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“Thanks,” she said, but he was already out of earshot. She was about to follow him, when she felt a strong breeze coming through the hallway. That only happened when the back door was open. Who on her staff would decide to take the trash out now, in the middle of that epic performance? Then her gaze landed on her office that was strangely ajar. Skyla’s pulse quickened, and not in a good way. She never left her door unlocked, so whoever was in there now, was the traitor on her staff that worked for AJ.
She slipped her phone into the back pocket of her jeans and approached her door. She couldn’t make out who was inside through the crack, so she pushed her way inside, careful not to alert him. The man stood with his back to her. He wore a dark collared shirt and jeans, and looked an awful lot like -
“Nico,” she said just as he turned to face her, his body still angled away from the door. “What are you doing in my office?” His dark shirt had a large stain on the front, which was odd, seeing as how he hadn’t shown up for work tonight. This was the first time he’d ever been late, much less a no-show, but her patience with him was growing thin. “Do you know what time it is?”
Nico turned to fully face her and that was when she saw the plastic covered box tucked under his arm farthest away from her. “It’s time to get my stuff back,” he said calmly. “And you need to come with me.”
Skyla tried to side step him, wanting to get out of his way, but not wanting to be pushed out the door with him. He moved, boxing her in with two large strides, forcing the backs of her thighs to hit the edge of her desk. She glared up at him, pissed at herself for ever allowing him into her life, her business. She’d trusted this guy and given him a job, all because he was cute. No wonder her father had no respect for her. The thought settled in her gut like a twisted anchor, but she pushed the feeling aside. She could deal with it later. After she took care of the Nico problem. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” she bit out. “Take your shit and leave. Now.”
Nico grinned, a crooked, menacing expression that made Skyla’s skin crawl. This was the man who’d charmed the pants off women, easily talked with men, and even intervened and prevented several brawls over the course of the last few months. No wonder she’d never suspected he was the traitor who’d stashed those drugs in her office? “My father is hurt. He needs your kind of help. Let’s go.”
Skyla was about to tell him to go to hell, but Nico pulled out a gun and dared to aim it at her. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Her door swung wide open. Without warning, Nico fired at whoever was there.
“No!” Skyla screamed, covering her eyes with her hands. Oh, God, Nico had just killed someone. She dropped her hands and stared in horror at the slumped over figure in the doorway. “What did you do?” She roared in Nico’s face, but he was unaffected. He pushed the package into her arms, closed the distance between him and the shot man, and lifted him over his shoulder.
Fear paralyzed her senses as she got her first look at the handsome face with the blond curls that haunted her dreams.
“I thought you were supposed to get rid of him,” Nico mumbled. “I guess I’ll take the trash with me on my way out. Let’s go, or I'll end him right now.”
Skyla could barely breathe at the sight of Blake bleeding out. She’d been so cruel to him and now he was going to die. “Let me help him. Please,” she begged, knowing he wouldn’t survive long with a bullet wound to his abdomen or chest. She couldn’t see where the blood was coming from, only that he was bleeding, the viscous red liquid staining his crisp white dress shirt and dripping onto the old tile floor that stretched across her office and the back hallway.
“No,” Nico said with no emotion. “Move.” He gestured with the gun toward the door and waited impatiently for her to lead the way.
On wobbly legs, Skyla clutched the plastic wrapped box to her chest with sweaty palms. She followed Nico, who haphazardly carried an unconscious Blake over his shoulder. Nico pushed her to walk ahead of him just before reaching the slightly ajar back door.
It was hidden behind a corner no one ever came around unless they planned on going out the door. And right now, everyone was watching Sailor Hawkins. The barrel of the gun pressed into Skyla’s back and Nico’s voice slid into her ears like black tar “If they see us, they die. Is that what you want?”
Skyla shook her head and pushed the door open, stepping outside, Nico following close behind. He let the heavy metal door with the small window Skyla had installed to look through before opening it for deliveries, slam shut behind them with a loud thud. The damn thing always made her jump a little every time she forgot to catch it before it slammed.
Nico had chosen the perfect time to kidnap her and shoot Blake. No one had heard them and they likely wouldn’t be missed for hours. Sailor Hawkins was still on stage, singing her heart out, and most of the bar was singing along. Skyla smiled to herself, even as Nico ushered her into the front seat of a dark van, and tossed Blake into the back. The success of the night was not lost on her, but all she could think about right now was Blake. “If I don’t help him, he’ll die,” Skyla said, pleading, warning, begging Nico to let her do something for Blake.
But he just took his place in the driver’s seat, still holding the gun, and shrugged. “Not my problem. I know how you are after you heal someone. I need you strong to heal my father.”
Skyla wanted to argue, but he shoved the gun into her side with one hand while keying the ignition with the other. Then he slid the gear into drive, and pulled out of the loading zone as if it was just another Saturday night.
“Wait, your father...” Skyla said more to herself, registering his words for the first time. How did Nico know about her healing ability? Arlo J never revealed her identity to his men.
She eyed Nico carefully, noticing his strong jawline and those dark eyes. How could she have missed it? The pit in her stomach grew as she asked the question, she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to. “Who’s your father?” Skyla croaked out.
Nico smirked. “Arlo J.”
***
Nico pulled into an empty two car garage and Skyla watched in the rear-view mirror as the large door closed behind them. Blake was lying on the floor in the back of the van and hadn’t made a sound since they left Madigan’s. She kept turning around to look at him, wishing there was something she could do. “Let’s go,” Nico barked. He opened his door, then glared at her, prompting her to get out of the van on her side. He met her at the hood of the van, and led her inside. Keeping his hand at the small of her back, he guided her down a small hallway, and abruptly stopped in the doorway of a small room with a desk. The walls were empty, and the place smelled of dust and stagnant air. It was clear that no one actually lived here, so what were they doing here?
“You’re late,” a familiar voice said, as the chair behind the desk swiveled to face her. Arlo J, or AJ as she called him because Skyla thought the name Arlo J was dumb, sat heavily in it, his white shirt stained with crimson blood. He pressed an orange and white striped towel to his right shoulder, but the blood was seeping through it, as well. Skyla took a tentative step into the room and was about to argue that she wasn’t late for anything, when AJ looked over her shoulder and asked, “Problems?” It was only then she realized Nico had followed her into the room.
“Minor. Nothing I couldn’t handle.” Nico glared at her then turned his attention back to his father. Skyla still couldn’t believe AJ was his father. She’d had the enemy working for her all this time and had no idea. “That Agent got in the way,” Nico shrugged, not an ounce of remorse or care. “I took care of him.”
“No,” Skyla pleaded. “Please. I asked him to stay away, but there was a huge event at Madigan’s tonight. I’ll get him to leave me alone. I promise. Just let me heal him.”
AJ raised his left hand, gesturing to Nico that he would take over from here. Nico gave his father a slight nod and left the room, closing the double doors behind him.
“Please let me heal him.” She was ready to beg, get on her knees if she had to. She could never live with herself if Blake died because of her.
AJ cocked his head. “No.” He pointed to his wound. “I need your help right now, and afterwards, well, we both know you’ll be useless for a while recovering. He won’t need your help by then. Nico’s our best shot. If he took care of him, your agent is long gone by now.”
Skyla swallowed, tears burning the back of her throat. Blake was still alive when Nico had forced her out of the van at gunpoint. Even if she had to crawl, she’d find a way to get to him and save him. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to heal him completely, but it would spare his life and buy him some time to get to a hospital. “But you won’t try to stop me? After I heal you, will you at least let me try to heal him?”
