AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nick tilts my head to look at him. “Do you want to go home?” Home is where I get to hold onto him. He promised. But looking outside the vehicle, I notice so many things: people, stores, parks, food. I’ve never explored it all before; I’m not even sure I want to now. The allure of sitting on Nick all day, feeling his hands on me, is too tempting. Maybe he’ll do what he did the other day in the kitchen.
My stomach growls, which sounds obscenely loud in the quiet of the car. “Food,” Nick offers up, and I nod. The next thing I know, we’re moving, and Sarge is typing furiously on his phone after Nick says, “Get enough for everyone,” and hands him a black card.
After we make another stop, where bags and bags of food are brought out to us—the smells are heavenly, making my mouth water—Sarge puts one in particular in my lap. It’s warm and heavy and tempting.
Nick opens it and nods for me to look inside. Steam clears, and extra crispy fries come into view, something Winston and I discovered I enjoyed yesterday. Pulling one out, I munch on it. It quickly turns into more as we drive, and I stare out the window, watching the city as we travel through.
“Tomorrow, her car should arrive first thing. I’d appreciate it if you guys would go over it, make sure everything is in working order.” Sarge acknowledges this. “If she wants, I’ve got a card with her name on it. I think a shopping trip should be in order. I’m in meetings all day, or I’d take her myself.”
“Any place in particular you think she’ll like?” Sarge asks, putting his phone away. I don’t mind that they speak like I’m not here. I realize if I join the conversation, the transition will be smooth, but for the most part, I don’t like talking to anyone but Nick and Winston. Sometimes Marco pushes me out of my comfort zone, and that’s ok. I think he does it more to get a reaction out of Nick than me.
“Beverly Center has enough stores that she should be able to find something she likes. But if she wants to go somewhere else, that’s fine, too. I’ve got an iPad and MacBook waiting at the house for her, as well. If one of you could get the list of apps Marco wants uploaded on there, I’d like her to start playing around with them as soon as possible.” Leaning into Nick’s side, his arm wraps around me automatically as he and Sarge continue talking.
I must fall asleep after I finish the last fry because the next thing I know, I’m in Nick’s arms, and he’s carrying me inside. We head up to the bedroom instead of his office, but my eyes are too heavy to open.
“Sleep, little girl, come find me after.” His lips linger on mine as he brushes my hair off my face before leaving once I feel Mickey and Minnie climbing into bed with me. Ordinarily, Mickey sticks with Nick, so he must not feel threatened today because he’s half lying on top of me as I fall into a much-needed rest.
CHAPTER 10
Nick
Marco is at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me, impatience evident in the way he taps his foot. I don’t move, however, because watching my Rue sleep, knowing she’s safe and has freedom, is where I want to be right now.
Unfortunately, business waits for no man.
Sliding the door gently behind me, I leave it open a crack—she panics when a door is closed all the way. I made that mistake yesterday when I tried to block out the noises of the house so she could sleep longer.
“I’m coming,” I hiss at my right-hand man. He rolls his eyes. “If you weren’t so fucking important, I’d have half a mind to put a bullet in you.” I make the threat often enough that he snorts and ignores me.
Handing me a file, I bark out a harsh laugh when I recognize the grainy image caught on camera of the idiot I’d been hunting. “Seriously?” Marco shrugs. “You found him?”
“Downstairs.” Changing direction, I head to the basement instead of my office. I’m expecting a visit from Devlin Cormac this afternoon to solidify his allegiance against Theias Lorde, should the man come looking for Rue. Which I have no doubt he will if he even suspects she’s worth ten times what he paid for her.
“Has Adonis gotten back to you about his brother yet?”
“He knows she’s here.” I don’t falter in my steps as I take the stairs down. Flicking the light on, it blinds Seeley Ricci, Jamison—the man who dared point a gun at my girl—and the asshole who thought he could steal from me. Adonis must have changed his mind about taking Ricci.
“And?” I roll my wrist for him to go on, but Marco shrugs as we stop in front of Ricci. “You spend all that money Theias Lorde gave you for Rue?” I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.
“Where’s my wife?” he spits back instead.
“Dead.” Marco drags a chair over for me while I engage this bastard. I flip it around and straddle the back, crossing my arms over the top, watching him carefully. “Why don’t you ask about your daughter?” Not that I would tell him a fucking thing.
“I don’t give a shit about her. Why do you think I sold her to the highest bidder.” He laughs, not expecting the backhand I throw his way. He spits out a mouthful of blood. “My wife hits harder,” he taunts.
“She might have,” I smirk mischievously. “But now she’s the chew toy of a couple of cats.” His eyes widen before he glowers at me again. He has no idea what I’m willing to do for my Rue. What I have done already.
Moving on from Ricci, I focus on the asshole who thought he could steal my drugs. Gripping his chin, his face is bloody as he stares up at me through one eye, the other swollen shut. “What’s your name?”
“Joker.” He grins, and I can see why—big toothy smile with two dimples. Holding out my hand for a knife, Marco hands one of his over.
“What were you doing on my docks, Joker?” I turn the blade one side over the other as I await his answer. He doesn’t give one, so I press the tip of the blade into the corner of his mouth and drag it slowly through the flesh.
Blood spills down my hand, his scream of pain rips through the quiet room, and even as he attempts to fight against my hold, I squeeze his jaw tighter. Showing him there’s nowhere else for him to go.
“I’ll ask you again, what were you doing on my docks?” It’s my turn to grin as tears leak from his eyes, intermingling with the blood steadily dripping down his face. The moron was caught trying to breach the walls surrounding my home, also. It’s what had Mickey so on edge the other day.
“I heard there was a shipment of coke coming, thought I could get in on the goods.” His voice is filled with pain, which tells me this isn’t something he’s used to and likely wasn’t expecting.
