Page 36 of Love Me in the Dark
“Nothing,” I lie.
“Phoenyx. What’s wrong?”
“I don’t like the scars showing like this,” I admit quietly.
“I love them,” he says, tilting my head up to kiss my throat. “They are beautiful because you are beautiful. Do not let them define how you see yourself. They are only a reminder that you survived, and we will be a reminder that we adore every inch of you.”
“You’ve known me for a day,” I say with an attitude.
“I see that you are panicking, Nyx, but I will address it at face value. We may have only known you for a day, but you have rooted yourself in our souls. We are entirely committed to you because we have never met someone with so much strength. All of this adds up to our trusting our gut and diving headfirst.”
“I just feel bad because you three have to be seen with me,” I admit.
“Phoenyx,” Cade says.
“What?” I sigh and look at him.
“Be the same confident woman that you are when you are making grown men cry and beg you for mercy,” he says. “Be that badass little bitch that we all know you are. Be confident and keep your head high in public. In private, deal with those emotions by letting them remind you just how beautiful you are. Okay?”
“Did you just tell me to fake it until I can get fucked?” I ask.
“Yes,” he laughs. “You’re a fucking vigilante serial killer that has mafia families all over the city scared. You get that, right? Let everyone know who you are without saying it. Those scars can be their reminder that you’ve been through enough to not fear them. You’re not scared, are you?”
“No,” I say.
“Good. Just stand tall, Nyx,” he says.
“Wait. Do I get my gun back?” I ask.
Knox smiles at me before grabbing a holster and gun from the table by the door. When he kneels in front of me, I can’t help but smile. He keeps his eyes on mine as he reaches under my dress and straps the holster around my leg. Before standing, he gently kisses the scar on the top of my thigh. “Don’t pull it unless you are prepared to shoot. We can clean up any mess you make, just don’t create witnesses.”
“Yes, sir,” I smile.
We pullup to a building that looks like an office space in the front, but a shipping warehouse in the back. “Understand that your attacker might very well be here,” Knox says. “This meeting is with everyone who is not currently at war with another. If they are in this world at all, this meeting is something they would attend.”
“I thought you three were leading it?” I ask.
“We are,” he says. “We own this city. You married into a big name, Mrs. Phoenyx Butler.”
“I kinda like the sound of that,” I smile. He winks at me before getting out and walking around. I got to open my door, but Rook nudges me and shakes his head. Knox opens my door, and I step out, and he places his hand on my lower back as we walk to the door.
We walk inside and go down a hallway before entering a large room. This must be the warehouse. There are a lot of people who turn and look at us, but I remember what Cade told me, and I stand tall. I don’t scan anyone’s face because I don’t want to appear as though I am weak or scared. Knox leads us to the head of the long table and pulls me onto his lap as he sits.
“Afternoon, everyone,” Knox says. “I’d like to introduce everyone to our wife, Phoenyx.”
Most everyone offers a small greeting or a half smile in response. “She is the little sister of Cade and Callum,” Tripp states. “I expect everyone to be respectful and understand the consequences should anyone decide to be inappropriate.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Phoenyx,” a man says.
“This is Corey Keen. He owns Keen Investments,” Knox tells me. “He is a trusted friend of ours.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Corey,” I say with a kind smile. “You can call me Nyx though.”
“Well, Nyx. Why haven’t we seen you around before?” he asks. “Respectfully, of course.”
“I just preferred to stay out of sight until the marriage,” I say. “I focused on school a lot.”
“What did you go to school for?” he asks.
