Black Knight (Royal Elite #4) by Rina Kent

“You won’t be getting it from me. Last I checked, I’m not your husband’s sponsor.”

Wait a fucking second. She remarried and Lewis has been giving her money all this time?

What in the actual fuck?

“You better well be.” She stands up, clutching the bottle in a death grip. “Otherwise, the press will know about your illegitimate daughter. How do you think your campaign will go, huh? The mighty politician Lewis Knight has an illegitimate daughter and is raising another bastard child as his own. I can see it as the headlines. And remember, I have the DNA tests to prove it.”

“You thought I was giving you the money because I’m scared of you? What a mess have you become to think that way? I only funded your loser husband’s companies because you’re the woman who gave birth to my son and I don’t want to see you hit rock bottom, but if you threaten my children in any way, I’ll bury you and Michael so deep, no one will be able to find you.”

“We’ll see who’ll be able to bury the other one first.” Her face reddens. “Either I find the money in my bank account or you can kiss your peaceful children’s lives goodbye.”

She heads to the door.

“Samantha,” he calls after her.

When she turns around, a hopeful expression covers her features. “Changed your mind?”

“Don’t you ever show your fucking face here again. Keep your alcoholic influence away from my son.”

The door closes behind Samantha with a loud clink. Lewis breathes harshly and runs a hand through his hair as he sits down and retrieves his phone.

He places a call to Sebastian Queens to tell him he won’t be making it to the rest of the meeting, then to his secretary to let her know there could be changes to the plan, and finally to Calvin to inform him about Samantha’s visit.

As soon as he finishes that call, I come out of my hiding spot, placing both hands in my jeans’ pocket. “Why didn’t you tell me she’d remarried? Why did you tell me she was in Brazil?”

He lets the phone drop beside him and stares at me. “I should’ve known you’d eavesdrop. I’d prefer it if you’d never heard that.”

“You mean the part about my mum being a gold digger?”

“That part, too.”

“What else did you hide from me? Because hiding things seems to be your modus operandi around me.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.” My voice rises. “This is my life; I have the right to know what’s happening in it. I’m not a kid anymore and you don’t get to make the decisions on my behalf.”

“Fine.” He sighs. “Samantha had an affair with her current husband for the last year of our marriage. I asked her to stay for your sake, but she didn’t want to. She said this life wasn’t as she expected it to be and it was suffocating her. She hated being a mom and this whole lifestyle. She also became neglectful of you and your safety. When she decided to leave, I didn’t stop her.”

My fist curls in my pocket. “Why haven’t you told me any of that? Why did you let me hate you all these years?”

“For that exact same reason. You already blamed me, so I didn’t want you to hate your other parent, too.”

“Well, don’t expect any applause, Dad.” I turn to leave.

“Xander.” His stern voice stops me in my tracks.

“What?”

“You said you’re not a kid. So don’t act like one.”

I face him fully. “What do you mean?”

“The drinking needs to stop. Don’t make me use force, because I’ll do it.”

I release a long breath. “How about you think about a solution to her threat? If this goes to the press, it’ll fuck Kim up. People will start thinking of us as siblings and that’s off the table.”

“How about you?”

“What about me?”

“You said it’ll screw Kim’s life, but it’ll also screw yours.”

I lift a shoulder. “I can manage.”

“It’s okay if you can’t. You have me for that.”

“I don’t need you,” I mutter.

“I know. I’m just putting it out there in case you do.” He rises to his feet and places a hand on my shoulder. “You are my son, no matter what DNA tests say.”

I wiggle him away. “Sappy doesn’t suit you.”

“I figured as much.” He chuckles, the sound rare and I know it shouldn’t be taken for granted. Lewis Knight doesn’t laugh, at least not genuinely. He doesn’t stand there and offer his hand without expecting something in return.

For the first time in forever, I stare at him through a different lens.

He’s my dad.

While I respect Calvin, Lewis is my dad.

All biological ties be damned.

With that thought, I ask him something I would never ask of other people.

Kim is right, I’m too proud to ask for things. Help, for instance, or a brake to put on my life that’s spiralling out of control.

“Can you stop her?”

“I’ll do everything in my might,” he tells me.

“What if you can’t?”

“Worst-case scenario, we all have to leave the country.”