Fight for Me (21 page)

The chain came away bloody.

“Natalie has nothing to do with this,” Knox said. “This is between you and me.”

“I made you. I
own
you. You were my son and I gave you everything. Everything!” X yelled, pacing in front of him. “And now I’ve taken it away. She’s the only thing you have left.”

“I’ll kill you.”

X clocked Knox in the jaw, and his teeth rattled. The hit was harder than Knox would have thought X was capable of. Then again, it was powered by rage and revenge.

Then X kicked Knox’s ribs, and Knox felt the cracks as several of them broke. With every inhale, they screamed at him until he was reduced to shallow pants.

“How’s Grandma Fran doing these days?” Knox asked.

X backhanded him, striking his left eye. Knox turned his head to look at X again, but there was now blood running through his eye, making it hard to see.

And God, it fucking hurt to talk. But Knox pressed on. He couldn’t wait any longer or he wouldn’t be able to see this through. He could only hope that wherever Natalie was, she’d taken advantage of the lack of guards and escaped. Surely she could get past her father.

“Do you still visit her every other Sunday?”

X laughed. “You’re stupider than I thought. You don’t have it in you to hurt an old woman.”

Knox struggled to suck in air and stay conscious. “No, I don’t. But your enemies would love to know exactly where you are twice a month unarmed and without protection.”

X’s complexion paled ever so slightly, much to Knox’s satisfaction. Knox was the only one X had ever trusted with his mother, and now that trust was being used as a weapon against him.

X would never move his mother out of the home. He’d tried it once, and the woman had almost had a mental breakdown. Knox hated to use the sweet old woman as leverage, but Knox knew X would never put her in jeopardy.

So X would buy Knox’s bluff. He’d be a fool to risk it.

X kicked Knox, breaking a few more ribs. Knox slumped over, unable to stay on his knees. He fought against the unconsciousness that threatened to take over.

“You’re lying,” X said.

“Then kill me.” Knox panted, every breath a battle. “And see what happens. As long as I’m alive, your secret stays safe.”

X paced, rubbing his chin with his hand. He didn’t respond for a few seconds, which was long enough for his men to start shifting nervously.

“X, what’s he talking about?” one of the men asked, stepping forward from the circle.

“Nothing,” X barked. “He doesn’t have shit.”

Knox watched a bevy of emotions cross over X’s normally controlled expression. He was battling with himself, but this was one fight he wouldn’t win.

A low murmuring spread through X’s men as they watched their leader relent to Knox, the man X had just claimed he owned. The sound made Knox’s lips curve in a smile. X’s empire was unraveling around him.

“If he doesn’t have shit, then why is he still alive?” the man demanded.

“Are you questioning me?” X got in the man’s face, and for a few seconds it looked like he would stand his ground, but he backed down. “That’s what I thought,” X muttered.

Then he kicked Knox again. Knox grunted, no longer caring about showing weakness. He was past that point.

X pulled his gun out of his holster. “I should kill you now. You’re nothing.” He pointed the gun at Knox’s head.

“No!” Natalie’s voice came through loud and clear, and for a moment Knox thought he was hallucinating. Then she broke through the crowd of men and crouched in front of Knox, putting herself between him and the gun.

She put a hand on Knox’s shoulder, then faced X. “You’ll have to kill me first.”

God, what had they done to Knox? He was covered in blood, and his eye was almost swollen shut. She wanted to inspect his injuries to see how badly hurt he was, but she kept her gaze trained on X.

Knox struggled to get to his knees, but she held her hand firmly on his shoulder to keep him in place.

“Natalie, no,” he said hoarsely. “Get out. Leave me.”

“You should listen to him,” X sneered, still holding the gun, only now it was pointed directly at her. This was the first time she’d been close enough to the man to get a good look at him. This was the man who had raised Knox from late childhood, then proceeded to make his life hell through coercion and manipulation.

She wanted to claw his eye out. But for now, she’d settle for safe passage out of here for both her and Knox.

“I’m not going without him.”

“Knox belongs to me,” X said. “I
own
him. I
made
him. He owes me. But you? I’ll let you leave, although Kent won’t be happy about that. Consider it a favor from me to you.”

“My father is dead,” Natalie said bluntly, trying hard to keep her voice even.

X cocked his head. “Now that’s a shame. Poor Gerald finally got in over his head. Dumb prick.”

“And I’ve called the police. They’ll be here any moment.”

It was a bluff, and she hoped it was a convincing one. She’d paused only momentarily to check some of the open rooms for phones but came up empty.

“You don’t have a phone.”

“My father did.”

Too bad she’d thought of that too late. The phone had taken the fall with him.

The men shifted uneasily, and a few of them started retreating toward the exit.

“She’s lying! You can’t believe anything that comes out of this rich bitch’s mouth.” X fired his gun into the air. “This isn’t over until
I
say!”

His men continued to murmur amongst themselves and gape at their leader, who was coming more unglued every minute.

X was distracted. For a split second, Natalie considering charging him to try to get control of the gun, but that would leave Knox exposed. And though the men were fleeing, that didn’t mean they weren’t still loyal to X. They might come to his rescue if he was attacked.

“It’s over,” Natalie said quietly to X. “Just let him go.”

In the distance, sirens wailed softly, slowly getting louder. Natalie tried hard not to seem unnerved by the sound. She
hadn’t
called the police, and X would call her bluff when the cop cars passed them by.

The gun in X’s hand shook slightly, the result of his trembling hand. Was he nervous or angry? His expression wasn’t giving anything away.

Then he tucked the gun back in its holster and spat on the ground in front of Natalie. He ran his hands over his hair to slick it back, like he was composing himself.

“You’re not worth it,” he sneered. “You’re dead to me.”

He walked swiftly to the exit and motioned with his hand for his men to follow. “Let’s move,” he ordered.

As soon as they were gone, Natalie turned to Knox. “Are you okay?”

What a stupid question.
He was unconscious, which was probably a good thing given the extent of his injuries. Blood was everywhere—seeping out from gashes in his back and sides, his temple, and his nose. And he couldn’t answer her, anyway. Except what if he had a concussion? Were you supposed to stay awake with those?

“Oh, God.” She didn’t know what to do. Her first-aid training was limited. She put her fingers up to his throat, and let out a breath when his pulse was steady.

The sirens grew louder, until they sounded like they were right outside the building, and then they ceased.

She looked around for something to cut the bindings on his hands, but there was nothing in the huge warehouse except a handful of folding metal chairs.

The door X had just exited burst open, and uniformed police officers flooded the warehouse. They had been evading the police for weeks, but now they were a welcome sight.

“We need an ambulance!” Natalie called out. “Hurry!”

One officer ran over to her while the others spread out, some inspecting the warehouse and others moving upstairs.

“Are you hurt?” the officer asked.

“No, it’s not me. It’s him.”

The officer took one look at Knox and spoke into his shoulder mic. “Dispatch, send medics immediately.”

“Can you unbind his hands?” Natalie asked.

He pulled out a pocket knife and sliced through the ties. When he looked back up at her, he narrowed his eyes, then widened them in disbelief. “Hey, are you Natalie Kent?”

She nodded, and the officer looked down at Knox, putting the pieces together. His lips spread into a grim line. “We’ve been looking for you.”

Knox’s body was jostled, and he groaned. He opened his eyes just a sliver and was greeted with bright light. He closed them immediately.

Then he felt Natalie’s hand in his. He didn’t need to see her to know she was there. He’d know her touch anywhere.

“Your eye,” he croaked.

She put a hand on his chest. “Shh . . . don’t try to talk. You’re in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.”

He tried lifting his hand, and she gently lowered it back to the gurney.

“Don’t move. We don’t know what’s broken. And you don’t want to disturb the IV.”

“But your eye,” he said again. She’d been hurt. He couldn’t open his eyes to look at her now, but before when she’d thrown herself between him and X, her eye was purple and swollen.

Someone had hurt her. He hoped she’d hurt them back.

His thoughts were all jumbled. What happened to X?

She chuckled softly, music to his ears. “You’ve been beaten within an inch of your life, and you’re worried about my stupid little black eye?”

“I love you.” The words tumbled out of his mouth, and once they were out, he couldn’t stop. Why had it taken him so long to tell her? He’d almost lost his chance. Never again. “Natalie, I love you. You’re everything.”

She pulled his other hand up to her mouth to kiss it.

His lips curved into a small smile as his world went black, with the feel of her lips on his skin.

When Knox awoke, it was to the sound of softly beeping machines and the sterile smell of antiseptic.

Oh fuck.

He was in the hospital. And that meant authorities. Not good.

What the hell had happened?

Pieces of it came back to him, including a vision of Natalie’s face.

He opened his eyes and struggled to sit up. She was hurt. Where was she?

“Knox.”

He turned toward the sound of her voice. There she was. There. Coming toward him. She’d just been out in the hall.

“Don’t try to sit up too fast,” she said. “You have five broken ribs.”

“Is that all?” But he settled back as she’d asked. There was very little pain. Whatever was dripping down the IV line was some good shit.

“Probably a concussion as well.”

He nodded. It wouldn’t be his first time. “What happened?”

“X and his men left. Then the police arrived.” She frowned. “I didn’t call them, though. How did they know?”

“Tony,” Knox said. “I told him to call in an hour.”

“Tony? How did he end up involved in this?”

“He picked me up after I was drugged. What happened with your father?”

She looked away, a stricken expression on her face. “He’s dead. He . . . he fell off the roof.”

For a moment, he wondered if she’d pushed him. But he didn’t think so. And for her sake, he hoped not. Despite Kent being a worthless bastard, he was still her father. She shouldn’t have to live with his blood on her hands, even if he deserved it.

“I still can’t believe X left,” she said. “If the police sirens hadn’t come when they did . . .” She trailed off.

“He won’t bother us anymore,” Knox said, then explained about the phone call he’d made to Amelia just before he broke into the warehouse. He’d given her strict instructions to leak information to the rival mob if either he or Natalie were killed. Though Amelia had no ties to the mob, when she’d said she could handle it, he believed her. Amelia was one of the greatest people he knew.

“Wow,” Natalie said. “Grandma Fran is her name?”

“Yes,” Knox said. “X would never risk her. He’s the stereotypical Italian son. But honestly, it doesn’t matter. When I called Amelia I also told her to share the names of X’s cops with her second cousin who’s a detective. The shit in the city is about to hit the fan.”

She lowered her voice. “The police had a lot of questions, and I tried to answer them as honestly as I could with just a few omissions. Less tricky that way. I assured them that you didn’t kidnap me, so there are no charges against you. They’ll want to talk to you, too, though. But I told them about almost everything else that happened. Including killing the guard.” Her voice hitched on that last part.

“Come here.” Knox opened his arms, and Natalie gently climbed into bed beside him, careful not to put pressure on his ribs. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“I’m a murderer,” she whispered. He stroked her hair with his hand. Now that they were out of danger, it seemed her guilt was going into overdrive.

“It’s not your fault,” he said. “What did the police say?”

“They’re still investigating, but my lawyer is convinced he can get me cleared citing self-defense. Some witnesses have come forward saying they saw the guard pursuing me. Some of my father’s employees are also providing evidence. And he already had a record.”

“Where were those witnesses when you needed help?” He shook his head. “Wait? You already called a lawyer? How long have I been here?”

“Overnight,” she said.

Damn.
He’d lost an entire night because of X.

But he’d almost lost so much more.

The feel of Natalie’s body close to his was like heaven.

“You risked your life for me. You threw yourself in front of a gun. Why didn’t you leave?” He had to ask the question even though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer. But he needed to hear her say it.

She propped herself up to look in his eyes. “I love you, Knox. My world wouldn’t be right without you in it.”

He closed his eyes, letting her words soak in. He didn’t deserve her, but he was going to work every day to make himself worthy of her.

Because he needed her in his life.

Eight weeks later

Natalie glanced over at Knox as he fidgeted in her Mercedes. She hadn’t told him where she was taking him, and while he tried to be a good sport, he was failing miserably.

She laughed. “This not knowing is killing you, isn’t it? We’ll be there soon.”

He smiled at her. “I trust you.”

She knew his words to be true, though. He’d trust her with his life and vice versa.

Knox watched out the window as they passed X’s gym, which had been boarded up recently. Amelia had done her job in passing along the names of X’s cops to her cousin, who in turn passed them to Detective Carmichael, who had been investigating X. A veritable shit storm was taking place in both the police department and X’s organization. People were talking and heads were rolling.

Luckily, Detective Carmichael didn’t seem too interested in the fighting ring, so the guys he’d spent years training and fighting beside were safe. In the grand scheme of things, X had done much worse things. Some of the guys had joined other fighting groups, but a lot of them had gotten out of the game altogether.

Knox was one of those. He said he didn’t miss it, but Natalie knew he did. Or at least parts of it. He’d been restless the last two months.

She hoped to change that.

She pulled into the parking lot of a building not too far from the warehouse where they’d been held captive.

Knox frowned. “What’s this?”

She smiled and opened her car door. “You’ll see.”

He followed her to the front door of the building, and she handed him a key. “Open it.”

He frowned but did as she commanded. They walked into a big open space.

“What is this?” he asked.

“The Anna Farrington Foundation is shifting its focus a little. Instead of only focusing on women and children, it’s now including at-risk teens.” She walked to the center of the room. “A ring would fit nicely here. And over there?” She pointed. “Weights and treadmills. Upstairs there’s space to make several classrooms. And we’ll hire tutors.”

She turned to look at him. His feet were rooted to the floor near the entrance, and his expression was disbelieving as he looked around the place wide-eyed, taking it all in.

“I figure we can take kids as young as twelve,” she continued. “That’s when they start middle school. You were fourteen when X took you in, right? I did some research. In the south side of town, the dropout rate is twenty percent for females and twenty-eight percent for males. The city isn’t doing anything about it, but someone has to.” She nodded in his direction.

“Me?” He shook his head. “I didn’t even graduate high school.”

“That’s what makes you perfect. You understand where these teens are coming from. Think about how different your life might have been if this center had been open when you were a teenager. Teens will have somewhere to go to learn martial arts, to get their frustrations out in a physical way that isn’t harmful. And while they’re at it, they can get help with school.”

“I don’t know . . .” He walked around the perimeter of the room, his eyes calculating, sizing up the area.

Natalie wanted to give him a few minutes to himself in the space to let him warm up to the idea. “I’m going to look upstairs.”

She climbed the stairs, taking note of the holes in the drywall on the way up. This building needed more than a little TLC, but it was within walking distance of both the local high school and middle school, which made it ideal. Kids wouldn’t have to depend on deadbeat parents for rides.

She’d barely gotten upstairs when Knox came up behind her and quickly turned her around, pressing her back to the wall. He smoothed back her now-blond hair and looked into her eyes in that intense way he had. The way that made her knees go weak and made her forget who and where she was.

He crushed his mouth to hers in unrelenting need. But the kiss was a give and take, and she gave as much as she got. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his.

His touch still sent powerful zings through her body every time. She didn’t see that ever changing.

He pulled her blouse out of her skirt and ran his hands along her torso, feeling her skin. As his mouth trailed to her neck, she closed her eyes and smiled. He was always doing that—rumpling her clothing—but she didn’t mind. He just didn’t want anything—even swatches of fabric—separating them.

And she agreed.

“Hello?” a strong, loud voice called from downstairs.

Knox tensed immediately and shifted so that his body blocked hers from the stairwell.

“It’s Amelia,” Natalie said, catching her breath.

His body relaxed. “What’s she doing here?”

“She agreed to run the tutoring part of the center, at least temporarily.”

At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, he groaned. “What bad fucking timing.” Then there was the
tap-tap-tap
of dog paws on the floor, and his face brightened, though he immediately tried to hide it with a scowl.

They’d become frequent visitors at Amelia’s since she’d come back to town, and Knox loved her and those dogs, and he didn’t even mind admitting it anymore.

Knox pulled Natalie against him again. “What I was saying before we were interrupted was I love you. And thank you. This is a great idea. It’s about damn time someone gave a shit. The center can do some good in this part of town.”

“I love you, too.” Natalie brought her mouth to his, taking advantage of the few seconds they had left before Amelia joined them.

Their lives were crazy and hectic and still filled with legal complications stemming from their ordeal, but everything that had happened was what had brought her to Knox, and they were slowly picking up the pieces and building a life together.

And Natalie wouldn’t have it any other way.