CHAPTER 073: The Wife
I frown as I unbuckle and step out. Honestly, I’d prefer staying in the car while he does whatever he needs to. I don’t like police stations. Never have. They make me feel like I’m being watched even when I’m doing absolutely nothing wrong. And thanks to Finn’s college adventures, I’ve been inside enough of them to last a lifetime.
Still, curiosity wins.
Inside, a tired officer sits behind the front desk.
Knox steps up. “I’m here to post bail for Soraya Hartely.”
The officer looks up. His eyes trail from Knox to me and back. He taps the keyboard.
“Relation to the defendant?” he asks.
“Husband.”
The officer lifts a brow. “Your wife’s last name?”
“Hartely, like I said.”
“Maiden name?”
Knox tenses. “Why’s that relevant?”
The officer leans back in his seat. “Standard questions. Paperwork’s in order. I’ll get your wife.”
Knox exhales.
I turn and walk to the row of chairs lined up against the wall. They’re molded plastic, the kind that curve in just the wrong places, the kind designed to remind you that you’re not here for comfort. I lower myself into one, crossing my legs and folding my arms, trying not to think about the fact that I’m in a police station with my boyfriend to bail out his wife.
Knox stays standing near the front, arms braced against the counter.
We wait.
It feels like forever.
Then, finally, a side door creaks open.
I lift my head.
She steps out slowly, escorted by an officer who says a few quiet words I don’t catch. And then she’s fully visible.
Curly black hair falls in thick waves down her back. Her skin is the color of warm honey, smooth and glowing under the harsh station lights. She’s in a plain top and jeans, but somehow even that looks runway–ready on her. And then she smiles -right at Knox.
It’s soft. Familiar. Her dimples pop. It’s like he just showed up with flowers and a bottle of wine instead of walking into a police station to bail her out.
And I realize–without even trying–she is easily one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.
“Oh, honey,” she says, rushing to him and throwing her arms around him.
Knox stands still.
I don’t look at him. I look at the officer behind the counter, and sure enough, he’s watching. Leaning on one elbow, chin tipped forward. His entire attention is locked on all of us.
On the married man being kissed on the cheek by his beautiful wife just released from custody. On the husband’s bland expression.
On me–watching it all happen.
And Knox is about to pull away. I can already sense it in his shifting weight.
I push to my feet and walk over, planting a fake smile on my face.
“It’s getting late,” I say. “We should leave.”
Soraya turns to me, still half–latched onto Knox. “Hello there. Do I know you?”
“This is Sloane. She’s my-”
“Friend,” I interrupt. “We’re very good friends. Co Successfully unlocked!
I turn on my heel and start walking, mostly to avoid Knox’s glare that’s currently burning into my back. They follow behind me. I don’t turn around. I just keep moving outside and toward my car at a fast pace. But the second I reach the car, I feel it–Knox’s hand. Strong and sudden around my waist.
CHAPTER 073: The Wife
He grabs me and spins me to face him. My back hits the car door with a soft thud. His body is close, too close, his expression dark.
“What was that about, Bunny?” he says.
I glance past his shoulder. Soraya is lingering a few feet away, watching us with a strange expression.
“What was what about?” I ask.
“You saying we’re friends. And walking off like that.”
“What else was I supposed to say? I can’t very well introduce myself as your girlfriend while you’re picking your wife up from jail, can I?”
“You think I give a fuck about all that?” he says, voice dipping lower. “Don’t ever do that again.”
My chest tightens. My hands curl into fists at my sides. “Or else what, Knox?”
He steps in closer. Closer. The space between us disappears. I try to take a step back, but the car is right behind me–I’ve got nowhere to go. His body towers over mine.
He lifts his hand, cupping my jaw and tilting my chin up until my eyes have nowhere to go but his.
“You’re mine,” he says. “I don’t care who’s watching. You tell them you’re mine.”
His thumb brushes along my jaw, and my pulse becomes erratic.
A throat clears behind us.
The spell breaks.
We both turn.
Soraya’s arms are crossed over her chest. Her mouth pulls into a faint, dimpled smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Guys,” she says. “As much as this little scene is entertaining to watch, we’re still in the middle of a police station. And I have a lot of questions to ask Knox.”
Knox frowns, pulling away from me. “Questions?”
“Yes. Someone framed me for shoplifting in a jewelry store. I’d like to know why.”
“Wait–someone framed you?”
“That’s what I said.”
“They picked it up and dropped it into your bag?”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I want to,” he says. “I do.”
“You don’t. Why would I want to steal jewelry?”
Knox stares at her, not saying anything. Then he turns to me, like maybe I have the answer.
Soraya lets out a breath and shrugs.
“You know what?” she says. “I don’t care what you believe. We’ll discuss all that later. In your house.”
“My house?”
She nods. “Yeah. That’s where I’m staying tonight.”
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