Page 60 of This Time I'm Keeping You
The courage fled as quick as it had come.Poppy couldn’t let anything happen to Nick because of her.“No!He’s not my man.We just?—”
“Don’t lie to me!I saw you with him.You’re a whore and a liar, but I still want you, and we will be together,” the voice said.“I hope you weren’t too sore after that day in the street.”
“Wh-what?”
“I paid that man to mug you and got some valuable information out of your bag.All kinds of things that gave me insights into my girl.”
“You hurt me!How can you do that and say you care?”Poppy demanded.“And I’m not your girl and never will be.”
Nick’s hand was on her neck, the warmth of his touch making her strong.
“I didn’t mean for him to hurt you.I made him pay for that.”
She shuddered at those words.What did he mean by “made him pay”?
“I love you, Poppy, and soon we’ll be together.I have to go now, because we both know that someone will track this call.You enjoy those dolls now, my love.Just remember, I can and will always find you.We’ll be together real soon.”
Nick took the receiver.
“You listen to me, you sick bastard!You won’t get near Poppy again.She’s not alone anymore like you want.I’m finding you, and then you and I are going to have a little one-on-one.No hiding and playing games like you have with my girl.You’re a coward, Davy, so you just keep your eyes open, because you’ll be seeing me real soon.”Nick dropped the phone onto the desk when he’d finished talking.
“It’s okay, sweetheart.”He turned her in his arms and held her.“Sssh now, I have you.”
Poppy was making a gulping, choking sound when Nick pressed her face into his chest.Now that the call had finished, the adrenaline that had coursed through her left her shaking.
“I-I’m all right.”
“I’m not,” Nick gritted out.
“What did he say to you, Poppy?”Sam asked.
“Leave it, Sam.”
“No, Nick.We need this information.”Sam had found a pen and notepad on the desk.“Everything, Poppy.”
“Let me go, Nick.”She tried to push him back.
“No.”
“Just turn your head and talk to me, so your words are not muffled by his shirt,” Sam said.
“He said you’re mine, but he heard Nick’s voice, I think.”She pushed out of his arms, and this time he let her, but her fingers were in his, and she wanted the contact.Needed the anchor to him right then.
“What else did he say about Nick?”Sam asked.
She felt them both looking at her and knew she had to speak.“He said Nick was my man, and that he… you’re….we’re… ah, doing it.”
“It?”Sam frowned.
“You are not that thick,” Nick said.“Sex, for fuck’s sake.You know what that is after reading those books.”
“Right, gotcha.”Sam scribbled more notes on the paper.
“And I am your man,” Nick said, and it sounded like a vow, but she didn’t want him in Malcolm Davy’s sights.
“Nick—”
“If the next words from your mouth are ‘I should leave you and back away because this could get ugly,’ that’s not happening.”
