45. Nicholas

45

NICHOLAS

My hand was wrapped tightly around Raven's as we flew back to the States. The tension in the air was unbearable, and just sitting in the same helicopter as Cash was hell on earth. He didn't look at us, and I knew it wasn't because Raven was sitting beside me when his own brother had just died. It was because he thought he failed to protect him.

Nothing could be further from the truth, but I would feel the same way if it was Rafe sitting in this chopper instead of Raven. Minutes ticked by until we finally landed. I was anxious to get Raven out of here and take her to a hotel—anywhere I could be alone with her. I needed to apologize for what I had done. Hell, at this moment, I couldn't even remember why I had been so mad at her. It felt like a lifetime had passed since I walked out on her. I wasn't even sure she wanted anything to do with me. If I had been there, I could have prevented her from being taken. None of this would have happened.

We landed with a thud and I glanced out the window at the buildings in the distance. It wouldn't be long now before I had the answers I needed.

"Nicholas." Scottie was turned around in his seat, staring at me. "We stay together. No running off," he said, pointedly looking at Raven, though I knew he meant I wasn't allowed to run off with Raven.

I nodded and got off the chopper, still holding Raven's hand. She tried to pry her fingers from my death grip, but I wouldn't let her go. I tugged her along behind me to the string of vehicles parked in the lot across the tarmac.

"Nicholas," Raven said, trying to get my attention, but I was laser-focused on reaching those vehicles. She tugged on my hand again. "Nicholas!"

I stopped and turned to face her, sure she was going to tell me she was leaving. "No."

"No, what?" she asked in confusion.

"You're not leaving."

"I wasn't going to," she said, her face softening. "We have to wait."

Her gaze slid back to the helicopter where Cash still sat with his father. I knew I was being selfish. I wasn't a total asshole. The man needed something I couldn't give him. All I could do was make sure Raven got to safety.

"FNG!" I called out.

He jerked his head at me, rushing over. "Where are you going?"

"To the hotel."

"Scottie said not to go alone."

"Which is why you're coming with us."

He glanced back at Cash, unsure if he should go. "I don't know?—"

"I need this," I said, keeping my voice low. "Either you come with us or we'll go alone."

Sighing, he pulled out his phone and sent off a text. With a nod, he followed me to the waiting vehicle. I caught the keys as he passed them to me, then placed Raven bodily in the vehicle before rounding the minivan to get inside. The ride to the hotel was short, and as I got out and hauled Raven from the passenger side, I caught her look of annoyance. I didn't care. I knew I was acting like a caveman. I knew she could take care of herself. I'd seen it multiple times, but that didn't ease the worry in my mind.

I let FNG take care of the rooms as I hurried her over to a hidden corner, pushing her up against the wall. Without saying a word, our lips met and my hands grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. But it wasn't enough. I felt like I was about to fall apart if I wasn't inside her right now. Logically, I knew this wasn't the time or the place, but my body knew no differently. I started tearing at her clothes, running my hands over her skin just to make sure she was okay. My exploration of her body quickly morphed into searching for battle wounds or anything else she might have hidden from me.

Desperate, I tore her pants down her legs, tracing my hands up her smooth thighs. When I was satisfied there were no wounds, I lifted her shirt just as I heard a throat clear.

My head snapped to the side and I glared at FNG.

"Perhaps you'd like to wait until we get to the hotel room for that? I'll even wait outside."

Coming back to the present, I looked around and remembered where we were. I stood, pulling her pants up and tucking the shirt into them. Luckily, a plant had been blocking us from everyone's view.

"I got you a connecting room to mine," FNG said, handing over a card. "Try to keep it down."

I snatched it from his hand and dragged Raven over to the elevators, hitting the button for level three. FNG slipped inside just before the doors closed.

"It's okay. Not like I just paid for your hotel room and everything. I can take the next one," he grumbled as the elevator started climbing.

"The company pays for it."

"I still had to get it," he said over his shoulder. "Without so much as a thank you, I might add."

"Thank you," Raven said beside me.

"Was that so hard?"

"Don't feed into his dramatics," I grumbled. "He doesn't really care."

He spun, glaring at me. "You wound me. Right here," he pointed at his chest. "Seriously, just because I can't die doesn't mean I don't have a heart." He turned as the door opened and a dinner cart rolled past, stepping off the elevator. "Is that steak I smell?" he asked, following the man down the hallway.

Shaking my head, I led Raven in the opposite direction to our room. In seconds, I had her inside and the lights on so I could properly look her over. I started tearing at her clothes, surprised when she didn't stop me. When I saw for myself she was mostly unharmed aside from a few bruises and what looked like healing burns, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're okay."

"I told you I was."

"Did you?" I frowned. I hadn't even heard it.

"Raven—"

"Nicholas, I'm fine."

"I was going to apologize."

"You don't have to."

"Yes, I do. What I did…"

"Because I pissed you off? Yeah, I'm not a big fan of being spanked because I didn't do what you wanted," she said, staring pointedly at me. "I'm not a child and I didn't deserve that. But…I can see why you were so upset. I can't imagine what you were thinking at that warehouse."

I stayed silent. She was actually forgiving me.

"You and I have to get a few things straight. I'm not a damsel in distress. I understand that your instincts are to protect, but I've been on my own for a long time."

"As a thief."

"And that's not going to change just because you entered the picture."

It took a moment to understand her, and when I did, I was confused as hell. "Wait, after all that bullshit with the mob, you're still going to jump on rooftops and bypass alarms and all that shit to steal things?"

"Maybe. I haven't decided yet. Maybe I'll do it for the good guys."

"Raven, we don't steal," I said slowly.

"Then maybe I'll become Robin Hood. I don't know. Can I have a minute to figure it out? I literally just escaped a crazy person on an island."

"About that?—"

"Nope, we're not talking about it."

The defiance in her voice sent chills down my spine and I immediately went on alert. "Why not?"

"Because you'll want details. Nothing happened. End of story."

"So, he took you aboard his boat, you went to the island, and you…ate food and sunbathed."

She took a moment to respond. "Something like that."

"And that's all you're going to tell me."

"That's all you need to know. Nothing has changed."

I wouldn't say that, but if she didn't want to tell me, I wasn't sure exactly what I could do. "What about us?"

"Well, before you started inspecting my body for wounds, you seemed to be going in a different direction. I wouldn't mind picking things up from there."

"Are you sure? After all that's happened?—"

She grunted in frustration. "You know, I've had a helluva few days. If you don't want to, I can take care of things myself and?—"

"No," I growled, not wanting to think about her touching herself when I was right fucking here. "I need a shower. Are you joining me?"

"I'll be there in a minute."

I hesitated, but turned and headed for the bathroom, leaving the door cracked so I could hear her in case she decided to run. As soon as I stripped and stepped under the water, my muscles loosened slightly and I felt my body finally start to come down from the rush of the last few days. I rested my head against the shower wall and tried not to blame myself for what had happened. It wasn't just about Raven. She was here with me. I was fucking lucky, but Cash…

"Hey," Raven said, sliding her hands up my back. "There's nothing you could have done."

"I was so focused on getting to you. I forgot about Rafe."

"You weren't the only one there," she pointed out. "Besides, I saw Rafe on the island. He knew what was going to happen."

I turned in her arms, sliding my hands up her back. "What do you mean?"

"I talked to him. It wasn't for long, but…it was like he had resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't going to make it off the island. In fact, I broke a promise to him."

"What's that?" I asked, dipping her head back into the stream of water.

"I was supposed to get his sister off the island. But things were taking too long. I took my chance and she's still there. If you failed, then so did I."

"She got off," I reassured her. "Rafe found an opportunity and took it. She's at the hospital right now." I massaged my fingers into her scalp, adding more pressure as she moaned. I didn't care what she said, she went through something on that island, and she would tell me eventually.

She blew out a harsh breath, resting her forehead against my chest. I knew she had to be exhausted, but the feel of her body against mine made it impossible to keep things PG. Besides, she needed this.

I tilted her head back, brushing my lips against hers. "I'm so fucking sorry."

"Stop apologizing."

My lips slid over hers, then along her jawline. Every taste of her skin reminded me that she was back with me, and I wouldn't let her go again. I would never walk away in anger. I would force myself to stay and work our problems out. I already thought I lost her twice. I couldn't handle another close call.

My hand ran over her slick skin, running along the side of her body. I felt the heavy weight of her breast in my hand and groaned, flicking my thumb across her nipple.

"I'll never leave you again," I murmured, sucking the soft skin of her neck into my mouth.

Her head fell back as she allowed me greater access to the curve of her neck. Nails slid gently over my back as she pulled me closer. "You'll have to at some point. You can't be by my side through everything."

I growled at the mention of me being even five feet from her. "You fucking bet I can."

As if to prove that she could control me, she wrapped her hand around my thick cock and stroked just once. My eyes closed in pleasure until she tightened her grip, giving a firm yank.

"Watch it, Raven."

"You do not own me. I know you're scared?—"

"I'm not fucking scared," I growled.

"You're fucking terrified," she whispered.

I swallowed hard, staring into her eyes. I didn't want to admit it, but she was right. I was supposed to be the strong one, the man she could rely on for anything, and I had failed her so many times. She was damn right that I was terrified.

"I couldn't protect you."

Her hand pressed against my cheek as her eyes softened. "Since when have I ever allowed you to?"

She swallowed my retort with kisses, thrusting her tongue inside my mouth as she jerked my cock. I wanted to argue with her, but as she always did, she took control to prove her point. There was no sense in arguing with her. At least, not right now. I couldn't think straight with her touching me like this.

I hit the handle on the water, shutting off the flow, then grabbed her around the hips, hoisting her up against my body. She complied instantly, wrapping her legs around my waist. I wiped my feet on the mat, then walked out of the bathroom and over to the bed, laying her down.

My thick cock rested just an inch from her entrance, weeping at the thought of being inside her warm pussy again. I brushed the wet hair back from her face and stared into her eyes, thankful things had turned out the way they had.

Her eyes crinkled as I stared at her. "You're not going soft on me, are you?"

I knew she was trying to make light of the situation, but there was an intensity burning inside me that I couldn't let go. This wasn't just about life or death. This was about the way my heart hammered when she walked into a room and the obsessive way I needed to know she was okay. It was how I knew with just one look in her eyes that I would never find another woman like her. From the moment she kicked my ass on the roof, I was hooked. But after nearly losing her twice, there was no going back.

"There's not another fucking person in my life that I want as much as I want you."

The smile on her face dimmed, only to be replaced with a serious expression. "Nicholas?—"

"Don't fucking tell me it's too soon." I slid forward. My cock inched inside her and she gasped, her eyes closing slightly. "Fucking look at me."

Her eyes opened and focused on me. I thrust completely inside her, claiming her as mine.

"You're mine, in any way you'll let me have you. And then I'll fucking claim you in every other way until you know you're mine."

She wrapped her arms around my neck, gasping as I pulled out and thrust back inside her. "You're not giving me much of a choice here."

"Not ever again," I growled.

"I'm my own woman."

I punched my hips against her, narrowing my eyes. "You'll always be your own woman, but that doesn't mean you can ever run from me again."

A slight twitch touched her lips. "Does this mean you love me?"

"Do you need the words?" I asked.

"Just show me," she whispered.

I slanted my lips over hers as I twisted her on the bed, raising her up on my lap. She straddled my hips as I sat on the edge of the bed and let her ride me. There would always be a level of need that I wouldn't reach with her. Raven would never let me truly take over in any aspect, and I was fine with that as long as she knew she was always mine.

I latched onto her breast and sucked her nipple into my mouth as my hands spanned her back, holding her to me. She rocked against me, gasping as I punched up inside her. My cock begged for more, growing harder as her pussy strangled me.

I slid my hand up to the back of her neck and kissed her hard as an orgasm shuddered through my body. I held her tight to me as I released inside her. With her arms entwined around my neck, her hot breath brushed over my skin in rushed pants.

"I do fucking love you," I whispered.

"Same," she chuckled.

I smacked her ass hard, causing her to laugh harder.

"I fucking love you too."

"That's my girl," I murmured, kissing her again. "Let's go home."

"And where is that?"

"Wherever I fucking take you."