He lays me down on the bed with a tenderness that makes my chest ache. The sheets are cool against my heated skin, and he tucks the blanket around me before sliding in beside me.
I expect him to reach for me, to pull me into another kiss, but he doesn’t. Instead, he lies on his side, one hand finding mine beneath the blanket, his thumb brushing slow circles over my knuckles. It’s so simple, so quiet, but it makes my eyes sting with tears I thought I’d already shed.
“Niko.”
His eyes are half closed, his body warm and heavy beside mine, but he hums in response, a low vibration against my shoulder.
“What happens to my job at the clinic?”
He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles, slow, deliberate. My stomach twists because I already know the answer before he speaks.
“I know I promised,” he murmurs. “But it’s really dangerous now, Noelle.”
I stiffen, trying to pull my hand back, but he holds on, pressing another kiss into my skin like that will soften the words.
“I’ll be grateful if you see my perspective,” he continues, his voice coaxing but firm. “Just persevere until we get Anton. When this is over, when he’s gone…I’ll let you work anywhere you want. I’ll make sure of it.”
I understand. I genuinely do. My chest rises with the weight of it, but the sigh still slips out, quiet, weary.
“I’m sorry,ogonek.”
The apology tugs at something deep inside me. I smother a smile, not wanting him to see how much that one word softens me.
“Can we go back tomorrow for my ID? I left it in a rush. I have to get it because I’ll need it for when I plan to resume.”
“We can get it tomorrow,” he says without hesitation. His arm tightens around me, pulling me against his chest like he’s afraid I’ll slip away. “Now sleep. You’ve had the most terrifying day.”
His voice is steady, but I feel the tension in him—the coil beneath his skin, the way his grip refuses to loosen. He’s tight, like the weight of everything he can’t control is pressing down on him, and holding me is the only thing keeping him from breaking apart.
Chapter 14 – Niko
A few days pass before I can finally take Noelle back to the clinic. She’s been patient, though I can tell she’s restless. I’ve postponed it longer than I should—partly because Lev has been eating up all my hours, partly because the thought of her going with Demyan made my blood boil. No. If she’s stepping foot there again, I need to be the one by her side.
I lean against the doorway, watching as she drags on her jeans, the fabric swallowing most of her curves. She’s trying so hard to hide herself, and it hurts me. She should show off. She’s beautiful, and no one—no one—gets to dim that. But I don’t say anything.
She turns to me then, tying her hair up in a bun.
“Niko?”
“Yes?”
“Can you grab my coat from the closet, please?”
I grab her coat from the closet, running my fingers over the fabric. Something in one of the pockets feels heavier than it should. Frowning, I slip my hand inside and pull it out.
A burner phone.
My eyes narrow, and I storm back to her. “Do you know anything about this?” I ask, holding it out to her. “Did someone give it to you?”
Noelle blinks, confused. “No…I don’t know anything about it,” she says, her voice steady. Her eyes meet mine, wide and sincere.
I study her for a long moment. The hesitation, the honesty—I see it, really see it. She isn’t lying. She’s not hiding anything. My chest tightens with a mixture of relief and something darker, sharper. She’s telling the truth, and I can trust her reactions now.
“Alright,” I say slowly, my voice low and firm. “I believe you.”
I hold the phone in my hands, turning it over, examining every detail. My fingers swipe across the screen, checking the contents. But it’s clean—completely wiped.
A sharp edge of suspicion slices through me, but I don’t let it show. Whoever left this phone wanted it untraceable, unconnected. Whoever it was, they wanted secrecy.
