Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73724 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73724 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“Okay.”
I watch as she injects the medication into the IV. When she’s done, she asks, “Do you want to eat something while you’re up?”
I shake my head.
“Bring food, Jasmine,” Knight mutters. “I’ll make sure she eats.”
“I’m not hungry,” I argue.
“Doesn’t matter.”
Jasmine hightails it out of the room while Knight moves closer and places his palm over my forehead.
Seemingly pleased with my temperature, he asks, “Is the pain better?”
It is. I’ve been so focused on the man I didn’t even realize the pain meds started working.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
Knight checks the time on his wristwatch, then mutters, “It’s six-forty-three pm.”
I didn’t ask, but okay.
An uncomfortable silence falls between us, making me remember how I cried in front of him.
Shit. Why did I do that?
“About earlier.” I clear my throat. “Don’t tell anyone.”
He nods.
The uncomfortable silence returns, feeling thicker than before, and it has me asking the first thing I can think of. “What’s your real name? I assume Knight is a nickname?”
“Knight is my last name,” he grumbles while his eyes lock on me with an intense expression I can’t place.
“What’s your first name?”
“Lincoln.” He takes a breath then adds, “My friends used to call me Link.”
“Used to? You don’t have friends anymore?”
He stares at me for the longest moment before he replies, “No. I don’t. They are from before –”
He stops talking the instant Jasmine returns with a tray. I wish she could’ve taken a little longer.
Slowly, I sit up in bed, and when she lifts the silver food cover, the delicious aroma of roast beef, butternut squash, and creamed spinach hits my nostrils.
Fine. I’ll eat a little.
I smile at Jasmine. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She glances at Knight, then asks, “Are you going to eat?”
“I’ll grab something later,” he replies.
“I can bring you a tray,” she offers.
“Yes, he’ll eat. You can bring the food, Jasmine,” I answer on behalf of Knight. “Thank you.”
I can feel his eyes burning on me while she leaves the room, and avoiding his gaze, I take a bite of the sweet butternut.
After swallowing, I say, “You’re going to thank me once you taste the food.”
“It smells good,” he mentions.
I take another couple of bites, then risk a glance at him. “So…no friends?”
I’m only given a nod.
“Do you prefer being called Knight, Lincoln, or Link?”
He shrugs. “Doesn’t matter.”
I pause eating so I can focus on him as I ask, “So I can call you Lincoln?”
He doesn’t look bothered as he replies, “Sure.”
I stare at him for a moment, then ask, “What ruffles your feathers, Lincoln?”
The man doesn’t break eye contact, and I quickly realize I’ll lose a staring competition against him.
“Not much,” he mutters.
So what does it mean that I ruffled his feathers earlier?
Remembering how he gripped my chin while laying down the law has my heart skipping a beat. I was angry when we were arguing. But now I think having the man who took down an army of Russian soldiers protecting me is…hot.
A slight frown forms on my forehead, but before I can overthink things, Jasmine comes into the room again.
She places a tray on the small table in the corner. “Enjoy the food.”
Knight waits for her to leave before he takes a seat at the table. His eyes flick to me while he removes the food cover, then he orders, “Eat, Cassia.”
Right.
I shove a bite of creamed spinach into my mouth and glance at the drawn blinds obstructing my view of the hallway. Remembering how Knight shut the door and blinds before holding me has me wondering about him.
I was almost asleep when I heard him talk about his sister. It shocked me and brought my own grief to the surface.
Before I can think twice about it, the question leaves my lips. “What did you do before you became a killer?”
He uses the fabric napkin to wipe his mouth, then answers, “I was a Navy Seal with the US Navy.”
His reply surprises the living hell out of me.
Jesus, what happened to his sister that turned a Navy Seal into a cold-blooded killer?
His eyes meet mine, and he must see the question on my face because he answers, “She was kidnapped while I was away on a tour. They sold her into sex slavery, and when I found her, it was too late.”
Not only do his words hit hard, but the gruffness of his voice makes goosebumps spread over my skin.
My lips part on a gasp as I stare at Knight. I take in the lines by his eyes and mouth, realizing they’ve been carved into his skin by grief.
God.
I suck in a slow breath as the curtain of mystery is drawn back, revealing the man behind the gun.
I take in his short black hair, strong features, and dark eyebrows. My eyes lock with his dark green ones, and all I see is a world of pain.