Page 80 of Knot a Thief

The door opens, and Silas steps in.

It’s hot, and he’s only wearing a pair of shorts—his muscular body is in full view. I squeeze my thighs together. The memory of my heat comes back and I hate myself for the way my cheeks are burning.

Luckily, he’s not looking at me.

Not at first.

His eyes soften as he looks at his daughter as she draws, but harden slightly when they meet mine.

I swallow.

I wonder, not for the first time, what he thinks of all this. What he really thinks of me. And why he suddenly decided he wants me in Lily’s life.

“Lily,” he says gently, “would you like to go for a walk with Ava again?”

Lily jumps up, her face alight with excitement. “Yes, Daddy! Can we go to the beach?”

Silas nods, then turns to me. “If you’re feeling up to it,” he says, his tone neutral but his eyes searching my face.

I force another smile, standing up and reaching for Lily’s hand. “Of course,” I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. “I’d love to.”

As we head out, Lily chattering excitedly about seashells and sandcastles, I steel myself. Every moment outside is a chance to plan, to observe, to find a way out.

I’ll play their game for now. But I won’t let them win. Not when there’s so much more at stake now.

My hand instinctively goes to my stomach again. I may not have wanted this baby, but now that it’s here, I’ll do whatever it takes to give it a better life than this. A prisoner on this beautiful island.

Somehow, someway, we’ll escape.

We have to.

The sun beats down on us as we walk along the shoreline.

Lily runs ahead, squealing with delight as the waves chase her feet. I keep a watchful eye on her, but I can feel Silas’s gaze boring into me.

Finally, I can’t take the tension anymore. I turn to face him, my feet sinking slightly into the warm sand, but not as much as my heart sinks when he looks at me with what looks a lot like longing.

But I know I’m mistaken. I just don’t know why.

“Why don’t you like me?” I ask bluntly, raising my voice so it doesn’t get lost over the crash of the waves.

Silas’s face hardens, his jaw clenching. For a moment, I think he won’t answer. Then he speaks, his voice low and controlled. “It’s not that simple.”

I cross my arms, standing my ground. “Then explain it to me. Because from where I’m standing, you’ve disliked me from the moment I arrived. Probably before.”

He looks away, his eyes following Lily as she stoops to pick up a shell. “Like I told you, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me,” I challenge as my patience wears thin.

Silas turns back to me, his eyes flashing with an emotion I can’t quite place. Anger? Pain? “Her mother …” He starts, then hesitates.

I wait, my heart pounding. What could Lily’s mother have to do with his animosity towards me?

“Her mother,” Silas continues, his voice strained, “was an omega. Like you.”

I furrow my brow, confused. “And?”

Silas takes a deep breath, as if steeling himself. “And she left us. She couldn’t handle being with ... with someone like me.”

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