Page 101 of Devious Knight

He laughs heartily. “Fantastic news. Keep them coming, son.”

“I’ll try. I guess I’m supposed to keep winning until something else happens.”

“Which you are.”

“I am.”

“I can’t wait to see you play tonight. I haven’t been to one of your games since high school.”

“It will be good to have you there.”

“It will be great to be there.” His voice fills with more pride.

I’ve always had confidence in my abilities, but when I moved to New York after my parents' deaths and the rough patch I had, Parker came to watch me knowing I’d be nervous playing for a new school. I know I only played as well as I did that day because of him.

“I’m guessing you and Dmitri still play the way you do.”

“Couldn’t do it without him. We’re hoping to play for the same team after graduation, then I suppose when we retire we can run our businesses together. The way our fathers did.”

It’s a conflict of interest in the sports world to play on a team that you own, so it will be a long time before Dmitri or I reap the benefits of owning our own teams.

“Your father would be so damn proud of you. He lives through you. I can see it. Damon was devastated when that injury took him out of the game, but he had you, and then he had the idea to buy a team. That’s what you call legacy.”

When anyone talks about my father it always hits home. But being compared to him, the great Damon Gurkovsky, is an honor. My father played right through college and two years after, until he busted his knee scoring his last touchdown. His team won but that was the last time he ever played pro ball.

“Thank you. I hope to make him proud.”

“Believe me. You already have.” The sting of grief dulls his eyes. “He would have been proud of you even if you did nothing but be his son.”

“That was one thing I loved about Dad. He never forced me to do anything. Everything I ever wanted to do was because I wanted it.” I pause for a moment and allow my mind to drift back to the past and linger on the image of my father smiling at me at one of my games.

“That sounds exactly like my best friend.”

I wish I could tell him that I’ve got the man responsible for killing my parents in my grasp, but I hold my tongue. Once all is said and done, I’ll speak out. Then we can celebrate, and maybe I’ll be able to put the past behind me. Perhaps the people affected by their deaths can, too.

“It’ll be epic to see what you become while I’m here.” Parker resumes his previous lightheartedness. “But that does mean you’re stuck with me for the next three and a half years.” He chuckles, then takes a drag on his cigar.

“I’m sure it will beat the last three years. How are you settling in? Aren’t you going to miss traveling around the world?” I was surprised when he accepted this job but I heard that Aleksander Ivanov reached out to him directly to offer him the position.

Before my parents died Parker had a regular nine-to-five job at the art museum in New York. He loved being around art but hated being in one place for so long.

“Sure, I’ll miss it, but when the leader of the Knights asks you to do something, you do it. I was shocked to say the least but it’s a real honor to be Lord Chancellor of Raventhorn University.”

“I imagine so. Congratulations again.”

“Thanks. Enough about me now. I want to hear more about you.” He throws a playful punch in my shoulder. “Tell me about life outside football and college. Do you have a girlfriend yet?”

The question doesn’t surprise me. Parker never got married because he could never settle down. He always had a different woman on his arm every time I saw him. It’s odd for a Knight because everyone is expected to get married after graduation. It’s not uncommon, though.

“No girlfriend yet,” I reply, but the moment the words leave my lips, I think of Isabelle again.

She’s not my girlfriend but she’s the only girl I’ve ever obsessed over.

“Don’t tell me you're taking a leaf out of my book.”

I puff on my cigar. “No, but how about we'll see?”

“I like that answer.”

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