❥ EVERETT'S POV

The sound of drawers being pulled open and shut is what drags Everett out of dreamland.

He sits up in bed and stretches, a few bones cracking in the process. Today's workout with Knox had thoroughly kicked his ass, but what followed afterward in the hallway on the way back to their room—well, Everett would do it all over again if asked. Had Mason not interrupted when he did, who knows how far he would've gone with Knox.

Speaking of the devil...

Everett looks around the room for his missing roommate.

What he finds is a yellow sticky note with sloppy handwriting resting on top of Knox's pillow, and the man himself standing in front of the dresser near the closet. Knox's back is to Everett, his stance tall and rigid. Something seems off about him. That much is obvious when assessing his all-black attire and the way his hair has been slicked back into a low bun.

Everett skims over the sticky note before speaking, his palms growing sweaty while he reads.

"Did you just come back from a meeting with your people?" Everett asks quietly, a hint of fear in his tone. Knox catches it immediately and turns around, his expression flat.

"I did," Knox answers. "And now we have to head out to handle some business."

"To do what?" Everett questions.

"It's better if you don't know." Knox turns back around and proceeds with rummaging through the dresser drawers, whatever he's looking for clearly being more important than addressing Everett's concerns. "Sorry for waking you," Knox grumbles. "I thought I was being quiet."

Everett furrows his brows in confusion. Sorry? Knox sure as shit doesn't sound sorry right now. His voice is as cold as his impassive grey eyes. And just like, with a snap of the fingers, red flags begin to sprout around the man that Everett had almost broken his dry spell for. It's giving him whiplash to see just how much has changed within such a short amount of time.

"What the hell happened at that meeting, Knox? Did you ever find out what it is that Mason wanted to tell you?" Everett climbs out of bed in time to see Knox slip a pair of black gloves into his back pocket just before slamming a drawer shut on the dresser.

Yet another red flag.

"What is wrong with you?" Everett starts. "I don't understand why you're acting like this—"

"Because you're wasting my time asking me questions that I can't give you the answers to." Knox's gaze stops Everett in his tracks once he finally turns around to face the boy properly. The air around them drops by several degrees, and the chills that travel down Everett's spine at that moment have absolutely nothing to do with arousal. "I can't discuss club business with outsiders. It goes against the code and I ain't breaking it for you."

Everett blinks and takes a step back as if Knox had punched him square in the chest. "I'm an outsider now?" The words feel wrong on Everett's tongue. Knox says nothing. They simply stare at each other, waiting for the other to yield. Of course, Everett breaks first. "Okay. That's fine. Fuck you too, I guess."

Everett crumples up the sticky note and tosses it at Knox's feet. He spins around to put on his shoes, his trembling hands and fingers moving at the speed of light. He says nothing as Knox inches closer and closer. Grabbing his cell phone off the nightstand, he ignores Knox calling after him while rushing toward the door. He gets it open for a split second, and then it slams shut.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going at this time of the night?" Knox speaks in a low tone, damn near growling. His muscular arm is outstretched, and his hand remains on the door while his body keeps Everett trapped in place, his eyes staring hard at the back of the boy's head. "Answer me."

"You don't want to tell me shit, so why the hell do I have to tell you where I'm going?" Everett tries for the doorknob again, knowing it's useless. "I swear if you don't move your hand off the door, I'm going to scream and wake up everyone in the house."

"Does it look like I give a damn?" Knox snaps. He grabs Everett by the arm and spins him around so they're facing one another. "Listen to me well, Everett. My brothers and I are going out to do a job that will break about fifty fucking laws at least. The simplest distraction is enough to get someone killed. I can't afford to worry about whether or not your stubborn ass is safe while you're out wandering the property alone, so I need you to stay the fuck inside until I get back. Got it?"

Everett's nostrils flare and his mouth forms into a hard line. If this was a cartoon, smoke would be rising out of his ears right about now. Knox can practically see every negative emotion known to man burning bright in Everett's pretty brown eyes. But it still isn't enough to get him to back off.

"We've already established that I'm an outsider, remember?" Everett emphasizes the word outsider with enough venom to make Knox flinch, his arms falling to his side. "You don't have to worry about me. Not anymore. I can take care of myself. Now leave or let me go."

Knox sighs heavily, dragging a hand down his face as he struggles to keep his emotions in check. "I'm not above locking you up while I'm gone, so don't fucking test me right now. Not unless you're ready to find out just how far I'm willing to go when it comes to keeping you safe."

"You wouldn't dare..." Everett whispers in shock.

"Apparently, you don't know me as well as you thought," Knox mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. "When it comes to my property, I'll burn this entire fucking world down and then some."

Everett gasps at that, his mouth parting open in surprise and... something else that he can't quite name at the moment. Property, what Knox had basically called him, is a label that should disgust Everett. It definitely shouldn't cause heat to spread across his skin, his freckled face now a lighter shade of cherry red.

How much more pathetic can he get?

"Are we done arguing? Because I really need to go," Knox says, and just a few seconds later, his cell phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out to read the new text right when a knock sounds at the door. "Who is it?" he yells while moving Everett aside.

"Your favorite redhead," Josie cheerfully responds. "I'm here for—" The door opens. She looks at Knox and then she looks at Everett and smiles. "Him."

"To do what with?" Knox questions, defensively.

"Don't you have someplace to be, grumpy bear?" Josie says to Knox while grabbing Everett by the hand. She pulls him out of the room and starts off down the hallway, yelling over her shoulder, "You and my husband better come back here the same as you left, or else I'll kick your asses myself!"

Everett doesn't look back. He can feel Knox's eyes follow him until he and Josie turn a corner, finally out of his sight. When they eventually release hands, he says, "Thanks for getting me out of there."

"You're welcome." Josie smiles, but one look in her eyes easily reveals the panic and fear swirling. "Tensions are high right now, and with everything going on between you and Knox..." Everett makes a face. "Sorry. Um, but whatever that may be, I just knew he wouldn't handle this well. Not like he normally does when they have to leave for a job."

"I don't understand," Everett says.

"It's hitting him hard having to leave you behind," Josie clarifies. "All while not knowing if he'll make it back to keep his promise about protecting you."

Everett isn't sure how to feel about that. Truthfully, he can't allow himself to feel much of anything, not if he's serious about keeping his heart intact while living with a man who's constantly trying to steal it.

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to respond to that," Everett says, maintaining a blank face.

"You don't have to. I'm just talking," Josie says. "Every time Gavin has to go out to work a job, he always gets a bit moody with me. And I'm sure you know by now, but Knox has never claimed a person before. He's never had an Ol' lady, never been in a committed relationship. Then you suddenly pop onto the scene and now he's out here with a whole ass roommate." Josie laughs, patting a blushing Everett on the shoulder. "Believe it or not, that man cares about you on a level that he probably doesn't even understand right now. Whatever hell he gives you while staying here, please don't be afraid to give it back to him so long as you know he means well."

"You heard us arguing, didn't you?" Everett asks, embarrassed. Josie nods. "Shit. I didn't know we were that loud."

"You weren't! I only heard the tail end by the time I reached the door," Josie says. "That outsider comment? Don't take it to heart. I told you before that not even Gavin will loop me in on club business, and we're married! Honest to God, I work damn hard to seduce the truth out of that man, and the majority of the time, it doesn't even fucking work."

Everett laughs. "I hear you. I just wish Knox would've toned down the asshole act a little bit. If he truly cares about me and wants to keep me safe like you're implying, then he's showing it in an odd way."

"Men are complicated creatures, especially when it comes to expressing their emotions. Not saying that to give Knox a pass, but like, come on... The guy can be a little dense when it comes to shit like that," Josie teases. When they reach the empty kitchen, her smile widens. "You know what I like to do to help keep my mind busy while Gavin is out committing God knows what crime?"

Everett shakes his head. "What?"

"I bake!" she exclaims. "Are you in the mood for some chocolate chip cookies?"

"Hell yeah." Everett smiles, rubbing his hands together. "How can I help?"

Getting his hands dirty in the kitchen isn't a big deal for Everett. Some of his fondest childhood memories are from when he used to help his parents cook. On multiple occasions, his father tried to teach him how to be neat while cooking, but given his age and short attention span, his mother knew better. She let him do whatever he wanted, make whatever kind of mess he wanted, and he loved her for it immensely.

Not a day goes by when she isn't on his mind.

"And now we wait," Josie announces thirty minutes later. The cookie dough needs to chill for at least an hour before they cook it, something about flavors setting and fats solidifying, Josie had said. Everett has nothing but time, so he doesn't complain.

"Doing all this has me feeling homesick," Everett mumbles after taking a seat at the kitchen table. He rests his head against the cool wood, staring at Josie. "I miss my parents and my friends. I try to stay positive, but it isn't easy living here. Knox doesn't make it easy."

Josie frowns, for once. The expression not mixing well with her bubbly personality. "I'm sorry you're going through such a hard time, Everett. I really wish you weren't."

"I really wish I had never indulged Shaun," Everett confesses. "He was supposed to be simple. A fun fuck. Instead of that, I end up in the middle of his gang war. How the hell is that fair?"

"It isn't."

"But I'm alive, so I feel like I shouldn't be complaining, you know? The Fallen Angels didn't have to take me in. They didn't have to protect my family and friends. Knox didn't have to vouch for me, but he did. So I should be more grateful, right? I shouldn't cause him so much trouble, especially not while he's putting his life on the line for me—"

"Stop." Josie holds up a hand, cutting him off. "Your feelings are completely valid, Everett. This situation that you're in right now undoubtedly sucks ass, and you have every right to hate it. Never, ever, lie down and suffer in silence. You don't have to, and I won't let you."

"She's right."

Both their heads whip around at the sound of Knox's voice. He walks into the kitchen with a dark aura riding his back, looking the epitome of evil. He slows to a stop by Everett's chair, looking down at him with the same cold grey eyes as before. So devastatingly beautiful and savage.

"I like your fire, kitten. Don't let me be the reason why you put it out."

Everett blinks back tears, unable to process the flood of emotions that hit him at the moment. "Okay." 

"I thought you guys had left already," Josie says. "What's the hold up?"

"They're waiting on me." Knox never takes his eyes off Everett. He doesn't even ask for privacy when he leans down and grips the back of Everett's neck with one hand. He kisses him, short and sweet, right there in front of Josie. Unashamed and proud. "I will come back to you," he whispers the promise before pulling away, not allowing Everett to get the last word in as he turns to exit the kitchen, taking the darkness with him.

"I told you." Josie sighs, shaking her head. "Men are complicated creatures."

Everett blushes, saying nothing.

What more is there to say? It's true he can't stand Knox at times, even hates his guts more often than not. That doesn't stop him from praying to God, begging Him to protect his beast as he leaves to slay their enemies. Not really religious, Everett prays harder than he ever has before.

He prays that Knox will make it back to him.