Nicholas sets the paper down. “Done.”
The word hangs between us, and my hands go still on the folder. “You haven’t even looked at the projections,” I say.
“I don’t need to.”
“Nicholas, this is a significant investment. You can’t just—”
“I can and I am.” He expression shifts into territory I recognize, the same focus he brought to the barbecue cooler five years ago when he was determined to make me laugh and didn’t stop until I choked on my beer. “The club matters. Oliver and Lorenzo built something worth protecting.”
“That’s not a business rationale,” I object.
“I’m not making a business decision.” He turns on his stool to face me fully. The two seats between us feel like a canyon and a centimeter at once. “Wilson, I’ve been doing security here for months. I’ve watched Lorenzo run this place with nothing but a clipboard and sheer force of will. I’ve watched Oliver charm every person who walks through the door while hiding how terrified he is of losing everything. And I’ve watched you step in and hold the whole operation together like you were born to do it.”
I whisper, “Don’t. Don’t make this about me.”
He meets my eyes. “Itisabout you.”
I exhale. “It’s about the club.”
I scrape my stool backward as Nicholas’s voice breaks the silence. “The club is yours, too, Will. Maybe you haven’t said it out loud yet, but Oliver and Lorenzo are yours. They’re yours and you’re theirs, and that makes this club something I care about protecting.”
“They’re not mine. I work here. That’s it,” I say, dropping my gaze, hating the way his words give me hope.
He doesn’t flinch at the distance I’ve put between us. “You don’t believe that.”
“What I believe doesn’t matter.”
“It’s the only thing that matters.”
My heart hammers. I can feel it in my temples, my wrists, and the base of my throat. The room feels smaller than it did aminute ago, the exits further away. Front door at twelve o’clock. Back hallway to my left. Office stairs behind me. Three ways out. I count them because my body’s gearing up to run, and my brain is the only thing holding my feet to the floor.
Tears come before I can stop them, spilling down my cheeks. “How the fuck are you still waiting for me?” My fists clench at my sides. “I ran off with your goddamn brother, chose him over you, and then never came back. How could you possibly still—”
Nicholas is off his stool before I finish. One massive hand slides around my waist and pulls me against his chest. I push, but his body is a wall and the amber scent flooding my lungs makes my knees buckle. His free hand finds my chin, tilting my face up until I have nowhere to look except his eyes.
No judgment. No anger. Just a steadiness that makes me want to scream.
“Love is funny like that, Will.” His thumb traces along my jaw. “And besides, you didn’t leave with him. He took you from me.”
I open my mouth to argue, but Nicholas shakes his head.
“Wilson, listen for a minute, okay? I know my brother and I know you. You wanted to be loved. You wanted a pack. I was ready to give you all of that, but Sebastian only saw you as something to control. It was so easy for him to say the right things.” His voice remains level, his eyes locked on mine. “That’s how I lost you. You didn’t leave me. You would never leave me.”
He tilts his head and presses his mouth to mine. My fingers unclench and dig into the front of his shirt, yanking him closer instead of pushing him away. His mouth is warm, his lips parting against mine, and the kiss tastes like water and amber and five years of longing for something I told myself I couldn’t have. A low groan rises in my throat as my spine arches and my body melts against the solid heat of his chest.
Then panic surges, Sebastian’s voice whispering in the back of my head.He is not your Alpha. My vision narrows and my chesttightens as I shove at Nicholas’s chest. He lets me go instantly, hands rising in surrender, body stepping back to give me space.
I press a hand to my chest, fighting the panic attack threatening to overtake me. “I didn’t come here for this.” My voice shakes. “I came for the money. For the club. For Oliver and Lorenzo.”
Nicholas stands with his hands at his sides, his expression almost disappointed. “I know.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I was surprised to get your call but I assume the urgency of it had to be something like money. When I found you here, I put two and two together but I was surprised that Lorenzo said it would be you coming tonight and not him.”
I furrow my brows. “Wait—what?”
Nicholas snorts, folding his arms over his chest. “Wilson, I’m not blind. I handle security at the club too. Money talks are everywhere, and I’ve got plenty of cash. I’m in on most of those discussions.” His expression softens. “So tell me, how much do youreallyneed to save your club? Not the projections or the estimates. Like a real, honest-to-god number.”
“No, it’s not my club. I already told you that. I just—” I hold up my hands, palms outward. “I thought you could help, and I didn’t—shit.”
He bites his lower lip, then reaches out to pull me back against his chest. “You were always so pretty when you blushed.” His thumb drifts across my heated cheekbone. “It’s just a matter of time before Lorenzo and Oliver claim you. I’m surprised Oliver hasn’t. Give me a number, Will.”
