Knox: A Suspenseful M/M Brother's Best Friend Romance, page 9
Chapter Fifteen
Knox
My phone buzzes across the counter as I’m about half done washing the dishes with Gunnar’s help.
“Sorry,” I tell him, drying my hands and answering the phone. “Hello?”
I’m not sure who’s calling since the person isn’t programmed into my phone.
“Hi, Knox, it’s Captain Henderson calling. Is now a good time to chat?”
“Oh, hi,” I reply, happy to hear from him already. “Now is a fine time. What’s up?”
“The investigation for the fire at your house has been completed, and I have some not-great news,” he says.
My heart lodges in my throat. “It wasn’t an accident, was it?”
Gunnar’s sea-green eyes go wide at my words, but he doesn’t interrupt the conversation.
“I’m sorry, no, it wasn’t. The evidence shows that the fire was started on the outside of your house. Under one of the bedroom windows,” he informs me.
An icy shudder runs down my spine, causing my entire body to shake.
“Shit. What should I do now?”
“Stay aware of your surroundings,” he advises. “If whoever did this wanted to hurt you, they could try again.”
I blow out a frustrated breath and nod, even though he can’t see me.
“Thanks for the information. I’ll keep it in mind,” I assure him.
“The police will do a more thorough investigation, but I’ll be honest… quite often, the investigation goes nowhere. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they find something, but in the meantime, you stay safe,” he instructs.
“I will,” I assure him.
When the call is over, I let out a long sigh.
“Someone set the fire?” Gunnar asks.
“It looks like it,” I murmur, pinching the bridge of my nose.
Why the fuck is this happening?
What did I ever do to anyone to make them want to hurt me?
But it’s not just me that I have to worry about. Now that I’m staying with Gunnar, I could be jeopardizing his life too. I don’t want to leave, but I also would hate myself if I was the reason he got hurt.
I need to discuss this with Gunnar, but I also have to call Nixon. Now that I know my house was targeted, I’m going to have to take a leave from work. I can’t put a client in danger when someone is out there trying to hurt me. Obviously, it could be a one-time thing, but a voice inside my head tells me that isn’t the case.
“I have to call Nixon,” I tell Gunnar. “I’ll be right back.”
Gunnar’s brows are pulled in, and his lips are pressed firmly together, obviously concerned, but he nods.
With my phone still in hand, I head to my room, hit Nixon’s contact ID, and wait for him to answer.
“Hey, Knox, what’s up?” he answers.
I sigh. “I just got off the phone with the fire department. The fire wasn’t an accident. Someone deliberately set my house on fire.”
“Fuck,” Nixon growls out.
“My feelings exactly,” I agree.
“Do you have any idea who would do that?” he asks with a frustrated tone.
“No, I’ve been contemplating this since the night it happened, but I’m drawing a blank,” I admit.
“Let me get Sophy to run a few checks and see if she can pull anything. I’m sorry to say this, but you’ll have to take some time off until we figure it out,” he informs me.
“I figured that would be the case,” I reply, defeat evident in my tone.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this,” he assures me.
“I fucking hope so. I hate feeling like I have to keep looking over my shoulder.”
“I get it, man,” Nixon sympathizes. “We’ll come up with a plan, though, I promise.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
We say a quick goodbye and end the call. Before I have time to come up with a plan of action, the bang of the front door echoes throughout the house, and a woman with a voice I’d recognize anywhere yells, “Gunnar!”
With a smirk on my face, I leave my room to greet Raquel.
“You are not going to believe what happened today,” she says to her brother as I walk down the hall.
“Please tell me someone got in trouble with HR for photocopying their ass,” I tease.
Raquel jumps with a high-pitched squeal that has my ears ringing, and then she slaps me on the shoulder. “What the hell are you doing here?” she asks, pulling me in for a hug.
“My house burned down. Your brother offered to be my temporary lodging.”
Raquel’s jaw drops as she gasps. “Shit, I’m not even sure if my day is as bad as I thought it was anymore.”
“What happened?” Gunnar asks.
“We need wine for this story,” she murmurs, pushing past Gunnar to grab a bottle of white he keeps in the refrigerator and three glasses. “Come on, losers, I’ve got tea to spill.” She struts past us to the living room, and I lift a brow at Gunnar, who’s shaking his head.
Once we each have a glass of wine in hand, it’s story time. “You know how I told you the accounting firm was sold a few months back,” she starts, sitting on the coffee table, facing Gunnar and me on the couch.
Gunnar nods. “But no one knew who bought it, right?”
“Yeah, last week they told us the new owners would be coming in today to meet us all after we close. They’ll be moving into their new positions throughout the week.”
“Are they assholes?” I ask, not understanding why this is so bad yet.
“Worse.” She sighs, taking a big gulp of her wine
“What’s worse than an asshole boss?” Gunnar questions.
“One you met in Mexico, had a one-night stand with, came home to find out you’re pregnant but didn’t even know the guy’s name or how to get ahold of him,” she says at a ridiculously fast pace, and I almost have to ask her to repeat herself.
“Missy’s father is your new boss?” Gunnar shouts.
My jaw drops as Raquel bobs her head up and down.
“In other words, I’m looking for a new job,” she murmurs.
“He fired you?” I squeak out. “Can’t you sue him for something like that?”
“He didn’t fire me,” she grumbles. “But how the hell am I supposed to work for him? And what happens when I bring Missy to the Christmas party in a few weeks? He’s going to connect the dots. Then what? I know she deserves to have a father, but I don’t want to have to share her. She’s been my everything since the day she was born. I’m thinking about moving so he doesn’t find out about her.”
Tears pool in her sapphire green eyes, and I grab her hand, offering some comfort.
“I get you’re scared, but you don’t even know the guy. Maybe he’ll be the best father ever. Doesn’t he deserve a chance?” Gunnar questions.
Raquel nods as she sucks in a shaky breath. “And Missy deserves a dad,” she adds. “I know I’m being selfish, and I’m not actually going to run away, but everything is going to change. I don’t know what to do about it.”
“Have you told your parents yet?” I ask.
“No, I came straight here. I wanted to have a minute to deal with it more or less on my own before Mom steps in and takes charge. I knew Gunnar would be a good listening ear and not steamroll me.”
Gunnar beams at his sister. I wish I had this kind of relationship with Malcolm. I’m hoping that if he sees a therapist, we’ll be able to get there, but it will be a long road.
Raquel downs the rest of her wine and stands, straightening her dress and running her fingers through her hair. “But I should probably get home. I know my little girl is missing me, and I need some snuggles,” she says.
Gunnar gets up and pulls her into his arms. “You’re going to get through this,” he assures her.
Stepping back, Raquel smiles at her brother. “I know because I have some pretty awesome people in my life.” She kisses his cheek, then turns to me. “I’m really sorry about the loss of your house. If you need anything, let us know,” she tells me, then leaves.
“I need to find a new place to stay,” I state the moment Gunnar and I are alone.
His eyes go wide, and then his brows furrow. “Why?”
“Because someone burned down my house, Gunnar. They could still be targeting me. I am not going to put your life in danger.” My voice is firm, leaving little room for disagreement, but from the look that crosses behind Gunnar’s eyes, I can tell he’s going to try.
“You don’t get to make that decision for me,” he argues. “If your life is at risk, being alone is even more dangerous. You need someone to have your back. I can’t be here all the time, but I only work three to four days a week. Obviously, I’m not trained to deal with situations like this, but the idea of you being by yourself throughout all of this makes me sick.”
I scrub my hand over my face because he isn’t wrong. Being alone makes me an easier target, but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to him because of me. I’m also positive my brother would murder me.
“Let’s play it by ear,” I say after a beat of silence.
“Okay,” he agrees, visibly relaxing.
I shouldn’t like that he cares as much as I do. It shouldn’t get my heart all melty and have me swooning, but it does.
Stupid crush.
And stupid Malcolm for having an issue with me dating his best friend.
Chapter Sixteen
Gunnar
Who in the hell would want to hurt Knox Hanes?
His job is focused on saving people. I don’t understand how he could make enemies in that line of work. I mean, except for the bad guys they protect their clients against, but as far as I know, they’ve all been taken care of.
My head is still reeling with this new information as I strip and start the shower.
What sticks with me the most is this crippling fear of losing him. When I think of a world without him, it makes me want to throw up.
Is that a normal reaction to someone who is supposed to be just a friend?
When I think about losing Malcolm, it also makes me sad, but it’s different, which is even more confusing.
Giving my head a shake, I step into the hot stream and let out a contented sigh. There’s nothing better than ending the day with a shower. Washing off the grime and the stress. Heading to bed feeling refreshed and ready to relax.
As the water works its magic to ease my tired muscles, my mind starts to drift to a place it shouldn’t. To a place I told myself not to go anymore, but of course, my traitorous thoughts don’t care what’s best for us.
A replay of the other night when Knox and I kissed flashes behind my eyes, and my body heats. Knox’s lips were soft and demanding as he took what he wanted from me, putting me in a trance.
My cock grows at the memory of his firm hands on my hips as he guided me to straddle him. His dick was rock-hard against mine. I damn near came in my pants just from grinding against him.
I stroke my cock even though I shouldn’t. This isn’t how I get over these feelings. This just fuels my obsession, but I don’t stop. Instead, I close my eyes and let my memory take me back to the couch.
My hand works its way up and down my cock with a firm grip and quick motion.
My imagination takes over, playing out the scene that might have happened had I not had a panic attack and stopped Knox.
Knox’s fingers steadily undo my pants, and I move to get them off. While I’m doing that, Knox also removes his pants and boxers, causing my mouth to fall open at the sight of his massive cock.
I need him in my mouth right now.
Instead of climbing back onto his lap, I drop to my knees and greedily swallow his dick down my throat, showing off the fact that I don’t have a gag reflex.
“Jesus,” Knox croaks out, slipping his fingers through my hair.
I hum around him as he tugs at my hair and smile when he lets out a garbled cry.
“How did you become an expert at sucking cock?” he asks. Instead of answering, I lift a brow at him, and he shakes his head. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”
Knox tastes fucking divine. He might be replacing triple chocolate cupcakes as my favorite thing to eat. But I haven’t tasted his cake yet, so I’m going to leave updating that list for another day.
“Baby.” He grunts, giving my head a little tug. “You need to stop, or I’m going to come,” he warns me.
I shake my head but pull off for a second. “Yes, you are. I want you to come in my mouth. I need to taste you.” I give him one full deep suck, making him groan and throw his head back, then I slowly slide my lips back up, swirling my tongue around his tip. Teasing his opening with just the tip of my tongue, I look up and catch his eyes on me. “Come for me, sexy,” I demand, slamming him back down my throat in one swallow.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” he mumbles when I tighten my throat around him, keeping him lodged there.
Coming back up for air, I build up a rhythm, sliding my lips up to the ridge under his head and back down to his thick base that spreads my lips wide.
I keep adding to his sensations once I’ve reached a good pace. My hand takes hold of his balls, massaging them, causing his body to shudder and his fingers to tighten into fists in my hair. It’s a delicious burn that only fuels me further. I know he’s close, hovering on the edge but trying hard not to give in just yet, reluctant to have the feeling over. But he’s not the one in control here. I am.
Sliding one finger down his taint, I circle over his hole before breaching it and sliding in and out at the same pace as my mouth.
“Oh! Oh…. oh shit!” Knox roars, and I quickly take him to his base again, staying there, causing him to thrust hard into me as far as he can get.
He empties his massive load down my throat with such force it pools in my mouth too. His deliciously salty taste coats my tongue, and I ravenously swallow every last drop he gives me.
My eyes shoot open, and I brace my free hand against the wall. Still continuing to stroke myself as I unload all over the shower floor, I can’t seem to stop until I’m completely spent.
Shit, I’ve got to stop jacking off to thoughts of Knox while I’m showering.
Quickly, I shower and hop out before doing anything else stupid.
I’m passing my bedroom window, and I swear I see a light shining outside. I get closer and open my blinds. My eyes strain to look into the backyard, but I don’t see anything. That doesn’t stop a shudder from running up my spine, causing me to shake.
Lowering the blinds, I nibble on my lower lip. What should I do? There’s a possibility I didn’t actually see a light, and I’m just tired, but that doesn’t feel right. Instead of playing it off, I slip on a pair of pajama pants and make my way to Knox’s room.
After a light tap on his door, I wait for him to answer, the uneasy sensation prickling at the back of my neck. I can’t shake the feeling that someone was in my yard.
“Yeah?” Knox calls out, and I open the door.
“Don’t freak out,” I start, earning me a glare from Knox.
“Nothing good ever comes after don’t freak out,” he growls.
“When I got out of the shower, I thought I saw a light shining in the backyard, but when I opened the blinds to have a good look, it was gone,” I tell him.
With lightning speed, Knox launches out of bed and throws on a pair of sweats, racing past me.
“What are you doing?” I yell.
“Checking the yard,” he calls back, not stopping, and I have to race as fast as I can to catch up to him.
“Stop!” I shout, grabbing his arm. “Don’t you think that’s kind of a stupid move? You’re supposed to be a smart bodyguard. Use your head here.” He pauses, and his jaw twitches. “You can’t just race out into the pitch-black backyard in the middle of the night alone. You don’t even have a gun. What if someone is out there trying to lure you out?”
Knox blows out a breath and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Fuck,” he grumbles.
“If you really want someone to check tonight, call Nixon, or we can scope it out in the morning,” I advise him.
“I guess I’m not the best at protecting myself,” he murmurs, frustration lacing his voice.
“Then don’t think about yourself,” I suggest. “What would you do if I was your client and someone was after me?”
A flare of determination passes behind his hazel eyes, then he closes them and takes a deep breath, probably thinking through the situation. “I’d call Nixon or one of the guys to inform them about the situation,” he says after he opens his eyes. “If I had my gun, I’d head out to scope the yard.”
“Then call Nixon.”
He nods, stalking off to grab his phone.
My adrenaline is through the roof. There is no way I’ll be able to sleep until we get things under control. Instead of heading back to bed, I move to the couch and put on a random show.
“Got it,” Knox says as he joins me in the living room. “See you soon.” He taps on his phone, sitting next to me. “Nixon’s on his way.”
I yawn but quickly cover my open mouth with my hand.
“You should go to bed,” Knox suggests, but I shake my head.
“There’s no way my brain will shut off to actually sleep. Yes, I’m tired, but I’d rather hang out with you than toss and turn until we have some answers.”
“Okay,” Knox utters, and we both watch the rerun of The Office that’s playing.
A knock on the door pulls my attention from the television, and Knox gets up to answer it, checking to make sure it’s Nixon first.
“Did you check out the yard yet?” Knox asks, and Nixon shakes his head.
“I wanted to let you know I was here first. I’ll do a walk around, then we can talk,” Nixon states.
Knox shuts and locks the door behind his boss, leaning against the wall. “I’m sorry I brought you into this,” he says quietly, staring at the floor.
“It’s not your fault. And don’t go thinking you need to leave now. That isn’t going to keep me safe. If someone was here tonight, they already know about me.”
