Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

With Harper at his side, Knox made a public announcement the next evening while sat in his main Underground office. It went live on every screen throughout the subterranean ‘strip’—including in the bars, restaurants, casinos, and hotel rooms. He revealed his suspicions about Alethea’s killer, the matter of the incorporeal, and even the recent attempts by the incorporeal to get near Asher and to kill Knox. Just as he’d told the Primes, he also expressed his opinion that the last of the Horsemen obviously wasn’t as powerful as he’d like people to believe if he needed a minion to do his dirty work for him.

Yes, the latter would enrage the Horseman and might even prompt him into making another attack on Knox, but that would happen at some point anyway.

Afterwards, he settled Harper on his lap in his office chair and massaged her nape as he made some calls. It was just as he was ending one of said calls that there was a knock at the door. Recognizing the rhythmic rap of knuckles, Knox invited, “Come in.”

As he’d expected, Levi stalked inside. “I talked to Armand and others within the Force,” the sentinel said. “They made rounds of the strip, as ordered. Hearing you point out that the Horseman needed a minion seems to have lessened people’s fear. They’re naturally nervous that there’s a powerful incorporeal on the loose, but your lack of nerves appears to be keeping them from stressing over it—especially since you and Harper went strolling along the strip earlier and then had a meal like all was well.”

Knox gave a satisfied nod. “That was my intent, so good.”

Levi flung himself in the seat opposite his. “Our lair is pissed that the incorporeal went after Asher. I’m telling you, your kid has them all head over heels in love with him.”

Harper smiled. “Who wouldn’t love Asher? He’s too adorable for words.”

“True,” said Levi, mouth quirking. “He didn’t cuff you again when you tried to leave?”

“No. But he might have done if I hadn’t snuck out just to be on the safe side.” She’d touched Asher’s mind several times since she left the house and felt nothing but contentment and amusement. Larkin and Keenan were with him, and what better babysitters to have for your child than two badass, tough-as-fuck sentinels?

“How long do you think it will be before the Horseman strikes again?” asked Levi.

Knox twisted his mouth. “He’ll be livid that I practically dismissed him and branded him weak. Whether he retaliates quickly or slowly will depend on just how impulsive he is.”

Levi’s gaze slid to Harper. “I know you both said you wanted to resume your day-to-day activities. Does this mean you’re returning to work soon?”

Just the thought made Harper’s stomach go rock hard. “Not yet. Especially while all this shit is up in the air.”

Levi nodded. “Figured as much, but I wanted to check. Heard anything from Dion yet?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” replied Knox. “His letter came earlier today. He’s invited us to visit him tomorrow.”

Hiding her annoyance that he hadn’t told her of the letter sooner, Harper asked, “What time will we be leaving?”

“Not you, baby. Levi and I will go.”

Harper hiked up a brow. “Is that a fact?” So much for working together, she thought. Glaring at her mate, Harper said, “Levi, could you give Knox and me a minute alone, please?”

“I’m done here anyway.” The smile was clear in his voice.

Good luck,Levi said to Knox, pushing out of his seat.

Fuck off,Knox retorted. The second the door shut behind the sentinel, Knox put a finger to Harper’s mouth. “Before you light into me, hear me out. I’m not pushing you out of this fight—I said we’ll work together on dealing with the Horseman and the incorporeal, and we will. But I don’t want you coming with me to visit Dion. If I have my way, you’ll never be in the vicinity of him.”

“Why?”

“He collects the unique, and you are very much that. Your eyes alone would fascinate him. I want his focus on me and the matter of Alethea when I speak to him, not on you.”

She snorted. “I seriously doubt I’d fascinate him that much. Also, if he is the Horseman, his attention will definitely be on the matter of Alethea because he’ll worry he’s a suspect.”

“I know, but I don’t want him to worry he’s a suspect. I’ll make out like I’m there purely because I mean to speak with each of the people who Alethea spent time with before she disappeared. Of course, I’ll be taking a stab in the dark by implying that Dion was one of those people, but he doesn’t need to know that. He won’t buy that he’s not a suspect if you and I—two Primes—go there together. It will seem something much more formal. Threatening, even. And then he’ll likely shut down, and we won’t get the answers we need.”

Harper swore under her breath and then snapped her mouth shut. She wanted to poke holes in his case, but he made sense. Uncovering the identity of the Horseman was far more important than whether she got to accompany him to his meeting with Dion. Still, her demon was gonna sulk for sure. “I hate that I can’t argue with that.”

Knox kissed her forehead. “I know you do. And I’m sorry if it makes you feel left out, but we have to be smart.” Wanting to move off the topic before his very astute mate thought of a reason why it would be a good idea for her to accompany him, Knox curved his hand around her chin and said, “I saw your face when Levi asked if you intend to return to work soon. You don’t like the idea of going back to work, even though you miss it. Why?”

“I’m just not ready yet.” Harper had told herself that she’d begin working part-time once Asher reached nine months old. Maybe she’d be ready by then. Maybe not.

“It doesn’t make you a bad parent that you eventually want to return to work.”

“I know that. I really do.”

“But you stupidly feel guilty about it.”

She sighed, admitting, “But I stupidly feel guilty about it. You think I should go back?”

Releasing her chin, Knox glided his fingers down the column of her throat. “I don’t care whether you choose to return to work or be a stay-at-home-mom as long as you’re happy.” Knox doubted she’d find contentment in the latter, though. He knew how much she loved her job. He enjoyed watching her work. She had raw talent, a steady hand, immense focus, and a flair for design. “In any case, there’s no rush to decide.” He dipped his head, letting his mouth follow the path of his fingers as he brushed kisses down her throat. Latching onto her pulse, he sucked hard the way she liked it.

Harper tensed at the sound of her phone chiming. It had been like a hotline all day, and the main caller had been Drew. She’d canceled each call, believing it best not to speak to him. It would only piss Knox off and, well, there was nothing to say anyway. Plus, it was making things hard for Devon. Recalling the female hellcat’s phone call the previous night, Harper remembered how strained her voice had sounded …

“Hey, how are you?” Harper asked on answering the call.

“Fine,” said Devon, her tone friendly but awkward. She cleared her throat. “I wanted you to know that I spoke to Drew. He’s … upset that you found out about the tattoo. He wants to talk to you. I told him that it wouldn’t be possible and he should just get rid of the tat and go home.”

Harper swallowed. “Thanks, Devon. I hate that you must feel in the middle here.”

“I’m just grateful for the restraint Knox has shown so far. He’s so incredibly possessive of you that I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t kicked Drew’s ass.”

“If Drew wasn’t your brother and killing him wouldn’t cause a massive clusterfuck, I think he’d be nothing but ashes by now,” Harper admitted.

There was an awkward silence. “I have to go. Take care. And give Asher a kiss for me.”

Heart squeezing at the almost tortured note in her voice, Harper said, “Will do.”

The feel of Knox’s fingers doodling on her nape snapped her out of the memory. She noticed then that her phone had stopped ringing, thank God.

“Was that Drew again?” Knox asked, voice deceptively casual.

Harper gave a nonchalant shrug. “I don’t know.”

“Check.”

She flexed her fingers. “I’d rather not talk about him or—”

“Check.”

Knowing by the determined set to his jaw that he wouldn’t let this go, Harper pulled out her cell and saw that she had nine missed calls from Drew. The guy was nothing if not persistent. She almost jumped as it began to ring again, screen flashing. And, unsurprisingly, the caller was Drew.

Knox held out his hand. “Give it to me.”

She shot him a pained look. “Knox, just leave it. Answering the phone would only give him attention—”

“Baby, give me the phone,” Knox said, voice soft but insistent.

With a resigned sigh, she reluctantly handed it over to him for one reason only—if the situation had been reversed and another female was constantly calling him, Harper would have insisted on speaking with the bitch.

Knox swiped his thumb across the screen and answered, “Hello, Drew.”

Harper was close enough to hear Drew’s response: “I want to talk to Harper.”

“I guessed that much, since you’ve been calling her all day. I don’t know how you got my mate’s number, but this stops now. No calling her. No texting her. Don’t even think about her.”

“I’m leaving, just like you want. But I want to talk to her first.”

“I couldn’t give two fucks what you want, Clarke.”

“I wonder what she’d say if she knew you were taking her calls for her.”

Knox’s eyes met hers. “She’s sitting right here. On my lap. Wearing my brands. About to get fucked by me on my office desk.”

There was a loud hiss.

Eyes narrowing, Harper mouthed, “That was mean.”

“She can do better than you, Thorne.”

“And you think you would be better for her? Someone who put his need for a high before the needs of her?” Knox sounded mildly curious, toying with Drew.

“So maybe she can do better than both of us,” Drew allowed.

“She can. She’s singular. Extraordinary. No one in the world could compare to her. And she’s mine. I can’t stress enough just how important it is that you accept that. I’ve killed people for lesser reasons, and I would rather enjoy killing you. Don’t tempt me any more than you already have done.” Knox ended the call and slipped the phone back into her jacket pocket.

Face hard, Harper clipped, “Was that whole ‘she’s about to get fucked on my office desk’ really necessary?” She was annoyed with Drew, but she didn’t want to aggravate the situation.

“Yes, it was. For three reasons. One, I want him to have that image in his head just I have his memories of you in my head. Two, he needs to get the message that you’re mine and only mine.” Knox smoothed his hand up her thigh and dropped his voice an octave. “Three, you are about to get fucked on my desk.” He’d been imagining it since she first walked into his office, and he wasn’t going to let Clarke’s call mess with his plans.

“Oh, is that a fact?” Harper thought she did a good job of sounding disinterested, even as her body reacted to his dominant tone—heating, flushing, and practically humming with anticipation. It knew what that tone meant and was trained to respond to it.

“Yes, it’s very much a fact.”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to. Maybe I—” She gasped as he cupped her pussy hard above her jeans and pushed up with his palm.

“What have I told you, baby? Never keep what’s mine from me.”

Harper swallowed. His words were soft and gentle, but they carried a wealth of steel. He stroked her pussy, rubbing her clit with the heel of his hand and, God, that felt good. He’d been rough and demanding with her lately because Drew’s behavior was grating on his possessive streak. It was understandable. It also got her fucked a lot.

Knox’s mouth grazed her ear. “Countless times I’ve imagined spreading you out on my desk. Just as I’ve imagined you kneeling between my legs, sucking me off, right here in my office.” Sinking his hands into her hair, he plundered her mouth. Greedily feasted and savored until he was sure his head would spin. “Love this mouth. My mouth.” He angled her head and kissed her deeper. Hungrier. Claimed and possessed her lips just as he intended to possess her body. “Stand up, Harper.”

She should say no, Harper thought. She should tell him he didn’t need to constantly remind her that she was his. She should—

“Baby.” Again, his voice was soft, but there was steel there.

Standing, she sighed. “Look, Knox. You don’t have to keep … ” She sort of lost her train of thought as he unzipped his fly and pulled out his cock. It was thick and long, and looked almost aggressively hard. She felt herself go damp.

“Don’t have to keep what?” Fisting his cock, Knox pumped it once. Twice.

“Nothing.”

Knox spread his legs wider. “Come here, baby. I want that pretty mouth of yours wrapped around my cock.” He watched her reflexively stiffen. Watched her fight down the urge to defy him. “That’s my good girl.” To reward her, he thrust a psychic finger into her pussy and swirled it around, wrenching a soft moan out of her. Then he let it dissipate, giving her a look that said if she wanted more, she’d have to work for it. “Now do what I told you to do.” Placing her hands on his thighs, she slowly got to her knees. He swept her hair away from her face and said, “Very good.”

The moment Knox released his cock, she reached for it. She got a tight grip on the base, but she didn’t suck as he’d expected. She proceeded to torture him instead. Licked, nibbled, scratched, and stroked his dick, balls, and perineum until the muscles in his thighs bunched tight enough to ache. He hissed as she circled the head of his cock with her tongue and then flicked his frenulum just right.

He grabbed a fistful of her hair. “Quit playing, baby, I don’t have the fucking patience for it right now.” She didn’t make him wait any longer. She took him into her mouth and sucked so hard her cheeks hollowed. He groaned. “That’s it.”

Using his hold on her hair, Knox guided her movements, forcing her to suck at his pace; knowing just how deep she could take him before she choked. At the same time, he drove a psychic finger in her pussy and began to finger-fuck her. Her soft moans vibrated around his cock, making him ache to be in her. “Fuck, baby, that’s good.” So good he felt a telling tingle in his balls and knew he couldn’t take any more.

Snatching her head back, he traced her lips with his finger. “I like how swollen your mouth is right now.” He also liked how flushed her cheeks were. Liked that he could smell her arousal even from there. “Stand up and strip for me.” Rising fluidly, she kicked off her shoes and then shed her shirt and jeans. Knox grabbed the gusset of her panties and began pulling them down her legs. “Look how wet you made your panties, baby.” He held them up to show her, and her eyes flared. “Want me to eat you, Harper?”

A fine tremor worked through her body as he let the psychic finger dissipate inside her. “You know what I want,” she said, voice shaky.

“To come.”

Harper blinked, taken off guard, as psychic hands clasped her hips and lifted her. They propped her on the edge of the desk and then spread her legs wide, exposing her pussy. The cool air purring out of the air conditioner blew over her pussy. The way he stared at it—hungry, intense, like a predator that had honedin on its prey—made her inner walls quiver.

With a wave of his hand, Knox shoved aside the objects on the desk. “Lay back. Good girl.” He grabbed her thighs and pulled her closer. “Don’t come.”

Harper’s back arched as he pushed his face into her pussy and swiped his tongue between her folds. Jesus, that felt good. He sank his tongue inside her, tasting and swirling and scooping up every bit of cream. She moaned, bucking her hips, needing more.

Thanks to his psychic finger, her pussy felt on fire and was unbelievably sensitive. Each lick of his tongue both soothed and fed the blazing ache. Her orgasm was creeping toward her, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she tipped over the edge. “Knox, no more.”

His fingers tightened on her thighs, and the bite of pain brought her release that little bit closer. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the need to come. But it became harder and harder to fight as his mouth just kept on devastating her pussy.

“I love how you taste.” Like warm, sweet honey. Knox’s tongue did a little foray over the brand in the V of her thighs and then lapped at her once more. “Addictive.” He latched on her clit and suckled gently.

Hissing, Harper reached down to grab a tuft of his hair. She missed, because he rose to his feet. His predatory gaze raked over her, heating her even more, and his mouth then quirked in pure masculine satisfaction. That smugness should have rankled, but she was too damn turned on to care. “Why am I naked when you’re fully dressed?”

“Because I want you to be, baby.” Knox yanked her to him as he thrust forward, ruthlessly slamming his cock home. He closed his eyes as her pussy clamped around him like a hot fist, squeezing and rippling. Nothing in his life had ever felt better than his mate’s pussy—inferno hot and deliciously slick—wrapped so tight around him.

Knox closed his hands around her breasts and squeezed the creamy mounds. He could feel her heart beating through her pussy. “Hook your legs over my shoulders, baby. Good girl.” He fucked her hard. Brutally rammed into her like there was a fever in his blood. Because there was. Her. She was the fever.

She wasn’t just deep under his skin. She was in his blood, bones, cells—everywhere. Filled and soothed every fracture and void inside him.

He plucked at her nipple ring, loving the way it made her inner walls quake around his cock. He would have leaned over and sucked that ring into his mouth if he wasn’t so busy watching his cock—shiny with her cream—slamming into her over and over. The sight made his balls tighten. He kept driving hard and fast, unable to get enough. It had always been that way with Harper. She was a thirst he couldn’t quite quench. A hunger he’d never fully sate. A drug he’d forever crave.

Harper blinked as he suddenly yanked her to feet, roughly spun her, and then bent her over the desk. “What the—” Her mouth fell open as he forcefully shoved every long thick inch of his cock deep in her pussy, hitting a spot that made her groan. Keeping her pinned with a hand on her nape, he hammered into her again. Merciless. Frantic. Winding her tighter and tighter.

She would never admit aloud that she liked it when he held her down, giving her no choice but to take what he gave her. Never admit she liked the dominant way he often—

He landed a sharp slap on her ass, and Harper’s head snapped up. “Ow! That was hard!” Ignoring her, he did it again. And again. Each slap was harder than the one before. She scowled at him over her shoulder. “Stop slapping my ass!”

His eyes bled to black as his demon rose. “You don’t want to be spanked, little sphinx?” it asked.

Not at all liking the dark note in its tone, she hedged, “Um, well … ” A prickly heat suddenly blazed from the palm pressed on her ass—a burn that quickly became pleasure. Her eyes widened as realization hit her. “Oh God, no.” The fucker was branding her ass.

The demon upped its pace, pounding into her like it wanted her sore. The sadistic shit probably did. “One day, I’m going to leave a brand inside you,” it told her. “Yes, little sphinx, I’m going to shove my fingers deep and brand you right there.”

Harper’s hands curled, nails scraping the desk. Pleasure, pain—both had blended until she didn’t know the difference. Her release was so damn close she could almost taste it, and she was sure that it would strike hard and hit her like a freight train.

Just as the prickly burn on her ass began to fade, the pounding thrusts eased a little, and she knew Knox had resurfaced. “Knox, I—” He landed a harsh slap on her throbbing, newly branded flesh. Like that, a powerful shockwave of pleasure/pain jolted through her, and that was it—she was gone.

Her mouth opened in a silent scream as a powerful orgasm forcefully ripped through her, imploding her, making her pussy contract and milk the cock still slamming into her. Teeth sank into the back of her shoulder as Knox stiffened above her, and then she felt every hot splash of his come.

Slumping on the desk, Harper panted. Thoughts hazy, she started to drift up until a hot tongue lapped at the bite on her shoulder. She almost shivered when he then straightened, baring her back to the cool air. As fingers lightly probed the new brand on her ass, she squeezed her eyes shut. “I can’t decide if I want to know what it looks like.”

He hesitated. “It’s a very pretty intricate swirl of thorns.”

Was that amusement she heard in his voice? Harper stiffened. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“I’m not sure you’ll want to know.”

Yep, that was definitely amusement. She lifted her head. “Seriously, what’s funny? What did your damn demon do this time?”

“There. I’ve snapped a photo of it.”

“What?” She tried to stand, but his body covered hers once more. “Don’t take photos of my ass, you—oh, my God.” She could only gape at the screen of his cell phone as he slid it in front of her face. The brand was, as he’d said, an intricate swirl of thorns … in the shape of a “K”. “Your demon’s territorialism knows no boundaries.”

“Hmm.” Still fluttering his fingers over the brand, he pressed a kiss to her neck, his mouth curved.

She twisted her head to meet his eyes, and found that they were glittering with male satisfaction. “You like it,” she accused.

He shrugged one shoulder. “You have the initial of my first name on your ass. What’s not to like?”

Harper shook her head, gaping. “You’re unbelievable. Really.” And so was her inner demon, since the weirdo also liked it.

He pressed another kiss to her neck. “I should have guessed my demon would brand you again. Drew’s presence is playing on its possessiveness.”

“And on yours.”

“And on mine.”

Feeling his cock thickening inside her once more, Harper’s brows rose. “You really, really like the brand, don’t you?”

He scraped his teeth over the crook of her neck. “I want you again. But this time, you’ll ride me while I sit in my chair.”

The entire time she did, his hand cupped the brand on her ass. Hell, yeah, he liked the brand.