Page 34 of Knight

Isaac turns around in nothing but black silky boxers, clothes in one hand. His squinted eyes widen when he sees me, his lips turning into a smirk. Wiggling his hand in a “call me” gesture, he winks as he heads down the stairs.

“Miss Marion?” I duck back into Damien’s small hallway when I see his housekeeper making her way down the hall. Isobel, if I remember. “Miss Marion? Miss Cindy Huang is on the telephone for you.”

Peeking back around the corner, Damien’s aunt comes out of the same room Isaac came out of in a silk robe. There’s a long thin cigarette between her skinny fingers. “Ah, oui, merci.” She takes the phone from Isobel, and I take my time coming out of the hallway as she makes her way to the stairs, phone in hand.

“Cindy, how are you?” She’s damn near singing when she answers. “Yes. Mais oui.”

After I hear her at the bottom of the staircase, I tip-toe towards the stairs. She moves into the kitchen and I’m almost home free when her words throw me off.

“Don’t worry Cindy, if I get what I want, no one needs to know about our little … arrangement.” She laughs. “Oh, and Damien will be out of the picture. It is, how do you say, a win-win.”

Her footsteps come closer as she laughs again and I slip through the door, closing it as quiet as I can. I can see the Uber from the gate and while my mind is on getting out of there, Marion’s words swirl around my head.

Why is she dealing with Cindy Huang and what arrangement do they have? What’s their plan for Damien? Better yet, does she know something about what happened to my parents?

There’s one person with the answers.

And he has horns.

Eight

The Uber arrives at the school the same time I see Christian’s Jag pulling into the ERA parking lot.

It’s like Willow senses me because once I get out, her eyes are on me before she starts making her way over. She’s taking cautious steps as if she’s worried about what I’ll say. So I meet her halfway, her arms coming around me in a comforting tight squeeze.

“You made it,” she says, voice muffled in my leather jacket. I’m wearing Damien’s shirt underneath and it smells like him. I know because I couldn’t resist taking a couple of sniffs on the way here.

Like a goddamn fiend.

“You okay?” I push her back, her shoulders between my palms as I take in her appearance. She looks like nothing happened, her hair straightened to perfection. Mascara frames her beaming brown eyes, lipgloss in place on her wide lips.

“Mhm, Christian stayed in your room the entire night.” She gives me a smirk, a cock of her straight eyebrow. “We had breakfast together then he drove me to school.”

“What did Nancy and Eric say?”

“To have a good day,” Christian’s voice comes from behind. When I turn around he has his hockey stick and duffel bag in tow. He’s in his gym gear, green joggers and matching ERA hoodie. His eyes scan my attire and I catch his jaw clench before he forces a smile. “Another Jo Rowland spin on the ERA uniform? Looks good.”

He’s lying, but letting go of Willow, I twirl around like I’m part of a music box, trying to lighten the mood. “What can I say? I work with what I got.”

“And you do a good job at it.” The next smile he gives seems more genuine, his eyes sparkling in the morning late fall sun.

Willow’s head moves back and forth between us before she says, “So, how’s King?”

There goes Christian’s smile.

“I should find him,” I say, Marion’s conversation coming to mind. “He skipped out on me this morning.”

Christian chuckles, shaking his head, “Classic.” What’s that supposed to mean? My lips twist and he sees it, continuing, “I mean, I’m not surprised. It’s what he does.”

My eyebrows lower, knowing that this isn’t the first time I’ve spent a night with Damien. He doesn’t usually leave. Not always …

Bella and Jordan wave Willow over from the front doors and for once, Damien and his Supreme Squad aren’t holding court at the top of the stairs.

“I gotta go,” Willow says. “But we’ll talk later?”

“Here, I’ll go with you,” I say, but Christian stops me, his hand on mine as Willow skips up the stairs.

“Hey, wait.” He pulls me closer to him so I’m staring into those enchanting greens. “I was thinking we could skip Mr. Hill’s boring homeroom and grab some breakfast? Me and you. My treat.”

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