Page 18 of Nitro

“Bad optics,” Scar says.

“Exactly. I’m keeping an eye on that development too. You know, because I’ve got nothing better to do right now,” Matrix says sarcastically.

“Thanks for everything you do, brother.” Scar claps him on the back. The others murmur in agreement. “Anyone else have anything to bring to the table?”

Everyone shakes their heads, so Scar ends Church with a resounding smack of the gavel. I push back my chair and get to my feet. I can’t wait to get back to Holly. She seemed a lot better this morning, but she’s bruised up, and I’m still worried about her ribs. She’s in no position to take care of herself, so she’s my responsibility until she’s feeling better.

I’m about to open my bedroom door when Scar jogs over. “Let’s ride. Jeff Polson was just spotted over at The Wet Beaver.”

“The strip joint off I-90?” I ask.

“The one and only.” Scar smirks. “Boots up in five. Kiss your girl goodbye if you want.”

I glance toward the door but think better of it. I don’t want to waste a second. “We ride now.”

Chapter 6: Holly

I should have kissed Nitro. I should have given in to the reckless fantasies I’ve been tormented by for years. If I were stronger, I’d do it. But I’m not. I’m always so worried about the consequences that I’ve never dared to try anything crazy. Being around Nitro is sparking something new inside me, and I don’t know if I like it. He makes me want to follow through on my impulsive desire for him, but I don’t think I can. Not yet anyway. Maybe eventually I’ll grow a spine, but right now, mine’s as wobbly as a bowl of Jell-O.

As much as I want to stay in bed and rest, I can’t stand the chaos in his bedroom. The tangled mess of clothing is driving me nuts. If Jeff ever came home to a disaster like this, he’d scream his head off. I can’t imagine living this way, and I definitely can’t fall asleep again until it’s cleaned up.

Getting out of bed proves to be harder than I expect. Everything aches. The pain in my ribs is worse than yesterday. Doc warned me that the swelling could get worse before it got better, but damn, this is bad. It’s going to take a while to tame the chaos in this room, but if I do it in small bursts, I might be able to get it done before Nitro comes back.

I attempt to bend down to pick up a shirt, but shooting pain stops me. For now, I’m only going to be able to fold clothes at a waist-high level or higher. Because of this, I start with the top of his dresser.

After gingerly sniffing a shirt, the scent of bleach convinces me these clothes are most likely clean. They just haven’t been put away.

I fold the first shirt then open the top drawer of his dresser. More chaos greets me. Nothing is folded. A mishmash of shirts, pants, socks, and boxers spills forth.

“Great,” I mutter.

Since I can’t scoop up a whole armload, I carry a few pieces at a time over to the bed until the drawer is empty. The top drawer should be socks. At least that’s what Jeff always said. I stare at the pile and choose a pair of boxers.Fuck it.I don’t have to do it the way Jeff wanted it. I don’t have to do anything he wants anymore. This isn’t even his house.

I hum as I gather every pair of boxers within reach. Working to clean his room makes me feel useful. I like that, so I keep going, despite the pain. I’m holding up yet another pair of boxers when the door swings open, startling me. I shriek, then moan as pain shoots up my side.

Nina, a petite woman with jet-black hair down to her waist, strolls in like she owns the place. For all I know she might own it, but I don’t know for sure. Streaks of gray hair are the only indication of her age. If I had to guess, I’d put her in her late forties or early fifties. It’s hard to tell. Her killer figure looks like it belongs to a twenty-one-year-old, and those black yoga pants wouldn’t be out of place on a college co-ed. Nina can pull them off because her ass is tighter than any college girl could ever hope for. I should ask her about her workout routine because there’s no way that just happens. It takes work to be that perfect. To add to her sex appeal, she’s wearing a fitted leather jacket over a red silk and lace top. A six-inch-long turquoise and silver cross necklace sits atop her very ample cleavage. She’s hot in that she-might-kill-me kind of way. Men at the bar lose their fucking minds when they see her. They don’t stand a chance. Shenever gives any of them a second look. As far as I know, she’s single and happy to keep it that way.

“Well, I’m not surprised he still lives like a slob. He’s always running off to pull some crazy stunt and never has time to clean up after himself. I should have broken him of that habit when he was living with me.”

“Hi, Nina.”

“What in the hell are you doing out of bed?”

“I couldn’t stand the chaos, so I thought I’d organize his room.”

“Oh, honey, never clean up after a man. If he can’t get his shit together then there’s nothing you can do to change that. I bet your husband made you do everything for him. Is that why you felt compelled to crawl off your deathbed to help?” She skewers me with a look.

“Deathbed?” I laugh nervously until my ribs protest. “I’m not dying.”

“No. Doc says you’ll live, which is great because you make the single best huckleberry martini in all of Montana. We can’t lose you.”

I can’t tell if she’s teasing me or if it’s a sincere compliment. I’ve never been able to figure her out. She’s snarky, but she also takes care of people. She helped keep Julia and Max hidden at her ranch. I wasn’t supposed to know about it, but sometimes people forget I’m in the room. They tend to say things they wouldn’t otherwise say in front of witnesses. Last year, when Julia was on the run, I heard a lot more than I should have. I kept it all to myself.

“Get back in bed.” Nina snatches the pair of boxers I’m holding out of my hands and tosses it onto the top of the dresser. “Nitro will just have to clean his room like a big boy.”

I settle back into bed. I wasn’t on my feet for more than a few minutes, but they ache from the burns. They’re not sobad that I can’t stand, but I probably shouldn’t have done that. Nitro’s going to be pissed off when he finds out. Hopefully Nina doesn’t tell him.

The door opens and Julia walks in before closing it behind her. “Ladies, I’ve smuggled cookie contraband in, and you have to help me eat it. I’m still trying to lose the baby weight.”

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