Chained Desire

Chapter |3|

K N O X ‘ S P. O. V

“Come on, hit it harder. That’s it, left kick, right hook. Watch your toes as you move.”

Anastasia ducks as I swipe the pad, and side steps to meet the other with her leg. The gym stinks of sweat, the heat of the sticky summer day pouring in to further add to the exertion.

After a few more minutes, I drop the pads, noticing the time on the clock. “Aw come in. Just ten more minutes.”

“Your ma would kill me if we were late to dinner and we’ve already exceeded the max by half an hour. Anymore and you’ll injure yourself.”

Red faced and blotchy, she sinks onto the bench in defeat. Begrudgingly unstrapping the gloves, and huffing.

I choose to ignore the small tantrum. She’s just turned 15 after all, and I remember being filled with pent up aggression and emotion I didn't know how to process.

Without being part of the gang, doing the odd job for Aaron’s father, I doubt I would still be here today.

But when she throws the gloves straight at me, I snap. “Hey! A boxer is only as good as their instrument and these gloves are yours, don’t disrespect them and don’t disrespect me.”

I snatch them off the floor, grabbing the rag to clean them.

“Sorry Uncle Knox.” There’s not an ounce of fear in her voice, only sincerity and regret. I half smile to myself.

Yeah, she’s Aaron’s kid all right. Most of the men s**t themselves if I shout at them but not Anastasia. She’s tough, fierce, strong which is a good thing since one day she’ll be the head of one of the most powerful mafias in the world.

“It’s okay kid, but what’s wrong? You’ve been angry and on edge all week.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

I take a seat next to her, using my shirt to wipe the sweat off my face. “You can’t pull that bullshit with me. I won’t tell your parents, not if you don’t want me too, and I’m not just Uncle Knox, I’m your trainer. I'm your confidante.”

“It’s the boarding school.”

“You don’t want to go?” I know Aaron and Kiara spent a long time thinking about this.

They wouldn’t make her go if she didn’t want it but Ravenswood is the most prestigious boarding school in the country. The principal is also discrete about the truth of the Romano heritage and so Anastasia could learn skills more specific to her role.

It helps they have private security too, and 24 hour surveillance. Even since Anastasia moved to high school, the threat to her life increases and they become more vile in their s****l nature.

Aaron wants the best for her, and we all know this is that.

“It’s not the boarding school exactly. I’m excited to go and learn things of actual relevance but…I’ll miss my friends, the teachers and…I just know I’ll get home sick. I won’t be able to visit except on holidays, which is good for protection reasons but I’m scared of becoming lonely. Depressed. I’m comfortable here, you know. This is my home.”

“And it’ll always be your home, but sometimes change is what we need and it doesn’t mean you can’t drop out if you really hate it, but I think you’ll kick yourself for not at least giving it a go.”

“Wow Uncle Knox, when did you become an adult?” Laughing, he swings my arm around her frame, making her groan as she gets a whiff of my sweat. “Gross,”

“You don’t exactly smell like fresh daisies.”

“Thank you for listening, and not telling them. I know how hard it is for you not to tattle on me.” I roll my eyes at the dig.

She was fourteen when she vandalised the school science lab. They were dissecting frogs, and though she didn’t really care about the ordeal or ethics behind it, her younger sister, Calista, did. Benign a free spirit, she’s all artsy and nature obsessed, trying to convince us all to become vegans. I tried with Aaron for a week, and god, I almost cried in relief when I gave in and had a hotdog.

The only reason she did it was for Calista, who wouldn’t stop crying when she heard about the dissections, and she confessed to me. I didn’t want to tell of course, but there was a school manhunt on and Aaron knew I was being sketchy. I lasted two hours of his interrogations before I cracked, and trust me it f*****g hurt.

“I’m there for you, even when you brave your fears and go to the school, I’m just a phone call away.”

She smiles, looking away for a moment. “You know dad is upset again, he’s angrier than usual.”

“Well, it’s that time of the year again. Unfortunately.” Four years ago, his little sister, Caitlin ran away. Gone without trace, which I believed near to impossible in this day and age.

We’ve not stopped searching since but her trail went completely dead nine months ago. No leads, nothing, and Aaron’s been a broken man ever since.

“I know Aunt Caitlin left when I was 11 but I still really miss her. She was my best friend, but I don’t think I ever got to tell her that.”

“Maybe you will someday,” It’s a small offering of hope that I doubt will come true, but nonetheless she takes it.

“I never took you for an optimist, Uncle Knox”.

“See, I’m full of surprises.” Laughing, she grabs the water bottles, taking her upstairs with her.

I grab the disinfectant to finish up cleaning, Imagine Dragons blasting through my earphones, yet all I can think about is Caitlin.

Caitlin Black, was the only thing that kept Aaron from truly becoming soulless until Kiara came into his life. She’s the light that kept his humanity intact, and I think part of that died when she left.

I never knew her well. We mostly spoke in passing or at whatever family functions I was invited to because Kiara thought of me as the lonely Scottish brood. I know my mother was always fond of her, though they hadn’t seen each other for years.

I’ll always regret our last interaction, the very day she left. Even though I told Aaron about it, I had to leave some parts out. The very parts that haunt me now, making me believe that I could have stopped her.

After a quick shower, I head up to see Aaron. He’s hunched over his laptop, mindless to my presence or uncaring.

I even knock for effect, and I get in response is the wave of his hand. “Aye you busy now?”

My accent is becoming more American with every year that passes. 10 years living in the states and I think it’s still pretty strong, but my mother likes to tease me about it on the phone.

“Where’s my Scottish bhobain, lad? What have you done with him?” And each time, I’ll roll my eyes and thicken the accent to appease her.

“Aren’t I always. Sit.” I try to get comfortable as my large frame struggles to fit into the chair. At 6,7 most things are uncomfortable.

To my right continues to haunt the absence of Caitlin. The board has over fifty pins, all connected by various red strings that create an intricate web. In the corner is a picture of an empty apartment, empty needles scattered around the place and I still remember the stretch of booze so strong I nearly threw up.

It was the closest we ever came to finding her. But like the rest of them it just became a dead end.

“I’ve got a job for you. There’s this club in Nevada called Deviance.” I fight a smirk. “Yes, it's a strip club and no I’m not sending you because I’m scared of my wife.”

I raise my hands, protesting innocence. “Hey, I didn’t say a thing.” Reaching into my pocket, I grab one of five sticker lollipops stuffed in my pocket and unwrap it. The strawberry flavour bursts as it hits my tongue, easing the nicotine fix.

A year ago I was a chain smoker, and now I use lollipops as a substitute. The same ones Aaron’s son, Demetri loves. Mostly I quit because Calista would scream every time I left for a smoke, thinking I would die after one inhale, but being able to outrun Tristan is a f*****g plus.

“Apparently the boss, Edmund Geneva, is running drugs down there. I never would have known without the informant and I want to expand. Nevada is a f*****g gold mine for selling and I don’t like the fact he’s getting cocky with it.”

“Why don’t I just kill him then? Problem solved.”

He huffs, “Somehow the bastard is like a king down there. He’s got a ton of loyal clients and beef heads willing to risk their lives for him. Plus, ever since the raid at the docks, the feds have been on us like crazy, can’t afford that kind of heat right now.”

“So negotiation. Sure you want to send me?” I’m a hit man if nothing else. Three years spent in the British forces as a sniper and I never kissed a single target.

“You’re not a complete caveman, Knox. You can handle a little conversation and besides, you’ve lived there before.”

“For like three months,”

“I want you more involved as one of my front men. You and Tristan, then if you ever have kids they’ll take your place besides ours.”

I almost laugh, not likely, because me, marriage and kids, are three things that should never be thought of together.

“Alright, I’ll do it, but enough moping around.”

“Did Anastasia say something?” Christ, I don’t want to rat on the kid again but he’s like a human lie detector.

My silence says enough, causing him to regretfully sigh, exhaustion evident in the thick bags beneath his eyes.

Despite being the same age, he seems so much older than me. Burdened by the responsibility of being the head of a criminal organisation, joint CEO of a million dollar company, a husband and father of four.

He’s only 36 but the weight of the world falls on his shoulders. As his friend, I feel responsible to help lighten the load.

“She’s just concerned. We all are, but don’t worry about it, I think boxing is helping her.”

“She really likes it doesn’t she?”

“A born fighter.”

A small smile rises on his lips. “That’s what I’m afraid of. She’s too much like us.”

“That’s a good thing. If she’s going to take on after you then she has to be.”

“I used to think Caitlin would take over my place. Before when I thought kids were never even a possibility for me. Still though, she could have it. If she really wanted to, I just didn't think that she would.”

“And that’s why you still blame yourself?”

“What if she left because she didn’t think I loved her? She didn’t feel a part of the family?” He sighs, “It kills me not knowing. It kills me even more to think of the possibility that she might be…”

I see the tears in his eyes before he veils them over with a mask. It strikes a chord in me too, because I want to find her to help my best friend heal. Or least find out the truth.

“Well, I'm going to Nevada next week. Remember that apartment we found, it was on the outskirts, maybe she travelled into the city, got a job or a better place.”

In reality, I'm thinking about Geneva. Caitlin was an addict when she left, the needles and empty packets of coke we found in that place make me think she’s still heading down that road to disaster.

If he really is the kingpin down there, maybe he knows of her, or at least has a f*****g lead.

There’s a desperate hope in his eyes that I recognised in Anastasia. And I just pray I can follow through for him.

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A/N: Thoughts on Knox?? I honestly love writing his pov, he's one of my favourite male mcs.

What do you think of Stasia?