Page 9 of Knox

“You were always your mother’s favorite, Danny.” My father looked angrier than I could ever remember seeing him. “But she’d be ashamed of you if she were still alive.”

“So your mother really is dead?” The woman looked like she was simultaneously on the verge of tears and tearing Danny’s heart out with her bare hands. “I guess that’s one thing you told the truth about.”

“Honey, I --”

“Save it,” she bit out. “I can’t think about this right now.” She rubbed her tummy, obviously comforting herself. This woman was as much a victim as Evelyn. Maybe more. Evelyn hadn’t moved once she’d tucked her face against my shoulder.

“Knox.” Dad lifted an eyebrow at me. “Remove them from this situation. Please.” He asked nicely, but it was a clear order from a man who expected to be obeyed.

I nodded my head. “Luke. Aneshya. Let’s get your mom in the truck and settled. Then we’ll all go… home.”

“I want to hear what Grandpa has to say to Danny,” Luke said stubbornly.

“I know you do. But your mom needs you right now. Both of you.”

“She needs Grandpa too,” Aneshya said softly, obviously confused and not sure what to think. If she’d put it together, I couldn’t tell, but Luke certainly had. I’d bet my left nut the kid knew his dad had another woman before we’d seen the proof. And it sounded that, though he had two kids by Evelyn, she was the side piece. Not this woman.

No matter what happened next, this wasn’t going to end well. “Come on, Dad. It’s done. Let it go for now. Evelyn needs us all.”

Dad lifted an eyebrow. “Us? So you’re part of this family now?” Yeah. Dad was good and pissed. Which meant no one in the wrong was going to get off easy. That included me.

“I have a good reason. Which I’ll happily tell you. Later.”

“Fine,” he grumbled. “You’re right.” He turned back to Danny. “You need to be prepared to give us all an explanation.”

“I don’t have to tell you nothin’, old man.”

My father took two steps toward Danny, then he backhanded him. “You’ve disrespected me for the last time,” he snarled. “Do not come home unless you’re prepared to tell me what the fuck is goin’ on, son. You do, there’ll be more where that came from.”

“Everything all right here?”

Shit. Two nurses stood in the doorway. Likely, they’d either seen or heard my dad hit Danny.

“Yeah. Everything’s fine.” Danny glared at my dad but turned away when Dad stared him down.

“We were just leaving.” Dad took Aneshya’s hand and gently guided her to the door. Luke lingered behind.

“You’re not our father anymore.” He lifted his chin. “Don’t bother my mom. You do, I’ll kill you.”

Danny didn’t say anything. Hell, he couldn’t even look Luke in the eyes. To his credit, Luke never wavered. He stood there until Danny finally looked up, acknowledging his son. Then Luke turned and walked out the door, following his grandfather and sister. I brought up the rear with a trembling Evelyn in my arms. That was the moment I decided they were all mine. I’d take care of them. I’d protect them. And if Danny showed his fuckin’ head anywhere near any of them ever again, Luke wouldn’t have to kill him. I would.

Chapter Three

Evelyn

I didn’t know what to think. I guess somewhere deep inside me that I’d never acknowledged existed, I knew Danny had something going on. Granted, I wasn’t expecting this. But it actually made sense in a way.

“Danny moved in with me right before I found out I was pregnant with Luke,” I murmured. I wasn’t certain who I was talking to. Musing to myself out loud, I guess. We were in Knox’s truck, headed to Mr. Knoxville’s house. I’d never known he’d had an actual house. Why was he living in that apartment if he had a perfectly good house? “I guess I just got so used to him being with me I never wondered why we hadn’t gotten married.” I sniffed. “I mean, I guess I should have known. Looking back, he was only home about half the week. Sometimes longer. Sometimes he’d be gone for a couple weeks or more at a time. You know. For work.” I sounded like I was in shock. I suppose I was.

“Honey, there’s gonna be plenty of time to sort this all out.” Mr. Knoxville gripped my shoulder from where he sat in the back seat. Grover. I had to start thinking of him as Grover. If I pissed him off, he might not let me stay with him, and I had nowhere else to go. What if he decided he wanted to take my children? I mean, they were his grandchildren, and he was the one who could give them a roof over their heads and a safe place to stay.

“No one’s gonna take your children, Evelyn.”

“Not on your life!”

Both men spoke over top of each other. Vehemently.

Had I said that out loud?

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