Page 89 of Buried Beneath Sin

She gives me a shaky nod. “I don’t know what I did to?—”

“Knox doesn’t like to be touched,” I interrupt her gently as I pull her tight into my side. “At least in certain places. Just be careful, and he won’t try to kill you.”

Knox finally gives up struggling in Sagan’s hold on the ground. He breathes heavily as he presses his forehead to the floor. The veins in Sagan’s temple are popping out. My brother’s anger is mixed with sympathy. I can feel it mixing with my own ire. While neither of us appreciate Knox’s reaction to Beatrix, we know where it comes from.

“I’m sorry, Knox,” Beatrix says softly with a tremor in voice. “I didn’t know.”

“Well now you fucking do,” Knox snarls. “Never touch me again, do you understand me? If you do, I’ll make sure your corpse?—”

“Enough,Knox!” I snap. “You’re shaken but ok.”

“I’m violated, Thatcher!” Knox shouts back, glaring at me with fire in eyes.

“It was a mistake,” I tell him through clenched teeth. “Beatrix didn’t mean to upset you.”

Beatrix nods frantically. “I really didn’t, Knox. I’m so sorry!”

I sigh as I fight back the urge to berate Knox as he shoots her with a look I don’t trust. He’s upset and understandably. Yelling at him for this isn’t fair. I suck in a deep breath and try to settle myself.

My stepsister looks between us before letting out a forlorn sigh. Quietly she says, “I’m going to, ah, go clean up.”

“Good idea,” I mutter.

Reluctantly, I let go of her so Beatrix can hurry out of the room. Sagan doesn’t relax his hold on Knox until her footsteps fade away upstairs. Even then, he waits a beat before getting to his feet. Knox sighs and pushes up off the floor. If I wasn’t so fucking wound up and my heart wasn’t still racing, the crushed expression on his face might’ve swayed me a bit.

But I am. I grab him by the front of his throat and yank his face toward me. “Don’teverfucking touch her with your blade again. Do you understand?”

Knox rolls his eyes. “No harm, no foul right?”

“No harm?” Sagan repeats as a deep growl. “The blood on her neck says otherwise, Pretty Boy.”

Knox’s face crumples. It’s rare to see him look so defeated.

“That was rash, even for you, Knox,” I snarl. Knox reacting poorly to touch is one thing. It’s to be expected. But to pull his knife?Thatwasn’t normal. This can’t happen again. I need to get to the bottom of this situationfastor someone—likely Beatrix—might end up dead. “What the fuck is going on in your head?” I demand.

Knox’s face shutters before he looks down and his shoulders sag. “I don’t… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You don’t?” I’m surprised. Knox loves hearing the sound of his own voice. Suspicion gathers in my chest. It’s flooded with rage as Knox breaks one of our most important rules. “You know how I feel about communication, Knox. Are you sure this is how you want to proceed?”

Knox nods. “IsaidI don’t want to talk about it.”

“Well, you know what that means, don’t you?” I press him, my grip around his neck tightening as I speak.

Knox’s blue eyes find mine and he has the nerve to smirk at me. “Let’s see if you’ve lost your touch.”

I chuckle darkly. “Alrighty, then. Let me show you whatno harmlooks like to me. Upstairs.Now.”

34

BEATRIX

Guilt clings to me. Even the hot water burning my skin as I shower can’t seem to remove it. I didn’t mean to trigger Knox. If there is anyone that understands unwanted touch, it’s me. If I’d known, I never would’ve…

Well, it doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.

I cut off the water and grab the towel that hangs on the hook on the wall. Quickly, I dry off. I check the cut around my neck. It’s already stopped bleeding. Given how thin the red line is, I may not even scar. But it would serve me right if it did.

With a sigh, I head into my bedroom.

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