Nick awoke to Adam softly tapping on his door to wake him for his watch. At first Nick didn’t hear it, and when he did he was surprised that he had been able to pull himself out of that dead-to-the-world state of bliss.
He slid back from Cora and out of bed, resisting the urge to kiss her cheek. She needed a good night’s rest.
“I’ll be right out,” he said to the door while finding his shorts and shirt.
In the hallway, Adam told him, “Herald and I talked for a while. He’s got an extra mini 9mm.”
“What are you saying?” Nick wasn’t sure if Cora would want a gun.
“Just ask her, and show her how to use it. You never know, bro. What if she needs a way to protect herself and has nothing?”
He wouldn’t be able to live with that. “I’ll talk to her in the morning.”
Adam nodded, and only then did he give Nick a knowing glance. “Now that you’ve enjoyed some beauty sleep…I’m going to catch some zzz’s.”
From Adam’s smile, Nick guessed he was happy for him. He went to the front room and began silently looking around, ensuring the doors and windows were locked, the alarm was on, and there wasn’t anyone lurking around. The house was silent and dark. Several motion activated lights surrounded the house near the doors and windows. They were hidden so they weren’t visible until someone walked by and turned them on.
He’d brought his own gun into the house, but he prayed they wouldn’t need it. Using a gun was his last resort. Alexander had pushed him that far by trying to kill Jerry. Hopefully the police would come through for them and finish this.
He left his family behind, thinking he could never change them. He now had a responsibility to stop them from hurting anyone else.
Thinking about Jerry, and if he would make it, put a huge weight on his shoulders. No matter what Jerry’s involvement and level of knowledge was, he didn’t deserve this. Cora deserved so much more.
Cora. He’d been trying not to think about the passion they’d shared. He tried to keep his mind clear and focused, but it wandered now, right back to the bedroom where she slept and to the bed where she’d lost all control over him. He’d gotten lost in her eyes, in her touch, and in the way she responded to him. This wasn’t the time or place for letting go like that, but he hadn’t been able to control himself, and she hadn’t either.
One way or another, he’d make sure the Holloways and Alexander never bothered or scared her again.
Nick returned to bed an hour before the sun rose so he could be with Cora when she woke up. He pulled off his shirt and slipped into bed, curling around her. Lucky for him, she hadn’t woke up and pulled her shirt back on yet.
Since they’d just made wild, crazy love, he didn’t expect the feel of her skin on his to send him into a second frenzy. Somehow he had to get a grip on his hormones, at least for now.
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