Fight for Me (5 page)

Knox kicked him in the temple, silencing whatever information he was about to share with them. Then Knox frisked him, coming up with a knife and a wad of bills in addition to the silver revolver.

“Who’s X?” Natalie asked.

Knox looked up at her, then strode to the second guy to strip him as well. He came up with another gun and more cash.

“I’ll tell you later. We need to go,” he said. “Even in this part of town, someone might call the cops. And X will start to wonder what happened to his men.”

Natalie looked back and forth between the two downed men. They knew Knox and knew him by name.

“Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “I promise I’ll tell you everything once we’re safe.”

She almost laughed at that word.
Safe.
Would they ever be safe again?

A feeling of dread settled over her as she jogged alongside Knox. She had a feeling things were going to get much worse before they got better.

They ran three blocks south, deeper into X’s territory, before cutting over and making their way back to the north side.

Natalie clutched her side, but Knox didn’t bother to ask her if she was okay. She’d more than likely bruised some ribs—a pain he knew all too well. He also knew she wouldn’t admit to the injury if it meant slowing down.

She was a lot tougher than she looked.

He stopped, looking up at a hotel that was a definite upgrade from the lodging they’d just come from. It wasn’t quite far enough north to be too upscale, though.

“This will work,” he said. He’d prefer to hole up in an abandoned apartment or somewhere where they didn’t have to deal with people, but Natalie needed to rest. Plus the longer they stayed out in the open, the more susceptible they were to another attack.

Although they hadn’t been in the open a moment ago.

Knox clenched his jaw. That was too close of a call. He should’ve killed the guy for laying a hand on Natalie.

It was his fault. Those were X’s men, goddammit. They were after
him,
not her.

If he had any damn sense, he would have skipped town. He’d been so close to starting a new life, free of X. Figures the one time he stops to do the right thing, it causes him even more trouble.

But how could he have turned a blind eye? Natalie couldn’t have fought off that guy on her own. One woman had already lost her life because he hadn’t been able to fight off her attacker. He couldn’t have another on his conscience.

It was more than just that, though. The more time he spent with Natalie, the more bewitched he became. And the less he wanted to leave her.

The guy’s comment about Natalie troubled him, though. How did they know who she was? And why would X care? Unease tugged at his gut.

“Okay,” Natalie said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll get a room.”

“No, I’ll do it. Now that we’re on the north side, I doubt anyone will recognize me. Come in, but keep your face hidden.”

Natalie nodded and ducked her chin, letting her hair swirl around her face. When they entered the lobby, she went to the far side and picked up a magazine, leaving Knox to deal with checking in.

“Need a room?” the desk clerk asked.

“Yeah,” Knox said. “First floor.”

“Fill this out.” The clerk shoved a form across the desk and returned to playing with his smartphone.

Knox picked up a pen, pausing briefly at the first line labeled
NAME.
Hopefully this establishment would take cash and not require an ID.

Natalie tugged at his sleeve. He shifted to block the clerk’s view of her and glanced down to find her eyes wide and her face pale. She nodded at the television mounted behind the desk.

The sound was muted, but her picture flashed on the screen with the caption:
REWARD: MISSING SOCIALITE.

So that was how X’s men had recognized her. And soon X would know they were together.

Fuck.
Just what they needed. Another complication. He cursed himself under his breath for not killing those guys.

The big question now was whether the reward was big enough to warrant X’s attention. Of course, he might seek out Natalie just to spite Knox. X was a vengeful bastard.

Once in their room, Natalie immediately turned on the TV while Knox inspected the window. It was double-paned with no way to open it. There were no crossbars, though, so he could break it if they needed a quick escape. He didn’t want to be trapped with the door as their only exit.

Natalie sat on the end of the bed, her hands clasped between her knees, watching her father being interviewed on the local news.

“I’m just devastated, as any father would be. My Natalie . . . she’s all I have left in this world. I’d give anything for her safe return.”

Natalie shook her head in anger. “Bullshit. That’s all bullshit, and people will buy it because he’s Gerald Kent.” She stood and paced. “He’s never cared about me. I’m nothing but his golden goose.”

Although Knox didn’t know exactly what she was talking about, he could identify. He’d been X’s prized fighter for years now, bringing in at least twice as much as his next best fighter.

And even though he’d left, he still wasn’t free of X. He wondered if he would ever be free of the corrupt man he’d once considered a father.

“And Natalie, if you’re somehow listening, I love you, baby girl. Come home.”
Gerald Kent’s expression was pleading and full of anguish. He was putting on one hell of a performance for a man who’d sent thugs to retrieve his daughter.

“No chance in hell,
Daddy.
” She laughed bitterly and winced, holding her side.

Knox frowned and grabbed the empty ice bucket off the dresser. “I’ll be right back.”

Several minutes later, he held a bag of ice to her ribs, hoping it wasn’t too late to reduce the swelling. She sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Geez, that’s cold.”

“It’ll help,” Knox said simply. He could’ve let her hold the ice, and maybe he should have. She would have been able to apply it to the precise point of pain better than he, but he needed to feel like he was doing something. He needed to feel like he was helping her.

Running and hiding wasn’t in his repertoire. He faced problems head-on and fought them. But even he was beginning to see he wouldn’t be able to fix this problem with his fists, especially now that Natalie’s picture was all over the news.

“Sorry,” she said. “I don’t mean to whine, especially after everything you’ve done for me.”

“It hasn’t been enough.”

“Knox, you’ve done everything. You saved me. Twice.”

“If I were smarter or faster, I wouldn’t have had to save you the second time. You shouldn’t have to fight.”

She wasn’t meant for this type of life. True, she’d been holding her own, but she shouldn’t have to.

“Neither should you,” she said quietly.

His eyes met hers—eyes filled with goodness and innocence. Everything he wasn’t.

Holding his gaze, she gently put her fingers to a scrape at his temple. “This could use some ice as well.”

He tore his gaze from hers and grabbed her wrist, planning to push her away from him. He couldn’t deny he was drawn to her, but he was going to do right by her and keep his distance, even though it killed him inside. Seeing X’s man attack her had put things into perspective. Her involvement with him would bring her nothing but more trouble. Hell, it already had.

So he’d keep her safe until they figured a way out of this mess, and that meant keeping her safe from him as well. They were from two different worlds.

When she took the ice from her ribs and held it to his temple, his noble thoughts disintegrated. When she peered at him with concern overwhelming her big blue eyes, he dropped her wrist. When she moved closer and her breasts grazed his chest, he lost it.

He hauled her against his chest and pressed his lips to hers. She gasped a little, and he used the opportunity to slide his tongue between her lips and fully devour her mouth.

The tenseness left her body, and she leaned into him, letting out a small sigh.

Fuck.

Knox ran his hands under her shirt and up her back, her skin soft against his rough, scarred palms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing up against him, while he continued to explore her mouth.

But he wanted more. He needed to feel her skin against his. He yanked her shirt up and over her head, finding a black lace bra against her satin skin.

Her nipples strained against the lace and he dipped his head down to suckle the left one through the sheer fabric. She moaned and pressed her hips against him, knotting her fingers in his hair as he moved to give equal attention to the right. He gave one final suck to her tight bud before trailing his tongue down her torso, lingering at her belly.

He slowly undid the button on her pants, pausing to gauge her reaction, to make sure she was on board with where this was going.

He needed this. He needed
her.

She swayed against him. “Knox,” she said breathily, her thighs quivering. She held onto him for support.

God, he was dying to taste her. Then to feel her wrapped around him. He inched her jeans lower to the top of black lace panties that matched the bra.

In one swift move, he lifted her and deposited her on the bed. As he climbed over her, she looked up at him, her half-closed eyes full of heat and something else.

Innocence.

Christ.

He paused and leaned back, then he scrubbed a hand over his face. Natalie was nothing like any of the women he’d been involved with. They’d used him as much as he’d used them. But Natalie was good and pure.

And a little hesitant. Not unwilling, exactly, just not experienced, either. He had a hunch about that.

She noticed the change in him immediately and put an arm over her breasts. “Is something wrong?”

He hated to see the change in her, that she felt the need to cover herself in front of him. Who the fuck was he kidding when he vowed to stay away from her? He wasn’t capable.

But he wouldn’t shatter her innocence this way.

“Are you a virgin?”

Natalie scooted farther back onto the bed until her back was against the headboard. A moment ago, she’d felt sensual only wearing half her clothes.

Now she felt exposed.

“Are you a virgin?” Knox repeated.

“Yes,” she whispered, and he retreated, his eyes closing off and his shoulders squaring. She didn’t want the distance between them. Not with the only person she’d ever been
real
with.

She’d dated a little in high school, but all it took was one meeting with her father for those boys to run away with their tails between their legs. During her senior year, she’d kept her relationship with Zach McKutcheon a secret. They’d cut class and make out in an empty classroom, both petrified of getting caught. After graduation though, Zach had left her behind to go away to college while she was forced to attend the local university.

Her college years weren’t much better. How could they be when she was still living at home under her father’s careful eye? He’d had her followed regularly, saying it was for her protection.
Protection from what?
She’d always wanted to ask.
He
was the one she needed protection from.

God, she’d yearned for affection. Still did.

She hadn’t felt truly loved since her mother died.

So forgive her if she wanted to experience physical love with Knox. He treated her so tenderly, and she wanted more—as much as she could get.

True, their situation wasn’t ideal, but she’d never felt more alive. Before, nothing in her life had been her choice. Now she was choosing Knox.

She sat up straight and looked him right in the eyes. “I liked where that was heading. My being a virgin has nothing to do with it.”

“You don’t know what you’re getting into with me,” Knox said gruffly, the torment evident in his eyes. He put his hands on the back of his neck, which put his bulging biceps on display.

She definitely knew what she was getting into. Knox may have the appearance of a brutal street fighter, but he was so much more than that. She wished he could see himself as she did.

She stood and walked over to Knox, her jeans slipping lower on her hips with every step. “I may never have been with a man before, but I know what I want. And I want you.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, gently at first and then with more urgency. He didn’t resist but his arms hung limply at his sides, his hands in fists.

A smile teased at her lips. He could deny it all he wanted, but the attraction between them was powerful. They were better together.

“I’ve lived my entire life feeling dead inside. But you make me feel alive,” she whispered. “Help me to feel, Knox.”

With a growl, he crushed his lips to hers, ravaging her mouth. He splayed his hands on her back, then guided her backward until her knees hit the edge of the bed. He gently lowered her.

He hovered over her with his eyes locked on hers, and Natalie couldn’t help but reach up and stroke his cheek while admiring the hard edges of his features. This man had risked his life for her. And if she knew anything about him, he would do it again.

She could lose herself in his eyes that held so many secrets. How had this man lived his life for his eyes to become so afflicted? She would find out, but not now. It wasn’t time for talking. Now was for feeling.

He leaned down to nibble behind her ear, sucking gently on the sensitive skin. She gasped, clutching at the sheets, and then closed her eyes to enjoy the new sensation.

She was momentarily filled with disappointment when he moved away from that tender spot, but it quickly faded as his expert mouth found her breast once again and coaxed her nipple into a peak. His hands traveled lower along her skin past her navel to tug her jeans the rest of the way off her hips. As his fingertips grazed her flesh, goose bumps emerged.

But why was she the only one unclothed? She wanted to feel his body, too. She yanked on his shirt, and he took her hint and pulled it over his head, tossing it on the floor. She spread her palms over the muscles of his chest, once again marveling at the hard lines and contours, the scars and marks.

He lowered his mouth to hers and placed his hand flat on her lower abdomen, just inside the edges of her panties. She tensed immediately. No one had ever touched her there. Knox didn’t move his hand, instead letting her body acclimate to his touch.

He knew just what she needed.

Her body relaxed as he continued kissing her, and he slowly moved his hand lower and lower still until he’d reached her folds. When his fingertip caressed her clit, she arched her back as heat built inside her.

“Oh, God.”

“You said you wanted to feel,” Knox whispered in her ear. “Just wait.”

While one finger continued to tease her clit, another stroked her opening.

Natalie’s hips reacted, instinctively arching.

Knox kissed the top of her breast, then her rib cage, then her belly. He pulled her panties down to her knees, and she bent them so he could pull the lacy fabric all the way off.