I’ve learned that Kieran doesn’t generally act without reason. So I’m willing to hear him out before losing my temper.
“I hired a bodyguard and PI to watch your house,” he says, and I find myself warming up. It’ll take a damn good reason to keep this from getting ugly. “Have you seen a dark car on the driveway late at night?” he asks, and I startle.
“I did once,” I say, the info coming back to me. I rattle off the plate number and I see genuine appreciation in his eyes.
“Smart girl,” he says, before looking at the paper in his hands. “I’m sorry I brought this to your doorstep.” He hands me the paperwork.
On the page is information about a woman, but the picture draws me in. She’s aging, but in a way that leaves me certain she was beautiful once. I glance at the name. Camila Knight.
“Who is she?” I ask, looking at him form the facts on the page.
“My ex.” He’s quiet, and the honesty is astounding.
“Why is she here?” I ask, confused.
“I think she’s trying to learn as much about me as she can. And that means learning about the people in my life.” He runs the back of his index finger down my cheek and I shiver.
“So what do we do?” I ask, unsure of what to do now.
“I’m talking with a lawyer. I understand if this makes you want to walk away from us,” he says, and my heart fractures. I grab his face in my hands, loving the dark stubble on my pale skin.
“Never,” I whisper, and kiss his lips.
He breathes a sigh of relief against my damp lips, and I shiver again. “I love you, Kieran Knight,” I say, and I feel him stiffen at the words.
I love you too,” he says, giving me a quick kiss after the words as I release him. “You’re going to have to meet my family.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” I say it as a joke, but it’s flat. Joking about not having a family is still a bit too painful. But his smile is full of understanding. “Let’s fix it,” I say, and there’s a flash behind his eyes I can’t quite decode.
“Let’s fix your relationship with your family. I never got a chance to tell dad I was sorry. You have that chance. They’re alive. Don’t waste it.” The words come from the heart, and I see him considering.
“I love you, Emma Astor,” he says, kissing my lips again. “Olivia loves you. You’re our whole world.”
“You were doing just fine before I came along,” I tease.
“We were hanging on by a thread. You and this farm saved us.” He presses his forehead against mine and rubs the tip of our noses together.
“It’s a ranch,” I say, my tone teasing.
“God, I love you, woman,” he says, kissing me again. “But I’m serious. You brought us back from the brink of disaster. Thank you.”
“No,” I tell him, thinking about how lost I’d been before Olivia came into my life, talking to the horses like dad had done. Having her around reminded me of him, but also made me realize I could go on without him. “You guys saved me. I was drowning without dad. Olivia told me it’s okay to cry, and you forced me to fight and realize what this place means to me.”
Kieran lifts his fist and presses it to his chest. With a quick double tap, he gives me a quick kiss. “You’re a warrior,” he whispers, and I bring my fist to my chest.
“Still beating,” I whisper, and his face lights up with his smile as he kisses me again.
No matter what comes next, I’ll be okay. I made it through losing dad. I made it through almost losing my ranch. I made it through giving away my heart. I can only hope Kieran Knight will take good care of it, and will love me back as much as I love him.
* * *
THE END
Bonus Content: Knight Brothers Series Part 2
PART 2
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 by Natalia Banks
All rights reserved.
* * *
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
* * *
NOTE: This is a work of fiction, names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real life is coincidental. All characters in the story are 18 years of age or older. Intended reading audience 18+
Chapter 1
Victoria
Today can’t get any worse.
Outside the grocery store in some town I didn’t even get the name of, I’ve sat down on the bench to catch my breath. I shouldn’t have left Sentinel in the truck, but I’m so sick and tired of all the whispers about my service dog.
He’s so well behaved, but unless you look like death’s doorstep, people judge.
From the bench I can see the truck. I’ve left the windows open about halfway for Sentinel, just so he can breathe, though the air here isn’t as warm as California was. It’s almost chilly. And so very green.
Maybe I can get far enough away from everything to finally feel safe. Maybe the past won’t catch up to me here. Maybe I’ve finally made a clean break and I’ll be able to start over fresh. Just Sentinel and I.
I glance over at the truck. Sentinel is watching me, his huge dark ears perked forward as he studies me. There was a time when I was sure that this little German Shepard puppy would grow into too big of a dog for me, but he’s such a gentle, loving creature I can’t imagine life without him.
Okay. I’ve got this. I didn’t park far and I can handle this. After some lunch I should feel less faint. It’s a toss-up, though, sometimes eating makes me so tired I can’t keep my eyes open. Not a good thing when you’re driving.
I stand up and feel the sensation of falling as my blood pressure fluctuates. Damn it. I am not going to faint right here outside this grocery store in an unfamiliar city in an unfamiliar state without my service dog at my side.
I sit back down and put my head between my knees as panic settles into my bones like fire. The slow burn roars throughout my body as liquid fear courses through my veins. I can’t do this. Not here. Not alone.
And I hear him. Sentinel is barking, crying out as the world blurs into patchy green moss overtaking the pale concrete under my feet.
Breathe.
I take a deep breath as my dog continues to bark and cry. I want to tell him I’m okay. That I’ll be back in a second. That everything will be okay.
Except it won’t.
Nothing is ever okay.
Breathe.
“Miss, are you okay?”
I shake my head at the stranger, who I can only see as the one wearing some leather loafers. I bet it’s an older man, some kindly old gentleman from another generation when it was okay to talk to people.
Someone should let him know that this is the twenty first century and nobody cares about other people anymore.
“Should I call an ambulance?” he asks, and I shake my head, struggling to lift it to actually look at this person. His watery blue eyes are kind, and the shock of white hair on his head give me the satisfaction that I was right.
“I’m okay,” I gasp the words out, struggling to pull in a deep breath.
Breathe.
“Thank you,” I say, a bit more power behind the words.
He nods, looking unconvinced, but he moves right along into the store. And I breathe a sigh of relief. And I catch sight of Sentinel. He’s dancing back and forth in the window, tossing his head back to howl at me like I can’t hear him.
“I’m okay,” I whisper, feeling my lips tingle like I’ve had a ribbon wrapped too tight around my throat for too long. “I’m okay.”
But he can’t hear me.
And he sticks his head out the window as I watch on, worried about him. There’s no way he can fit through that narrow opening. He’s a huge dog. The window is open half way at most. And that fall will hurt him.
I shake my head
at him, as if that’ll be enough to stop him. “No, Sentinel,” I say, my voice little more than a sigh as I fight back a nauseating wave of panic. I feel like I’m teetering on the edge of some fishing boat as the ocean plays tsunami. Part of me wants to barf, part of me is afraid for my life, but most of me wants to be free of all of it.
With a loud yelp, Sentinel manages to wiggle his whole body free of the window. He lands on his feet, the shock of impact coaxing another yelp from him.
He races toward me.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I see the little car. It’s a brilliant yellow, like a bee. And it feels like the whole world is slowing down. Sentinel races toward me, not seeing the danger bearing down on him. He’s focused on me.
The car suddenly sees him and I hear the squeal of bad breaks.
Sentinel suddenly seems to notice the danger, but he’s still focused on me as if he can save me with a look alone.
The crack of the car slamming into him reverberates through my whole being as my blood runs cold with horror.
“Sentinel!” I shriek as he hits the ground and the car whips off. I rush to him, feeling the agony of loss flooding my being. I’ve lost so much. I can’t lose him too.
“I can’t live without you,” I whisper as he lifts his great head and perks his ears forward, listening to my voice. “Sentinel,” I say, holding onto him as my whole world crashes and burns.
He whimpers, the little whine breaking my heart. He’s hurting. He’s in pain. And I have no way to help him.
And my dad’s voice filters back into my mind. I’ll kill the fucking mutt.
“I love you, Sentinel,” I tell him as his ears swivel. I’m vaguely aware of people, but it feels like they’re all standing and staring, or are merely going about their business as usual. I want to scream at them. How are they so calm and normal while my whole world is falling apart?
Chapter 2
Kyle
It’s been a long day. The bright side was going out to Emma’s place to vaccinate my niece’s horse. My brother, Kieran, had been out. But Olivia, my niece, had been thrilled to see me. And it was good to see her and Emma getting along so well.
While I’d had a soft spot for Emma since way back before her father passed away, I’d always thought I’d have more time to woo her. I thought I’d give her space while she dealt with her grief while also offering her a shoulder to cry on, a friend to talk to, a rock to keep her grounded.
But I guess I’d had stronger feelings for her than she’d had for me.
And once my bastard brother Kieran came on the scene, he’d managed to weasel, lie, cheat, and steal his way into her heart, home, and bed. But it’s good for Olivia. She’s got a good mom figure now, and it’s obvious the two get along like a house on fire.
The way Olivia lights up when she talks about her horse, Warrior, is adorable. She’s going to train him herself, and I’m watching his temperament to decide when to geld him. The little lady doesn’t need some high-strung stallion jerking her around.
I pull into the little locally owned market, noticing that the overflow from the farmer’s market found its way here. Perfect. My mother would be proud if she knew how much her words about eating right stuck in my mind.
Thinking about her, I decide to call her later on tonight. All the thoughts of Kieran often leave me wanting to clutch family close. Getting out of my car, I head into the store, hearing the chirp of my car alarm setting.
A few spaces down, I see a beautiful German Shepard watching something. He’s proud and tall, his ears perked as if intent on something I can’t see. His windows are down about halfway and I suck in a breath at the owner’s daring. It rains on a whim here, so the thought that someone would let the inside of their car get drenched surprises me.
That’s someone dedicated to their animal right there.
“Good boy,” I murmur to him. He doesn’t so much look at me. He’s still as a statue, watching the store still and something nags at me. But I head into the store. Not my business. I don’t need some hot headed asshole yelling at me for fucking with their dog.
At the doors of the market, I grab a basket.
I move from spot to spot, gathering fresh vegetables – red cabbage, leeks, water chestnuts, and other fixings for a homemade stir fry. I can’t pass up some beautiful strawberries, and grab another bunch of bananas.
I’m ready to leave in record time. As I round a corner, a pretty girl floats into my field of vision. Her medium skin is oddly pale, and there’s a sheen of sweat on her forehead. She bumps into me as if she hadn’t seen me standing there.
“Sorry,” she mumbles as I grab her and keep her on her feet.
“Watch where you’re going,” I say, and her shocked brown eyes meet mine. With my hands on her arms, I feel her trembling. Her wide brown eyes leave my face and she stares at the floor while I release her arms.
In her hands she’s got some crappy store made sandwich and I want to tell her it’ll be dry and stale. Don’t people know how bad that crap is for them? We get one god damned body, fucking respect it, people.
But she still stands close to me, which feels awkward. I notice the soft waves of her light brown hair. It’s almost blond, but not quite, and looks natural. And her scent, something slightly sweet, tickles my nose.
“I, uh, don’t usually come in here without my service dog,” she says, her voice breaking over the words. I sense she’s feeling embarrassed, but it’s none of my damn business.
“Okay.” It’s all I can think of. Why is she telling me this? Is it an excuse for walking into me? I don’t care, I just want to shop so I can go home and make myself some dinner. It’s been a long damn day.
But I see her chest rising and falling quickly. At the base of her throat her pulse is thumping a bit too quickly. And I sigh.
“Do you need help?” I ask, struggling not to sound as short tempered as I feel. I just want to get on with my life, get home. Why can’t people just handle their shit?
She shakes her head and I give her a terse, “Okay. Have a good day.”
There’s a mere nod from her as I walk away, internally annoyed. She freaking slammed into me, yet I’m the one with manners here. What the actual fuck?
I ignore the checker as they ring up my groceries. Toward the door, I see the girl leave, as if she’d been hurried through the express lane with her vomit sandwich. What a weird interaction.
Putting her out of my mind, I try to one word answer the checker who’s trying to engage me in conversation.
Yes, I found everything alright.
Yes, I’ll donate a dollar to the Humane Society. It’s the smallest donation I’ve made to them in a long time.
No, I don’t need help out. Are you fucking kidding me?
When I can finally leave, I feel the charge in the air. Out the door, I see the milling crowd. I see the little blond on her knees in the parking lot. In her arms, that beautiful German Shepard.
And it clicks.
That beautiful dog was her service animal. No wonder it was acting so oddly. I push through the crowd, heading her direction as I set my groceries on the pavement, all thoughts of dinner leaving my mind. This animal needs help.
That’s all I can see; this dog with labored breathing whining softly in pain. Dropping to my knees, I begin to check him over.
Chapter 3
Victoria
The guy who’d been so rude to me in the store, the one who triggered that panic attack, now kneels before me and begins to touch Sentinel.
“What are you doing?” I ask, feeling numb.
He glances up at me, those incredibly intense light blue eyes focused on my face. “I’m figuring out how to help him. I’m a vet.”
This guy helps animals? Really? I’d have assumed he was some suit wearing CEO or something with his attitude. He sure as hell doesn’t give a damn for anyone but himself. But as he pulls his phone out, I stare at him like an idiot.
“Yeah, Sam, I need you to prep for surgery.
Young German Shepard, ETA, five minutes,” he says tersely before hanging up the phone.
But my heart is stumbling in my chest. “I can’t afford it,” I say.
He hesitates, staring into my eyes like he’s searching for the reason I would have said this. But he seems to push whatever thoughts he has out of his mind. “Help me lift him. Under his flank like this,” He says, showing me to scoop up Sentinel’s back end.
I do as he says and he lifts my dog’s front end. “He’s heavy,” I mumble as we both lift. Sentinel whines again, the pained sound breaking my heart. Tears flood my eyes as I hold him, but I can’t wipe them away. Not without dropping him.
“Toward my car,” The guy says, jerking his chin toward a nice little car in the lot a few spots down from my truck. His eyes capture mine and he seems flustered. “I’ll take good care of him,” he says, and I nod, feeling my heart shattering into billions of little pieces. What if we’re hurting him, torturing him only for him to die on the way to wherever we’re going?
Lowering my face, I stare at the thick fur on Sentinel’s haunches as I carry him. Every step feels like it’s taking ten years but I know we’re moving quick. It feels like the guy is hurrying me, his steps are short, quick, yet measured and smooth.
It can’t end like this. This is my best friend, the only creature in the world that loves me, that cares for me. He’s the only thing keeping me sane, keeping me grounded, keeping me safe from my biggest enemy; myself.
The tears are too much as they stream down my cheeks. I suddenly notice other people walking along side us. A lady asks how she can help as another guy comes and carefully locks his arms under Sentinel’s ribs.
“Here?” The stranger asks the rude guy who’s helping me.
“Yeah, careful.” The rude guy glances at the woman, his thoughts seeming far away. “Can you grab my keys, front right pocket,” he says and she hesitates only a second before reaching into his pocket while he moves.
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