Page 61 of This Time I'm Keeping You
“I don’t want you and your family hurt!Damn you, why can’t you understand that?”She pushed out of his arms.
“Don’t be a hero,” Nick said, his anger matching hers.“We’re sticking, so get used to it.”
Poppy tamped down the relief she felt at those words.She had no right to them.
“What else did he say, Poppy?FYI, Nick’s right.We’re not walking away from you and this.I want to bring this sick fucker down too.”
“He said that while I was living alone and we were playing our game of me running and him finding me, he was happy.Now he’s not because of Nick,” Poppy added.
“You shouldn’t have let it get this far,” Nick growled.
“I was doing what I thought I needed to.Keeping people safe!”
“I understand that, but you should have kept talking to the police until someone listened.”
“I’m the victim here!”
“You about done with that?”
“Maybe” was all she was willing to concede.“I stood up to him just now.You heard me.I’ve never done that before.”
“How’d it feel?”Nick asked.
“Terrifying but empowering at the same time.”
“He needs to know you won’t let him walk all over you,” Nick said.“Now let’s get out of here.We need to take those”—he pointed to the dolls—“to Billy and show him what you wrote, Sam.”
“I’m showing him the bruises you inflicted too,” his brother muttered.
“Cry me a river.You shot me once with a BB gun,” Nick said.He then put the lid back on the dolls.
“He also told me he paid that man to mug me, and then he said he’d taken care of him for hurting me,” Poppy added, remembering those words.
“Yeah, I heard that too,” Nick said.“Now get your shit.We’re leaving.”
“I’ll see you downstairs,” Sam said, now carrying the long white box.
Poppy got her bag and said goodbye to the hotel staff.When they were back in the elevator, the silence between her and Nick was tense.She felt his anger and frustration.Well, good for him.She was those things and scared… really scared, and not just for herself anymore.
Before she could speak, a hand grabbed her and dragged her close until her nose was pressed into his chest.Nick pushed his face into her hair, and Poppy felt him exhale slowly.
“Nick, I’m okay.”
“I hate he scares you.You went really pale, Poppy.You looked like a ghost, and there was no one I could punch.This faceless villain shit is really getting to me.I want to confront him.”
“Me too.”
“You will never confront him because you’re never seeing him again.”
He leaned down to kiss her, just a soft brush of his lips over hers.
“I need you safe, Poppy.This, what’s between us, is real.”
“Nick, we can’t?—”
“Not listening,” he said, placing a hand over her mouth.“Right now, we’re giving Billy the information, and then we’re going to a birthday party at my cousin’s house.”
“I don’t really feel up to that.”
