“What?” I shakily reply, totally not believing what I’m hearing.
“If you don’t need my charity, then give the clothes back you got because of me.” He stands with his arms crossed, unmoving. He’s serious.
“Or what?”
He should have a warning sign flashing above his head because the look he’s giving me is lethal. “Or I will personally remove them from your body.” A grin spreads across his face again and he takes a step closer.
My breath hitches. “You wouldn’t.”Yes, he would, and you know it. I take a step back, getting ready to make a run for it.
“Try me.”
Don’t do it!My internal monologue screams. My body shakes from fear and a hint of something else. Excitement maybe? He takes another step forward, still smiling, and me another step back. He’s enjoying this.
Even without my lungs in a weakened state, I wouldn’t stand a chance in outrunning him, but I’ll try if I have to.
“But I don’t have anything else to wear.” My voice and body are trembling. I should’ve just kept going when I had the chance. I look down to the kitten still curled up by my chest, fast asleep.
He hasn’t noticed it yet—she’s buried in the crook of my elbow—and I’m able to hide her by the way I’m clutching my bag.
“I’ve seemed to miss the point where that’s my problem.” He laughs at me; that jackass thinks it’s funny. “The choice is yours, you can keep the clothes and sit on the porchwith me so we can hash this out, or you can let me howl at your full moon as you walk away.”
God, I just want to wipe that fucking sexy smirk off his face.
Oh for fucks sake. “Fine. I’ll sit with you, but only if you talk to me like an adult and don’t order me around.” I don’t have any other choice unless I want to leave here naked.
“Don’t do juvenile things and I won’t.” Nick motions for me to walk in front of him. “After you, cupcake.”
Bastard.
Chapter 14
Nick
After the barn incident, I figured the girl was going to run, so I sat on the porch and pulled up her room’s security camera and watched as she curled up in a ball on the bed, not even bothering to get under the covers.
The amount of effort she puts into messing up as little as possible is astounding. She’s meticulous in everything she does. It seemed like she spent five minutes obsessing over cleaning every speck of dirt off Jester as if he doesn’t live outside.
“I’m sorry if I didn’t do a good enough job, I’ve never cared for a horse before.” Her face was sullen. That kind of obsessing is not from OCD. Raw fear shone in her eyes afterwards as if the animal doesn’t spend its life walking in the dirt.
Apologizing for things that are out of your control is a learned behavior.
Was I too hard on her? Maybe. It’s not in me to go easy on someone.
I watched her climb out of her bed and creep down the stairs. It was all I could do to keep from laughing when I saw her looking at me from the window on my phone’s security feed.
I should’ve turned around and waved at her. That would’ve really set her off. She should’ve tried to walk out of the back door. But no, she decided to climb out of her window.
As soon as she reached the ground, I sent Ethan a text to go shut and lock the window in case she changed her mindand tried to climb back in. I’m surprised he was awake. He looked so mentally exhausted before he went to bed.
After the girl fell asleep, he met me on the porch. The conversation plays on repeat in my head while I watch her walk away in the shadows.
“Why are you so hard on her, dude? She’s been through a lot.” They’ve developed a friendship of sorts.
She doesn’t shy away from him like she does me, and honestly, it irks me. With his easygoing nature, I’m not surprised. Still, she is going to have to learn to trust me in order to successfully complete this job.
“What do you suggest I do? Hold her hand and baby her? That’s not how life works. She has to learn to stand by herself.” I take a sip of my whiskey—Weller Full Proof, my favorite. I savor the smooth amber liquid.
“I didn’t say hold her hand.” He gives me a hardened stare.
