Pride & Pleasure (The KNIGHT Brothers Book 1) Read online

  Avary sucked in a breath, but quickly controlled herself. In the hospital bed, surrounded by IV and medical equipment, was a too-skinny woman with long red hair fanned out over a white pillow. Her eyes were closed.

  Victor approached the side and touched her slender hand. “Angelina,” he whispered.

  Her eyes fluttered open and a small smile soon followed. “Vic.” Her voice rattled. “Have you brought my visitor?”

  “Yes, indeed, I have.” He motioned for Avary to come closer. “Just as you had said, Ang. She looks much different in person.” He waved Avary even closer.

  She swallowed against the constriction in her throat as she stepped next to the bed, a strong odor of medicine reaching her nostrils. Angelina had big green eyes and even the dark smears lining her lids and the milky shade of her transparent skin didn’t hide the fact that she was once a beautiful woman. The sheet was pulled high on her chest, but an odd looking gadget stuck out from the V of her shirt.

  “Miss Avary Pine. I warned my brother that you are captivating…and those eyes. Bluer than the clean water off the dock.”

  Avary’s cheeks burned. She lifted her gaze and met Victor’s. He smiled and stepped back, reading the chart hanging on the end of the bed. She brought her attention back to Angelina. “Thank you for asking me to come here. I do hope I will have the honor of playing for you.”

  Angelina’s smile made it easy to ignore all of the tubes coming and going from her frail body. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t join you for dinner, but I’m resting up tonight so that I can manage making an appearance tomorrow evening at the dinner party. I wouldn’t miss your performance for anything, not even cancer.”

  “I’m very honored that you admire my music, but I must say I’m quite surprised I still have a fan.”

  Angelina laughed and it was melodic. Some of the paleness of her face was exchanged for a rosy hue. “You can’t get rid of me that easy, right Vic? He’s been expecting me to kick the bucket any day now.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Victor replaced the chart and offered Angelina a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You’ll probably outlast us all.”

  “The only chance of that is if an apocalypse occurs. Or maybe even a zombie apocalypse like in that show we watch every Saturday. Vic hates it, but he humors me.”

  “Now that, I can’t deny.” Avary hadn’t realized he was standing so close behind her and she jumped at the sound of his voice. He chuckled and the warmth of his breath on the back of her neck made her tremble. “It’s always amazing the things you can talk me into. Even when we were little you came up with all of the mischievous plans, and the boys were always the ones who got into trouble.”

  “My brothers were equally as naughty as I. It just so happened that I had skilled my sorrowful expression and how to manipulate myself out of trouble with a cleverly placed pout. As you can see, Victor never has learned the skill.” Angelina sighed. “Now, Victor, why don’t you pull that chair up for this lovely lady so that she and I can chat. Lord knows I hate being in this bed with no company to speak of.” She gave Victor a narrowed expression.

  “You know I come as often as I can.” He grabbed the plastic chair, placed it next to the bed and patted it. Once Avary sat down, he bent and whispered in her ear, “You watch her. She’ll have you convinced that I’m actually a great guy.” He pulled away and a splash of cold air settled over Avary.

  “Leave us alone, Vic.” Angelina pointed toward the door.

  “Of course.” He kissed her cheek and took his exit.

  Avary made a mental note not to stare at all of the tubes and wires, but it seemed that her gaze wanted to naturally fall on them.

  “Quite daunting, aren’t they?”

  Avary quickly jerked her chin toward Angelina, ready to deny the charge, but she knew the other woman didn’t need to hear any sugar coated answers. “Yes, they are.”

  “Cancer scares most people. Hell, it scares me, but if this disease plans to kill me then I plan to live my life as I choose. Of course, Vic didn’t want the dinner party because he said it’s morbid to have a farewell dinner for friends.”

  “A farewell dinner?”

  “I’m under the impression that most of my friends won’t come and visit because they don’t have a clue what to say to a dying woman, or how to not feel sorry for me. So I’m going to make it easy for them. I’m going to have one last party in my honor. They all love parties. Honestly, I don’t want them to see me like this either. It’s not a pretty sight.” She chuckled. “I hope I haven’t made you uncomfortable.”

  Avary shook her head. “No. I just didn’t have a clue that…well, I was coming for the reason that you stated.”

  “I didn’t think my brother would tell you. If Vic gave you a hard time, it’s only because he refuses to get in touch with reality. I’m not getting any better. He’s frustrated of course that this time I decided not to do the chemo treatments.”

  “This time?”

  “I was diagnosed with breast cancer over two years ago. In fact, I was at the hospital at the same time you were. I wish you could have met Vic then, but he said you were sleeping when he brought the flowers.”

  It took Avary a good ten seconds to wrap her brain around what the other woman had said. “Wait…Victor came to see me? To bring flowers? I’m sorry, but I’m not sure why.”

  Angelina’s eyes glazed and then she smiled. “I’m afraid he took a bit of motivating to bring the flowers. I admit, I had a secret motive in sending him. The poor guy needed some escapism.”

  “Then he brought the glass panda too.” Avary brought her fingers to her mouth, attempting to make sense of this.

  “Oh, so he brought a gift. I must say, I’m pleased. The panda was all his own doing.”

  “I must admit, it got me through a lot. Something so simple, yet important.”

  Angelina chuckled which led to a bout of coughing. Nurse Sandy slipped past Avary and handed Angelina a small container. “Here’s your medicine, honey.”

  She took the clear cup, shook the pills inside like they were a fancy cocktail, and swallowed them all at one time. The nurse held up a large plastic container, with the hospital logo on the side, and Angelina drank from the straw. “Down the hatch,” she muttered. “Now, tell me. How has my brother behaved?” she asked once the nurse left the room. Avary wasn’t sure how honest to be. Angelina must have caught on. “No worries. I won’t tell him you told me.”

  “The first impression left a lot to be desired, but he made up for it during dinner. I actually was surprised we had a nice conversation.”

  One thin brow lifted above Angelina’s curious gaze. “Dinner? Great conversation? Then he’s on the right track.”

  “The right track, you think?”

  “Of being the perfect host.”

  “I’m sure he was only doing it out of obligation.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t think my brother has ever done anything that he’s not really wanted to do, even if he’ll tell you I forced him into a few things, like the flowers at the hospital.”

  “Angelina, I’m a little shocked in hearing that he left me the panda. You see, maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I’ve kept it all of this time. I’m not sure why, but it brought me a sense of peace.” Avary blinked back moisture.

  The other woman grinned. “He’s like that you know. He hides away a lot of his emotions and kindness because he’s been hurt in the past.”

  “I-I guess I thought he’d never been in love.”

  Angelina shook her head. “No, he hasn’t. I’m referring to our mother passing and our father being emotionally absent. They were once very close, and after Rose died, things changed.”

  Some of Victor’s aloofness made sense. “I’m sorry. That must have been tough for all of you.”

  “He doesn’t much care for my friends, but I told him that if he doesn’t come to my dinner party with a smile on his face, I’m going to come back and haunt him. Just for reference, I want you si
tting alongside me during dinner. You’re the guest of honor. One beautiful song is all I request.”

  “I don’t mind playing the entire time.”

  “I wouldn’t hear of it. When Vic told me you agreed to come, I felt instant relief. You know, I’ve been a fan since I went to see you at your first solo performance. I didn’t expect to get blown away by what I witnessed. You play with such talent.”

  Avary shifted against the cool plastic. “I’m a bit taken back.”

  “You probably don’t remember meeting me, but you left quite an impression with me.”

  “That was before the attack. I don’t remember a lot before then.” She clasped her hands in her lap.

  “Oh, sweetheart, that was such a tragedy, but to be brave and start all over again says a lot about your resilience.”

  “I have a long way to go,” she whispered. “I’m sorry that I don’t remember you.”

  “It’s okay that you don’t. I’ve changed a little in the last few years.” Angelina laughed.

  Avary searched her memory, wading through the fading memories. Then a flash of memory came to her. “I think I do remember. You were wearing a lovely red, sequined dress and your hair was in a chignon, and I was thinking to myself ‘what a lovely shade of red’. You were also with a tall gentleman…I think you introduced him as Dante.”

  Her eyes shaded with something deep. “Yes, Dante.” She lowered her eyes momentarily, as if to gain her composure.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No, you haven’t. You see, when I first learned that I had cancer, Dante was fabulous, but I knew the diagnosis would be too much for him. It was Vic who was with me at my appointments, chemotherapy treatments, even would hold my hair away from my face as I threw up. Cancer is just too much for certain folks.” Her eyes glistened. “Oh, Dante has tried to contact me many times, but too much water is under the bridge. I’ve never hated him and have always wanted the best for him.”

  Avary lowered her gaze to her hands.

  “When I read that you’d been attacked outside of the theater, my heart broke. How horrible that must have been.”

  Avary lifted her chin, seeing the sincerity in the other’s woman’s gaze broke some of the chains she’d built around herself to stay protected. “I don’t talk about it much…”

  “I understand.”

  “Yet, it changed my life…”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Victor poured himself two fingers of scotch and knocked it back, clenching his teeth as it burnt all the way into his stomach. He liked the scorch, the one that only a good scotch could give. He needed something to try and ease the ache in his groin that was now painfully noticeable. Over dinner he’d caught glimpses of the tops of Avary’s pale breasts. The sleek line of her silken neck. The elegant way her long, slender fingers moved around the utensils and the stem of the glass. The way her lips curved as she drank thirstily, and when she smiled at him. She had no interest in him and her every seductive movement was unintentional. Was that the draw he had for her? Her innocence.

  He’d never been this attracted to a woman before—one that didn’t seem to notice him in any sexual way at all.

  He had to stay focused. She wasn’t his type. Her lips were a little too thin. Her eyes were too big. Her breasts were nice and…oh shit!

  No use. She was lovely.

  The way the dress fit her showed off her lush curves. Although she was thin, she was built. Her hair reminded him of silk, perfectly smooth and soft.

  He’d drunk her in like a fine wine, one he’d never sampled—a rare find.

  He’d been a little disappointed when Angelina demanded time alone with Avary. He wasn’t ready for the evening to end and had looked forward to having dessert with her in one of his favorite spots—the dock. They could have chatted about nothing important or anything in particular—just good ol’ conversation he hadn’t had with a woman since—well—ever. He wasn’t known for his loquaciousness, and most women who were, he never saw again. Of course, he was turned off by a woman who couldn’t seem to stop sharing all of the details about her facelifts, fame, and fortune.

  Yet, why did he suddenly have an ear for listening to a damaged cellist from the city? Because she was much more than that. She was mysterious and lovely, and her opinions were straightforward. She had no desire to please him by telling him what she thought he wanted to hear. Refreshing.

  He wondered what Angelina and Avary had discussed. He hadn’t seen his sister this happy in a long time, which in turn made him happy. It seemed as though Avary Pine could do that to a lot of people.

  Truth was, he’d been upset with his sister for six months now since she’d decided not to seek treatment. He understood the first time had been rough for her, and when it returned, this time in her ovaries, she’d denied the doctors’ efforts to prolong her life. She’d told them that it would only prolong her suffering. Victor had bitten his lip and supported her, yet a part of him wanted so badly to force her to stay here, with him, longer. That would only be selfish of him.

  Hell, she wouldn’t even allow him to tell their brothers that she was sick again. She’d made him promise that he’d wait until she was ready. Angelina didn’t want them to worry, or feel as though they should be here watching her die. Victor had to believe that she knew what was right for herself.

  However, it sure as hell wasn't right for him.

  He was here, close to her, day in and day out. There was nothing he could do to help her. He’d prayed, time and again, for a way to ease her suffering. Maybe even ease his pain a bit too. Watching her so sick and frail was the hardest thing he ever had to do.

  Out of pure necessity, he’d mentioned the subject of Angelina and her cancer to Selena one evening months ago. She’d turned the conversation back to herself, and he’d never talked to her again about his sister.

  He placed his empty tumbler on the bar and headed for the stairs, ready to call it a night. Not that he was really tired, but it meant that the morning would come sooner and he’d see Avary quicker, not for any other reason but to talk to her about the party of course. He hadn’t gotten the chance to fill her in on the details.

  Angelina wanted the party, but Victor thought it was saturnine. He didn’t want all of her snobbish friends in his house making over her, telling her lies about how they’d been too busy to come and see her over the last three months. They certainly had the time when she was healthy—when she was inviting them to fancy dinners and vacations. Yet, he’d made another promise to his sister to behave himself.

  Stomping up the stairs, he stopped at his mother’s portrait and sighed. He remembered how horrible her death was. One minute she was fine, exuberant and outgoing, and the next she was bed stricken and frail. Victor and his siblings had been sat down by their father and told dryly that their mother had only a few months to live.

  Some of his brothers were young enough that they didn’t quite understand, but Victor was heartbroken. So, as his mother grew sicker, eventually dying one early spring morning, he’d cried, begging God to give her back. She’d been the only one who’d comforted him during storms. Bandaged him up after falls. Read him stories of knights in shining armors, and assured him he was smart and could be anything he wanted.

  Victor had been so alone, even now he missed her so much it hurt to breathe.

  Then when his sister had been diagnosed with the same cancer, he’d believed it was the hand of the devil. He was close to her, just as he was his mother, and there was nothing he could do to prevent their suffering. Soon he would be alone—all alone.

  Inside of his bedroom, he dragged off his clothes, dropped them onto the end of the bed and climbed naked between the sheets. He closed his eyes, but sleep wasn’t easy to come. He tossed and turned for a good hour before he finally drifted, only to be awakened by the soft purr of a female and a touch on his cock. At first he believed he was dreaming of warm lips wrapping around his tip, slowly easing down his shaft, and the constrictin
g of a throat as he was suckled. He even moaned, an image of Avary on the back of his eyelids, fantasizing that she was the one giving him pleasure.

  When a tight grip came on his balls, he realized this wasn’t a dream.

  He fluttered his eyes open. The room was dark, but he wasn’t alone. He grumbled, but the soft body snuggled closer, fingernails dragged over his stomach and stopped at his pelvis. He drew in a deep breath, his nostrils filling with a scent of Jasmine. Only one woman he knew wore Jasmine. “Selena?”

  “I’m flattered that you know my touch even in the dark.” Her breath scorched his moist cock.

  Growling, he reached over and turned on the lamp. The golden light flooded the room and the smile on her face reminded him of the devil’s spawn caught in the act of evil. “What are you doing here?”

  Her crimson lips dropped into a dramatic frown as she looked at him over his moist tip. “You didn’t show up so I thought you were playing hard to get. I wouldn’t just come after any one, you do realize that?” Her sultry words should have had him hard as a rock, but his dick turned flaccid.

  “Something came up,” he muttered.

  “It’s not nice to stand a woman up, Victor, especially one like me.” She shifted and the sheet fell off her shoulder, exposing her large breasts and perky, pink nipples that he used to love suckling.

  “How did you get in?” He was still trying to wrap his brain around the finer details. He’d never been with her, or any woman, here in his bed.

  “You gave me the security code and keycard, remember?” she slurred. Had she been drinking?

  “I gave them to you?” He’d never given anyone the code and card. And then it struck him… “Are you talking about the time when you were picking up the bottles of wine that I gave you for your party? I didn’t give you them to have you sneak in here in the middle of the night.”

  “What’s the difference if I’m here or you’re at my place?” she whined.

  “You know I don’t bring women here.”