Enforcer’s Obsession

Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE

Hope

“Out you go, Champ,” I said.

The dog looked at me, then looked at the open sliding glass door, and scampered out into the backyard.

Champ had fallen right into place, and over the last two days, it had been like he’d been here forever.

Which is weird, because I didn’t know that I could say the same for myself.

Though I hadn’t forgotten the circumstances that had brought me here, I could objectively say that Nico’s home was nicer than any place I had ever been.

Even worse, I couldn’t deny that I felt was a degree of comfort here that shocked me.

Just like I couldn’t deny that Nico was the reason for that comfort.

“Ridiculous dog,” I said, smiling at Champ as he tried to scale the fence. Even if he’d had four fully functioning paws, the six-pound dog wouldn’t have been able to get even a third of the way up Nico’s fence.

But mundanities like physics didn’t matter to Champ. His tail was wagging as he kept trying to climb, and I smiled at him despite myself.

It was that tenacity that had made me fall in love with the dog.

No matter how big the challenge, he seemed up to it, and, in fact, relished it. Watching his strength as he fought to get better had been a pure joy.

Just like it was a joy to watch him now.

The way I felt with Champ here only underscored the confusion that was now my constant companion.

I had seen firsthand want Nico was capable of.

Was only here now because of what he had done. Still, the terror that should have still had me in its grip was completely gone.

Plus, Nico had gone out of his way to make his home feel like mine. There had no grand pronouncement, but the proof was there nonetheless.

He had gotten a blanket when he saw me shivering, one that he had clearly bought after I’d arrived. And somehow he’d figured out that lavender was my favorite color. One time, I’d mentioned offhand how cool it would be to have an instant espresso machine.

Nico had been scandalized, claiming that instant espresso was an insult to him and all of his ancestors. But the very next day, a bright red machine and every conceivable flavor of espresso pod had appeared in his kitchen.

He’d given me a fucking dog. And not just any dog, the very dog that I loved.

So yes, he was a killer, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was a good guy. Deep down, maybe, but he was a good guy nonetheless.

Mama probably thought the same thing.

When that thought sprang up, I didn’t try to argue with it.

I was sure my mother had thought the same thing about my stepfather, and I might be walking into the same trap.

But even after all I’d seen, Nico was the only person who’d ever made me think I might be able to trust him. I wasn’t sure if I did yet, but the possibility was there.

And I would miss him when I was gone.

“Be good, Champ,” I said.

The dog barked, and I closed the sliding glass door, the need to see Nico overwhelming me.

He was in the back, the place I presumed was his office, and I went to it, not allowing myself to slow down enough to think.

I didn’t even knock on the door, and found him standing over his desk, a notebook on the top, two pieces of paper in either hand.

He put the papers down quickly and closed the notebook.

“What is it?” he asked.

I didn’t answer. Instead I took two steps forward, and he moved toward me and met me in the middle of the floor.

I stared into his dark eyes, searching, looking for something.

Except I didn’t know what.

I just knew that meeting Nico had changed me and changed my life.

That leaving him would change me again.

I moved on instinct, reaching out to run my fingers against his strong jaw.

It shook under my touch, and he stared at me, confused.

I wasn’t.

I didn’t know what would happen tomorrow, didn’t know what I felt about what had happened in the days before, but knew that in this moment, Nico and me, together, was all that mattered.

I stretched up tall and kissed him with everything I had.

Then settled on my feet, my eyes locked with his.

“Nico, make love to me please,” I whispered.

It felt so freeing, and also scary to say those words, but when he looked back at me, his eyes bright, I knew that they were right.

Nico didn’t say anything. He just led me to his room, to his bed, and when he entered me, I knew I’d found my home.