Page 54 of Brandishing Betrayals

I smiled easily and gathered her into my arms. “I love you, baby,” I admitted easily. “I want you to relax today. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take care of it all.”

“Nico, I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes. Just say yes.”

“Yes.” Her eyes twinkled as a smile broke across her face. “Thank you.”

I grinned. “You can thank me later.”

She smiled but shook her head. “Your thanks was last night. I need to go home tonight. I can’t leave my mother two weekends in a row to completely care for my father alone.”

I didn’t let the grin drop from my face as I nodded easily. Pulling her into my arms, I held her against me. “Alright, baby.” I nodded. “I hear you.”

Maya blushed at the endearment and I vowed to myself to make it happen every single time I saw her going forward. She was so fucking beautiful. “Thank you, Nico.”

“Anytime, baby.” I leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. I was shocked when she met me halfway, pushing herself closer to me. I groaned as her tongue came out to play, deepening the kiss. “Fuck, Maya.”

She giggled softly at the same time her stomach rumbled loudly.

“Breakfast it is.” I laughed and slowly pulled away. “Let me find a shirt and we can go. There’s a family restaurant by the spa.”

Maya

I was on cloud nine as I checked into the spa. Nico had walked me in and spoke to the manager, before he kissed me soundly on the lips and walked out of the building. The desk girl greeted me with a warm smile and then walked me through the spa, highlighting key areas and showing me where the indoor pool, hot tub, and sauna were, all of which I’d have access to in between my treatments. “You have an hour to relax and enjoy the common areas before your first treatment. Here’s a list of everything you’re scheduled for.”

“Thank you,” I nodded at the woman, taking the paper, as she left me at the locker room.

“Hey girl!”

I looked over in shock, finding Slade Cooper sitting on the locker room bench, not twenty feet from me. “Slade damn! Hi! I’m so glad you’re here. How did this come to be? Like I know Nico set it up, but you agreed?” I laughed.

“Your man invited me. He came up to the shop to talk. Said it was an all-expenses paid day!” Slade grinned, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder. She stood up and walked over to give me a hug.

“That’s Nico, always over the top.” I shook my head as I stepped back from my friend.

“That’s interesting,” Slade smirked. She reached up and gripped my chin, tilting my face back to look at my neck. “Would you look at that.”

I rolled my eyes and jerked my chin out of Slade’s grasp. “Stop. It’s nothing.”

“A neck full of hickeys and paid day at the spa is notnothing.” Slade chuckled and stepped back.

“He took me to dinner last night too. Got me drunk.”

“To sleep with you?” Slade questioned, her metaphoric hackles immediately raising.

“To get me to spill my secrets.” I sighed and sat on the bench in the center of the locker room.

“And did you?” Slade asked, her bright green eyes sparkling.

“No. Not really.” I deflated, my shoulders dropping. “I told him I couldn’t. He used sex as torture to get me to speak.”

“Hot damn.” Slade let out a breath. “I want that.”

I laughed immediately and shook my head. “It was pretty great…it was like before.”

Slade sighed. “Girl, you’re being so stupid about this. Those men are still head over heels for you. They would kill for you. Why not just let them take care of the problem?”

“Because they would kill for me.” My voice is soft. Looking away from Slade’s probing gaze, I sighed heavily as tears welled in my amber gaze. “Last time I thought about telling them, Hillcrest shot both Marcos and Jason, then he framed Nico and had him arrested. He has the power to completely upend my life—Luke’s life—and I’m not willing to risk that. It’s bad enough I kept Luke away from his father all these years.”

---