Page 68 of This Time I'm Keeping You
Nick grabbed her, pulling her behind him.
“That fucker.I’m breaking him in half when I get my hands on him,” Nick snarled.“He came into my house!”
“That’s not me,” she whispered.
Nick walked closer to examine the picture.
“You have to believe me, Nick.I would never have done this with him.”She could hear the hysteria welling up inside her.
“Come here, Poppy.”Nick held out a hand.
“No.”
“Please, baby.Trust me.”He reached for her, and she let him take her hand and tug her to his side.“You have that really cute mark on your shoulder.”
“It’s a mole.”
“It’s cute.Do you see it on that woman?”
Poppy made herself look at the picture.“No.”
“So this picture is your face but not your body, sweetheart.”
She studied it closer and saw he was right.
“No way are your breasts that small either.”
“I can’t believe you said that, considering someone just broke into your house and did this.”
“I am angry, Poppy.Angry that someone came here and scared you again, but I need you to know that is not directed at you.None of this is your fault.We’ll deal with it together.”He brushed a kiss on her forehead and then pulled out his phone.
Poppy listened as he called his cousin.She knew what she had to do; she just had to work out how to get away from Nick, and then she would fly away from the man she loved to keep him safe.
Chapter27
Nick wanted to beat the crap out of someone—namely, Brad Denton, who they’d figured out had trashed his bedroom because Malcom Davy was still holed up inside his house, according to the cops watching him, and hadn’t left in days.
He shot a look at Poppy, who was seated next to him in his pickup.Something was off with her, too, which was understandable considering what she’d been through, but he had a feeling there was more going on in that pretty head.She was closed off from him and shut down.
Three days after Denton had come into his house, Nick was driving to talk to a prospective client.Sam was busy, so he’d had to go.He wasn’t leaving Poppy alone, so she’d come without complaint, which was another red flag.Nick knew her well enough now to know she would usually argue.
“So you don’t get carsick, then?”he asked because she was looking down at her laptop, which was balanced on her knees.
“No.I can write anywhere.”Her voice was flat and monotone.
Nick ran his eyes over the long curls beneath the hat he’d made her wear before they left the house.She’d put it on without protest.
“What music do you listen to?”
“A mix of songs I’ve collected over the years.Some rock, others classic.”She shot him a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
With four siblings, Nick had developed a spidey sense when something wasn’t right with them.He felt it now with Poppy.The only time she let go was when he made love to her.Then she was uninhibited and totally his.
“What?”she asked.
“What?”he parroted, shooting her a look.
“You made a noise.”
