Chapter 7 Maddy
MADDY
“Hey, you ready?” Nico said as he walked into my room.
The minute I saw him and heard his voice, I knew something was wrong. The easy-going, charismatic Nico was gone. This version of Nico was tense and had a worried look on his face.
I didn’t say anything about it. Instead, I simply nodded and started gathering my few belongings. Nico stood by the door with his friends.
He leaned toward his buddy who’d caught the nurse that morning. Luis? “Head out ahead of us. I’ll call you with the address.”
“Got it.” He was gone an instant later.
Nico stepped over to me, his face a little less pensive than a moment before. “Can I take your arm? Lead you out?”
I was a little surprised that he’d asked permission.
I’d actually been preparing myself for the full macho-man act—a hand around my waist, dragging me out the door “for my own protection” and not a hint of apology.
This was a nice change of pace. It told me Nico really might be a good guy.
I could tell he was, anyway, otherwise I’d never have taken him up on his offer.
This helped me feel better about the situation, though.
“Yeah, that would be nice,” I said. “I’m still a little wobbly from being in bed so long and all the pain meds.”
That was the truth. I’d actually gotten dizzy getting dressed five minutes before he’d arrived. That was probably from my head wound, but I was sure all the other things that had happened in the last two days hadn’t been great for my equilibrium either.
Nico put a hand around my arm and guided me down the hallway.
He had two more friends standing at the front, both standing outside the door and scanning the area.
If things weren’t so dire, I’d have thought it was kind of cool.
All these bodyguards should have made me feel like I was some movie star or something.
But in reality, it scared me. Terrified me, really.
People were trying to kill me. Literally.
My life was at risk and people wanted me dead.
I had no idea why, and these shifters were the only thing standing between me and a plastic body bag.
Nico walked me over to his SUV and settled me in the passenger seat. He went around the driver’s side door and got inside. Once the doors were locked, he waited for his two friends to get into a car and pull up behind us in the parking lot. It looked like they were going to tail us to my place.
“Okay, what’s the address? I’ll have Luis get there ahead of us.”
I told him the address. Nico pulled out his cell and relayed the info to his friend, then started the massive SUV and pulled out of the parking lot.
I glanced back at the little clinic and wondered how such a nondescript building could have been the place where my entire life changed.
Three days ago, my biggest worry was whether my shipment of red wine would come in on time, or if I’d have enough limes for the evening rush.
I’d had a simple, pleasant, happy life. Now, I’d somehow found myself in a life-or-death struggle, and it had all started in a building that looked like it was home to an accountant’s office.
It really felt like it should look more sinister or dark.
Instead, it looked like the least ominous place I’d ever seen.
After turning out of the parking lot, the building disappeared, and I found myself fully alone with Nico for the first time. Even the first time he’d questioned me, Dr. Carter had been right down the hallway. So this was different, and it felt a bit awkward.
“So…um.” I had no idea what to start a conversation about. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble getting my room ready.” Oh my God, what a moron. I did my best not to roll my eyes at myself.
Nico glanced over, then back to the road. “Nah. All good. I needed to clean out that room anyway. Only took me like half an hour.”
“That’s good. I’m a little worried about being bothered. I know you probably had your own life to deal with, and this is not really what you had planned. Unless you’re constantly harboring women from danger, that is.”
“First time, actually. I did save a vampire from some hunters once. That guy owes me one, big time.”
I froze and blinked. “Wait…vampires are real?” The implication sent a new shiver of fear up my spine.
Nico barked a laugh. “Sorry, sorry, I thought you could tell I was being sarcastic. No, they aren’t real…well, I assume they aren’t.” He chuckled to himself the rest of the drive, and my cheeks went red in embarrassment.
We pulled up to my house five minutes later, where Luis stood outside. He waved as we pulled in. His two other friends pulled their car in behind us. Luis was scanning the surrounding area as I got out of the car.
“Hang on,” Nico said. “No going in until we clear the house.”
I stopped mid-step and looked at my place.
I didn’t even contemplate that someone might be waiting inside for me.
The thought was enough to turn my guts to water.
It was my home, a place that should always feel safe.
In one sentence, Nico had changed all that.
Now every shadow, every angle, every nook looked like it could be hiding someone.
A nightmare fantasy flashed through my mind—some dark figure crawling out of my linen closet, a knife clamped between his teeth, murder in his dark eyes.
I shivered and crossed my arms across my chest, feeling cold even in the humid Florida heat.
I handed Nico the keys and waited with Sebastian and Felipe while Nico and Luis went inside.
We stood in silence; both men kept looking up and down the road.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the house. When Nico came out three minutes later, waving the all-clear, I released a deep breath, relief swelling in my chest. I knew I was safe, being surrounded by four shifters, but still, the thought of an intruder being found in my place had been more stressful than I’d even imagined.
I stepped onto the porch and Nico nodded inside. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be at the front door. Luis will go to the rear exit. We’ll stay outside to give you some space.”
“Thanks,” I muttered.
The first thing I did was go to the fridge and throw out anything that wouldn’t survive a week or two and put the trash bag by the door.
In my bedroom, I pulled out my big suitcase and the carry-on bag I used whenever I traveled.
I stuffed my carry-on full of my toiletries, phone charger, and other little things.
I grabbed random clothes, shoes, and underwear, then dropped them into the larger bag.
I was on my knees organizing the bag when I let my hands rest on my thighs.
All I could do was stare at the things in the suitcase and wonder if it was enough.
I would only be twenty or thirty minutes from my place.
I could always have someone bring me back to grab whatever I’d forgotten.
Why was this happening? How long would I have to live like this?
Bodyguards, safe houses, chaperones to and from the store and work?
It was all too much to bear. I felt the fear inside me, but also a growing rage at the injustice of it all.
I’d been a good person. I’d done all the right things and tried my best to help people who needed it.
So why the hell had my life turned to shit?
I hadn’t even realized I was trembling until Nico’s hand brushed my shoulder. I spun around and leveled my eyes at him. He pulled his hand back and glanced at the suitcase. “I said your name a few times, and you didn’t answer. I came to check on you. I was worried.”
My mind must have totally zoned out to not have heard him. “Sorry, I must have spaced,” I said, casting my eyes down.
“It’s okay,” Nico said. “It’s a lot. I understand it’s probably difficult to deal with it all.”
I stared at him for several seconds. What was he trying to do? Was he only placating me? Trying to keep me calm by being nicer than he needed to be? All these questions and more bubbled in my head as I looked at him.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Doing what?” Nico asked, looking confused.
“Being so nice to me.”
“Uh,” Nico’s brows furrowed. “Would you prefer I not be nice?”
I huffed out a sigh. “I know you’re only using me to get what you want. To get this Javi guy or whatever. You don’t have to pretend to be nice to me. That’s all I’m saying.”
Nico’s eyes went hard, and his face was stony.
“Us having a similar endgame has nothing to do with my personality or the way I treat people.” His voice was icy, and I already regretted what I’d said.
“I’m really sorry you haven’t had good experiences with shifters.
Truly, I am, but we aren’t all the same.
If that’s what you think, then that’s a pretty bigoted thought process. ”
“I didn’t mean—”
“Yes,” he interrupted, “I do need to figure out what Javi is up to. That’s true. That doesn’t mean I need to pretend to be a decent damned person to do it. I’ll be outside.”
He spun on his heel and stomped out. I closed my eyes and winced inwardly.
Why the fuck had I done that? Shame and regret warred within me.
Each emotion did its best to beat my ego to death.
That had been a shitty, cold-hearted thing to say, and I couldn’t think of a single reason to have said it other than that I was pissed at the situation and wanted to take my frustration out on someone.
“Dammit,” I hissed and pounded my fist into my thigh. I was being a bitch to the one person trying to keep me alive.
Luis carried my big bag to the SUV while Sebastian took the bag of trash to my can and rolled it to the curb for me.
Without looking at me, Nico took my carry-on from me.
He put it in the back and climbed into the driver seat.
“Is that everything?” he asked through the passenger window, still not looking at me.
“Yeah,” I said as I opened the door.