Page 61 of Knight

That stops Damien in his path of destruction. He glances at me before looking down and mumbling, “It’s not just a coin.” That’s all he says before he makes his way into his closet. Now I’m looking at Christian for answers.

Christian looks at Damien’s closet before he pinches his pants, pulling them up and crouching down so he can check under the bed. “It’s his mom’s,” he says, keeping his voice low.

But Damien hears it, “Mind your business, Perez!” He’s back in the room, his face red, swooping a hand through his hair. He pauses before he zeroes in on me, eyes narrowing. He’s walking towards me, those long confident strides and I know what he’s about to do. Assert his dominance.

I’m backed against the wall again, Damien’s face in front of me and god, I want to kiss him. My heart feels like it’s about to burst and I hate the way my body betrays me so easily. That is, until he asks, “Did you take it, Medusa?”

My head jerks back but it only hits the wall and I wince, Damien leaning his head to the side. I speak before he does, “No, I didn’t take your stupid coin.” He eyes me like he’s trying to crack a code, and then I’m reminded, he doesn’t trust me. “Do you think I took it? Like you thought I killed your dad?”

My eyes shut tight when I hear my words and Damien chuckles before …

CRUNCH!

Another hole in the wall.

“Miss Marion. Welcome back,” Isobel’s voice rings from downstairs before Marion’s melodic whistle carries down the hall.

“Still don’t trust me?” I ask, my voice doing that stupid airy thing while I’m doing my best to avoid staring at those soft, tempting lips.

Damien’s eyes narrow, those marbley eyes still boring into me before he lets up. Without another word, he leaves me and Christian staring at each other before we follow him.

“Where is it?” Damien’s voice is hard, firm and threatening. It shoots right through me and I see the vein in Marion’s neck when it gets to her too.

Christian and I stand on the second-floor balcony, looking into the foyer. Damien and Marion stand face-to-face.

“Where is what, darling?” she asks, a thick red shawl around her shoulders. Her hair looks flawless even in her messy updo. She gets more glamorous every time I see her. Even her stilettos sparkle.

“The silver dollar, Marion,” he replies. “Where is it?”

“You mean your silly little security blanket?” She laughs. “Mon dieu, I got rid of that old thing. I made a great sale! If you did more small deals—”

“Got rid of it?”

“Mais oui,” she nods. “At the auction. That’s also where I got this vintage purse. Do you like it?” She holds out the red patterned purse in her hand as if she’s admiring it all over again.

“That wasn’t yours to take,” Damien growls.

Marion studies his face before she sighs, “You are right. And I am sorry.” She reaches out to touch Damien’s chin but he pulls away. She huffs, “When I’m in charge of King Financial, you will see that all my decisions are good ones. Now, I have to change for dinner with the board.”

“My board?”

She laughs, “You are a child! You cannot run a board. Not with … ” Glancing up, she twists her nose, eyes on me before she returns it to Damien. “Not with your choices.” Marion saunters up the stairs, leaving Damien with closed fists as he stares at the wall.

“Hello,” she greets us as she makes her way down to Sebastien’s room. Of all the rooms in this place, she’s picked her dead brother’s. His bed’s hardly cold. A scream comes from down the hall before her loud question, “What happened to my room?”

“Your room?” Damien asks, nostrils flaring. “You think you run this shit?”

“This needs to be clean when I return,” she demands, her heels clicking against the floor when she pushes by me again.

Damien doesn’t sound as pissed as he looks when he says, “You’re not in charge here, Marion.”

Before she leaves, she turns around, one hand on the front door. “Well, I’m the only family you have.” And with a slam, she’s gone.

Damien paces the foyer, Christian and I watching him.

A moment goes by and it’s like Christian and I are too afraid to say anything. Too afraid to move when Damien picks up a vase and sends it flying at the piano, startling Isobel. “I’ll be back.”

“Shit,” Christian mutters.

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