Chapter Nine
The hammock on Shae’s deck sways under a sunless sky. Raindrops pound the fabric, bursting upon impact with faint shards of water fanning out before disappearing. Only the weather is different since the day Nick first laid with her there. His love for her, as well as his fear of the repercussions from her being in his life, never wavers.
A low rumble follows a flash of light arcing behind the row of trees and shrubs lining her backyard. One of those storms that come out of nowhere, affecting everything it touches with a humbling brilliance. And just when it seems the intensity will never end, it’s over. Only the beauty from its subtle power remains.
Nick turns away from the window at the gentle squeeze on his shoulder.
“Are you doing okay? Do you need anything?”
Carrie.
No one, not even Max, who knows him better than he probably knows himself, gets it. Only she understands why he’s here instead of his own house. Why he needs to be where Shae was once pure and content, still yet unscathed by him and his fucked up world.
The last visitors murmur their condolences. All of them here by invitation only. Some on Nick’s payroll directly—office employees from his legitimate business, who worked with Carter and grieve his loss. Others, indirect and untraceable, yet just as necessary for his endeavors—the mayor, police chief, city council president—who occasionally need an intimate reminder of what happens to those who are fickle in their loyalty.
Max steps next to him, his expression neutral, yet a subtle nod conveys a problem with their plans. As soon as the door closes behind the final mourner, Max utters the words that make their week of meticulous planning irrelevant. “Shae’s on her way. The guys tried to stop her, but she got past the gate guard when she accused him of trying to keep her prisoner.”
The flicker of pride at her ingenuity quickly extinguishes from the adrenaline pulsing through his body. She can’t be here, can’t risk getting caught up in what he’s executing. He swipes his phone and taps the key for her, but it rings once and goes to voicemail. Damn it. “How long?”
“Two minutes at the most.”
That’s all the time he needs. They move silently down the hall toward the room reserved for private services, where they’ve assembled the men whose lack of allegiance will no longer be a concern. Leo stands guard and dips his head at him. The final car sits outside the door. Juan climbs out and looks around.
The hatred Juan invokes in him is only second to what he feels for his father. Yet, he doesn’t kid himself that he’s any better than his enemy. The same ruthlessness and brutality runs through his veins, although his motivation may be slightly more honorable for the sweet angel who thinks she sees goodness in him.
His fingers curl tighter around his gun. “Come on, motherfucker, walk in. Just fucking walk in.”
Six feet from the back entrance before Juan pauses and turns toward the parking lot, where something captures his complete attention. His eyes grow wide before a shit-eating smirk confirms what he must see. Shae.
Fuck the plan. They’re taking him out right now. Nick nods at Max, who points his gun at the door.
Nick races in the opposite direction and bursts through the front doors of the funeral home. Deafening fury screams through his body and silences the rest of the world. Everything around him fades to black, except her lying on the ground with that motherfucker’s hand on her face.
No thoughts, no doubts, no hesitation. He extends his arm and fires at Juan’s forehead and chest right before the force behind him knocks him to the ground. Ignoring the sting of his clothes singed against his back and the burning of his pulsing lungs, he crawls out of the smoke and rubble.
She’s gone.
“Nick?” Carrie’s voice pulls him back to the present.
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
She nods and walks away. Nothing she can say or do to help him.
Her feet pad down the hall toward the kitchen, her voice low as she talks, probably to Nathan. Frustration tinges her fiancé’s response back to her. Whispered arguing before everything’s quiet. Nathan’s a good man, a caring doctor. But right now, all he can think is—fuck him. Fuck him for being good and moral and right. For probably thinking he deserves to lose her. To lose the only light in his darkness.
Fear. Exactly what Nick wants to see in Spencer’s eyes now that he’s found them. The last emotion this motherfucker will experience before they meet again in hell. The emotion he’ll never cause to darken her beautiful face again.
Spencer claws at Nick’s hand squeezing his throat, legs flailing as he dangles, pressed against the wall. Three huge punches to his face before he slams the heel of his hand into his nose, driving it into his brain. Small spasms jerk his body, and Nick throws him to the floor.
Nick grabs the corner of the bedspread and wipes the blood off his knuckles before dropping to his knees next to her. A sleeping angel, her hair splays out behind her, her cheeks shiny with moisture. He slides his hands under her shoulders, her limp body cold against the heat blazing through him. “I’m here, sweetness. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Just like his dream when Spencer drugged him. A premonition of him calling to her, screaming her name. But she won’t wake up. Won’t open her eyes no matter how much he begs her to.
Nick lets out a deep breath and lowers himself into the chair near Shae’s bed. All the magazines and books are gone from the nightstand. Now, just a framed photo sits on the smooth, white surface. A candid shot, she glows with excitement after stepping off the red carpet from one last wave to a disappointed crowd. Every face in the photo turns toward her—Carrie, Max, the handlers in their headsets, fans screaming in the bleachers—but she looks at him. Her face lights up with her beautiful smile just for him.
Max races down the long driveway of Juan’s country home. The closest town at least ten minutes away. Nick knows he should be searching for a hospital, some kind of help for her. But he can’t take his eyes off her delicate face pressed against his shoulder. His heart strains against his rib cage at her shallow breathing and weak pulse. He presses his lips against her ear. “Please don’t leave me. I can’t lose you.”
They drive into a quiet downtown area with a few offices and small shops. Max stops in front of a red, brick building with a Family Health Clinic sign hanging from the awning.
The woman at the front desk starts to speak before she looks up. “Sorry, we’re closed. You’ll have to call back and make an…” Her eyes dart from Shae, unconscious in his arms, to Nick and Max, their clothes ripped and blackened from the fire. “I’m calling the police.”
Max shakes his head and puts his hand on the phone. “No.”
Fuck this. He’ll find someone who can help her. He kicks open the door leading to a hallway of exam rooms.
A gentleman comes out from one of the offices, wiping off his hands with a paper towel. “What’s going on out here?” His voice full of irritation at the commotion, he looks from Shae to Nick. “What happened?”
“I think she was drugged.”
The doctor nods and waves for them to follow him. “Bring her back. Come on, Martha. I’m going to need your help.”
Nick lays her on the exam table, cradling her head before it touches the cushion. The man frowns as he lifts each of her eyelids and shines a small light into them. He rubs down her arms and across her torso. “Did she say anything?”
“No. She’s been unconscious since we found her.”
“This isn’t an emergency room, so I’ll do the best I can with the resources I’ve got.” The doctor looks up at him. “She might need some x-rays. Is there any possibility she could be pregnant?”
Nick swallows, trying to speak normally. “She was, but her doctor said something wasn’t right, and she’s going to miscarry.”
The man grasps the corner of his glasses with his forefinger and thumb before pushing them farther back on his nose. “When was this?”
“About a week ago
, but nothing’s happened yet.”
“Let’s do an ultrasound to make sure.” The physician turns to the nurse. “Can you please bring it in?” He glances at Nick before pointing to the door. “You’re going to have to step out so I can examine her.”
Like hell. He just got her back, and there’s no fucking way he’ll leave her again. “No.”
“She’s safe now.” Max motions to him from the doorway. “Let him help her.”
Neither of them speaks as they walk to the end of the corridor. Nick slides down against the wall and flexes on his heels. There’s nothing left to say. He fucked up, thinking he could hide this from her, and eliminating his enemies would make her life better or happier. She warned him, and he was too fucking stubborn and arrogant to listen.
After a few minutes, the nurse opens the door and walks toward them, her cheeks flushed, eyes dropping to the floor as she speaks. “You have to come back. Dr. Wilson needs to speak with you.”
The longest ten steps of his life. With no right to ask for anything, a prayer crosses his lips for the first time. Offering his life for hers, anything he has, for her to be all right.
The doctor presses a wand against Shae’s stomach while another nurse stands by her legs. He nods at Nick before pointing to the screen. “See this blinking dot? It’s the baby’s heartbeat. I’m not sure where her doctor got his information, but this young woman is definitely pregnant.”
Son of a bitch. He bends over, grabbing his thighs and trying to suck in air. From death to life in a moment. “Is she okay?”
“It looks like she was given a pretty strong sedative. She should sleep for a few more hours before it starts to wear off. You need to keep a close eye on her, as she might have a mild concussion from that bump on the back of her head.”
“What about the baby?”
The doctor wipes the gel off her stomach and pulls down her shirt. “As far as I can tell, the baby seems fine. Be sure to get her examined by her own doctor as soon as possible, as well as an OB-GYN who actually knows what he’s doing.”
Once the nurse slides on Shae’s shorts and removes the sheet covering her stomach and legs, Nick scoops her up. Cradling her against his chest, he kisses her forehead before turning back to the man. “Thank you.”
Stripping off his latex gloves, he tosses them into the bin by the door, frowning as he looks Nick up and down. “I did it for her, not you. If you care about this girl, you need to keep her out of trouble.”
Max removes a small stack of one hundred dollar bills from his wallet and lays them on the counter.
The doctor shakes his head. “I don’t want your money.”
Max points to pictures on the wall of the doctor posing with children that appear to have been taken in Africa. “Then use it for the kids.”
At the rustling of sheets, Nick pulls the chair closer to the bed. Shae’s hand slides across the blanket, and he enfolds it in his. Maybe his last chance to hold her before she finds out what the fuck he did and kicks his ass out. Yet, he won’t walk away until he knows she’s okay. Until she knows everything he has belongs to her. Then, he’ll keep his promise to do what she needs for him to do.
“Nick?”
His heart explodes in his chest at her scratchy voice asking for him. After all she’s been through, the first thing she seeks is him. “I’m here.”
Tears roll down her temples as her body shakes with sobs. She reaches for him, her grip around his neck weak, but steady. “You’re alive.”
Choked with emotion, his response dies in his throat. She cries for joy because of him. That he’s all right. Not for his money or his power. Just him. The depth of her love almost unfathomable, yet mirrors his own feelings for her. He swallows again. “Don’t cry. I’m fine. You’re going to be too.”
More than she knows. The immediate dangers eliminated, with a clear message delivered to everyone else. She and their baby are safe and can have the happy life they deserve.
“Is Max okay too?”
“Yeah, sweetness, he is.”
Her body softens under his. All her worries gone. He lies down next to her and nuzzles her neck, breathing in an unfamiliar scent. Not flowers, but still her essence underneath. She snuggles against him, at peace for now. “Spencer said—”
Fuck that bastard. She shouldn’t even have to say his motherfucking name. “Shhh. It’s over. You don’t have to worry about him or Juan ever again.”
“Okay.” Her eyes blink open, and she looks around. “Why did you bring me here?”
Not yet. It’s too soon. He just wants to hold her. Not have this conversation, not face her regret from being with a man like him. “With everything that happened, I thought you might need to get away for a while. I didn’t want you to have to run, so I brought you where you needed to be.”
Uncertainty replaces the grogginess in her eyes. “I need to be with you.”
He strokes her cheek and runs his fingers down her arm and across her stomach, while panic churns in his. She holds his fate in her heart, which he’s broken too many fucking times. “I wasn’t sure if you’d still want me. After what I’ve done.”
She curls her fingers around his shirt, as if he’s the one who’s going to run away. “I hate your world. I hate that it’s kill or be killed, and that you’re always in danger, and people die because of the need for power and revenge. But I also know you’re trapped in it.” The softness of her voice doesn’t diminish the love seeping through her words. “So, what choice do I have? Do you think I can just walk away? That I could get over not being with you? I accept all of this…” A shaky hand presses against his chest, rubbing over his pounding heart. “Because I know who you really are, even if you don’t believe it. Who you would be if you weren’t stuck in this life.”
All his fear disintegrates with her words. She still wants him. Unlike any other woman he’s known, she chooses to be with him because she loves him. He takes her hands in his and brings them to his mouth, kissing the palm of each one before pressing them against his cheeks. “I will be that man for you.”
“You already are. I love you, and I want…” Her face pinches as she closes her eyes. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
He wraps his hand around her shoulder and pulls her up with him, holding her hair behind her back. She dry heaves a few times before leaning against him.
“I’m sorry. I’m not sure why that keeps happening.” She rubs the back of her head. “Maybe Gina’s right. Maybe I do have a concussion.”
He kisses her temple, refraining from teasing her about declaring her love and then wanting to vomit. He’s one lucky bastard to be able to tell her the good news himself. “It might be morning sickness. Dr. Patterson was wrong.”
Her head flies up. Glistening eyes lock with his as her lip quivers. “Are you sure? What about the test results?”
“We took you to the doctor when you were unconscious, and I saw the baby’s heartbeat. After we got back, Max had the guys investigate it, and he thinks Evan altered the report she received. The original results at the lab show the increase in your levels.”
She shakes her head. “Punishment for what I did to him.” Tears stream down her face before she wraps her arms around him. “It doesn’t matter. I thought I’d lost everything, and now it’s all here. Everything I want is right here.”
One hand curls around the nape of her neck while the other slides to the small of her back as she clings to him. The feel of her bare skin against his fingers stokes his fury at the thought of that motherfucking bastard hurting her again. She deserves this happiness, and he’ll be damned if anyone takes it away from her. “Me too. We’ve got it all, and I won’t let anyone change that.”
Wetness covers his cheek from her shaking her head. “Please, Nick. I don’t need any revenge. Let it go.”
Even in his anger, a smile curls his lips. She knows him too well. Knows what he was thinking without him even saying it. He has to keep his other promise from when he proposed, be the m
an she believes him to be. “Okay. For you.”
She lifts up from his embrace and meets his gaze. “No, not for me. For yourself. I know you have to do what you have to do in your business. But with Evan, be the man I know you are, not the one you think you have to be.”
Clear and bright, her eyes hold no doubts. No uncertainty about her faith in him. Beyond her and the baby’s safety, to his very core. He let her into his heart, and she found her way to his soul. To the darkest part no one else gets to see. And she still thinks there’s goodness there among the demons. Something worth saving inside him. Too humbled to find the right words, he can only kiss her forehead before nodding.
Her smile can’t stifle an enormous yawn. “I told you that you would regret letting me nag you.”
God, she’s amazing. “I know it. No more fish tacos for you.” He winks at her and returns her grin. “But how about breakfast in bed? I think Carrie’s used all the bread in the house making you French toast. She’s been anxious for you to wake up.”
The sparkle returns to her beautiful, blue eyes as she laughs. “Bring it on, but don’t tell Max.”
“Don’t tell me what?” His best friend’s chuckle fills the room from the hallway.
At Shae’s gasp and teary smile, Nick turns toward the doorway. “Stop fucking eavesdropping and get your ass in here.”
Once inside, Max strides to the bed and leans over him, accepting Shae’s outstretched arms. Yeah, this isn’t fucking awkward. But he remains silent, letting her hug Max for however long she needs to reassure herself he’s all right. That they are all going to be okay.
She finally releases him, and Max steps back, a smile bigger than he’s seen in a long time on the bodyguard’s face. Happy, just like he is, that she’s safe, with all of her worries eliminated.
The grin morphs to a smirk when Max nods to him. “I wasn’t eavesdropping. I came to make sure your stupid ass wasn’t bothering the patient. We all know how fucking annoying you can be.”
Wine & Whiskey: Everything for You (Surviving Absolution Book 2) Page 11