Page 61 of Brutal Knight

At this, Avery looked up at him. "You think someone injected this into her?"

Knight didn't answer her, instead, pressed the baggie closer.

"And you expect me to find out where this came from?"

"It didn't come from us," Dante said, "and we can't accuse the cartel of it, or that would start a war. Bourbon has made it very clear that there's to be no violence in the streets right now."

Avery crooked an eyebrow upward. "Only just now?"

When the men didn't answer her, she sighed, touching the top of the bag lightly. "You know I don't get involved in mafia business. That's the deal we struck when I became a cop. I stay out of your business, and you stay out of mine." She was looking at Dante.

"I don't fucking care," Knight leaned over. “If you don't want more people dead because of this, then you will take it and find out where it came from."

"Are you threatening me?”

"He's not." Dante said.

"I fucking am," Knight said. "I don't care what it takes. This could only be the first step in whatever this person has planned for Tatiana. I won't let anything stop me from protecting her. So, like I said, unless you want more deaths on your hands, I would take care of this for me."

"I don't care what you have to do," Dante responded to Knight. “Do whatever it takes to keep Tatiana safe, but you will never threaten Avery again, do I make myself clear?"

I could only stare at them in shock. I'dneverseen Dante or Knight fight, and I had no idea Dante even hadfeelings, never mind any for a woman.

Now that I knew why Avery was here, I needed to get the hell out of here, before Knight realized that I wasn’t resting.

I turned to go, heading for the front door when Avery's response made me still. "Calm down, you two. I'll do it." I heard the bag rustle, “But just know that I'm doing it forTatiana, not for you."

For me?

Avery had been proud to join the police force, even though most of the people she knew worked for the mafia. I was sure, just like me when I was a kid, that being ‘good’ was a liability in her world.

But she’d faced all that pressure with courage, doing what she felt was right.

I hated that she was willing to cross the lines of her own morality for me.

I had my fingers on the door knob but turned my head to see the alarm system just in time. It would probably beep if I opened the door. I hesitated, trying to decide what to do, when I heard them saying their goodbyes.

Shit, shit.

I rushed towards the open window and was halfway through it when firm hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me back into the room. "Where do you think you're going,polva?

I hated the way my body prickled with want as he pulled me against him. “I’m just checking the weather. Look - hot and dry today.”

“And it’ll be the same tomorrow and the day after.” Knight threw me over his shoulder and headed towards the stairs. “Why aren’t you resting?”

It'd been a long time since I'd blushed, and I certainly wasn't blushing now, but I was acutely aware of Dante and Avery now staring at me.

"You know how to let yourself out," he said to them, running up the stairs.

As soon as we were at the top, and I'd heard the door shut behind them, I slid down so that my legs were wrapped around his waist.

Knight kept his hold over me tight, and I stared into his creek-bed brown eyes, trying not to reveal the way my skin was buzzing from the contact.

How incredible it felt to be like this again, so close, with only our breath between us.

He stared into my eyes intently, and I couldn't look away. Couldn’t let him win the stare down between us.

"You haven't answered my question."

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