40. Chapter Forty
Chapter forty
I t felt like Bring Your Partner to Work Day, having Aria at his workplace. Nick showed her his new office and introduced her to the guys working under him.
They both sat down with an agent to give their official statement about what had happened last night at the bar, and then at their home.
It dawned on him this morning, standing in the backyard, that he’d spent very little of his mandatory leave not working this case. Yes, he’d done his physical therapy, given his statement about the shooting at Julia’s house, and started his mandatory therapy because of the shooting. But he’d spent very little time actually being with Aria, alone in their house, making it theirs, and strengthening the bond between them.
He’d nearly lost her twice last night.
And if something had happened to her, he’d have looked back at the last many months they were together yet apart, and he’d have considered all that time lost, wasted. Because nothing in his life was more important than her. Nothing gave him greater joy or made him more content than her.
He vowed to stop wasting time and spend more of it with her.
Behind his desk, he was contemplating what to do next when she walked in the door.
“Hey. You okay? You look a million miles away.” Aria closed the distance between them and stood in front of his desk.
“We’ve been talking about what we need to do, but we’ve barely gotten anything done.”
Her head tilted. “We’ve both been busy, but you got us both moved into the house. The garden looks amazing. We’ll tackle the decorating and spending time together now that this case is over.” She bit her lip. “Well, once you go see Javier Lopez?”
“Technically, I’m still on leave.”
She raised a brow. “That hasn’t stopped you so far. I don’t see why that would change now.” A hint of a smile tilted her lips.
Yeah, she understood he couldn’t turn it off. Not when this case had become personal.
He stood and rounded the desk to her. Instead of saying anything, he took her into his arms and kissed her, brushing his lips over hers in a soft caress. A warmup to him plunging in, sweeping his tongue along hers, telling her without words that he loved her for understanding him. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Yes, you do. You’re a good man, Nick. The best. You care. So much so you want to adopt a little girl who had everyone in her life turn their back on her. But not you. If I knew nothing else about you but that, I’d love you. But you’re so much more than just that one act of decency, kindness, and love. And I am so lucky you love me the way you do.”
His heart felt too big for his chest. “How do you always amaze me?”
“I just love you so much, Nick. I never want to lose you.” She wiped away a tear.
He kissed her again, letting her feel every ounce of want and need and love pour out of him and into her.
“You two are going to set this place on fire.”
Nick growled out his frustration that his brother interrupted them. But he couldn’t hold a grudge when Aria’s whole face lit up when she saw her sister Lyric pressed to Mason’s side.
Aria sighed out, “You’re home.”
“I was only gone overnight.” Lyric looked Aria up and down. “You okay?”
Aria looked up at him with a soft smile and love in her eyes. “I’m great. Though I think I scared another ten years off Nick’s life last night.”
Mason stared at Aria, his sharp gaze dipping to the bruises on her neck. “I can’t believe you stabbed him twice.”
Aria smirked. “He shouldn’t have put his hands on me.”
Lyric chuckled. “Damn straight. I heard Jax armed you before you left the bar.”
Aria shrugged. “He wasn’t letting me out of there without some protection. And it came in handy.”
Nick pulled her to his side and kissed her on the head. “Sure did. But I’d really love it if you never had to do anything like that again.”
“Me, too.” She squeezed him hard around the middle.
Nick focused on Mason. “We’re headed across the hall and downstairs to talk to Lopez. You want in on that?”
“Absolutely.”
Nick looked down at Aria. “You and Lyric can observe from the attached surveillance room.”
They headed over to the Blackrock Falls PD offices, where Javier Lopez was being held after his visit to the ER last night. Nick got the update this morning that he’d been patched up and refused to talk to anyone but him.
More than likely, Lopez simply wanted another shot at hurting him.
Javier could bring it.
Nick was the one walking out free and clear, while Javier faced the rest of his life behind bars with inmates who didn’t look kindly on scum who hurt kids.