Page 4 of Dear John

But I put a smile on my face and pretended I was happy. “You too.”

“How are you this morning?” he asked, concern lacing every inch of his face.

“For fuck’s sake, give it a rest,” Knight muttered. “She’s not a child.”

“She was kept by that sick fuck for thirteen years?—”

He stopped suddenly and when I looked up, I understood why he didn’t finish his sentence. Knight was cutting a lethal look at him that couldn’t be misinterpreted.Shut up or I’ll gut you like a fish.

I hid my smile, thankful my brother was willing to stand up for me. My brother. I still couldn’t wrap my head around that one. I had a brother. Two, actually. Both of them were older than me, and both were from different marriages. Or…sexual encounters. I wasn’t exactly sure what the dynamic was here, and frankly, I didn’t care. If only I had given in when Ebarardo offered to cut off the birth control. Maybe I would have a child or two by now. I would have something—a piece of him with me forever.

But I had been determined not to have a child, and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember why. When I laid in my room at night and tried to remember what it was like to have his arms around me, I wished more than anything that I had given in when he begged me to have a child with him.

I had to stop wishing for things that were no longer possible. Ebarardo was gone, and I had to find a way to move on without him. So, instead, I turned to Knight. “How are the kids?”

I hadn’t met them yet, but the idea of meeting his kids was about the only thing keeping me functioning most days.

He stilled for a moment, then shoved a forkful of eggs in his mouth, chewing slowly. “They’re good.”

“And Kate?”

She was so nice when I met her, so understanding when I cried my heart out about my husband being dead. But I hadn’t seen her since, and I wondered if she was like everyone else—if she thought I was damaged.

“Busy.”

“With the clinic.”

He nodded. He finished eating in silence, along with everyone else. I managed a few bites of food before deciding I just couldn’t do it. Claire and Michael stared at me the whole time, their gazes suffocating me by the second.

Knight threw his napkin down on the table. “Get dressed. We’re going out.”

My gaze snapped to his and panic filled me. “Going out? Where?”

“Just upstairs. I need some fucking air. It’s stifling down here.”

I felt the same way, but I didn’t like wandering around alone. There were no guards to keep me safe here. They just expected me to wander around on my own, but every time I tried that, I got scared.

“Um…maybe later.”

“Now. I need some fucking air.”

I swallowed down my fear at his words. He needed to get out. I could do this. He was my brother. “Okay.”

I tuggedon my sleeves again as we headed through the tunnel leading to the safe room. It was really one large panic room.Well…house. It was a house underground. A massive house with so many rooms and beds and the most luxurious things anyone could ask for. I still didn’t entirely understand why a company like this would have such a large facility, but I didn’t question it.

“So…what are we doing?” I asked as he hit the button for the elevator.

“Going to the gun range.”

I stiffened at his words. “Why?”

“Because I’m feeling a little pissed off today and I need to let off some steam.”

“By firing a weapon?” I asked in confusion.

“It’s cathartic,” he sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets after scanning his palm and resting his chin on the rest for the retinal scan.

“And you want me to be there because…”

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