Ruthless knight

Cole

“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” I bark as I yank Bianca out onto the patio.

My baby sister—who looks nothing like a sister ever should right now—places her hands on her hips. 

“Jace told me I could come.” 

“Bullshit.” 

Jace handed me my ass the first and only time I let her come to a party at Christian’s. There’s no way he’d change his mind. 

“It’s true.” She plucks her cell out of her purse and hands it to me. “Don’t believe me? Ask him yourself.” 

Not falling for her trap, I dial his number. 

He answers on the third ring. 

“What’s up?”

“Did you give Bianca permission to go to Christian’s party?” 

There’s a long pause and then, “Yeah. But only because she told me she was going with Sawyer.” Concern fills his voice. “Sawyer’s there, right? I swear to God if Bianca lied—” 

“Yeah,” I tell him. “Sawyer’s here.” 

She was kind of hard to miss considering she didn’t show up in a costume. 

Then again, it doesn’t really surprise me. As usual, Sawyer’s the only one who doesn’t pretend to be someone she’s not. 

“Is everything okay?” Jace questions. 

Forcing myself to focus on the situation instead of my soon-to-be fake girlfriend, I utter, “No. Bianca showed up dressed—”

Bianca whacks the phone out of my hand before I can finish that sentence. 

We dive for it at the same time, but she’s scrawny, so she wins. 

After hitting the mute button, she points it at me like a gun. “If I leave, I’m taking Sawyer with me.” 

Is that supposed to be a threat? “Fine by me.” 

Sawyer being here is one hell of a buzz kill. I hate knowing Little Miss Bible Thumper is watching and judging my every move. 

Plus, I know the second Cortland sees her, he’ll start bugging the shit out of me about the bet. 

Not to mention the biggest reason she needs to go. 

She distracts the fuck out of me.  

“What the hell?” Jace yells through the phone. 

“You and I both know you want her here,” she declares. 

“The only thing I want is you gone.” I snap my fingers. “Give me the phone.” 

Holding it behind her, she backs away. “Fine. But I should warn you if you do this, Sawyer will probably leave and meet up with the guy she’s been talking to.” 

Say what now? “What guy?” 

Her eyes dart around the patio, like she’s about to spill a big secret. “I don’t know all the details, but she’s been talking to some guy at her job.” 

“At the chicken place?” 

She nods emphatically. “From what she told me, they’ve only hung out a few times, but he really likes her. I think she’s starting to like him too.” 

Well, shit. 

Dread fills my stomach. If she’s getting serious with someone, it could potentially pose an issue with me wi

 “What’s his name?” 

“I have no idea. All I know is they work together and he’s older.” 

That’s…strange. “Older?” 

“Yup.” 

“How old?” 

“I don’t know—” Her face lights up. “Look, if I tell you, you have to promise you won’t say anything.” 

I eye her suspiciously. I wasn’t aware she and Sawyer were so close they’re divulging secrets, but I suppose it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Girls are fucking weird. One day they’re besties, and the next they’re stabbing each other in the back over some guy. 

“Fine.” 

“It’s her boss.” 

I don’t buy that for a second. “No fucking way.”

“Yes way,” she argues. “I think…” She looks down warily. “I think he’s giving her money.” Her eyes cut to mine. “You know she’s poor, Cole. Sometimes desperate people do desperate things.” 

My chest tightens. Sawyer isn’t a sugar baby. She’s also not the kind of person to use someone for money. 

Then again, I have no idea how bad her financial situation is. 

How far would she go to save her family from economic ruin?

Shit. 

“Christ. I can’t believe that son of a bitch is taking advantage of her.” 

Hands on her hips again, she huffs, “I know, right? So gross.” Smiling, she waves a hand up and down. “Anyway, it’s just a costume, Cole. No different from what every other girl is wearing. For once, can you please just let me have some fun?” 

This woe-is-me act of hers might fly with Jace, but I’m not falling for it. Even though I can’t stand her existence 99.9% of the time, she’s still my little sister. 

“No.” I fetch my phone out of my back pocket to call her an Uber, but her next sentence stops me in my tracks. 

“It’s Mom’s,” she whispers, her voice cracking like glass. 

I have no idea what she’s talking about. “What?” 

“My costume, you idiot. It was Mom’s.” She points to her skirt. “She wore it in one of her Bollywood movies. The one where she played a belly dancer.” 

My breath freezes. “Oh.” 

Just like that, a heavy feeling wraps around my heart and squeezes. 

It’s not often I think about her…because it hurts too damn much. 

She was the first woman I ever loved.  

And she’ll be the last. 

Lower lip trembling, she looks up at the night sky. “She was so beautiful, and I miss her so much. I just wanted—”

“Go back inside.” 

I’m not go

I’m also not going to tell her how much she looks like our mother—especially right now with her big sad eyes and tear-stained cheeks, because I know first-hand how much hearing you resemble a dead person can suck. 

The only thing I can do is let her stay and have fun. 

Forget our fucked-up family for a little while. 

God knows I live for those moments when I’m able to. 

Surprise highlights her features. “You mean it?” 

 “Yeah.” I gesture to the glass door. “Go before I change my mind.” 

She starts to walk inside but stops abruptly. 

To my dismay, she spins around and plants a kiss on my cheek. “You’re an asshole, but I love you.” 

I won’t say it back. I can’t. 

I’m no longer capable of it.

“Stay by Sawyer, because if you hookup with any guys or get drunk, I swear to fuck I’ll never let you come to one of these again.” I glare at her. “You feel me?”

She nods as my phone rings. 

Jace. 

I bring it to my ear as she takes off. “Hey.” 

“Don’t you hey me, motherfucker. What the hell is going on?”

“Nothing. It’s a Halloween party and Bianca had the nerve to come dressed as a Detroit Lion.” 

It’s the best I can come up with on such short notice. 

Jace’s mystification is almost palpable. “And?” 

“It’s an embarrassment. Here I am, the best up-and-coming quarterback of our generation—and my own flesh and blood shows up to a party as a Lion? They’re the worst team in the NFL.” 

“I…Jesus. I don’t have time for this shit, Cole. I thought something serious happened.” 

“This is serious,” I exclaim, driving my fabricated point home so I can ruffle his feathers even more. 

“Yeah, well, you go handle that. I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow.” He laughs to himself. “Besides, it could always be worse.” 

“How?” 

“She could have gone as a Patriot,” he says before he hangs up. 

Prick.