❥ EVERETT'S POV

Everett is surprised by how quickly The Fallen Angels accept him and treat him like one of their own. 

The members acknowledge him in passing around the clubhouse, and the women who hang around every day no longer stare at him like he's competition to be taken out. He's even grown bold enough to go places without Knox cosplaying as his shadow. The man's overprotectiveness has no limits, however, so Everett is never truly alone.

"How long does he plan on making you follow me around?" Everett sighs dramatically as he and Finn enter the kitchen. "I've been here for a week! I finally know my way around this big ass place, so I don't need another babysitter. I'm not going to run off."

"Asking too many questions never ends well for my face, kid. I do as I'm told, and that's that." Finn chuckles, taking a seat at the large table. He pulls out his cell phone and begins texting at ninety miles per minute, half of a smile on his face. "There are a million other places I'd rather be right now. The first place is in bed underneath my girl. So, yeah, I'm just as fucking miserable as you currently are."

"This feels like the part where I'm meant to apologize for inconveniencing you, but I won't." Everett rolls his eyes and then pours himself a glass of orange juice, opting to stand rather than sit at the table with Finn. "I never asked for any of this, by the way. And if I could've chosen someone else to follow me around like a lost puppy, I would have."

"You're such a feisty little runt." Finn smirks, briefly glancing up from his phone. "Does Knox allow you to talk to him like this, or is it all an act to appear tough?"

Everett scoffs, then laughs. "Allow? Fuck off with that shit. This is how I talk to everyone. I don't have the energy to pretend to be someone I'm not."

"Whatever. I'm surprised he hasn't fucked the brat out of you yet," Finn mumbles under his breath, redirecting his attention back to his phone.

Everett's cheeks heat at the comment he wasn't supposed to hear.

It's no lie that Knox affects Everett in ways no other man has before. A constant battle occurs when they're next to each other, sometimes all it takes is the simple locking of their eyes. The more they push each other's buttons, the faster Everett's feelings evolve toward Knox, a self-proclaimed killer. Every single day, Everett struggles internally. He's no longer certain whether to leave his guard up or lower it completely when in Knox's presence.

Once this war ends with The Jackals, walking away from Knox may not be as easy as Everett had once thought.

"This is boring. Can we go to the—" Everett starts.

"Absolutely the fuck not," Finn interjects. "You aren't to leave the property unless you're with Knox."

"Great. I'm basically a fucking prisoner now," Everett mutters. "Is this what you do all day? You sit around and wait for people to give you some shitty assignment to carry out?" He speaks louder, glaring at Finn. He's not really interested in getting to know the guy, but this beats sitting alone in his room while he waits for Knox to return from his workout.

"As I said before, I do what I'm told without asking questions," Finn replies, dryly. "Whatever the Pres needs from me, I do it. Could range from keeping an eye out on his girl when she's away from the clubhouse to helping dispose of a body..." Finn pauses to laugh at the horrified expression on Everett's face. "I wear many titles around here."

"I shouldn't have asked," Everett grumbles. "Now the image of you doing that will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day."

"Don't try to act all grossed out now," Finn remarks. "All the fucked up shit I've done is kid's play compared to someone like Knox, and you sleep next to him every night. Surely he's told you his story by now."

"Yeah, actually. We stayed up late last night watching movies and talking, and he told me everything," Everett says. "What about you? How'd you end up joining a motorcycle club?"

Finn places his phone down, making eye contact with Everett while leaning back in his seat. "Take a wild guess."

"I don't know. You kind of look like the type who does crazy shit whenever you get bored," Everett says. He grabs a bag of chips from the cabinet and then takes a seat at the table, studying Finn. "Are you the type or not?"

"I am." Finn smiles, but it only lasts a second. "That isn't why I wanted to become one of The Fallen Angels, though. Not sure what all Knox has told you about me, but I'd be dead if it wasn't for him."

"How did he help you?" Everett asks, genuinely curious.

"He didn't help me. He saved me," Finn corrects. "My parents weren't ready to be parents when they had me, so I entered the system at a very young age. I wasn't cute and cuddly like some of the other kids; I was rough around the edges and had a shitty attitude. By the time I turned sixteen, I knew that was the end of the road for me. No one was going to adopt me. So, I ran away with my best friend. We lived on the streets for years after that."

"Doing what?" Everett asks.

"Anything we wanted," Finn says.

Fully engrossed in the story, Everett takes a sip of his drink before munching on his chips. "How did you guys, um... you know, make a living?"

"We made money slinging dope for a local dealer," Finn answers. "This went on for a couple of months, then one day, my friend suggested we try the shit. One thing led to another, and we ended up getting hooked on the product we were meant to sell. Fucking drugs almost killed my ass."

"But Knox found you in time?" Everett suggests, putting the picture together.

"Yeah." Finn nods. "Apparently, the territory my friend and I had been selling in belonged to The Fallen Angels. After they took out my boss' supplier, they took out my boss, and then came after us dealers. By that time, I was using more than I was selling. The day The Fallen Angels ran into our trap house was the same day my friend had overdosed and died. I was out of my fucking mind with grief. I begged The Fallen Angels to shoot me dead. But they didn't. Knox, for whatever reason, convinced Pres to give me and a few others a second chance, those of us who weren't too far gone—stop selling and get clean, or get the fuck out of town and never come back."

"I'm guessing you chose the former," Everett says.

Finn nods again. "They wouldn't kill me, and I had nowhere else to go, so getting clean was my only option. Knox was ordered to drive us all to a nearby rehab. The Fallen Angels paid for everything."

"Damn." Everett looks visibly shocked. "That was mighty nice of them."

"It was." Finn laughs. "After I completed the program, I immediately sought them out. No one had ever cared for me like that before, and I wanted to be part of their group because of it. I wanted to be part of their family. So, I started out as a hangaround at the clubhouse. Knox took me under his wing because he saw something in me, then I later moved up to a prospect, and eventually, I became a patched member. The rest is history."

"That's one hell of a story," Everett says. "But I'm glad you got clean, and I'm sorry about what happened with your friend."

"I'm sorry about dragging you into this war with The Jackals," Finn replies. "Knox claimed you, so you're practically one of us now. My brothers and I will do whatever's necessary to keep you safe, be it killing for you or taking a bullet for you. We've got your back, Everett. No matter what."

"And that will continue even after this war ends." Gavin casually strolls into the kitchen, making both men sit up straighter in their seats. He walks around the table until he's standing by Everett's chair. "I don't think we've formally met yet." He extends a hand for Everett to shake. "I'm Gavin."

Everett awkwardly stands from his seat to shake the giant's hand. Gavin is built similarly to Knox, but his body is covered in tattoos, and he has a beard that hits his chest. Even when he smiles, he still looks intimidating as hell. How the fuck did this guy win over sweet little Josie?

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Gavin says. "And I know I'm long overdue, but I heard about what happened to you the night of the party. I wanted to tell you personally that you don't have to worry about running into Scar anymore. He'll never step foot on this property again."

Everett frowns, and his heart plummets to his feet. "Oh my God. Did you... did you have your men kill him because of me?"

"No, kid. That asshole is still alive and breathing," Gavin laughs alongside Finn. "I banned him from coming back here. Knox didn't have a problem with it and I assume you won't either."

Everett relaxes, relief flooding his system. "I suppose not. But I never meant to cause anyone trouble. What if he tries to retaliate against me?"

"Then I'll kill him," Knox announces from the entryway. All eyes fall on him, and Everett's breathing immediately becomes erratic.

Knox is wearing nothing but a pair of black gym shorts, his tan skin and muscles covered in sweat courtesy of the workout he just completed. His bronze-colored hair is in its usual messy bun, and his smokey grey eyes are on Everett. They remain that way even after Knox approaches him, finishes the rest of his orange juice, and then flashes him a cheeky grin that sends tingles down his spine.

"See something you like, kitten?" Knox asks, his tone playful with a hint of seriousness. He doesn't touch Everett until after their audience disappears, slowly dragging his thumb across the boy's bottom lip. "Better close your mouth before I put something in it."

Everett's brows draw in as he picks his jaw up from the floor, lightly shoving Knox. "Why do you have to make everything sexual?"

"Have you looked at yourself in a mirror lately?" Knox questions, making Everett blush. "Before I get off track, I think it'd do you some good to join me during my workouts. I can even teach you a thing or two about how to defend yourself during an attack."

"No amount of moves will be enough to help me take down someone your size," Everett laughs.

"Would you rather be a shooter?" Knox asks. "I can get you a gun—"

"No!" Everett protests, shaking his head. "I don't want anyone else's blood on my hands. I can't... I'm not a killer."

Knox rests against the kitchen table, pulling Everett closer. "In the worst-case scenario, you need to know how to defend yourself when me and my brothers aren't around, Everett. If you won't let me teach you how to shoot, then at least let me teach you how to fight."

"What if I end up breaking something?" Everett asks.

"Then I'll nurse you back to health," Knox says.

"What if I end up hurting you?" Everett whispers, moving to stand in between Knox's legs.

"Then you'll nurse me back to health." Knox rests his hands on Everett's waist, pulling the boy flush against him. The air around them grows thick, and the desire to do something filthy on top of the kitchen table is now at the forefront of Everett's mind. "I need you to do this for me, kitten. Please?"

"I hear you," Everett says, his gaze sharpening as they drift to Knox's mouth. "But what do I get in return?"

Knox smirks, raising a brow. "What do you want?"

"I want to visit your favorite spot on the property," Everett says, excitement sparkling in his brown eyes. "The one by the river that Finn told me about it? I'll train with you if you agree to take me there."

"Hm. You've been a good boy as of late, so I guess we can make a deal." Knox grins, leaning in closer to where their noses are almost touching. "And with that being said, your training starts now."

"W-wait!" Everett shrieks as Knox goes to move, his mind still stuck on the way his stomach tightened and cock jumped at being called a good boy. Is that the smell of a new kink penetrating the air? "I'm not mentally or emotionally prepared for this right now. Can we do it tomorrow?"

"No." Knox tugs him along by the hand, leading the way onto the third floor where the home gym is located. "You're already dressed the part, so we're doing it now. No excuses."

"You're evil," Everett whines.

"Tell me something I don't know." Knox laughs.