Without waiting for a second, I walked to the opposite side of the bed. Maddy watched me as I slid under the sheets. Once I was settled, she said, “I’m scared, Nico.”
Her voice quivered. I didn’t even ask what the dream was about. A thousand different things played through my head. I took her hand in mine and looked her in the eyes. “I’d be a little worried if you weren’t scared.”
Her face crumpled and tears started falling from her eyes. “I never asked for any of this.”
Seeing her cry like that sent my wolf into a rage. It made me want to jump out of bed, get in my car, and drive straight to Javi’s territory and beat the ever-loving shit out of him. Instead, I took a steadying breath and pulled Maddy close, pressing my forehead to hers. The connection sent a wave of calming energy through me. It must have done the same for Maddy because we both let out deep sighs at almost the same instant. It was one more sign that she was my mate. That she was as important to me as I felt she was.
“Maddy, I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to end this. I’m going to bring this to a stop. No one is going to hurt you again. Ever.”
She surprised me by not answering. Instead, she leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. I was speechless when she pulled away. She gave me a small, embarrassed smile before speaking. “Something in my gut is telling me to trust you, and since I don’t have any other options, I have to believe you will keep me safe.”
Without thinking, I slid my hands into her dark curls and pulled her to me. I kissed her—a passionate, possessive kiss thatshowed her all I felt for her. I pulled away, but only an inch, our lips only a breath apart. “You’re mine, I swear I’ll protect you. Anyone who wants to try will have to go through me and my pack first.”
Maddy nodded and slipped deeper into the covers, curling into my body. I settled myself and draped an arm over her. In a few seconds, her breathing took on a deep steady rhythm that told me she’d fallen back asleep, the exhaustion of the day pulling her into unconsciousness.
I was tired. Bone-weary. But I stayed awake a long time after Maddy fell asleep.
13
MADDY
The morning after the shooting, I called Abi and the rest of the staff to tell them that I’d be shutting the bar down for a week. Nico had brought the idea up while we sat at the kitchen table eating toast and eggs.
“I think it’s best if you try to stay out of public for a while. Plus, if the bar is closed, your staff won’t be in danger. Javi’s guys may keep stopping by to try and find you. If there was some altercation, someone might get hurt.”
I’d jammed a corner of my toast into the yolk of my egg. I’d been irritated at the idea at first, but it honestly made sense. “Okay. I’ll make the calls.”
It was hard to argue with his reasoning, but it still pissed me off. Why should I be afraid to go to work? To operate the business I’d built from nothing? Except I was. I was terrified. After everything that had happened, all I really wanted to do was stay in Nico’s house. I had promised everyone a full week’s paycheck. I told them all to think of it as a paid vacation, which had excited everyone—everyone except Abi. She’d known something had to be very wrong for me to close the bar for a week.
“Maddy, are you okay?” she’d asked.
I’d told her about the shooting when I called, but had tried to change the subject to the closure of the bar. Abi hadn’t bit on that, instead circling back to the main issue.
“Yes,” I said, “I’m fine.”
“For fuck’s sake, Maddy, someone tried to kill you.Again. There is no way you’re okay. Why don’t you let me run the place for a few weeks. You’ll take a big hit on business if you close for more than a day.”
She was right, and I knew it, but Nico’s warning about my friends’ safety helped me stay strong in my decision. “I promise I’ll be okay. If I lose a few customers, it’ll be fine, truly. Abi, enjoy the time off.”
She’d sighed in frustration. “Fine. I don’t like it, but I’ll trust you. You better not be lying to me that you’re fine, though.”
“Nico’s taking care of me, so I’m good. Scared? Yes. Pissed off? Double yes. But I’m surviving.”
“You better. Love you, chick.”
“Love you, too. Talk to you later.”
There was a knock at the front door, and Nico went to answer it. Sebastian had come rolling in for his day of watching over me, looking like he’d only gotten an hour of sleep. The dark circles under his eyes reminded me that he’d been out as late as the rest of us.
“Morning,” Nico said. “I’m going to shower.”
“Cool,” Sebastian said, stifling a yawn.
“I’ll be back down in a few,” Nico said as he walked toward the steps.
Sebastian nodded to me. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he walked to the living room.
I rolled my eyes. “Like I’ve been run over by a truck.”
