Nick nodded, his gaze warm. "You so love her."
Great. Now a demon knew every secret he'd ever held. Bear sighed, unable to draw up much anger against Nick. However, there was an enemy out there that needed to go down and now. His men had better be carrying out his orders. As soon as he could let go of Nessa, he was going to go torture her uncle and her best friend.
One of them would break.
Chapter 30
Nessa awoke slowly, her body buzzing with pain. She blinked grit from her eyes to see the master bedroom of the river house. A drill and hammers echoed from the living room. The sound was kind of muffled. She rubbed her ear and felt dried blood. Oh yeah.
She sat up, holding the blankets to her chest. Weakness assailed her limbs, so she concentrated and tried to send healing cells wherever her body hurt. A sensation kind of sputtered and died out. Wonderful. She was useless for the time being-totally out of juice. Pouting, she limped from the bed like an old human woman.
Where was everybody?
Her knees wobbled, but she made it to the bathroom for a very hot shower that served to restore a little bit of her energy. She dressed in jeans and a sweater, tying her hair on top of her head. She wore flat boots out of necessity today. Even thinking of trying to wear heels made her want to cry. A couple of quick swipes of lip gloss, and she steeled her shoulders to meet the day.
She needed to check on Simone.
Allowing herself to limp until she reached the door, she plastered on a smile and stepped out into the living room. All the furniture had been removed and the entire area cleaned. Teams were repairing the wall, installing new carpet, a new window, and what looked like multiple security systems.
She moved toward the kitchen to find Nick and Simone in the breakfast nook eating off paper plates.
Her stomach growled. Man, she was starving. She stepped over a pile of lumber, around a bunch of electrical cords, and moved into the nook. "Morning."
Simone looked up. Dark circles marred the smooth skin beneath her eyes, but her eyes themselves were clear, as was her skin. She smiled, looking both fragile and determined. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. You?" Nessa sat and leaned over to press her hand against Simone's abdomen, hoping with everything she had that the babe was all right.
Nick stilled, his eyes darker than dark, intensity swirling through them. His focus was absolute, which was probably how his people could demolish a mind in a good attack. The idea that he could squish her brains out of her ears was one she needed to forget about.
Nessa ignored the dangerous demon and concentrated on Simone. The witch sucked in air, and then held her breath. A strong and very steady baby heartbeat echoed where Nessa looked. Relief nearly made her sway. Thank God. She tilted her head and just felt for a moment, enjoying the little person's essence. Oh, she was going to be a handful. Everything was healthy around the babe. "Your baby is fine. Spunky little thing." Nessa smiled.
Simone hiccupped and quickly wiped away a tear. Her relief was palpable. "Thank you, Nessa," she whispered, her voice thick.
"You're welcome." Nessa lifted her hand toward Simone's neck and felt. Her pulse was a little sluggish, but Simone would survive. "You're out of danger. Might take a week or so to completely recover." She released her friend and reached for a cup of coffee.
Nick grasped her wrist.
She started and looked up.
His chin lowered, his eyes blacker than the darkest midnight. "Thank you for saving them. If you ever need anything, I am at your disposal." His hold tightened. "Anything." He released her.
Wow. The vow was heartfelt, and she might take him up on it someday. "It was my pleasure," Nessa murmured, pouring coffee, her hand shaking.
Nick took the coffee carafe from her and finished pouring. "You're not all right."
Simone piled eggs on a plate to set in front of her. "You're not. I'm so sorry. What is wrong? Can I help?"
Nessa reached for a fork. "I'm fine. The healing-it was a lot. Not too much, just a lot, and there's a price. I'll be back in good form in a few days. I remember what you did for Bear . . . and me. Thank you, Nick."
"Was my honor," the demon said.
Protein would help. She tasted the eggs. "Where is Bear?"
As if on cue, he strode in from outside, issuing orders to a battered Lucas. When he caught sight of her, he said something quietly and then moved toward her. He knelt down, his hands on her thighs. Her entire thighs. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his honeyed eyes swirling and his voice gravelly.
"Just fine," she said, gently touching a bruise on his chin. He must've had to heal some pretty bad injuries to have been unable to get this one.