28. Wesley
28
WESLEY
The best part of this job is Nina.
But I forgot how peaceful Maldana’s views are. The scenery along the boat ride and in Antina reminded me why I didn’t return to America with Mom and Cora. It’s a paradise for many reasons and can be summed up to the comfort my home gives me.
Remembering this feeling has a hint of familiarity—and I realize it’s shared with the woman currently giving me the cold shoulder. Does she regret what happened in the bathroom last night? Maybe it was too vulnerable.
By the time I finish sweeping the perimeter of the property, Maia is waiting at the front door with a concerned look on her face. She’s a softer version of Nina, with rounder cheeks and eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
She folds her arms and leans against the threshold. “I’m worried about Nina.”
“Did something happen?”
Last I checked, she’s in the shower. But Maia shakes her head. “No, just with… the whole attack. I tried, but—she won’t talk about it. Not even to me.”
If this were any other client, I’d stay out of it. I protect Nina; her emotional healing should not be my concern or responsibility. But that’s not the case with her—and I’m loath that Maia notices. I can’t imagine the secrets these two sisters share.
“Are you trying to ask me something?” I scrounge up my kindest tone, and I still come across as bothered and irritated.
Maia smothers a frustrated scoff and turns around. “Never mind.”
I bite my tongue. I thought I was getting better at a sympathetic demeanor. It doesn’t seem so. “Tell me what you need,” I call after her, not in the inviting way she might want, but we’re both worried about Nina—even if I won’t say it out loud.
“To just—look out for her.”
“That’s my job.”
She groans. Not in the adorable way Nina does—as if she’s determined to make us see eye to eye. Maia groans as if my incompetence is a burden. Which I can respect.
“Then be a human,” she says. “Ask her if she’s okay. Tell me if she’s getting more depressed.”
“What—like a friend or colleague?”
She rolls her eyes and throws her hands in the air. “Whatever you want to call it.” She pushes off the doorframe and mutters, “I have no idea why she likes you much.”
My stomach flips, and I resist asking her to confirm that before she walks off.
Nina sleeps for the rest of the evening, and I check in with Jack about the security footage around the property. The house is in a cramped neighborhood, but all windows are one-way.
Vanessa’s and Jace’s bodyguards will reside two houses down for the duration of the trip. Mason and I would have been there as well if not for the sisters wanting us closer. Nina and Maia have been charming since day one; asking if we’re hungry or thirsty, noting that it’s been eight hours since either of us used the restroom. In spite of Nina being largely silent and Maia being endlessly witty, they’re quick to build relationships with others, making whoever they meet feel important.
It didn’t take long for the Laffley sisters to charm Mason and me; it just so happens that I’m falling completely in love with one of them. It’s difficult to comprehend that Nina might have feelings for me, too. She’s friendly toward everyone, but the growing possibility sends apprehension through my body because I know I won’t resist her. I don’t resent myself enough to deny her on the basis that she deserves better. She does—and I’ll be that person because she makes me believe I can be.
Jack would be furious, but even the thought of fucking Nina in every way I imagined is worth it.