Chapter 15

Knox

I slipped up earlier, I never should have told her it would break me to kill her.

If it turns out that she did end my sister's life because she was a drunk coward and left her in that car while she fled, I will skin her alive and deal with the repercussions later. After showering, I found her some clothes and dragged her out to the living room where she has sat silently for the past hour while Tay cooked dinner. By cooking dinner, I mean he picked up the phone and ordered Chinese, then sent one of the guys to pick it up. He"s plating it all up while Xander and I lean against the counter sipping a beer each.

"Jerry called while you were… busy." I shoot Taylan a warning glare to shut his fucking mouth, the bastard just smirks. I look over at Lakeland who is still staring at the TV screen, it's obvious she is lost in her own thoughts. "What are you going to do when you meet up with Knight?"

"What are you trying to play at here?" I snap at my best friend who looks taken back by my pissed off tone.

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since I brought her back you have played the savior and tried to intervene at every turn, why?"

Taylan drops the fried rice container and closes the space between him and I, getting nose to nose with me. Xander shifts, ready to step between us if he has to.

"What are you going to do if those records come back saying she did lose her memory and you were wrong all these years, huh?" The fucker doesn't give me a chance to answer. "How are you going to be able to live with the guilt knowing you thought the worst of the person you were supposed to love most in this world and left her alone to be used and manipulated by her father? I mean, if they come back and show she is faking it, why not just sell her off to Gio? Get rid of her once and for all." Without thinking my hand wraps around his throat and I drive him back until he smacks into the fridge with a grunt. Xander grabs at me but I shake him off. I open my mouth but no words come out. Tay shakes his head and shoves me off him. Stumbling back a step, I catch myself on the edge of the counter. "Decide now what your fucking choice is before you find out the truth. If it says what I think it does and one day she does remember everything, this will be the moment she remembers most. She'll remember you blaming her and doubting her because you chose to hold onto your hatred."

"My sister is fucking dead," I say in an even tone, making his eyes soften.

"I know, but Lake isn't. You need to understand that Wave may not have been our blood but we share in the pain of your loss, Knox. She wasn't just some girl to Xander and me, she was the sister we never had. Losing her and now… River, I don't think I could cope with losing Lake as well."

"Boss, we got a problem." The three of us turn to see Floyd standing in the doorway looking pissed.

"What is it?" Xander asks. Floyd chews on his lips for a second before looking at me.

"You're all over the news and it seems Gio is the one leading the manhunt for his friend"s kidnapped daughter with Percy and Karl at his side." The three of us rush into the living room and change the channel to the news. We're immediately greeted by the sight of Giovani Dario"s hideous mug. Percy stands behind him with a distraught look on his face but it"s the sight of Karl that angers me most. That motherfucker is supposed to be neutral and not choose sides in another families war, yet there he stands beside my enemies.

"We ask that the man who kidnapped Mr. Deveraux"s daughter do the right thing and let her go. Lakeland has a medical condition and needs to be tended to daily by a nurse. She has been without her medication for days, without those she will be suffering." I spy the woman herself shifting forward on the couch. The camera shifts from Gio and goes back to the news woman.

"Police are searching for this man pictured in the image above." The screen shifts to show a picture of me from three years ago. "The man is believed to be Knox Bronson?—"

"Son of a whore," Xander grits out. I stare at the screen, not hearing a word this bitch is saying. The guys begin discussing what we do next but there isn't anything we can do. I own a shitload of properties and businesses under my name, they are legit but I'm worried the more they dig into my past they will find the skeletons I have buried which could cause a shitload of trouble for me. The sound of my phone ringing pulls me from my thoughts. Pulling it from my pocket I see it's Ian–the leader of the English.

Answering the call I bring it to my ear. "What?" I snarl.

"You may run Canada, boy, but I have friends there that are telling me you have a lot of heat on you right now." I mouth to Xander and Taylan that it's Ian before I place the call on speaker for them to hear.

"Seems your partner is in on this shit. You know what that means, right?"

"Now, you listen to me, Knox. I've pulled all my men back from any work with Karl and the Irish. I will stand clear of this shit." Suspicion curls inside me.

"Why?"

"I'm a businessman not a nark. Karl may be seen in the pictures but as far as the treaty goes, he hasn't broken the rules. He hasn't come forward and said a thing to the news, you can't go after him without breaching the treaty yourself."

"Why the fuck do you care? You and Karl have been gunning for me since I cut off my ports to you and refused to allow you to ship women and children." Lakeland's face is a mask of outrage and disgust at hearing that.

"I don't want a war. You may be separate countries, but the moment you go to war with me and Karl over this misunderstanding, I have no doubt The Murdoch's will aid you."

I scoff. "Bishop doesn't owe me shit–"

"He may not owe you personally but he will fight alongside you. By ending the two of us he would have ended the skin trade and we all know that is his ultimate goal here. I want no part of a war, Karl is on his own here. We have a meeting shortly with the heads, don't bring your shit to the table, boy. If you do, they will see you as weak. I have nothing against you, Knox, you seem like a level headed kid. Don't make me regret pulling my men back from Karl who has been a friend for decades." He ends the call, leaving me standing here, mulling over his words—the fucker is cryptic as hell.

"Karl's on his own," Tay says drawing my attention to him.

I nod before looking at Lakeland as I speak. "We need to pack up and move, they know my name now so they will raid all the properties. We head to Jersey City to meet up with Knight, and then go to the meeting and gauge Karl's intentions from there before we go after Gio." I can't kill Karl without risking the other families coming after me. This treaty is something that has benefited us all and I won't be the one to break it. If I do, I'll have the Greeks, Russians, English, Irish and the entirety of the US on my ass.

"We need a plan," Xander says.

"We need to move within the hour," Floyd tacks on.

"I'll get the guys packing now, we need to get to the private airstrip before they block the roads," Taylan adds.

"Get the pilots ready to fly within three hours," I respond.

"I'm not leaving without seeing my sister." The four of us all turn to Lake as she climbs to her feet and stares directly at me. "Take me to her and I'll willingly go with you, deny me and I will fight and scream at the top of my lungs to anyone who will listen and tell them who I truly am."

"You would go back to your father, you know that, right?" Tay gently says.

"I won't go back to him but I will not leave without seeing River. You told me you know what it's like to lose a sibling, would you go without being able to say goodbye to your sister?" Scrubbing a hand down my face in agitation, I shake my head reluctantly. She stares at me waiting for my response. I weigh up all our options and the prospect of being caught but all of that is outweighed by the fact she is right, if roles were reversed I wouldn't go anywhere without seeing my sister. I would give anything in this fucking world to see my twin one more time. With my mind made up, I turn to Floyd.

"I want this house scrubbed and everyone at the airstrip within the hour. Call Patrick and tell him to clear out my house and set my mom up somewhere else until the heat dies down." Floyd nods and races off to do as I instructed. Turning to the guys next I say, "Get your shit, you two ride with me." Xander nods and stalks off while Taylan shoots me a smile and nods proudly.

"Good choice, brother, good fucking choice." Ignoring him I focus on Lake.

"You listen to everything I say, you disobey me once and you?—"

"Take me to her and I'll do everything you say." Reluctantly I nod and turn to go get my shit. "Knox?" Pausing, I peer at her over my shoulder and watch as she nibbles her bottom lip.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," she mutters. My brows raise and I roll my lips over my teeth to keep from smiling, she looks pained at having to say those words.

Twenty minutes later we pull up out front of the funeral home. I clasp Lake's hand in mine, telling myself I'm only holding it because I don't want her to run. Jerry meets us at the front and leads us through the building, the closer we get to the morgue in the back the tighter her grip gets. I say nothing knowing exactly how she is feeling, it's been six years since Wave left me but I remember it like it was yesterday, the feeling and the trepidation of what comes next in life without them.

The instant we pass through the swinging doors, a chill washes over me from the cold temperature in here. Jerry moves toward the middle of the room where a body lies covered by a white sheet. Lakeland pries her hand free of mine and hesitantly moves toward Jerry who stands silently waiting. Xan and Tay come to stand on either side of me, giving her space and time with her sister before we say our final goodbyes. As she reaches the edge of the metal table she grips the edge and drops her chin to her chest. Tay nudges me with his shoulder earning a glare.

"Go to her," he whispers.

I shake my head. "No."

"Pussy," he snarls before rushing forward and placing a hand on her back in support. "Whenever you are ready, Lay, give us a nod and Jerry will uncover her for you." A soft whimper escapes her at Tay's words and suddenly I hate my best friend for being able to know what to say and being man enough to let go of his hate. Unlike him, I can't let go until I know for sure.

"Okay," she whispers and nods her head. Jerry steps forward and peels the white sheet back, exposing only River's face. "Oh God," she cries out just as her legs give out. Tay is quick to wrap an arm around her waist and hold her up as she screams. I can feel her pain through the anguished screams. Fuck, my legs carry me across the room without consent. Suddenly Taylan isn't the one holding her but I am. I bury her face in my chest and hold her as she breaks down.

I turn and peer down at Riverland Deveraux, one of the most badass women I have ever met in my life. She took no shit from anyone and whenever she was told she couldn't do something the stubborn bitch would do everything in her power to prove you wrong. No matter how hard it was or how long it took, she would always prove you wrong. I shoot Taylan a pleading look to help me. Lakeland continues to claw at my sides and arms as I hold her, she hasn't stopped screaming and I'm beginning to worry she will black out soon.

"You are nothing but a weak ass pussy," he says. My eyes widen at the fucking dickhead. Lakeland suddenly pulls free of my hold and spins around to face Taylan as he stares down at her sister.

"What?" Lake snarls. Tay smirks and turns his sad eyes to her.

"That is the first thing your sister said to me when we met." I frown trying to recall the memory.

"What the fuck are you smiling at, asshole?" I turn to Xander who saunters forward with a sad smile on his face.

"Huh?" Lake says. Xan stands opposite us, forcing Jerry to move as he looks to Lakeland.

"That is the first thing she said to me." Lay smiles and wipes the tears from her cheeks before turning to face me. The three of them eye me expectantly, rolling my own eyes and groaning I add.

"You look like the type to overcompensate for having a little dick." A burst of laughter comes from Lake before she quickly covers her mouth to silence it. I narrow my eyes at the little shit. "I'm sure you can attest to the fact my cock is anything but little," I growl. Her eyes widen a fraction before she tears her gaze from me to look at Taylan.

"How did you even know my sister?" Tay chuckles and within a split second Xan and I both join in shaking our heads. Our laughter grows as each of us gets lost in the first time we met the spitfire that is Riverland.

"We all went to school together and one day Knox pissed off the wrong group of guys–"

She cuts Xan off. "Wait, you went to school with us?" Xander snorts and shakes his head.

"No. We were dirt poor so there is no way we could afford your private school tuition." A frown mars her face, I can see she is trying to put the puzzle pieces together in her own head. "Your sister was walking home and spotted the group Knox had pissed off picking on Waverly." At the mention of my sister's name she flinches and grinds her teeth in pain. Xan looks at me and I nod for him to continue wanting to see what happens if we keep talking about the past. "Instead of being a rich snob like we thought all those private school pricks were, she stopped and ended up beating the three of them, even breaking one of their noses before we could get there."

"When we got there after they ran off, she tried to have a go at us until Wave stopped her. She was willing to fight for a poor girl she had never met. We had never met a rich kid that wasn't an asshole so we were shocked until she opened her mouth and tore the three of us down with just her words," Tay adds on, smiling.

I clear my throat, drawing her attention to me as I speak. "She started hanging around us and we found out we really liked her."

"How old was she?"

"Sixteen."

Her lips purse. "I would have been thirteen."

I nod. "She had told us all about you and you must remember her bringing you around to hang out with us?" I push, Xander and Taylan both watch her closely for any sign of recognition but all I see in her eyes is confusion and frustration.

"I…" She clamps her mouth closed and takes a deep breath. "I don't know any of you," she mutters bitterly.

"That's okay. How about we share stories of her later when we're on the road. I don't mean to be a dick but we're running out of time, Lay," Tay says with a smile. I'm starting to hate how he fucking looks and talks to her, even worse I hate that she fucking responds to him.