CHAPTER 16
NIYAH
Niyah pulled in front of her West Loop condo and killed the engine. She inhaled a deep breath and dropped her head on the steering wheel, closing her eyes with a desperate need to decompress. Mario hadn’t survived.
She had been minutes, maybe even seconds away from witnessing his murder or possibly becoming a murder victim herself.
She raised her head and looked down at her bloody scrubs.
Of all the days to be slacking on laundry duties, today was the worst. Niyah shook her head, trying unsuccessfully to erase the picture of Mario bleeding out on the floor.
When it didn’t work, she exhaled a frustrated breath and exited her Land Rover.
Maybe a hot bath and a lot of wine would do the trick.
She grabbed her bag from the back seat and headed up the walkway.
“Niyah,” a masculine voice called from behind.
Niyah startled and whipped around.
“Oh, shit!” Xander cussed, closing the distance between them. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
After breathing a sigh of relief, Niyah asked, “What are you doing here, Xander?”
Xander grabbed the bag from her hand. “I umm… I heard about your intern. I was worried about you.”
“I’m okay,” she lied.
Xander smiled sympathetically. “No, you’re not. I thought you might want some company.”
“Are you okay, Dr. Reed?”
Niyah turned toward the sound of her doorman’s voice. “I’m fine, Ralph. Thank you.”
Ralph nodded and moved back toward the door. When she turned back, Xander was within hair’s breath of her face. “You’re a little jumpy,” he whispered, cupping her jaw.
“I’m fine,” Niyah whispered.
Xander frowned. “You’re not fine, Niyah. And that’s okay.”
“Xander, I--”
“I’m not here to pressure you,” Xander assured. “I promise. I know you had a crazy day. I just wanna keep you company.”
Truth be told, Niyah was a little jumpy. And the thought of Xander staying to keep her company was reassuring. “Okay,” she relented with a nod.
“Good.” Xander turned her by her shoulder. He pressed his hand to the small of her back and led her to the door. Ralph opened the door with a smile. “Welcome home, Dr. Reed. You have a package in storage. I’ll send it up in a few minutes.”
“Thank you, Ralph. But, please hold those packages until tomorrow.”
Ralph nodded. “Have a good night, ma’am.”
“Thank you. You too.”
Niyah led Xander through the lobby to a bank of elevators. When she pushed the call button, there was an immediate ding. They stepped into the set of doors that separated behind them and ascended to the twentieth floor. When they exited, Niyah ushered him to her corner apartment. “I’m just here.”
She typed in a key code and unlocked the door. “Come on in.”
Motion censored lights illuminated the foyer when they entered. Niyah pointed to the corner. “You can drop the bag right there.”
Xander sat the bag in the corner and followed her into the living room. “Great place.”
Niyah turned and found herself feeling oddly comforted by Xander’s presence in her condo. “Please make yourself at home.”
“I will, thank you.” Xander returned to the foyer and came back minus a pair of expensive shoes.” He pointed down the hall. “Is your kitchen this way?”
Niyah raised a curious brow. “It is. Why?”
Xander rolled up his sleeves. “Have you eaten?”
“No,” Niyah admitted.
“Well, I am going in there to whip something up for you.”
Niyah laughed. “Cut it out.”
“I’m serious,” Xander rebutted with a chuckle. “Go on in there and get cleaned up.”
Niyah glanced down at her appearance. “Yeah. I’m a bit of a mess.”
Xander nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
His offer was tempting, but it was the middle of the night. She couldn’t expect him to go slaving in her kitchen at such a late hour. t . “Listen, Xander. I’m sure we can find something open on Uber Eats.”
Xander frowned. “I don’t eat that shit.” He waved her off. “Go on. Handle your business. I’ll handle the food.”
Niyah gave in with a sigh, nodded, and left the living room. After entering her bedroom, she debated whether to have a bath or shower. Not wanting to leave Xander alone too long, she should have chosen a shower, but ultimately the bath won out.
Niyah crossed the room and entered the ensuite bathroom.
After rinsing the tub, she plugged it and started filling it with hot water.
She returned to her bedroom and walked into her closet.
She grabbed a T-shirt, sports bra, and pair of leggings and tossed them on her bed.
Hot guy in the kitchen or not, Niyah wanted to be comfortable.
When she went back into the bathroom, the water in the tub was nearly full, so she went over to the sink and wrapped her locs in a big bun.
Niyah glanced down at Mario’s dried blood on her neck and chest, immediately looking away, trying to think of better things.
Other than the hot guy cooking in her kitchen, she could think of none.
But what she could do was wash away the reminder.
Niyah walked over to the tub and turned off the faucet.
She grabbed her shower cap from the hook and turned on the shower.
Though she wanted the luxury of a long bath, she wasn’t about to soak in Mario’s blood.
So, after a quick scrub in the shower, Niyah ordered Alexa to shuffle songs by Teddy Pendergrass.
Only then was she able to soak in the tub the way she wanted.
***
Niyah entered the living room and inhaled.
If the delicious scent of whatever Xander was cooking wasn’t enough to send her reeling, the utopian environment he created was.
The room was lit by candles. He’d placed a blanket on the floor in front of the fireplace and set it up like a picnic for two.
A pre-recorded showing of the Bears game she’d missed was playing on the TV.
Xander seemed determined to take her mind off of her troubled night. And he was succeeding. Niyah smiled and walked into the kitchen. “Hey,” she said, announcing her appearance.
Xander turned around with a grin. He’d taken off his dress shirt, leaving on a white T-shirt, giving her a better view of his broad shoulders and chiseled torso.
He snatched the towel that was draped over his shoulders and wiped his hands.
“Hey, lady. You’re just in time.” He handed her a goblet filled with red wine.
“Go on out there and relax. Food’s coming out in five minutes. ”
Niyah opened her mouth to speak, but she was tongue-tied.
No man had ever taken the time to tend to her needs.
Xander was sweet, thoughtful, and sinfully sexy.
His beauty, she’d only seen captured in some photo in some magazine not once in person, was on full display.
Unfortunately, if her mother was to be an example, a person’s attraction to someone didn’t necessarily quell their prejudices.
Her mother was a bigot with two black children.
There was no wonder she’d grown up without her dad in the house.
Who would put up with a partner who, not so silently, considered them inferior?
“Hello?” Xander called, snapping Niyah out of her bout of wistfulness.
She shook all thoughts of her mom from her head. She took a sip and smiled. “Thanks. This is just what I needed. It has been quite the day.”
Xander dropped his head and ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “It has,” he dolefully agreed.
For the first time that night, Niyah could see the stress of the day wearing on him.
“Oh, God, Xander.” She placed the goblet on the counter and walked over to him.
She reached out and rubbed his upper arm.
“I’m so sorry for everything your family is going through.
But I checked Lucas’ chart. His prognosis is good. ”
Xander raised his head and looked her in the eye. “Yeah? That’s great.” He caressed her shoulder. When he looked at her, his expression turned serious. “You may not be aware, but there was another attempt on Lucas’ life tonight.”
Niyah stepped back and inhaled a sharp breath. “What?”
“Yeah. Somehow, they got into his room with the intention of killing him, but Bella got in the way.”
Niyah’s hand flew to her mouth. She was afraid to ask if she was okay, but luckily, Xander seemed to have read her mind.
“She’s hurt pretty badly, but they're both okay. Victor intervened and ultimately, my mom ended up killing him”
Niyah shook her head. “What?” she questioned through harsh breath. “Oh, my God!” Niyah reached up and caressed his shoulder. “Is your mom okay?”
“My mom is always okay.” Xander chuckled, but she could see the anxiety in his eyes.
“Xander,” she began in a whisper. But her words were clipped when he pressed his thumb to her lips.
“She’s fine. Everyone is fine. Let’s go from there.” He clearly didn’t want to linger on the subject.
Niyah gave his shoulder a pat. “Good. I’m glad they’re okay. We’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
Xander smiled. Only his smile didn’t hide the trepidation behind his eyes. “Yeah, tomorrow...” he agreed with a nod.
Niyah raised the goblet to her lips and took a big gulp of red wine. “Mm-mm,” she expressed enthusiastically.
Xander laughed, apparently amused at her attempt to change the mood. “Go on. Sit down.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Creed,” Niyah teased.
The icy, blue pools of his eyes darkened to an alluring sapphire.
“I like that,” he retorted in a tone she hadn’t heard from him before.
The deep, masculine baritone was lustful and alluring enough to send a spark to her unsuspecting core.
Even though she had reservations, her body responded.
Her traitorous body wanted nothing more than to be cocooned in his embrace.
It wanted to feel him, to be felt by him.
Niyah tried to shake off her body’s reaction to his nearness and forced herself to behave like a normal human being. “I’m starving. What did you cook?” she asked before taking a step back.