Page 140 of Vicious Knight

Chills rush down my spine. I’m aware that what we’re delving into is dangerous. The kind of dangerous you leave alone.

“You will be careful, Thorne. Won’t you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. You know as a Knight, I’m not exactly like most guys my age.”

Because he was trained to kill.

“I know. Still, I worry.”

“I’ll be careful. Providing I’m on the right track with the mercenary group, the next step would be to find out who hired them.”

I bring my hands together. They’re sweating from nerves. This is my least favorite subject, but it’s something we need to discuss. “That sounds like it might be incredibly difficult.”

“It will be, but even if I only find one person they’ve worked with in the past, that might give me more leads.” Thorne sounds optimistic. I’m using that to encourage myself. “Someone would have referred them. I just have to take things back as far as I can and hope that I get the answers we need.”

“Do you think we’ll really get them?”

“I have to believe we will. This is a lot further than I’ve ever gotten but I have to bear in mind that this is a new direction. It will present its own obstacles. I’m waiting to hear back from one of my sources.”

I press my lips and my thumbs together at the same time. “I keep thinking about my father at the Hallows.” I feel like I can talk a little more freely about my father now that the scar-faced man is in the picture.

Thorne reaches across the table and touches my cheek, his eyes softening. “I promise I will do everything I can to find this guy. I hope finding him will exonerate your father.”

Moisture gathers in my eyes. “You sound like you believe he had nothing to do with your family’s deaths.”

“Yes. I don’t believe he had a part in that.” He nods slowly, and my heart soars.

For years I waited to hear those words. The person who could have said them to me was Mom, but she wouldn’t even entertain any other truth but the one she was told.

“Thank you. That means a lot, Thorne.”

“I know.”

How strange that I was to stay away from anyone with the Ivanov surname, but I met the one who mattered most. He ended up believing me to the point where he’s willing to help me.

“Come on, let’s go back to my place. I need you again.”

I smile back at him, looking forward to spending the night with him.

“I’m just gonna wash my pizza hands and I’ll be right with you.”

“Hurry back.” He gives me a quick kiss before I get up.

I head to the ladies' restroom and wash my hands.

I thought I was alone in here, so when I hear a rustling sound at the end of the cubicle it makes me jump.

God, I’m so paranoid. I need to get ahold of myself. I’m in the bathroom, so there’s nothing to worry about. I walk down the mirrored aisle to dry my hands and check my hair.

I look down at the dryer and wave my hands under it to activate it, then I look back in the mirror. And my lungs seize when I see a man standing in the far corner behind me. A closer look causes my body to turn to ice when I realize it’s the scar-faced man staring back at me.

He smiles, and it’s the most gruesome sight.

I'm momentarily frozen, but I’m compelled to turn around and check that what I’m seeing is real.

In the split second it takes for me to turn my head and look, he's gone.

Literally gone. Like I imagined him being there.

---