Chapter 7 Maddy #2
We pulled away, and I didn’t even get a chance for one last look at my place. All I could do was stare at the muscles in Nico’s jaw clenching and unclenching in anger. He was still pissed, and I knew exactly why.
I let him drive for several minutes, watching the scenery change as we neared his pack lands, before I spoke again. “Look, Nico, I didn’t mean to be so—”
“You’ll be looked after the entire time you’re in my care,” he said, cutting me off before I could apologize.
Yep, definitely still pissed at me. “Along with my friends you’ve already met, I’ve got four brothers.
So, at least one of us will be around at any point.
Usually more than one. We’ll take you to and from work, and whoever is with you will stay there—one inside near the bar, and one outside checking the perimeter.
“I’m really not trying to uproot your whole life. I hope you understand that. I only want you to stay safe. Once we figure out what Javi is up to and stop him, you can go back to your life. You’ll never have to worry about me bothering you again.”
I pursed my lips, staring at my hands in my lap.
I cursed myself again for being an asshole earlier.
I’d much preferred Nico’s kind tone over the harsh, cold one.
Had I taken something that was already going to be a little weird, awkward, and scary, and made it even worse?
It was looking that way. Great job, Maddy, a really good idea.
A few minutes later, we got to what I could only assume were the gated Lorenzo pack lands.
Nico leaned out of the window and punched in a code, and the gate slid open.
Once we pulled through and started driving by houses, my eyes almost bulged out of my head.
Every house was really nice. I didn’t know what I’d expected, but it wasn’t these three- and four-thousand square foot monsters.
Several had swimming pools and every lawn was immaculate.
Another wave of shame cascaded across my mind as I realized I’d been anticipating shabby mobile homes or some big communal bunkhouse.
I hadn’t realized I’d been so judgmental.
I guess all it took for the real me to come out was for my life to be in danger.
The day was getting more depressing by the second.
The homes stayed pretty much the same the whole way down the road.
I tried to forget my festering embarrassment by ogling the houses.
Nico’s pack must have had quite a bit of money to afford the luxury.
The houses weren’t mansions or anything, but they were definitely on the more expensive end of upper middle class.
We pulled into a cul-de-sac at the end of the neighborhood, and Nico pulled the SUV into the driveway. He clicked a button to open the garage door. The house was just as big and nice as the others.
Once the garage door was closed behind us, I climbed out of the car and glanced around the garage.
It was sparser than most I’d seen, with just a few cardboard boxes and a shelving unit that looked like it held a bunch of tools, tire pumps, and flashlights.
Typical DIY supplies. Nico already had the back hatch opened and my two bags pulled out. He rolled them to the entry door.
As he stepped through, Nico called over his shoulder, “Follow me.”
I did as asked, still trying to think of the best way to apologize.
When I stepped into the kitchen, my jaw dropped.
Solid marble countertops, high-end tile floors, stainless steel appliances?
The home was gorgeous. It definitely didn’t look like a bachelor pad.
I wondered if he paid for a maid or something.
Nico led me down a hallway, and I saw he’d decorated his house with various paintings.
Actual paintings. Not prints or the lame pictures with paint splattered on them to give the impression of a painting, but honest-to-God paintings.
One was a watercolor done in a way that could be confused with an abstract, but a second look showed that it was actually a howling wolf’s head.
It was really cool, and I was so mesmerized by it that I almost lost Nico.
At the end of the hallway, we came to a stairway. He hauled my bags up, opened a door at the top, and rolled my luggage in. “This is your place.”
I stepped in and blinked in surprise. The bedroom and bathroom together were easily the same size as the tiny one-bedroom house I leased.
I couldn’t believe how much room I had. The bed was king-sized as well.
I wouldn’t know what to do with myself after spending the last five years sleeping on a full-sized bed.
“Anyway,” Nico said. “Go ahead and get comfortable. Relax or whatever. We don’t want your stitches opening before we go back to Doc’s clinic. Once you’re settled, come on down so I can show you how to use the security system.”
Without another word, he strode toward the door to leave. I closed my eyes and sighed. “Nico?”
When I opened my eyes again, he’d stopped, half out the door. He didn’t say anything; he just stood there. He didn’t even turn to look at me.
“I’m really happy you’re helping me,” I said, hoping he could hear the sincerity in my voice. “I also wanted to say I was sorry about earlier.” I swallowed my pride and went on. “When I was a bitch, I mean. I didn’t mean to question you or your motives. That’s all. I’m…I’m sorry. And thank you.”
Nico finally turned to look at me, and the irritation and anger that had been there a few moments ago had cooled.
The lines softened and the handsome face underneath it re-emerged.
My heart did a stutter-step in my chest, and that voice started whispering to me again—the voice I’d heard the moment I’d first seen him.
It was telling me the same thing it said yesterday. That this man was mine.
I shook the thought away because it made no sense. Probably nothing more than my hormones screaming at me since it had been almost a year since I’d gotten laid.
After a few seconds of staring intently at me, Nico smiled. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you downstairs.”
I didn’t breathe easy until he’d closed the door and I heard him descending the steps.
I put a hand to my racing heart and tried to figure out what was going on with my head.
I had enough going on with everything that was happening.
I didn’t need my body to take on a mind of its own and drool over a guy.
Still…there was something intriguing about the thought.