Pyxis: Book Three of The Stardust Series

by Autumn Reed

  “You too. Anyway, I’m glad I caught you. I’ve started going through some of the stuff in your grandmother’s house, and I found a bunch of boxes with old photos of you and other members of your family. I was wondering if you’d want to stop by and take a look? I’d be happy to make lunch for you and your girlfriend.”

  Expecting Knox to correct her about our relationship status, I was surprised when he turned to me and asked, “Do you mind? I know we planned to get on the road right away.”

  “Of course not. I’m not in a hurry.”

  “Okay,” he told Sarah. “Thank you.”

  Following Sarah to the house, I wondered at the strange situation. Apparently Knox’s grandmother had left her house and other belongings to Sarah, who was related on her second husband’s side of the family. Was there no one in Knox’s family that she was close to?

  “Does it bother you that your grandmother left everything to Sarah?” I asked Knox.

  “No. After she moved to Bakersfield, she used to call every so often and bug us about visiting our father in prison. Of course, neither of us ever did, and she gave up after about a year. She probably died as angry with us as Theo is with her. I’d like to say I’m sorry about that, but I’m not sure I am.”

  He looked over at me, and likely recognizing the shock on my face, said, “Yes, our father is in prison. Has been since I was eight years old and should be for years to come. But, that’s a story for another day.”

  It wasn’t a long drive from the cemetery to the house, but the surrounding neighborhoods had gone from bad to worse. Knox turned onto a street where rusting cars lined the cracked pavement. Most of the houses were small and in various states of disrepair. Many of the yards were overgrown, weeds crowding any flowers that attempted to grow. He parked along the curb next to a dilapidated bungalow.

  “Man, this neighborhood looks even worse than the last time I saw it. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

  “It’s fine.”

  Knox groaned. “I damn well hope so.”

  When we stepped into the house, I forced a blank expression to hide the dismay I was feeling. Is this how Knox and Theo grew up? Although my house in Coleville had been old, we always kept it neat and clean. This house was dark and cluttered, stuffed with too much furniture for the tiny space, and piles of old newspapers, magazines, and who knew what else littered the floor and tables. It looked like no one had bothered to dust or vacuum in at least a year, and it smelled distinctly of cigarettes, grease, and mothballs.

  Knox leaned down and whispered in my ear, “I’m sorry about this. We’ll make it quick.”

  “I haven’t had a chance to clean up much,” Sarah said apologetically as she led us into the dining room. She pointed to a stack of boxes newly labeled “Bennett photos,” and said, “Feel free to take whatever you want. And, let me know if there’s anything else in the house that you’d like to have.”

  “Thank you,” Knox said politely, before grabbing the first box. He started flipping through photos, appearing entirely uninterested in them. They were mostly of a boy with dark blond hair and a wiry frame. It was strange, almost like seeing a combination of Theo and Knox in one person. Since the photos were clearly too old to be of either brother, I guessed that they were of their father.

  When Knox continued his task without comment, I started organizing the photos he’d looked through into neat stacks. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but he didn’t seem to be in the mood to chat. After about thirty minutes of mindless flipping, Knox finally stopped on a photo and passed it over to me with a grin. “Theo will love this one,” he said sarcastically.

  I couldn’t hold in my laugh. A teenage Theo stood next to a lopsided chocolate cake with a grimace on his face, arms crossed, and his loose cargo pants baggy enough to provide a glimpse of the top of his boxers.

  “That was Theo’s fourteenth birthday. Our grandmother wasn’t going to do anything special for it, of course, so I decided to throw him a party . . . or at least attempt to.”

  “You? Throw a party?”

  “I know,” he said, shaking his head ruefully. “It was a complete disaster. I didn’t have the money to buy a cake, so I made one from a box, and it was barely edible. Theo’s few so-called friends that showed up lit their cigarettes on the candles and then raided the house for alcohol. When our grandmother got home from work and found a bunch of drunk fourteen-year-old hoodlums in her house . . . let’s just say, it wasn’t pretty.”

  Tears pricked my eyes as I pictured Knox, only fifteen at the time, baking a cake for Theo and trying to make sure he had a good birthday. And Theo, way too young for Knox to be his only parental figure, constantly disappointed by the adults in his life. It was difficult to even imagine. As many times as I had felt sorry for myself growing up, I never once doubted that my dad cared.

  Knox finished looking through the photos and packed up one box to take with us. “Okay, done. Let’s get out of here,” he said, standing up.

  I put my hand on his forearm, stopping him from leaving the room. “Knox, I want you to know how much I admire you.” Gesturing to nothing in particular, I continued, “Look what you came from, and now you’ve achieved so much. You’re an amazing friend and even better brother; you’ve shouldered so much responsibility from such a young age. I’m kind of in awe of you.”

  Knox’s large hands wrapped around my waist as he enveloped me into one of his bear hugs. I looped my arms around his neck, breathing in his masculine scent. He held me for a few seconds before murmuring, “I’m so glad you’re here.” My heart was beating erratically, and I wondered how I could feel so excited and safe and comfortable all at the same time. Just when I thought he was pulling away, he pressed his lips to my forehead and lingered there.

  We said goodbye to Sarah, and she gave us sandwiches for the road. Knox was putting the box of photos in the back seat when two men sidled up to the truck. They were short but muscular and clearly looking for trouble.

  “Is there something I can help you gentlemen with?” Knox’s tone sounded bored, but I could tell his muscles were tensed for a fight.

  While one of the men leered at me, his friend gave us an evil smirk and said, “Hand over your wallet and her purse. Now.”

  “Sorry, but that’s not going to happen,” Knox replied calmly.

  The man who had spoken drew closer, and I gasped when I saw the glint of a blade. Oh my god, he has a knife! But before I even had a chance to blink, Knox had knocked the knife out of his hand and pinned him to the ground, his arms behind his back. Holy crap.

  The other guy moved back a few steps and said, “Dude, look, we’re sorry. Just let him go and we’ll get out of here.”

  Knox leaned down and growled a few words to the man he had pinned. His voice was too low for me to make out, but I got the gist of it—Mess with us again, and you’ll regret it. Knox slowly released the man, who immediately scrambled away from him.

  “Are we done here?” Knox asked, his tone once again relaxed. Without saying anything, both men bolted out of sight. Knox turned to me and said guiltily, “I’m so sorry. I knew this neighborhood was a bad idea. Are you okay?”

  “Okay? That was amazing! Will you teach me that move?”

  Knox chuckled as he opened my door. “You’re crazy, you know that? And, yes, I will absolutely teach you that move.”

  Head and Heart

  I was transferring a pan of cookies to the cooling rack when my phone dinged.

  Jessica: Seven days, five hours, ten minutes, and two seconds until I get to see you!

  Me: Hahaha. That’s quite precise.

  Jessica: Okay, so maybe I don’t have it timed down to the minute, but I do know it’s only a week away.

  Me: I know! I’m so excited that I finally get to see you!

  Jessica: In Vegas, too!! Par-tay with your hot guys!

  Me: Yeah, um, I don’t think so.

  Jessica: Okay, fine, but I’m dying to meet them.

  Me:
Yeah, I know. You’ve only mentioned it like every other day.

  Jessica: Can you blame me? And you haven’t even sent me a picture!

  Me: I’m beginning to think you’re more excited to see them than me!

  Jessica: NEVER! I have to run – see you soon!

  Me: Okay. Love ya!

  Jessica: Love ya, too!

  Not long after, the doorbell rang. “Hey, Kara,” I said as she stepped inside the loft.

  With Theo still at UCLA and Knox out late for work, Knox had readily agreed to me inviting Kara over to watch movies. During Chase’s and Theo’s extended absence, the other guys seemed even more buried in work than normal. Since things at Zenith weren’t noticeably busier, I didn’t know if Team Jaguar was taking on extra assignments or if there was something else going on. Either way, apart from a handful of Taco Tuesdays and a few self-defense lessons, I had barely seen Ethan, Liam, and Jackson outside of the office.

  Between work and class, I had managed to stay relatively occupied in their absence. And, over the past few weeks, Kara and I had hung out several times; I enjoyed her sense of humor and laid-back attitude. As the lone girl on a team of guys, I felt that she was probably in a better position to understand my own situation than anyone else.

  “Wow, this place is awesome.”

  “I know, thanks,” I said with a smile as we walked through the living room to the kitchen.

  “No, seriously, Haley. I might have to invite myself over more often.” She glanced around, clearly taking it all in.

  “You’re welcome anytime, even though this is ‘enemy territory,’” I joked.

  Kara rolled her eyes. “As long as Scott and Ethan don’t find out, I think we’re good. And even if they do, well, they need to grow up.”

  “What is their deal, anyway?” I asked, hoping that maybe Kara would have the answer.

  “I’m pretty sure it goes back to their time as Zenith Youth recruits. I can’t say for sure because I didn’t join the program until after they graduated, but it sounds like they had a pretty heated rivalry.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Well, I’ve heard rumors that the rivalry extended to a girl.” Why am I not surprised?

  “Ohhh, I see. Was she a recruit as well?”

  “I think so, but she must have moved to one of the other offices after graduating.”

  “So neither one of them ended up with her?”

  “Not exactly. Supposedly, Scott really liked her, and knowing that, Ethan hooked up with her anyway. Scott got pissed at Ethan and things went downhill from there.”

  “That sounds like Ethan,” I muttered under my breath, before pulling out my tin of cookies and grabbing some drinks from the fridge. “So we have drinks, cookies, and I can make popcorn.”

  “Wow, those look delicious. Did you bake them?”

  “I did, and I hope you like chocolate—they’re double chocolate chip.”

  “Of course,” Kara said and pulled a big bag of chocolate candies from her purse. “Do you cook a lot? No wonder Knox and Theo want you to live here.”

  “Honestly, I think I got the better end of the deal.” I waved my hand as if to take in the whole of the loft. “You ever consider living with any of the guys on your team?” I knew she had an apartment on her own near the office, and despite her independent personality, I was still surprised she didn’t have any roommates, male or female.

  She laughed. “I would kill Scott if I lived with him, although Logan’s a possibility. Tyler is so happy most of the time, I would probably punch him. I guess Hunter wouldn’t be too terrible, but I already spend more than enough time with all of them.” Even Logan? I wondered.

  “You guys don’t hang out outside of work?”

  “Not really. We work long hours and sometimes in close quarters; we all need time away to recharge.”

  “Is that how it is for most teams?” I had never considered it, and my exposure to other teams was fairly limited.

  “I’d say so. Team Jaguar is definitely the exception, not the norm.”

  “Have they always been like that?” I asked as we headed down to the basement and I switched on the TV.

  “I’ve only been with Zenith for a few years, but yeah, they’ve always been closer than most, almost to the point of shutting out all outsiders.” She took a bite of a cookie. “Well, except you, that is,” she grinned as the beginning credits appeared on the screen. “I have to ask, is anything going on with you and . . . any of them?”

  “We’re just friends.”

  “But, you wish you were more?”

  I shrugged, hoping she would let it go for now. I liked Kara and could see us becoming close friends, but I wasn’t yet ready to answer that question truthfully.

  * * *

  “You better not be watching Arrow without me,” I chided as I walked down the stairs. But when I reached the lower steps, the next words died on my lips at the sight of Knox lifting weights. Sweat glistened on his back as his muscles flexed and relaxed. More like being the Arrow, I thought, seriously calculating Knox’s odds in a battle against Oliver Queen.

  When Knox placed his weights on the metal rack, he noticed me, removing his earbuds to speak. “Did you say something?” He wiped his forehead with a small towel.

  Say something. Did I say something? I should say something, right?

  “I’m off to class. I’ll be back later.”

  “Be safe. Did you want to watch an episode of Arrow when you get home?”

  “Definitely, as long as it’s not too late.” Don’t stare. Don’t stare. Don’t stare.

  “Well, considering we can work remotely tomorrow, I’m not opposed to staying up a little later than usual,” he said as he threw the towel over a shoulder.

  “Excellent point. Plus, I’m guessing we won’t have much time in Vegas to watch it, and then you’re leaving for Mexico,” I pouted playfully, “so we better load up now.”

  Hours later, I returned to the loft, dropping my stuff in my bedroom as Knox exited his. “You still want to watch TV, or are you off to bed?”

  “Are you kidding? I’m way too wound up to go to bed.”

  “And watching Arrow is going to help with that?” Knox said, chuckling.

  “No, but I don’t care. Now come on, we’re wasting precious time,” I said as I bounded toward the stairs.

  We took our usual places on the couch and Knox started the show. Even after all the episodes we had watched, I was still impressed with how quickly each one moved. Despite the action, my long day was catching up with me, and I was surprisingly drowsy once I finally relaxed on the couch. Only two episodes in, I struggled to keep my eyes open.

  Knox nudged me. “Haley,” he said softly, “why don’t you go to bed?”

  “No,” I groaned.

  “Fine, but I’m going to put something else on.”

  “Mhmm,” I murmured before drifting off to sleep.

  I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I heard a door shut in the distance, but I was too out of it to react. The TV played in the background, and somewhere in my mind, I knew I had fallen asleep on the couch and that I was too warm and cozy to really care about anything else. I drifted back to sleep until Knox stirred beside me, and I forced myself to open my eyes. Knox’s arm was wrapped around me, cradling me to his side, my head resting against him and my legs curled up beside me.

  I heard Theo’s familiar voice calling out, “Honey, I’m home!” as his steps bounded down the stairs to the basement. He must have heard the TV still playing and assumed we were awake. As excited as I was to see Theo, at the moment I was too tired to react with much enthusiasm.

  Knox grunted. “Theo, can you turn the volume down a notch?” I loved his rumbly sleepy voice.

  “Well, well, well,” Theo said, his voice smug. “Look how cozy you two have gotten with me out of the picture,” he joked. He had no idea; this wasn’t the first time Knox and I had woken up like this on the couch.

  Knox squeezed my shou
lder and straightened, creating space between us. “What time is it? I thought you weren’t coming home until tomorrow.”

  Theo glanced at his watch. “After one in the morning. We wrapped up yesterday and were all more than ready to come home. Not that I’ll even be here long since we’re leaving for Vegas in a day.”

  Finally more awake, I pushed my hair out of my face and stood. “I’m so glad you’re home,” I said and hugged Theo. He pulled me closer, nuzzling my neck and inhaling deeply, seemingly reluctant to let me go.

  Being in his arms felt good—almost too good, especially since I’d just fallen asleep wrapped up in his brother. I could have stayed like that for hours, but I forced myself to draw away. “As much as I’d love to stay up all night and catch up, I’m off to bed. See you at breakfast?”

  “Sounds great, beautiful.”

  The next morning, after a run with Knox, I took a shower and headed to the kitchen. I had almost finished making burritos when Theo emerged from his room, shirtless and barefoot, headed in the direction of his bathroom. I did a double-take, my eyes drawn to his freckles and the tattoos across his forearms. His body was still muscular and lean, but he seemed more fit than ever, and I attributed it to his training for his upcoming trip to climb El Gigante.

  Typically, it was rare to catch Knox or Theo shirtless when we were home at the loft. But within the past twenty-four hours, I had seen both of them walking around as if it was no big deal. I supposed to them it wasn’t, but for me, it was a major distraction.

  My phone chimed, signaling an incoming text message.

  Chase: Good morning. Can you meet up this afternoon—Verve Coffee?

  My mouth dropped open. Is this about the kiss? With the team leaving for Vegas tomorrow, it would be nice to finally clear the air, but the thought of actually doing so nearly made me sick to my stomach. I forced myself to respond, knowing that the sooner I faced this, the better.

  Me: Sure. What time?

  Chase: Meet you there at three?

  Me: See you then.

  A short time later, Theo bounded down the stairs, freshly showered. “Good morning, sunshine. Oh how I missed you.” He grinned.