Page 100 of Devious Knight

Dmitri looks away first and Mackenzie looks like her heart sinks. It’s only then that she glances at me, then she walks to the next aisle, disappearing behind the shelves of books.

“Are you two going to be like that forever?” I dare to ask. Usually when I see something like that, I say nothing.

“Maybe.”

“I heard she’s getting engaged to that asshole Levi at the end of the semester. Are you going to allow that to happen?” I sure wouldn’t.

Dmitri narrows his eyes at me. “I don’t know, yet.”

“You know. Maybe?—”

“Don’t. I can’t talk about it, Kade. Can’t talk about her.” Sadness fills his eyes. “Like I said, it’s not always easy to separate emotion from duty. Don’t end up like me, bro.”

He doesn’t give me a chance to respond. He turns and walks away, leaving me in deep contemplation.

We all seem to live in a tangled web of so many secrets. But nothing stays buried or secret forever.

Everything eventually comes to light.

Even for me.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Kade

“My god, look at you.” Parker looks me over as I walk into his office. “Have you grown again?”

“No, my Lord.”

He smirks and easily becomes the good-natured guy I know. “Don’t you dare call me that.”

“I wasn’t sure.”

“Well, now you can be. I’m still the same person.”

I grin back at him. “Just lord chancellor now.”

“Sure, kid, but I haven’t stopped being your godfather. Come on, let’s sit.” He points at the sofa area and leads the way.

I follow and we sit opposite each other. While he grabs two Cohiba cigars from the humidor on the coffee table, I observe him, wondering what the hell it was about him that upset Isabelle. Like he said, he’s still the same person. Nothing at all feels different about him. But maybe that’s just me.

Parker hands me a cigar and gives me a wolfish grin. “Don’t tell anyone I gave you this.”

“You know I won’t.”

We light up and smoke like we always do when we’re together. Last time I saw him, he took me camping in Norway for my birthday.

We sat on folded chairs by a frozen lake, watching the Aurora Borealis light up the night sky in a spectrum of magical colors.

It was the kind of birthday I needed; quiet and reflective. Not like the ones I was used to before my parents died.

“So, tell me, how are you doing here? Everywhere I go, people keep talking about you and football.” He gives me a proud-father smile and I imagine my father looking at me just like that if he were still alive.

“Things are good. You know I met with that scout for the Rangers before Christmas.”

“Yes. Has anything more happened?”

“Not yet. They’ll touch base with me about their camp before the summer. The problem is there are another two scouts after me.”

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