Forever in Your Deadly Heart

Chapter 8: An Unlikely Hero

Petunia began coughing and Tate sighed. "Father, you know Petunia and I are dating. You've met her several times."

Mr. Montgomery eyed Petunia as though she were a hair in his dessert, "Is that so? She looks like a stranger to me."

"Mr. Marsden?" Jason took that moment to interrupt. He was tapping his watch as if signaling to everyone that Knox had another appointment.

"Yes, you should get going." Nessa laughed nervously and gave Knox a slight nudge.

"Do you two know one another?" Mr. Montgomery asked, pointing a plump finger from Nessa to Knox.

"They're dating," Petunia said loudly.

"Dating?" Mr. Montgomery frowned. "You can't be serious, can you? Knox, I know you and your father are good people but Nessa and Tate are-"

"No, of course not." Nessa waved her hands in front of her. "Petunia's confused."

"Confused?" Knox placed an arm around Nessa's dinosaur shoulders. "I don't think so."

Knox faced Nessa, "Don't you remember? I'm your boyfriend. A boyfriend you like to pass special notes to."

Knox pulled a small scrap of paper from his pocket. The note Nessa had passed to Gloria days earlier waved in front of her.

Nessa's brows rose, "I gave that to you a few days ago. You carry it around in your pocket? Creepy."

Jason gave a bark of laughter before pretending to cover it up with a cough. Knox scrunched up his nose and grabbed hers, shaking her head from one side to another. "You're so cute. What am I going to do with you?"

Nessa pushed his hand away and rubbed her nose. "What is wrong with you?"

Mitch Montgomery's eyes narrowed as he watched Knox play affectionately with Nessa. "I don't know what's going on here but I want to make this clear-"

"Mr. Marsden, we really should be going." Jason stepped forward. "Will your...girlfriend be joining us?"

"Now just a minute." Mr. Montgomery had his hands on his hips.

"Don't worry." Knox pushed Nessa forward." I'll let my father know about the round of golf you wanted."

Mitch Montgomery muttered something only Tate could hear before dragging his son away. Nessa tried walking beside Knox but he pushed her closer to Jason. "Keep walking. I don't want people to think we know one another."

"Then, why did you tell Mr. Montgomery you were my boyfriend? He's going to tell my parents and you'll never hear the end of it."

"I did it because I don't like the man and because I need to talk to you."

Knox whispered something to his assistant and Jason led them to Knox's car before stepping into the driver's seat.

"Talk to me about what? The note?" Nessa groaned. "Listen, I was angry when I wrote that."

They were in the backseat when he read the note. "Knox. Knox. Who's there?"

"I thought it was cute," she mumbled.

"Who told you about this? Was it Jessica?"

"Again with her? I told you I don't know her." Nessa shoved the dinosaur head in his lap, crossed her arms, and leaned back against the car seat. "Excuse me, but can you turn up the AC? It's hot as hell in this outfit."

"She's the only person I told about this."

"There's someone else who knows," Nessa said.

"No, there isn't," Knox was speaking through gritted teeth. "Jason? Drive."