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“Does it need to be that tight?” she asked while his hands worked on the other boot.
“Tighter is better.” He smirked and raised his eyes quickly before looking back down at her shoestrings.
Ali shook her head, but couldn’t stop the grin from forming on her face. The innuendo, his hands on her legs, his head between her knees. Her head started to spin again.
He stood and pulled her up gently. He stared at her longer than necessary before deciding to trust that she was okay to work. “Let’s go.”
He stayed close after that—not that she was complaining. She liked it when his arm brushed up against her. She liked it when her fingers brushed up against his.
Even after they met with Eli and the others for their trek to the greenhouses, Nik stayed closer than he normally would. Within arm’s reach but out of Eli’s line of sight. How lucky was she to have two men protecting her, even if they were overbearing? She snuck several glances back at him on their walk and every time she was met with his simmering gaze. Eli went on about who knew what. She had stopped listening ten minutes ago.
Nik finally gave her some space when they made it to the greenhouse. He must’ve been satisfied that she’d made it there without incident. The cool air helped clear her head. Perhaps it had been just a fleeting moment of dizziness.
By midmorning, she knew that wasn’t true. She felt even worse than she had back in her cell. Black crept into the corners of her eyes, and she was too weak to lift even a watering can. Her fingers wrapped around the handle, but the weight was too much for her shaky arms. She attempted to lift it, and everything went cold and dark.
Her eyes fluttered open to see several people surrounding her, including Nik by her head and Eli at her feet. Nik had her head propped up in his lap while Eli threw him daggers with his eyes. Everyone else stood at a distance, their gazes suffocating her.
What happened?
“Ali? Ali? Look at me.” Nik cupped her cheek and patiently waited for her to open her eyes completely. She struggled to focus, but when she did, she studied the wrinkles in his forehead. He looked so concerned. She felt the need to press a hand to his face and soothe those creases of distress, but then remembered that everyone was staring at her, including Eli.
“Are you okay?” Eli said softly, doing his best now to ignore Nik. His hand gently gripped her ankle, his thumb rubbing comforting circles against her skin. His face had lost most of its color, but he looked relieved to see her awake. She had no idea how long she’d been out.
“What happened?” she asked, shivering from a cold sweat. For a moment she considered sitting up, but she didn’t think she could support herself. She decided against it.
“You passed out,” Nik answered, placing his hand on her head again to check her temperature. “I thought you said you were fine.” It sounded like a reprimand.
“I thought I was.” Ali shivered again, and he pulled her body closer to him. The dizziness subsided and she started to sit up, but both Eli and Nik pushed her back down, looking at each other with contempt. The animosity between them was visible. Tangible. They were both possessive creatures prepared to claim her.
Oh my god. What have I gotten myself into?
Sam hurried over with a glass of water and knelt, handing it over. Her hands shook when she tried to grab it and she nearly sloshed water all over herself.
Nik took it from her hands and insisted, “Here, let me help you.”
She sipped the water cautiously, her stomach churning. The only thing that could be worse than her current predicament would be to vomit in front of everyone. She scanned the small crowd surrounding her and suddenly felt very self-conscious.
Nik read her expression so effortlessly. “Everyone, get back to work. We’ve got this.” He gestured to Eli. “You, too.”
“Like hell I am.”
It pulled a small chuckle from Ali. He was so stubborn.
Nik looked like he was about to argue, but Ali interrupted, “Nik, it’s fine. He can stay, right?”
She gave him her best pleading eyes, which was quite difficult when she could hardly keep them open. That look had always worked on Eli, but she could tell it wasn’t having the same impact on Nik.
“No.” It wasn’t his usual cold or commanding response. It was soothing. He turned to Eli and, for the first time in Ali’s memory, he addressed him without his normal frigid armor. “You can’t do anything for her right now. I’ve got her.”
I’ve got her.
Indeed he did. Another shiver made its way through her body. He had unexpectedly taken every bit of her that she was willing to give. And she was surprised to discover just how much of herself that meant.
Eli looked at her, expecting her to protest. She didn’t have the energy for it, though. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she knew she was about to.
“It’s okay, Eli. You don’t have to stay.”
She expected Nik to gloat, but he stayed quiet and gently brushed her hair away from her temple. Eli’s face scrunched in a mixture of anguish and disgust. He stood abruptly and turned to leave, giving her one last look before shuffling away, shaking his head. If she had any strength left, she might’ve reached out to him, but she couldn’t seem to lift her arms.
