Page 63 of Forged Forever

“One of the FBI agents wanted to arrest Nick for being part of the crew, so we had an issue leaving. Mr. Macleod and Agent Kinsley, who’s in charge, stepped in. The FBI wasn’t aware Nick was technically working for them because he didn’t have contact with the office in Tennessee. Between that and Eddie being one of the crooked agents who arranged for Nick to be an informant — it’s a mess. We think it’s straightened out now, but Nick will probably spend a few days with the FBI. Mr. MacLeod will be with him, as will Kinsley.”

“Do we trust Kinsley? He seems okay, but I’m skeptical of all the FBI agents,” I ask.

“We have to trust someone, and he is our best bet,” Troy replies to my question. “I’ll be there too.”

“What happens to Cash and his sister?” I ask.

“We don’t know yet. They’re staying at a hotel with guards. This whole mess will take a while to sort out,” Troy answers.

“How did you get shot?” Gabby asks.

“Z texted that one of the bad guys went outside his house, so Jensen and I crept through the woods to check it out since the FBI hadn’t shown yet. We were approaching either side of the garage when he must’ve spotted us. He shot me before we had eyes on him. Jensen hit him in the leg.”

“That’s enough questions for today,” Zander speaks up. “Troy and Nick both need sleep.”

“Can we stay here tonight?” Seb asks.

“There are several guest rooms on the floor below,” Steven offers. “You are all welcome for as long as you need.”

Zander and Troy exchange a silent conversation before they nod. “That would be appreciated,” Zander replies.

“Gabs, do you want to stay up here or down below?” Troy asks her.

“Can I stay here?” She looks at Alex and Seb.

“Of course, Gabby,” Alex smiles.

Zander and Troy follow Steven out of the apartment while the rest of us clean up dinner. Nick offers Gabby his bed to sleep in, looking at me. Nodding, I go back to loading the dishwasher. Once the kitchen is clean and Alex returns, we settle around the couch again.

Bay turns on a movie while Gabby and I surround Nick. After the movie, he gets up, with Gabby following him into his bedroom. Seb slides over and puts his arm around me, pulling me close.

“Summer, would you and Nick like the master bedroom tonight? The sheets have been changed,” Alex asks.

That’s very sweet of him. “No, but thanks for offering,” I smile in return. It might be crowded in my twin sized bed, but Zander slept there last night, so no, just no.

E gets up, coming back with a tray of snacks for us to share. Seb and Bay dig in, but I’m still full from dinner. When Nick and Gabby return, she’s smiling, so that’s good. Nick holds out a hand to me, quirking an eyebrow.

I kiss Seb and E on the cheek and get up to grab the bag Zander got for me. “Night guys,” I wave as Nick grabs my hand, pulling me towards my room.

“Glad you’re back, man,” Seb hollers as we enter and shut the door.

Nick leads me straight to the bathroom. “Shower?” He asks.

“Sure, Grumpy,” I smile. “Let me drop my bag, and I’ll be right back.” Setting my bag on the floor beside my bed, I return to find Nick already in the shower, turning the water on. I quickly strip down and slip in behind him. His head is hanging forward, shoulders slumped as the water cascades over him, bruises visible on his back. My poor Grumpy. Grabbing the pouf and body wash, I gently wash his mottled back. He doesn’t move as I clean, and once I’m done, I turn him and start on the front.

He’s watching me quietly as I soap the contours of his body. His abs are even more defined than when he left. After he’s rinsed off, I tap his chin up and pour shampoo into my hands to clean his hair, massaging his scalp as I go, and his eyes close. His body is awash in so many bruises that it makes me sad. Fighting, I would guess.

I let him rinse his hair, then move him out of the way to wash up quickly, and he stands behind me and watches. Stepping out, I grab a towel to wrap around myself. Nick turns the water off and steps out of the tub. With an extra towel, I dry him, starting with his hair, and work my way down, being gentle around his torso, then hand him the towel to wrap around his waist.

Leaving the bathroom, I grab some clothes from my bag as Nick finds shorts to wear. He turns off the overhead light and crawls into my bed. The moon is out, casting the room in a bluish glow through the open curtains, so there’s enough light to see. After brushing my teeth and taking care of business, I join Nick. He lifts the covers for me to get under and then flips us so I’m against the wall, wrapping me up in his arms.

A few minutes later, I feel him shudder against me. “Love you,” he murmurs.

“I love you, Grumpy. It’s going to be okay now. You’re not alone.”

I feel a kiss on my head, his breathing quickly evening out as he falls asleep. We both have a lot to talk about, but it can wait for another day.

Chapter 37