“She ruined my fucking life. I had a fucking baby on the way and couldn’t even afford the apartment I lived in at the time.”
”That sounds like you made your bed and didn’t want to lie in it. Which is a you problem and not Nyx’s problem. I will give you 10 seconds for you to retreat back to your car, and I want to never hear of you being near Nyx again.” I lower myself to his level to look him dead in the eye, letting every single demon shine through. “If she even mentions that you looked at her the wrong way, you will find out just how cold Lake Superior is. Do we understand each other?”
That does it. This little bitch actually pissed himself and I didn’t even have to lay a hand on him. I can see him shaking and deciding if he wants to agree to my terms. “I am waiting-.”
”Yes, yes, yes, whatever you want, just please let me get back to my wife and child, please.” He turns tail and runs as fast as possible to the light gray SUV idling by the curb. I hear a nasally voice yell at him, but I can’t make out what is said.
I turn around and take a handful of steps back to my brother and the woman who just blew up our world. It was at that moment I knew nothing was going to be the same. Not for me, Hutch or even Nyx.
”Will you walk her back to her car?” I say harshly, trying to put a little distance between us.
”Ya Dee. See you back at the precinct?”
”I’ll let you know.” I turn and start to jog back to the pub to get my truck. Needing to place these demons back in their boxes and figure out if sharing a woman forever is something I can do. Deciding if allowing myself to love is something I can do. I won’t try and say I can’t love her, because I have a feeling I’m ready to jump off that cliff, and I just met her. The terrified look on her face was enough to make me worried that she could be the end of my control.
CHAPTER 9
NYX
Ican feel my body trembling against Hutch’s chest. My legs are barely holding my body upright, the adrenaline making them weak. So thankful that Demitri scared Nick off but wishing I wasn’t relying on them to keep me safe and currently hold my ass up from hitting the ground.What the fuck even is today?I feel like this day has been a month of days all rolled into one.
“Little Witch, can you look up at me, please?” I feel Hutch shift his hand to right under my chin. These two have a fixation for looking me in the eye. It makes me just as uncomfortable as it also turns me on. Raising my unfocused eyes up to his baby blues, I feel him let out a breath he had to have been holding. ”There are those gorgeous hazel eyes, I lo-.” He shakes his head, stopping himself mid-word. His hand drops from my chin and I lower my gaze back to the ground. Afraid that prolonged eye contact will cause this messily built wall to crumble around us.
“I’m fine, Blue. You can stop clinging to me like it is life or death.” I try to wriggle my way out of his hold, needing my own space.I will not fall for these men, I will not fall for these men. Men just sleep with your best friend and break your heart.It shouldn’t be so damn hard to remind myself that men donothing but cause tears and heartbreak, but when one is holding you like you are the center of his universe and the other just caused your ex who was attacking you to piss himself what is a girl supposed to do.
I am a tough fucking bitch, but damn, I still swoon over men sometimes. I just can’t swoon over these two. I have to work with them. I need to get away. “Please, just leave it alone.” I say before he can start asking me questions I don't really want to answer right now.
“Nyx,” his voice is so low and sweet. “What can I do to help you?” His smile is warm and caring. Knowing even though he is the warm adorable one, he still has a violent side and will do anything to make me feel safe.
“Right now, Hutch.” My voice tries to shake, but I lock it down. “I just want to get back to my car so I can go home.” He takes my hand and leads me down the Riverwalk, back to the precinct. We make the walk in relative silence, his hand still holding mine softly.
Finally, back to the relative safety of my car. I pull the fob out of the hidden pocket in my leggings. “Well, thank you for making sure I made it back here safely, Hutch.”
“Babe, you can call me Graham, you know.”
“Ok,” I lowered my gaze to the ground. Still a little shaken up after the encounter earlier and not wanting to show the cracks in my armor. “Well, thank you, Graham.”
“Sooooo,” the “o” dragged out like he wants to ask me something but wasn't quite sure how to do it. He leans in closer to me, leaning on the car door gently as I stand in the opening just waiting to climb in. “I wanted to ask back at Down Under before Dee interrupted us.” Another awkward filled silence surrounds us. “Can I get your number?”
I never imagined that Mr. Graham Hutchinson could be this shy, adorable man standing in front of me. Always so sure ofhimself and he knows he is hot shit.Fuck, do I make him this nervous? If he only knew about the war I am waging myself to keep my feelings under control.
“Ya of course, Graham.” His face lights up. “We will need to be able to communicate about the plans for the games, anyway.” I see the smile crack slightly, but he keeps up the mask pretty well. If I hadn’t been studying his reactions all day, I would have never caught it.Does he think I only want it for work purposes?Snatching his phone out of his hands, I enter my contact information.“Can you make sure that Demitri gets mine too, since he took off like a bat outta hell?”
“Of course, Nyx.”
“Oh, and tell him thank you for helping me today. You guys are seriously a life saver. Nick has never been physically aggressive towards me. Ya, we have gotten into arguments and screaming matches, but that was it. He really doesn’t like my independence. He needed someone who needed him.”
“Little Witch, whether you want us to or not, we will always save you.” The flirty smirk that will be the actual death of me finds its way back to his lips. My gaze lingers on his mouth before slowly moving up to meet his eyes. “So is this number just for work purposes?”
“I suppose not only work, but seriously Graham, I haven’t truly dated since Nick and my edges are a little jagged.”
“If your edges weren’t a little rough, babe, I would be concerned. You got to see a little of Dee’s roughness; mine will make itself known, eventually. Please never be afraid to show your broken pieces, they are the most beautiful pieces of you, I’m sure.”
The moments pass by, the world slowing to just the breaths and heartbeats between us. I watch his hand raise in impossibly slow motion to brush hair off my face. Before his hand wraps possessively around the back of my neck dragging my face upto his as best as we can. Towering over me easily a few inches over 6’5, he leans down to meet me on tiptoes. Our mouths crash together in a surge of pure electricity. His arms move from holding my head in place to band around my waist at the perfect moment. I feel my knees give out and he keeps me from meeting the asphalt below our feet.
The kiss breaks as he visually checks over me to make sure that nothing has happened to me. “Hey big guy, I’m fine.” I make sure I hold his gaze to show him that physically I am okay. My heart pounded in my chest, and the aching of my core are not injuries.
“Wow.” That is all he can say. I would have to agree though. I cannot say I have ever felt sparks like that from a first kiss. First kisses are always messy, or all clashing teeth. This was perfection. All of sudden, the moment is broken, and I realize what the fuck I just did.
