Page 43 of Doomed
He revs the engine, the vibration traveling up my spine. “Your funeral, princess.”
“Just drive,” I snap, tightening my grip on the seat. “And stop calling me that.”
Knox glances over his shoulder at me as best he can. “This isn’t a joke, Bianca. At the speeds I drive, you’ll fly off if you don’t hold on properly.”
“I’ll take my chances, thank you very much.” I lift my chin defiantly. “I’d rather eat pavement than be any closer to you than I absolutely have to be.”
“God, you’re something else.”
“Fuck off, Knox.” The words come out sharp and clear, exactly how I intend them.
His laugh is genuine and deep, rumbling through the night air, making my stomach twist. “As you wish, princess.”
Before I can process what’s happening, Knox twists the throttle, and the bike lurches forward from the curb with force. My carefully maintained distance collapses instantly. A startled yelp escapes my lips as I slide forward, my pride going out the proverbial window as my arms instinctively wrap around his waist, fingers clutching desperately at his leather jacket.
I feel his muscles tense beneath my hands, and even without seeing his face, I know he’s wearing that infuriating smirk of his.
“Shut up,” I shout against his back.
“I didn’t say a word,” Knox replies, shaking slightly, the sound of his laughter masked by the engine as we accelerate into the night.
15
KNOX
The wind whips around us as I navigate the curves of Blackwood Peak Road, feeling Bianca’s arms tighten around my waist with each turn. I can’t help but smile at how quickly her stubborn resolve crumbled when faced with the reality of physics. She’s pressed against my back now, her warmth seeping through my leather jacket despite her obvious reluctance.
I ease off the throttle as we approach the unmarked turnoff that leads to Eagle Point. The narrow path isn’t on any tourist map—my grandfather made sure of that decades ago when he purchased the surrounding land. It’s remained our private sanctuary ever since.
The bike rumbles beneath us as we climb higher, the paved road giving way to gravel. Bianca’s grip tightens further, her fingers digging into my ribs. I slow down, not wanting to scare her more than necessary, at least not right now.
When we reach the clearing, I kill the engine. The sudden silence feels heavy, punctuated only by the soft ping of the cooling metal and Bianca’s slightly elevated breathing behind me.
“We’re here,” I announce, kicking down the stand and swinging my leg over. I offer her my hand, but she ignores it, dismounting awkwardly with as little contact as possible.
She pulls off the helmet, her hair falling in messy waves around her face. Even disheveled and angry, she’s breathtaking.
“Where exactly is ‘here’?” she demands, looking around the moonlit clearing.
Instead of answering, I nod toward the edge of the precipice beyond the tree line. “Come see for yourself.”
I walk ahead, confident she’ll follow despite her resistance. The gravel crunches beneath my boots as I make my way to the stone outcropping that juts over the valley.
“Holy shit,” Bianca whispers as she steps up beside me.
Below us, Ravenwood Hollow sprawls like a jeweled carpet, lights twinkling against the darkness. From this height, the city looks almost innocent—beautiful even—with no hint of the corruption that flows unencumbered through its veins.
“Eagle Point,” I explain, watching her face instead of the view I’ve seen a hundred times. “My brothers and I come here to... think.”
Bianca raises an eyebrow, her skepticism evident in the slight curl of her lip. “Think? Really?” She takes a step back from the edge, wrapping her arms around herself against the chill. “Is this where you bring people who’ve wronged you? To throw them off the edge?”
The question laced in venom makes my blood heat.. My amusement fades instantly, replaced by the icy resolve I save for business. I keep my expression neutral, but my eyes harden as I take a deliberate step toward her.
“Be careful making accusations, princess. You don’t know anything about my world,” I say, my voice low. “No, this isn’t where I bring people who cross me. When I deal with problems, I don’t need scenic views.”
The moonlight catches the sudden wariness in her eyes. Good. She should be wary.
“This place is sacred to my family,” I continue. “We don’t contaminate it with business. It’s where we come to escape all that—to remember who we are beneath the names and reputations.”
