Hard Limits(43)

"So that's why you look so tired," Tate said.

Not exactly. A whole night of sex and heart-wrenching revelations were what had left Paige depleted, emotionally and physically. Not that she could say a word.

"Hangover," she replied, unable to meet her friends' eyes. Lying to them and keeping them out of the loop weighted heavily on her, but she had to protect Nico. She couldn't risk Jack finding out; he could be a threat to her lover. She had no clue who Jack worked for. Or Nico, for that matter.




 

 

They seemed to sense she was holding back on them, but at that moment some movement distracted them. Paige turned and saw two big guys-suits, earpieces, and sunglasses. Those were Nico's bodyguards, the same ones she'd seen coming off the yacht, now entering the common area. Oh God.

Jack intercepted them right before they reached the girls. He pulled Elle behind him.

The air was so thick it was unbreathable.

From behind the intruders, another man stepped forward. Nico. "I didn't come for your woman," he said to Jack.

Jack didn't seem to believe him. Or maybe he did, but it didn't mean a damn thing because clearly he wasn't going to back down. On the contrary.

"He came for me," Paige hurried to say, getting between them.

"That's right." Nico's eyes were blasting fire. "And I'm not leaving without her."





Chapter Eleven


Nico was ready to go head-to-head with Jack. Two freight trains barreling toward a monumental collision. Paige had to defuse the situation, pronto, before it escalated.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered to Nico.

"You wanted a relationship. Well, you got it."

Jack's ever-impassive expression faltered. He blinked several times. Glanced at her, then back at Nico. "What?"

"I thought it was dick talk," she complained in a hushed tone, ignoring Jack. "Besides, I told you I had to make a pros and cons list."

Elle choked out a "Pardon?" and Jack looked like he was beyond words, but Nico didn't let it deter him. He crossed his arms over his chest, defiant. "You didn't want to disappear. We are past lists. This is what a relationship with me looks like. Deal with it."

"Just so you know," she mumbled, "that there is a huge con."

Elle's eyes went big in understanding. "This is the man you are having a fling with, right?"

"A fling?" Nico repeated, not pleased.

Paige gave him a fulminating glare and addressed Elle. "I'm so sorry, guys. I should have told you earlier, but-"

"Damn right you should have," Jack interrupted, his tone menacing. "You are seeing Nico fucking Grabar, and you didn't think of giving us a heads-up?"

Nico reacted immediately, stepping in front of Paige. "Back the fuck off. She wasn't at liberty to say anything."

"I'm sorry," Paige repeated to Jack. "I'll fix this. I'll get him out of here." Then to Nico. "Not helping."

Violet, who had approached when the commotion started, asked Paige, "Is this the man who's cyberstalking you?" 

Nico turned to Paige, his stare boring holes in her. "What?"

"Nothing," she answered, resolute, and taking him by the hand, led him to her condo.

The whole Bowen clan, Nico's bodyguards, and half the Eternal Sun followed. Paige stopped that hard-to-shake, intrusive crowd at the porch. "I'll take care of this." Before anyone could complain, and boy were they going to, she shut the door on them and locked it. Then she faced Nico.

"You're being cyberstalked?" His tone was dangerously low, his expression tight.

"Oh no, no. You do not get to change the subject!" she yelled. "This is unacceptable."

She had derailed him, at least for the moment, because he answered, "There were only two options for you: hide or stand by my side, where I can protect you. You made your choice."

"I didn't know I had only two options. And when did I say I wanted a relationship with you?"

"In Boston. You asked if I could offer you one. Back then I couldn't, but now-"

"Now what, you can?" Because as far as she could see, nothing had changed. If anything, it was worse.

"Now my hand has been forced. Claiming you publicly was my only move."

Fantastic. Apparently, sometime between waking up this morning and assisting with the wedding rehearsal in the afternoon, she had forced a drug lord into a relationship without even knowing it herself. Talk about multitasking.

"For years there was nothing in my life but darkness and thirst for revenge, whatever the personal cost. Nothing else mattered. Then you came waltzing into my bleak existence, with your quirks and your crazy hair and your lovely smiles, and you fucking blinded me. I should have let you go, but I couldn't. I just fucking couldn't, and now you are my priority. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Because I love you."