Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 159050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 795(@200wpm)___ 636(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 159050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 795(@200wpm)___ 636(@250wpm)___ 530(@300wpm)
Laurent whined like a kicked puppy and rubbed his face. “That is not what I meant. It’s just that at this time in our lives it’s really about time to consider starting a family.”
Knight didn’t know what to say to that. A family? Twenty-year-old Laurent wanted babies? “Oh... I mean, have you talked to him about this?”
Laurent punched the wall with a hiss. “How can we speak about such things when I can’t even afford an engagement ring that is worthy of representing my love for Beast?”
“Look, I don’t think Beast cares for such things. He loves you, and he doesn’t need jewelry as proof.”
“That doesn’t sound fair toward him. We live in a time when two men can marry, and I want to do things right. Which brings me to the conclusion of this whole godawful business. Would it be too much to ask of you, Knight, for you to lend me some money? It would need to stay between us. I am actively seeking more employment opportunities, but it’s not easy for me. I cannot wait two or three years with this.”
Knight would have liked to joke, to advise him that he should first make sure Beast was interested in formalizing their relationship, but when he looked at the lost, restless look in Laurent’s eyes he simply couldn’t do that to him.
“If it’s something you want, I can get you the cash. But I’m not gonna be lending to you. You’re my relative, and Beast is like a brother to me.”
Laurent covered his lips and Knight couldn’t help but think that his big eyes were so reminiscent of Elliot’s. “I would still be forever in your debt, but I’d understand if it was something your honor wouldn’t allow you to do.”
Knight smiled. As silly as this whole marriage idea had seemed at first, he was happy for them as well. He never thought Laurent would be the one to come up with the idea, though. Yet another reminder that his brain was fucking with him sometimes and enforcing stereotypes, even though he dedicated his life to living outside of social norms. “I’ll get you your ruby. Happy?”
Laurent nodded frantically. “You will never know how much this means to me. Thank you so, so much.” Laurent grabbed Knight’s hand and shook it with a wide smile.
Knight grinned and gave Laurent a manly hug for good measure. It suddenly struck him that it felt good to see such enthusiasm for another person. Laurent had only been with Beast for so short a time and yet he knew already he wanted to share everything with him. And even though they hadn’t explicitly talked about it, Knight knew that so did Beast. It made him think back to the relationships he’d been through, and while he didn’t consider himself in any way deprived in terms of love, none of them felt worth fighting for when things started going sour. All the girls were pretty, and he adored them, he adored spoiling them and showering them with gifts, but none of the women he used to love had understood him. And he didn’t understand them either. Their separate worlds joined only in time for relationship-related stuff, and never once had he truly missed any of them when he was away.
Was there something wrong with him, or was it that he simply hadn’t found the right woman yet? He enjoyed his freedom, but one could have a lover and still fuck around. He was not opposed to relationships as a concept. They just never felt intense enough to get more invested.
The beeping of his phone pulled Knight out of the embrace, and it was as if Beast knew what moment to choose. His text message only read, [My apartment. Now.]
Knight groaned. He kind of wanted to ask Elliot how he was doing after witnessing the slaughter at Martin’s house, but he supposed it could wait. “Your fiancé wants to talk to me.”
Laurent grinned and let him go. If only Knight could see the look on Beast’s face when the proposal happened. Beast would have died of embarrassment, and Knight would die to see that.
Without further ado, he made his way through the winding corridors, all the way to the place Beast shared with Laurent. He didn’t bother knocking and used the code to open the door. A storm was coming his way, and he wanted to be through with it as soon as possible.
“It was an accident,” he said as he walked in.
Beast turned to him with a twitch to the side of his face. “How do you murder a man with a hammer by accident?”
Knight spread his arms, not happy to see that Gray would be witness to this conversation. “I didn’t go into his house with the intention of killing him. It was self-defense. What did you want me to do? Propose to him?” His lips twitched and it was a struggle to stay serious when he looked into Beast’s reddened face.