Chapter 7 #3
“Ty.” I couldn’t get the words out, I was so traumatized. The image of Paul being stabbed was so horrible I shuddered.
“Paul!” Ty yelled over his shoulder as the shakes began to set in. Mark appeared next to him then stepped back as Paul rushed up to us. His hands replaced Ty’s, and he bent down to look into my eyes.
“What’s going on?” he asked, and I handed him my phone. I watched as he replayed the video, holding it so the others could see. “Where did you get this?” Paul’s voice was all business.
“Jack,” I swallowed hard, “my contact at the Washington Post. Oh, my God.”
“We’ve seen it.” Paul’s tone was low and cold. “It was released that day.”
I shook my head and tried to push the images away. I had been so out of it lately catching up on sleep, worrying about Chase, my career, that I didn’t think to look at the news.
“You should be dead, Paul. That video is horrifying.”
“Yeah, it was.” He shrugged and leaned against the wall next to me. “You see the kind of people that are after you? It’s not just Bruno, it’s everyone. You’re on their list now.”
“I’ve always been on their list. I just keep myself useful, so they don’t rush to take me out.”
He chuckled darkly. “Christ, woman, you really have no regard for your safety, do you?”
“Never had a reason to care too much about it.” I ran my hands through my hair and took a deep breath. “I’m glad you didn’t die.”
“Yeah, me too.” He looked toward the table where Ty was filling them in. “You looked like you were having fun out there.”
“I was,” a smile pushed through, “until my bodyguard came and scared off McGray.”
“McGray?” He rolled his eyes.
“What’s wrong with that name?”
“Nothing.”
“Sorry he’s not like you with your one-word name like Drake or Madonna,” I teased.
“I have a first name. I just don’t choose to ever use it.”
“Why?”
“Reasons.”
“Okay,” I figured he wasn’t about to share the reason, so I switched the conversation back, “what was your reason for chasing off McGray?”
He stared down at me so hard I felt it in my knees.
“Because he was touching the last place I touched you.” He looked down at his hand between us then slid his fingers along my exposed skin and stopped where my jeans sat low on my hips.
The coil in my stomach tightened so quickly I felt lightheaded.
His fingers hooked in the fabric and jerked me toward him.
I used his arms to stabilize myself. He leaned forward, and his breath brushed over my sensitive neck.
“Does this mean you finally believe me?” I needed him to say it to address the elephant in the room.
He vibrated out a sexy growl as he kissed the side of my neck and lingered there like he was deciding on how to answer my question. His hot lips raised my body temperature to a dangerous level. “It means I don’t like men touching you where I have.”
He hadn’t said he believed me, and my fire, as the girls called it, came raging back, and I welcomed it as I knew the other women would.
“Well, you know what, Paul? I remember all the places you’ve been and where you haven’t. So, I’ll remember that the next time I meet a man.”
“What?” His mouth opened in surprise.
I stepped back and watched anger flicker across his handsome face. Call me crazy, but I loved that I affected him the way he did me. I turned away and headed toward the table where everyone was gathering their things.
“Cole says you guys need to ship out in the morning, so we’ll head back.” Savannah handed me my purse. “I hope you had fun.”
“I really did. Thanks for this.”
“Any time. We love coming here. It’s one of the only places we get to let go and enjoy ourselves.” She linked hands with Cole, and we started to walk toward the door.
McGray stopped me in my path, and Cole instantly stepped into security mode.
“Sorry, man,” he looked at Cole, “I just wanted to give Hanna my number.” I reached out and took his card.
“Thanks.” I smiled politely, and he waved and left, but not before he shot a glance at Cole’s predatory stance. Yikes, that was damn intense.
“Nicole, stay with Paul,” Cole ordered, and Savannah gave me a nod.
“One thing you’ll learn real quick,” Ivy leaned in, “the guys are thick as thieves. They know Paul has feelings for you, so they’ll scare off any man who comes your way.
Trust me. And don’t be fooled by that one,” she pointed to Mark, “he’s the worst. He gave me so much grief for taking a guy’s number one time, and I was only being polite. ”
“That’s all I was being.” I shook my head but loved that she made me feel a little better about pissing off Cole.
Paul came up and placed a hand on my lower back and steered me toward the door. Just as we stepped outside, he plucked the card from my hand and tossed it in a trash can.
“Hey!”
“You said you were only being polite.”
“Oh, my God.” I laughed. What world did I step into with these guys?
I noticed the change in the way the vehicles were loaded. When we came, the girls had all traveled in one van and the guys were in the other. Now we seemed to be doing couples. I looked at Mia for clarity, but it was Paul who said something first.
“We like to keep our girls close on the way back home. Just in case we’re being followed.
” He waved for me to get in, and I took the seat in the very back.
Paul swung in beside me and rested a hand along the back of the seat.
He was a big guy and needed as much room as he could get.
Moments later, the engine started and we were off.
I could practically hear the wheels turning in Paul’s brain as we headed back to Shadows.
The mood was very different in the SUV from when we arrived earlier all carefree and excited.
The girls had been so fun, and Mark was a riot as he drove us.
Now I was in the very back with Paul, Cole and Savannah were in the middle seats, and John and Sloane sat in the front.
No one said much except the occasional comment by one or another of the guys, but they spoke in French. I saw an occasional nod of agreement.
I glanced down at Paul’s arm at the bandage that covered where Agustin had marked him. It made me burn with anger. Damn savage.
My phone buzzed in my purse, and I hurried to get it out. I wanted to see if it was Jack with more information on the video. My stomach sank when I read who the text was from.
Unknown: We need to talk. Call me ASAP.
I rolled my eyes. Who did he think he was? I wanted to fire back how in the hell he got this number, but I knew he had his ways.
Nicole: We have nothing left to talk about.
Unknown: I disagree.
Nicole: Your problem, not mine.
I saw the little bubbles pop up, then stop, then start again. I knew Glen; he was trying hard to curb his asshole-ness.
Unknown: Got something new on our target. Trust me, you want to hear this.
Shit. He knew he had me.
Nicole: Can’t call now, I will when I can.
I tucked my phone away and turned into Paul who I realized was looking over my shoulder.
He leaned down and brushed his lips against my hair, and it sent my head into a tailspin.
Lord, the man smelled so good, and his whole rock-solid body and delicious lips just about tipped me over the edge.
I’d had a taste of how the man could kiss, and that alone did things to my body that I couldn’t describe. “Who was that?”
“Someone I work with.” I didn’t lie. I just didn’t offer any more.
“Does this person have a name?”
“They do.” I looked out the window at the moonlight. The way it shone through the trees made me realize just how deep the forest around us was.
His big hand landed on my thigh and drew my attention back to him.
I looked up at his eyes then without thinking they dropped to his lips.
His fingers flexed and I knew he felt it too.
It was pure lust, and I was more than ready to let it take over.
The fact that he obviously felt it too made my heart pound and the spot where his hand sat on my leg heated to the point of pain.
“Answer me this.” His warm breath blew over my face. “Is it a man or a woman?”
“Does it make a difference?”
“It does to me.”
“Yeah?” I turned to see him better and raised my chin as my feisty side kicked in. “Why?”
He reached up and gently pushed back a piece of my hair then ran his fingers along my collarbone. I shivered.
Cole whispered something, and Paul’s hand dropped away. He closed his eyes and answered Cole back so fast I couldn’t tell if he said it in English or French. He did, however, leave his hand on my thigh.
Once we got back to the house, everyone went in their separate directions. I hurried to go check on Chase, and when I got to his room, Abigail was slowly closing the door.
“Hello, dear.” She smiled warmly at me and put a finger to her lips. “The little one finally fell back to sleep.”
“Oh, that’s good.” I smiled. “Did he eat anything?” I wanted to see him, but I knew how important sleep was.
“He did, but not much. Maybe tomorrow you can try before you leave.”
I nodded. “Of course.”
She gave me a gentle squeeze on the arm and left me alone. I glanced at his door then forced myself to turn toward my own.
I pulled out my phone and tapped on Glen’s number. Just as he answered, the phone was snatched out of my hand.
“Nicole?” I heard Glen snap, and Paul’s eyes narrowed in on me as he hung up my phone.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Who is he?” he snarled.
“None of your business, that’s who.” I took my phone from him and pushed open the door to my room. I used my foot to try to slam it shut on him, but he grabbed it and stepped in behind me.
I whirled around, and my gaze flew to his face, but he didn’t say a word; his expression had changed from anger to something more like pain. His eyes shifted like he battled with something internal.