In the distance, someone might have thought fireworks were going off. There was a war waging in the air as gunfire ripped through the Greenhouse, hitting vases and tables, sending glass, porcelain, and wood asunder. Anthony tensed up, cradling Knox's head in his chest. Anthony didn't move. He knew better than to lift his head and check if the coast was clear. He had Knox in his arms, and that was enough for now.
Once the shots stopped, the silence was too eerie for Anthony to feel relieved. Anthony hugged Knox just tight enough to avoid choking him, pressing his face into Knox's golden spun hair, he asked. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but Anthony, are you alright?"
"You're sure you're, okay?"
"I swear but—"
"Stay down," Anthony whispered, glancing behind his shoulder. There was no one in the windows or the doors. "Peter?" He called out.
"I'm alright!" Peter said from the workshop, his voice far away. He must've found a place to hide.
"Do you have someone you can call?"
"I already called my boyfriend."
"Anthony," Knox said his name, his face wide in shock. All the color had completely drained from his face.
Anthony grabbed his arms, pushing him towards the workroom. "Go with Peter. Find a place to hide and stay there until I come for you." Anthony jumped to his feet and ran out the front door. His eyes caught movement and Anthony grabbed the nearest body, throwing them against the green brick. Milan cursed, clutching Anthony's wrist.
"What happened? What did you see?"
"The car was attacked, too. I had to duck down, and I couldn't see anything." Milan struggled against Anthony's grip, but Anthony didn't budge. He just held on tighter. Milan relented, scowling at Anthony like an angry dog at its master. "It was another car, a black armored Lexus with no plates."
"Which way did it go?"
"Anthony!" Knox called again.
Anthony held onto Milan with one hand and pointed a warning finger at Knox. "Stay back. Milan, you go down the road. I'm not saying you'll see anything, but I'll go the other way. I need to get on the phone with my brother."
Knox walked towards them, and his panic restarted, walking over and through the rubble to grab Knox's arms. "I told you to go. I need you to stay back. Whoever shot at you could come back to make sure they got the job done."
"We both got shot at," Knox spoke up. His brow pinched. Knox glared at the top of Anthony's head. He picked to his curls, pulling out pits of glass that Anthony hadn't even noticed.
Knox couldn't frown deeper if he tried, checking every edge and corner of Anthony's person, squeezing his arms. He shook his head. "Your cheek. You're all scratched up," Knox said, an edge to his voice as if one little cut on Anthony's cheek was more annoying than nails on a chalkboard.
"I'd be better if you were somewhere safe." Anthony grabbed Knox's hand, keeping it by his side.
"I'm not leaving without you," Knox insisted.
Glancing over his shoulder, Anthony noticed Milan had disappeared and he let out a rattling sigh, his anxiety leaking into the air. That adrenaline spike burnt out, and Anthony almost dropped to the floor then and there.
"Well, then, let's go," Anthony decided. He had already taken out his phone and called for a car down the next street. Anthony didn't lighten his grip on Knox's hand. Police sirens screamed in the distance just as their Uber pulled up.
"Get in first," Anthony instructed, double checking the street as he put his hand over Knox's head so it wouldn't hit the top of the car.
Anthony scooted inside, unable to keep himself from checking their surroundings.
Without warning, without words, Knox threaded his hand back into Anthony's. Surprised, Anthony turned back around to Knox, smiling at him. The color returned to his face, but not only that, Knox's eyes were so warm.
"What is it?" Anthony had to ask. "Did you hit your head on the ground?" Anthony combed through Knox's hair, searching for a lump.
Knox just grinned wider, biting the bottom side of his lip. "It's just... I didn't expect you to take charge like that."
"Oh," Anthony said, feeling silly all of a sudden. He really just barked orders at everyone in the room, including Knox's bodyguard, the shop owner, and the next king of his own coven. Anthony quickly tried to explain himself "Uh, sorry, I wasn't thinking. Something came over me and I just... I had to do something. I just need to make sure you're okay," Anthony said, still unsure. His stomach had been in knots since the first shot and only tightened tighter and tighter.
"Anthony, I am the future king of my coven. Someone has always expected me to fight. I have to be impenetrable. I have to be tough. If I don't make it, everything falls apart."
"I know."
"And yet, I would've done anything you told me to do, Anthony. If anyone else spoke to me like that, they would never want to be in my presence again, but here's the thing, no one would talk to me that way but you. You're the only one with the guts to do it."
"I don't think it has to do with guts," Anthony whispered, looking out the window. "More like a lack of brains." Closing his eyes, Anthony shook his head. "I'm so stupid."
Anthony sighed, annoyed with himself. He turned back to Knox, searching his face and eyes. "What is it?" Knox asked.
"I'm trying to figure out what you get out of lying about this. You don't have to amuse me. We're already engaged. You're my antidote. I already need you to survive, so I don't understand why..."
"Why am I flirting with you?" Knox finished what Anthony couldn't. Anthony noticed the hotel approaching and his attention flickered between the destination, the driver, and Knox, but all Knox was doing was looking at him. Their hands remained tightly intertwined. "I told you," Knox said and touched Anthony's face. "I like you. Remember? I already wanted to ask you out before today."
The car stopped, and Knox thanked the driver before getting out. Anthony took back his hand, letting Knox's confession hang in the air and his touch linger. He almost pinched himself to be sure this wasn't a lucid dream. Knox opened his door and Anthony didn't know what face he could possibly be making when his world was getting rocked.
Guys have been forward with Anthony before. The more confident the guy, the sexier the guy has been open about what they want to do with Anthony, when, where, and with how little clothing. This kind of genuine heartfelt honesty did worse things to Anthony. His brain was short circuiting, his muscles going through atrophy, and his heart expanding until it popped.
Anthony got out, walking at Knox, and forcing him onto the sidewalk. "How would you have done it? How did you want to ask me out?"
"If we didn't get shot at," Knox explained, "and I didn't get ahead of myself, I had a whole plan for today." He almost went on but stopped himself with his playful smile that made Anthony want to jump into traffic. "Are you sure you want me to spoil the whole thing?"
"Yes, absolutely," Anthony said with total conviction. "I need to know you're serious."
"Okay," Knox said and took Anthony's hand again. "I was going to suggest spending the day in the city. I was going to take you to a vintage shop because I think you'd like the clothes. If you didn't want to do that, I'd say we should do something else because it didn't matter where we went. I just wanted to spend more time with you."
"Then, I'd take you somewhere for dinner with a nice view of the city and..." He went into his pocket, searching for something. "I'd give you this." He unveiled a small red box. Not a ring pocket. Anthony already had the rock. Knox handed him the gift. "And I'd say that you're a little scary." He laughed lightly to himself. "You're bossy, obstinate, gossipy, and somehow prouder than me. You're a first for me, Anthony. The only person in the world that might match me..."
Anthony popped the box open to find a wristwatch.
He sucked in a little breath. The ticking little watch had a worn leather strap with all gold detailing in the dial and its delicate frame.
"It's from the 40s and I fixed it myself," he explained, obviously getting flustered by his bated breath and the tips of his pink ears. This man had to have spent hours fixing this watch and thinking of Anthony. He must've. Knox fixed it for him.
After a breath, Knox worked himself up to say, "You are unbearably gentle with me. The way you take care of me makes me weak, and I just wanted you to know. It hasn't gone unnoticed, and I need you to know how much it's meant to me."
With his free hand, the tips of Knox's fingers framed Anthony's face, stopping at his cheek, and Anthony could do nothing but lean into the touch. Knox smiled wider, stars in his eyes, and said, "Even if none of that happened, even if I didn't let any of that affect me, I can still say I'm happy to spend this time looking at you. You are so beautiful."
For once, Anthony didn't make the rational choice. He stopped weighing the pros and cons. Not for a single second did he think about his siblings. All he could see was Knox. The only name echoing in his mind was Knox's.
Anthony clutched the back of Knox's neck and brought himself up, pressing his lips to Knox's and Knox immediately brought his arms around Anthony like all the pieces were falling into place. Anthony tilted his head up, opening Knox's lips and finally had a taste of what he'd been missing. The city faded away as Anthony's focus was all on Knox's hands on his back and the press of his body. Between a kiss, Knox's breath tickled Anthony's face and that brought him back to reality, back to the rush and noise of the city.
It made Anthony smile and break the kiss to laugh a little. Knox held his face, forcing their eyes to meet. "I know we're skipping a few steps here, but I really would like to take you out on a proper date. What do you say? Would you like to stay in the city for—"
The phone in his pocket cut Knox off and Anthony's brain auto filled the blanks.
Would Anthony like to stay in the city for a romp in the hotel room?
A quick bite?
A wedding to get it out of the way?
"Let me get this," Knox whispered, checking his phone. He took a few steps to the side, and Anthony took a breath. He was just going to ask for a date, a silly ask when they're already engaged. Anthony looked back at the watch, carefully taking it out and putting it around his wrist. Anthony rubbed the soft leather like a good luck charm.
"Anthony," Knox said, touching his arm. Anthony turned, surprised by the worry dragging Knox's brow down. "My mother just called. I have to go back home."
"Oh," Anthony said, and though his heart sank, he tried not to let it show on his face. "Is she alright?"
"She said she needs me to come home."
"Is there a problem? Do I need to call the pilot?"
"I'll handle it and see you at home. She didn't explain, but she wouldn't ask me to go home for no reason."
Anthony was taken aback. Knox was already hailing another car, and Anthony had to follow him. He tapped Knox's shoulder. "Wait, you want me to stay here?"
"I trust you to handle The Greenhouse situation," he explained, taking out his phone again, tapping away on it just as a cab stopped. "I'm telling Milan to come back to the hotel. Don't go anywhere without him."
"But, I think you're the one being targeted—"
"I'm sorry, Anthony," He stopped halfway inside of the car. "I'll call you when I land."
And just like that, he hopped into the car and drove away, disappearing inside the city. He had forgotten what Milan had said until the truth toppled on top of him. Knox went from so hot to ice cold, all for his mother. Anthony remembered now. Knox would choose his mother over him. Once again, Anthony Ventura just placed last.