Chapter 23 Nina #2
“I didn’t think I’d be going anywhere for college without financial aid, I was fine with that, Nins,” Vinny said, his voice rough.
“But you had options. I was proud of you, Nina. I really was. But the cars …. Mom was desperate. With your thirty grand locked under court order, she got desperate. She started tearing through the house for anything worth money.” His throat bobbed.
“You had that unopened LP. Your dad’s. I knew how important that was.
I tried to help you, protect it from Mom. I took it to hide it. I didn’t think—”
“So you took my box,” I said, my voice low, bitter.
Vin winced.
“Put it in Linc’s car …”
“And you let me take the fall for it?” Lincoln stood, the chair legs screeching against the floor.
His voice was low, dangerous. “You knew what my father did to me. You let me take that hit, and you just stood there—” His voice cracked, relief and anger colliding.
“That’s why I couldn’t remember it. It wasn’t me blocking it out—I never fucking did it. ”
He raked both hands through his hair, pacing and muttering half-formed curses under his breath. There was rage there, yes—but under it, I heard relief. There was a line he hadn’t crossed, a wrong that wasn’t his to right.
It was hard to breathe again. Vin had been my closest thing to family. He’d sucked, yes, but he’d also watched movies with me. We had dinner sometimes. And when it was just the two of us …, I’d felt less alone. And he’d lied. For years.
Vin stood, shoulders hunched. “Just,” he said hoarsely, “I’m so fucking sorry.”
I shook my head to shut him up, not trusting my voice. My throat ached, tears stinging behind my eyes, but I wouldn’t give him that.
“Anything else?” Lincoln said, stepping forward, his body between us.
Vin’s face twisted with shame. “Things with Mom are bad again. I’ve done everything I can to help them. My life is all smoke and mirrors, Nina. If you press charges …, they won’t survive it.”
The room felt too small. My chest rose and fell too quickly again, the hiss of the cannula loud in my ears.
“Lincoln,” I managed, barely above a whisper. “No more.”
He didn’t need more than that. Lincoln grabbed Vinny by the arm and walked him out, his voice sharp enough to cut. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Lincoln and me alone, heart pounding in my ears.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his indigo eyes storming.
He wrapped my hand in his again again, anchoring me.
I thought back to Carmen’s question. She didn’t think people could change, but looking into Lincoln’s conflicted expression, I realized he’d hurt whoever hurt me.
I then realized I knew one person who could change. Him.
“You said you had a choice for me to make.”
Linc nodded. “I do, and you will. But not now, not after all that bullshit.”
The door swung open before I could even blink. Carmen stormed in, cheeks flushed and eyes rimmed red in anger, and her mascara smeared so badly I worried she’d run out of tears. She didn’t say a word, just crossed the room in long strides and sat, running her hands over my arms and face.
Before I could catch my breath, a sharp knock sounded at the door.
Lincoln told them to come in. A man roughly our age, wearing slacks and a tweed sports coat, his black hair neatly cropped, with one stormy-blue eye and one sharp emerald green.
He moved with effortless detachment, shoulders squared, hands loosely at his sides, each step measured and precise.
His gaze swept the room, taking in every detail before settling briefly on me with the faintest, unreadable nod, as if signaling he was here, watching, and in control, entirely unruffled by the chaos of Carmen’s entrance.
He cleared his throat. “My name is Silas—”
“I know who you are.” Lincoln cut him off. “Mr. Managing Director. What can we do for you? Since you can’t fucking manage your people not to assault colleagues?”
“Carter, you couldn’t manage your subordinate any better and got your girlfriend fired, get off your high fucking horse, will you? Not here to talk to you.”
“No,” Carmen said with a chuckle. “He’s here to save his own ass.”
“Camacho—” He gave Carmen a hard stare, and she pressed her lips in silence.
He then added, “Natasha Dabrowski’s in custody.
Arrested on-site. Based on witness statements and the severity of Ms. Reyes’s reaction.
” He stopped a few feet away, crossing his arms, shoulders stiff, jaw tight, assessing the way his words landed.
Carmen whirled on him. “Don’t you dare stop there. You tell them how that lawyer is scrutinizing the arrest. Tell them how you’re going to let her get out of it, Silas.” Her hand tightened around mine; I winced at the pressure, the veins along her forearm pulsing with fury.
Silas shook his head slowly, eyes narrowing. “My duty is to my company.” His fingers drummed lightly against his bicep, almost impatient.
Carmen charged him, chest forward, and glared at him. “I told you I could prove she knew about her asthma. I told you to—”
“Enough!” Silas cut her off, his voice firm and controlled, but his jawline flexed, a subtle flare of frustration passing through him.
“You’re forgetting you’re my employee. And what you’re suggesting is unacceptable.
” The faint twitch of his lips betrayed his irritation.
“The lawyer, a private one, will handle her defense. A separate one will handle the company’s interests.
I reported what I saw in an official capacity. That’s all I can do, Carmen.”
Carmen huffed, shoulders rising and falling rapidly, eyes blazing.
“That’s right. You’re good at that. Reporting what you see without getting your hands dirty.
No matter how wrong you know it is.” Her gaze sharpened.
“She tried to hurt her!” Her voice dropped, low and lethal, and my ribs tightened at the tension.
“I understand that, I do,” Silas said, eyes flicking to Lincoln, dark and unwavering, his posture rigid.
“But mal intent? That’s on the authorities to prove.
” He exhaled slowly. His hand hovered just above Carmen’s forearm, hesitation in the pause, before it fell back to his side.
“Her lawyer’s good; I cannot promise the criminal outcome.
But I can promise her career is finished. ”
Carmen leaned in slightly, shoulders tense, yet the edge softened just enough to hint she trusted him not to let this spiral entirely.
Silas remained statuesque, the rigid line of his back and tight curl of his fingers tempered by a subtle ease in his stance.
The air between them charged with shared history in a way I knew well.
Carmen exhaled, jaw tight, and walked away from Silas. Then came back to me, leaning down to check the cannula still resting gently in my nose. “Expect contact from the police,” she said. “They’ll need your statements to determine next steps. Don’t expect this to be clean and simple.”
Lincoln’s hand found mine again. I steadied my breathing and let the tension seep out of my chest.
“There’s one more thing I’m here to discuss.
” Silas buttoned his jacket, smoothing the fabric until it was wrinkle-free.
“After looking into Mr. Carter’s allegations internally.
” His different-colored irises flicked to Lincoln for just a second.
“We’ve determined that your presentation to Infinity Weddings would have been most suitable.
Quite brilliant, in fact. So was your presentation today. ”
Lincoln snorted dismissively, a small, unimpressed sound that carried both disbelief and humor.
Silas’s shoulders tightened, then he clicked his tongue, shutting Lincoln down. “We’d like to offer you the opportunity to rejoin our company as associate creative director.”
“That’s Lincoln’s job.”
“Was, babe.”
Silas held my eyes. He shifted, hands at his sides.
Silence stretched. I didn’t want the job.
I didn’t want to return to the corporate world where I needed to look over my shoulder at every turn and speak out of turn, putting people down to be seen as someone worthy of a promotion. Silas tapped his foot in impatience.
“You’re doing this because your employee assaulted me.”
Silas inclined his head. “Yes.”
“But also—” I figured it out then. “I got the bid. You want BrightMark as a client.”
He didn’t nod, but his jaw hardened. “And they want you, yes. That’s not to undermine that I think you were and would be a tremendous addition to our team. Integrity being one of your most important qualities.”
“I told you he was here to watch out for his own ass,” Carmen chimed in.
“The company’s,” Silas said, having the decency not to deny it.
He then stood there, waiting for an immediate answer. No sat at the tip of my tongue. But they’d offer me medical benefits; it’d keep me safe, healthy. And I didn’t know if I had it in me to reject such a safe offer.
A sharp knock at the door jolted me. The brunette nurse stepped in, her expression tight and professional. “Everyone out,” she stated, nodding toward the three people in the room. “It’s time for a neb treatment.”
I looked at the nurse. “I want Lincoln to stay,” I rasped, my fingers curling around his.
He didn’t hesitate, eyes flicking between me and the nurse. “I’m not leaving,” he said, inching closer.
I saw the pronounced smirk on Carmen’s lips through the corner of my eye, the redness around her eyelids had faded. She kissed my cheek and proceeded to head out.
Silas left his card in my hand. “I’ll be in touch with a formal offer.”
My mind was already swirling with numbers, outweighing the safety of benefits against autonomy. The nurse raised a brow, simply adjusting the mask over my face and getting the nebulizer ready.
Lincoln’s hand trailed up my arm until his palm found my shoulder. His warmth seeped into my skin under the gown. I let myself sink back into the mist, heart still thudding but steadied by his presence.
“Do you think I should take it?”
Lincoln smirked, his dimples appearing as he moved back to the chair to give more space for the nurse to maneuver.
“I told you I have choices for you, babe.” His eyes flicked to the manila envelope still on the bed. “Let’s just get you home, everything but your health can wait.”
And I believed him.