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“Alright, boys. Let’s do this,” Luke called.
I stood and walked out to the armored truck.
Let’s do this indeed.Chapter 2I put the hot in psychotic.
T-shirt
Georgia
I decided to run to Nico’s place instead of calling.
It was nearly six and I’d been lying in bed for over two hours, too tired to get up.
I’d thought that I had a fairly demanding job in Houston, but now, coming back out and doing the things I’d done every day of my life when I was younger, showed me how truly wrong I’d been.
Running was supposed to work out the sore muscles; and it did, to some extent.
I’d made it to just about half way, having hit the huge oak tree that curved over the road, denoting it as being just a mile more, when I heard footsteps behind me.
My heart started to pound for a reason other than exertion, and I lifted up my shirt just in case I needed to access my weapon.
However, my paranoia was unwarranted as I looked over my shoulder and found Nico behind me.
He was in nothing but shorts and some tennis shoes.
Sweat poured down his beautifully bronzed chest and disappeared into the black waistband of his underwear. The wide band that stated he wore ‘Hanes’ was clearly visible, and I had to fight the urge to lick my lips.
“Little early for you, isn’t it?” I called back to Nico.
It was only six thirty in the morning.
I’d hoped that I’d wake him up, but this worked too.
He grinned, showing me his perfectly straight white teeth. The ones his mother liked to complain put her in debt to buy for him.
“I have to get up this early or I don’t get my workout in before shit needs doing,” he said.
I shook my head, feeling my hair swish at the top of my head. What little of it there was sticking straight up in a ponytail. I could feel strands falling out of the ponytail, not long enough yet to stay up. But I loved the short hair and would deal with the mess if I had to.
“What’s with the colored hair?” He asked all of a sudden.
I glance at him and shrugged. “I wanted it. That’s the only reason.”
“Did they allow that hair at your job?” He asked in curiosity.
“When I have it down, you can’t really tell that it’s colored. My new job knows that it’s colored, though. They didn’t seem to mind overly much,” I puffed.
His eyes moved from the road in front of us to me. “Where do you work? Is it not going to be on the farm?”
I shook my head. “No. That’s the boys wish, not mine. I’ll help when I’m needed, but it won’t be mine anymore. It took me eight years, but I finally got my degree.”
“You graduated?” He asked sharply.
I nodded. “Yeah, last week.”
His mouth dropped open. “And you didn’t tell any of us? We would’ve gone!”
He sounded outraged that I didn’t tell him, and I frowned. “It was online. You wouldn’t have been going to a ceremony. I think they send me my degree in the mail.”
He kept pace beside me as we continued the last mile to his house.
I could tell he was holding back, probably able to nearly double his pace, but he stayed with me out of some sort of courtesy, as he’d done when we were younger.
“What’s your mile time look like now?” I asked out of curiosity.
When he was in high school, he was able to run the mile in a little more than five minutes. I’d never gotten better than seven.
He winked before answering. “Six and a half or so. More muscle means less speed, unfortunately.”
I snorted. He was still better than my all-time best, much to my annoyance.
I made it about another hundred yards before I couldn’t do anymore.
“You’ve ran the whole loop, haven’t you?” I asked in suspicion.
He shrugged. “Would have, if you hadn’t stopped.”
I back handed him in the bicep, causing him to laugh.
“So, what’s my present?” I asked after the silence continued.
“You’ll have to wait and see, now, won’t you?” He teased.
I should’ve known he wouldn’t tell me. He was always like that. I’d get him a present every year for his birthday and Christmas, and I’d try to taunt him with it. He never fell for it, though. He liked getting his presents on the day of the special occasion.
He was so weird.
“I saw your trailer getting delivered as I was running by. You brother was outside talking to the man driving the truck,” Nico informed me.
I nodded. I’d known they were coming early, but my brothers were there to handle it. I just hoped they didn’t run over the septic tank…that’d be a mess to clean up.
My brothers, however, had said that they had it, and I took them at their word.
“The cows are being delivered today, too. You’ll have your friends back,” I teased.
Nico’s parent’s property had bordered ours. Now, I guess, it was Nico’s property since his parents had moved into the city, according to Nikki. They’d been tired of doing ranch work and wanted to be in town closer to their grandchildren.
Something I couldn’t blame them for. Not one single bit.
We arrived at his house, finally, and I sighed in relief. My legs were screaming now, and I could really use a drink of water.
He walked me up the steps to his place, but instead of walking inside like he used to, he punched in a code next to the door, then walked in, disarming the alarm once he was in the entrance way.
“What’s with all the security?” I asked in surprise.
He grimaced. “I’ve seen too much shit as a SEAL, and a cop, not to be a little cynical about my property and life. I won’t ever not have it locked anymore. I value the peace of mind.”
The house on the outside looked exactly like I’d last seen it. The inside, though, was totally redecorated.
“Wow,” I said, taking in my surroundings.
He grinned. “I’m not a big fan of the Susie Homemaker shit mamá had up.”
