Page 35 of Deal with the Devil

“I’ll explain later, I’d rather not ruin your party.” He took ahold of her chin once more and kissed her fully. A real kiss. One that seared her insides and left her wanting more. She grabbed him by the shirt and walked him against the door. He grinned into her kiss, happily holding her sides.

A loud knock broke them up from the other side of the door. “Can you hurry up? Some of us have the bladder of a pregnant chicken!”

Amelia squawked, apologizing through the door and scrambling to grab his cane from the sink. Knox took it from her with a smirk. A cold, unfortunate chill ran down Amelia’s spine. She knew who was on the other side of the door. As he pulled open the door, Penny Calhoon sighed, punching her sister in the arm…then froze. She locked gazes with him with abject horror. He bowed his head to her, “Mrs. Calhoon.”

He ducked out into the pub, Amelia in tow, knowing full well that Penny was going to have words for her when this was over.

“Are. You. Out. Of.Your. Mind! Amelia Armstrong, I ought to beat you upside the head with a beer bottle! Why the fuck was Knox, the guy who kidnapped you, leaving the bathroom with you? Clearing having ravished you!”

Amelia rushed to check her hair in the small mirror she kept in her purse and her sister knocked the compact back into the bag. Amelia huffed, “Rude.”

“Answer the fucking question!” Penny asked in that high pitch yet whispered frenzy, tossing her hands out to the side.

“He didn’t kidnap me,” Amelia warned, closing the clutch.

“He almost kidnapped me then, fine, either way, the very bad, cartoonishly villainous fiend who held you hostage for twenty-four hours was having sex with you in the pub bathroom! Haveyou lost all your marbles? Because last I checked, you’re not supposed to fuck the guy who chased us through the fucking forest.” Penny jabbed a long, accusatory finger at Amelia’s collar. “I swear on Mom and Dad’s grave, Amelia. I thought this book was supposed to help you work through what happened?”

“I did. It was. Partially,” Amelia flushed, brushing her hair back off her shoulder.

“This is why you needed to go to therapy!” Penny hissed lowly.

“I know! And you’re right, I do. But that’s a separate issue.” Amelia pulled her sister further away from everyone into the back booth.

“Amelia, please tell me that was just a whoopsie thing and you’re not doing something you’ll regret.” Penny crossed her arms, leaning against the glossy wood of the booth. Amelia had been on Knox’s arm, sipping water and speaking with Maevin when Penny came out like a bull on a war path. She was ripped away from the purple fiend and dragged across the floor by her taller twin. Amelia could have stopped her if she wanted but… she knew she deserved the lecture. It wouldn’t do her any good, but she’d earned it fair and square.

“Penny, I know you’re going to hate it.”

“Then why are you doing it!” Penny dropped her hands, smacking them against her thighs. “You saw what happened to me. You watched what he put me through. You know what going for the bad guys does to you. So why are you actively trying to hurt yourself?”

Amelia sighed, hanging her head. “Penny, I know this is a bad idea. You have to understand that I know I’m being ridiculous and putting myself in harms way. Knox is bad news…but I want him. And I didn’t stop you from learning your lesson with Rick. You have the life you want, a kid you love, a good house and job. You like your life, it’s a safe life, and I love that for you.”

Penny reached out taking her hands. Their entangled palms swung together between them. “Amelia, you can have a safe life too. It’s okay to choose that.”

“I don’twant that.” Amelia glanced up and saw the recognition settling into Penny’s eyes. “Look, it might be foolish, and I’m probably going to get hurt. But since I got back, I’ve wanted nothing more than to go back to him. And sure, I might get over him if I take the safe road. I can go back to being the author who lives on your couch and works in a bookstore who never puts a toe out of line…but that’s not my life. You know it. I’ve got something that’s constantly wanting to be let out. Before, writing helped me get it out, but it’s not enough anymore.”

Penny stared at her twin with a sad look that grew sadder with every moment. Her lower lip trembled, “I’m not going to be able to convince you, am I?”

Amelia shook her head. “I love you, Penny, and I do appreciate your concern, but no.”

“He’s going to get you killed.” She lowered her voice to a grave tone, “Rick nearly got me kidnapped or worse…Knox? He’s much, much worse, you know that right?”

Amelia shrugged softly, “Won’t know till I try.”

Penny ripped her hands away, cupping her palms to her mouth. This reaction wasn’t about Amelia. It was about Penny. Her sister had confessed, time and time again, if she could take it all back, she wouldn’t do it again. She loved Brayden with all her heart. He was the reason she dealt with Rick for years. Penny wouldn’t trade her son for anything…except for a redo. She would give him up if she could go back and ignore Rick. They’d spent so many nights, after Brayden was sick or cleaning after Rick, talking about it. Penny regretted her husband.

Even if Knox ripped out her heart and they ended up in a gulf of flames…Amelia was sure she wouldn’t regret it like Penny didRick. There was something in her chest that told her that she’d only regret it if she didn’t try.

“Ladies, I do apologize, but…we’ve got to leave.”

Knox appeared to her side, offering her and Penny water bottles. Amelia glared at him, snatching her bottle. “You said after the party.”

“I apologize, but the timetable has significantly moved up.” He showed her a text message. Her heart stopped as she looked at a screenshot of her, Brayden, and Penny walking through the park. It was a paparazzi image, like it was taken by a bird in a tree. He flipped to another image and showed a picture of Brayden going to school.

Amelia stumbled to his side, letting him show her a few others. All images from a bird’s view, all of them living their lives. Then it stopped on an image of her in front of the sandwich shop, staring off at the casino. “Wha—where did you get these?”

“I can explain more at home. But we’re going to go grab the child now, pack bags, and you’ll spend the weekend with me at a minimum.” His tone said there was likely an extension in her future.

“I have work on Sunday, I can’t just…disappear with you into the woods.”

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