CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

KNOX

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“Where is your husband?” I ask Bella, angered to see her looking so upset.

“Blake took Jamie home. She woke from her nap, and I wanted to stay,” Bella says, wiping her eye.

Jesus has she been crying?

I take her arm and lead her out of the room.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was talking to Leilani on the phone, and she thinks Dad might be sick and not telling us.”

Jesus.

“He said he wasn’t,” I state.

Bella shrugs. “I know. But...you know she lost her mom and so she said we should check to make sure he isn’t hiding anything. It is quite sudden, Knox.”

Fuck.

Leilani is Jacob’s wife, and her mom had died when the two met. She’d already lost her father as a teen, so this is a hot topic for her. One she would be very sensitive about.

I get why the two of them would have talked about this.

But damn, I wish one of their husbands had been present to shut this down.

Seeing my sister so upset always triggers me.

“It’s just her point of view, Bells,” I say, rubbing her arm again. “Why don’t you go see Dad tomorrow? Take Jamie and have a quiet lunch with him. He seems in good health to me.”

He was spinning Payton around the fucking dance floor just fine last weekend.

“God. You’re right. I thought you might know something and be protecting me as you always do.” She sniffs.

I laugh and bring her close, hugging her. “And I always will. But I won’t lie to you.”

“You would if Dad told you to keep it from us,” Bella argues.

I release her and glance down.

She might be right.

In fact, I can guarantee I would. If Dad was dying and asked me to keep it quiet from the rest of the family, I would be furious as hell and encourage him to tell them, but I wouldn’t break his trust.

It would be a very difficult position to be put in.

“Maybe, but he hasn’t,” I say sincerely and wipe a tear from her cheek. “Let me get one of the cars to take you home.”

“God, maybe I’m pregnant. I shouldn’t have lost my mind like that,” she says, and I lift my brows.

“Are you?”

She shrugs.

“Go home to Blake.” I shake my head at her. “Go see Dad. Little brother’s orders.”

“Stop using that ridiculous term. You might be eighteen months younger, but you are four times as big.” She slaps my chest. “Now please send your teary hormonal sister home.”

Lord, I hope she isn’t pregnant. I know Blake will want to punch me if I found out before him.

We walk back out to the main area, and I glance around for Payton.

“Levis.” I wave him over. “Can you book one of the drivers to take Bella home?”

“Yup.” He pulls out his phone and hands her his glass of whisky. She goes to take a sip and I tug it out of her hand.

Levis stares at me.

“Hey!” Bella cries.

“You two are weird,” Levis says and lifts the phone to his ear. “Hi, Levis Montgomery here...”

I kiss Bella on the cheek. “Call me tomorrow.”

She reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck, all clingy.

“Drunk and hormonal,” I mutter in her ear.

“Do I get a hug?” I hear Levis ask as I walk away in pursuit of the sexiest woman in the room.

Even though I shouldn’t.

But standing back and watching her mix and mingle with all the hungry men in this room is not an option.

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PAYTON

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CHRIST, DO THEY needto flaunt it?

I stand talking to Gordon and Billy, who are very good-looking men and made their interest clear the minute I met them.

Both are surgeons blah, blah, highly successful and something about heart surgery.

Meanwhile, I’ve been peering between them, watching Knox with that beautiful brunette woman.

When she threw her arms around him, I had to turn away.

“So you’re working at WME?” Gordon asks.

I nod. “I work for one of their suppliers. I’ve been working closely with Knox on the launch of this season’s collection.”

“Will you be modeling?” Billy winks and I laugh appropriately while inwardly rolling my eyes.

“This place is incredible,” Molly says, joining us. “Atlas took me on a tour.”

I bet he did.

She looks very flushed.

“How’s his bedroom?” I tease.

“Big,” she deadpans and shoots a glance toward the man himself.

I follow her line of sight and find him talking to Knox, who has finally walked away from his girlfriend.

“I can’t believe he has a date. He told me he doesn’t date,” I hiss.

“Who?” Molly asks.

“That beautiful brunette. Look at her, she’s gorgeous. Honestly, I expected him to be with someone like her.” I sigh and chug down my drink.

A server passes and I grab not one, not two, but three crackers with caviar on them.

Comfort eating can happen anywhere.

I shove them into my mouth and chew, then add, “Not that anyfwing woz possible, you mow.”

Molly frowns. “You said you fancied him, not like him. Like like like him.”

I giggle, and cracker pieces shoot from my mouth and nose.

Oops. Maybe I’ve had too much to drink.

Billy and Gordon jump back and give me a strange look and half laugh.

It”s clear they don’t think it”s funny.

“Wwooops.” I giggle some more and put my hand over my mouth. “How mwany wikes is that?”

I really need to swallow, but I’m laughing too hard.

“Okay, I think we might need some water here.” Molly chuckles and we head over to the kitchen.

The entire space is open plan, and the kitchen is separated by a large marble benchtop with a sink near one side of the room.

On it, there’s a handful of crystal glasses, expensive bottles of champagne, a range of spirits and mixes, along with a fruit bowl and small green leafy plant.

Molly finds a glass and fills it with water. “Here, or you will choke.”

I swap my flute for the water and chug it down. When I glance up, Knox is watching me. Damn, I probably shouldn’t have drunk those last two glasses so quickly.

At least I know he’s not single.

Maybe she’s an ex, but I don’t want a player. Clearly, there is still something happening between the two of them.

Maybe I’ll go out with Billy. Dad would probably approve of a surgeon in the family. It could make up for me not being a lawyer.

Knox walks around the bench, my eyes following his progress, and I hear Molly ask if she should leave.

“No.”

“Yes,” Knox growls.

Billy joins us. “You girls want some pot?”

“Yes, wait for me,” Molly says, dancing after him like she just escaped from prison.

Then it’s just me and the marketing director from Montgomery Enterprises. As I will now be referring to him.

“Having fun?” I ask, downing more of the water.

He opens his mouth to answer, and I add, “With your girrlllfriend.”

When his brows lift, I scoff. “You said you didn’t date.”

“I don’t.”

“Oh.” I glance around and see the woman has left. “Is she heading home to wait in your bed? My bad. I don’t know how these rich people things go.”

“Rich people things?”

It’s my turn to shrug. “Yeah. If you don’t date, I don’t know, do you pay them?”

His eyes turn dark.

“Careful Payton,” he growls.

“Careful Payton,” I chime childishly.

I push away from the bench and start to walk away. If he thinks he is going to flirt with me tonight, then go fuck that woman he is dreaming.

Knox grabs my arm. “Where are you going?”

“To get stoned.”