And even though she wasn’t comfortable with it, even though she knew it was a mistake, in that moment, with Alexander so fresh on her mind, Nina didn’t have the strength to fight him.
She held out one hand for Poppy, and when the five-year-old left Markus’s side and took it, Markus turned around and walked inside without a word.
Nina sighed. Markus would be shocked and hurt. She knew it. She even understood why. She’d lied to him, her best friend. She’d let him worry about some deranged stalker when she’d known her attacker the entire time. She’d betrayed his trust. But she pushed all that aside for a minute to squeeze Poppy’s little hand and say to Mav, ‘Before you got back. Before …’ She didn’t finish the thought, pushed all thoughts of Alex from her mind. ‘Poppy and I were actually chatting.’
‘Nina likes you, Dad!’
‘I really do,’ she laughingly added. ‘We were going to ask you out on a date.’ She tipped her shoulders anxiously when he only stared at her. ‘We decided it would be more fun if all three of us went on one. Together.’
Poppy nodded solemnly. ‘Pizza and movies.’
Mav paused for a moment as if he was unsure, or maybe stunned. He rubbed his chest over his heart before crouching down to Poppy’s level. ‘You want me to take you and Nina on a date?’ he clarified.
‘Yeah! A pizza and movie date.’
‘Am I allowed to kiss Nina on this date?’ he asked seriously.
‘Yeah, but you have to kiss me too,’ Poppy replied.
‘Oh, okay.’ Maverick tugged Poppy forward and placed a kiss on her lips. He wrapped his arms around her and then looked up at Nina, his blue eyes glassy. ‘Thank you – for getting her out.’
‘Nina likes me too!’ Poppy offered happily, unaware of the current swarming around her. She stepped back from her dad and took Nina’s hand. ‘Can we finish the cookies now?’
‘Yeah.’ Nina gave Poppy’s hand a squeeze. ‘Why don’t you go show your dad and I’ll run upstairs and get Markus.’
‘Okay! Come on, Daddy!’ Poppy ran ahead without waiting.
Mav lingered. ‘You okay?’
‘Not really.’ She felt the tears claw up her throat then but refused to give in to them. ‘I’m so sorry, Mav – for bringing him here.’
‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘You’re not doing that. You’re not taking any blame – any shame – for any of this.
‘He came here of his own volition, just like he broke into your house and hurt you of his own volition.’ Roping his hands around her waist, he drew her close, kissed one cheek and then the other. ‘Youfought him off.Youtook measures to protect yourself while you rested.Youkept my little girl away from him and forced her to leave the room.Youare risking everything to speak out against a man who has considerable weight in your industry when nobody would blame you for keeping quiet.’
When she dropped her head to his shoulder, exhausted at only the thought of the impending battle, he raised one big hand to the back of her head and sighed deeply. ‘You’re so strong, Nina.’
Nina’s heart swelled. ‘You make me feel brave.’
‘No, I make you feel safe. You’re brave all on your own.’ He kissed the side of her head, stepped back.
‘I have to go speak to Markus …’
‘I’m calling Sierra in. And Benji,’ Mav said. Nina’s first thought was to object, but Mav caught the look of panic. He took her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed her palm. ‘They’re family. We do this as a family.’
She knew what he was offering her, and she couldn’t turn away from it even though she knew she should. She nodded, but only because she couldn’t find the right words to promise him anything amidst her turmoil.
Mav opened the door for her. He waited for her to go in ahead of him, and Nina saw when he glanced back as if making sure that Alex was truly gone. She hated herself for that – for bringing that danger here, to this beautiful place.
She looked towards the stairs, took one steadying breath before going to look for Markus.
She found him sitting on his bed, his head in his hands. She didn’t knock, just walked in and sat beside him. She rested against him, placing her head on his upper arm, and she waited for him to speak.
It took him minutes. But when he looked up, his eyes were devastated. ‘I’m going to hug you before I let my mad out.’ So saying, he gave her a bone-crushing hug.
Nina returned the hug. Tears burned her eyes. ‘I wanted to tell you. So many times.’
He pushed to his feet then, breaking all contact. That little distance hurt. But Nina didn’t try to bridge it.
