeing her in his T-shirt. This was a sexy look Knox liked and could only envision Dani dressed this way. But in his fantasy, Dani would be in his Led Zeppelin T-shirt. The black would complement her long thick natural blonde hair, but even more so the luscious curves of her behind. Isabella may have a model’s body but Knox liked more meat on his women. He liked the feel of something to hold onto when forcing himself into the comfort of a woman’s body, one he could dominate.

  “Biff, ro… who?” Isabella looked at Knox as though he was speaking a different language, thankfully bringing him back to the room, away from dangerous fantasies about Dani.

  “Never mind, is that the shower I can hear running?” Knox said looking to the bedroom.

  “Yes, I left it running for you. I thought after being up all night you would want to freshen up,” Isabella said before sipping at her coffee.

  “I could cook us some breakfast while you shower.” Isabella looked coy as she took a second sip.

  “You cook?” Knox asked unable to keep the shock from his voice as he headed to the bedroom.

  “Yes, my mother taught me,” Isabella called out to Knox as he disappeared into the shower room and Isabella walked around to the kitchen.

  As Knox finished up in the shower he heard the loud buzz of the intercom panel. Someone was at the entrance to the building.

  “Leave the door, Isabella, I will see to it, just got too dry off,” Knox said as he rushed to cover himself with a towel and not slip over on the wet floor. Meanwhile, Isabella was looking at the small black and white screen on the intercom panel. Seeing a woman stood waiting, Isabella buzzed her in and both women walked over to their respective sides of the apartment’s front door.

  “Isabella, wait!” Knox shouted as he made his way to the door in just a towel, but he was too late. Isabella had already opened the door to none other than Dani.

  His Dani…

  Chapter Ten

  Dani

  “Dani! What… when did you…?” Knox said shocked to his core to see the object of his desires, his sexy blonde cyber guru artist stood at his door.

  Dani stood speechless at first as she looked Knox up and down, covered with just a towel around his waist. The hard lines of his body were gently being licked by the beads of water from his shower and Dani’s mouth went dry. However, that sexy sight alone wasn’t enough to drown out the sight of Isabella draping herself over Knox’s shoulder. She pretended to hide behind him coyly, as the T-shirt she was wearing lifted just enough for Dani to see her bare ass cheeks.

  “Well, I was here to make sure you were okay, and I can see you are, so I won’t keep you from your… job,” Dani said waving her finger at Isabella with an obvious look of disgust. Knox frowned at Dani, seeing something different in her…she was hurt, that was clear, but the way she looked at Isabella was nothing short of loathing and then it hit him, she was jealous.

  Dani felt like screaming at Knox, but at the same time desperately trying not to show how devastated she felt. She had been so worried about him when she had seen the hotel explosion on the news, that she hadn’t even thought about it. She just booked the next flight out to Spain, and all for what, to find him screwing his work! She had tried so hard to keep Knox as what she had convinced herself he was, just a client, but what she saw in front of her hurt her enough to know that he was a lot more than that. The hurt that she felt deep in her guts told her that much.

  “Darling, you didn’t say you were expecting visitors. I thought you wanted to run everything by each other.” Isabella said smirking as she looked Dani in the eyes before she pulled a little pout. Then she ran a finger down Knox’s chest and Dani had never wanted to break someone’s finger so much in all her life.

  “Right, I won’t keep you.” Dani turned on her heels and headed down the hallway. Knox grabbed Isabella’s wrist and with every ounce of control he had, refrained from doing something violent to her.

  “Get your arse back inside, now!” He told Isabella, surprised he had managed to keep his tone from murderous. Then he turned from her and tightening his towel around his waist and made after Dani.

  “Dani...! Wait,” Knox called.

  “Lucas, how dare…” Knox stopped, turned back to Isabella and saw her stood there with a cocked hip as if she had the right to issue orders to him. So, he stormed back towards her.

  “You! Stay in the apartment!” he growled as he pushed her back behind the door and shut it. Isabella let out a huffy squeal. One he didn’t give a shit about. He had more important things to deal with than the childish games of some disgruntled bitch who didn’t like feeling second best. In reality, he wouldn’t have touched her even if she had daddy dearest pay him too!

  “Dani hold up, hold up,” Knox said as he rushed up to her taking hold of her hand. Dani stopped dead in her tracks at the feel of Knox’s warm hand taking hold of hers and she hated how much his touch affected her.

  “Don't Lucas, it's fine. Look, I just want to go… it's none of my business,” Dani said not turning around but instead looking to the floor, the door, the walls anywhere other than turning to face the man. A man that without hesitation she came running at the thought that he was hurt…or worse, dead.

  “Dani, please. It’s not what it looks like,” Knox said with a soft warm tone Dani had never heard before. After that, Dani couldn’t help but turn to face him. With a scowl that would put fear i
nto even the largest of rugby prop forwards, Dani’s anger boiled over.

  “Don’t give me that bullshit line Lucas, I’m not some love-sick teenager, how do you think it looks?” Dani pulled her hand away as she lied through her teeth. She stood back putting the same hand on her hip, she looked Knox up and down and loathed how she had fantasised about his body. Now in the flesh that fantasy was put to shame. Jesus, but she couldn't even count the number of muscles on the man’s torso! And once again she found herself wanting to lick the beads of water still running down him, which were fast being merged with beads of sweat.

  “I was just taking a shower, she wasn’t meant to open the door. We were…” Knox said calmly as Dani interrupted him.

  “Getting cleaned up…yeah, I get it! Listen what you get up to is your own affair, I don’t have anything over you for Christ sake…! To think I was goddamn worried about you!” Dani said in annoyance as she turned away. Knox took hold of her hand again and placed his other on her shoulder. Touching her skin almost felt electric. If only she knew how wrong she was. She had a massive hold over him, one like no other, Knox thought bitterly, knowing that he couldn’t just make her his. He could tell her right now how he felt about her, this could be his one and only chance, but he knew that was a dangerous line he would be crossing…for both of them.