The Devil's Eyes by Jennifer Loren
I feel horrible when his entire body sinks. “I know, but I was hoping that maybe you were feeling the same way I was. I guess I am being one of those insane clients who want to believe I have someone incredible to add to my life.”
“Daniel, you treat me well but I don’t know how to deal with this? I have never been treated like this before.”
“So, you do feel it to?” His hope returns in an awe inspiring smile. I can't help smile back. “I knew it.”
“It doesn’t matter what I feel. I am still a prostitute and you’re still married.”
“Well, one of those might be true but the other not so much anymore. I guess I shouldn’t be wearing this ring anymore but it is hard to let go of her. My wife died a few years ago, I haven’t cared about anyone since … until you.”
“Daniel, I am sorry, but are you sure you’re not trying to replace her with me?”
“Sweetheart, I have had plenty of dates and plenty of women since her. Trust me. You’re not my rebound girl. You’re my girl.” He said pulling me back into his arms. “I am falling head over heels for you. Do you have any idea how amazing you are?” Daniel takes my hand and walks me over to the window and points outside. “Do you see anything out there you want?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked uncomfortably.
“Tell me what you want and I will buy it for you. I will find it for you. I will make sure it is made specifically for you just tell me what it is. All I ask is that you take down your walls and let me love you.” Daniel said with loving eyes. As much as I may want to jump into his arms right now, my past holds me back. I manage to put Daniel’s expectations off for a little while, calming him back down into our usual routine. Even though I will lie next to him tonight, I won’t be sleeping.
~
The club is busy as usual and after a long night with Daniel the night before, I am ready to crash. As soon as I finish my last set, I get dressed and head for the door but before I can reach Exie, and my ride home, Nick’s car pulls up in front of me. Tanner doesn’t even bother to get out. Nick simply rolls down his window and barks, “get in.”
“I am tired, Nick.”
“Did I ask you a question?” He said opening the door for me.
“Ass,” I whispered in the wind. I wave Exie on, hiding my laugh as she huffs blatantly, falling into her car, and driving off.
“I don’t have all-night, Kayla.” Uggghhhh I sit down next to him ignoring his eyes on me. “You’ve done well these last few weeks. And it looks like you have impressed one client so much that he would like to see you exclusively. He is paying big bucks to keep you to himself.” I glance over at him and quickly look back down at my hands. “I’m impressed. Intrigued even, as to what you did to make this man so in love with you?”
“Who said he was in love? It’s just sex!” I snap back at him.
“Easy, wrong choice of words. Anyway … what’s his name?” Nick said thumbing through his phone for the answer.
“Daniel.” I said.
“Daniel? That doesn’t sound right. No, it’s Lawrence Jennings.” Nick looks over at me with a curious expression. “What made you think his name was Daniel?”
Unsure why Daniel is keeping his name private, I panic on what to tell Nick. “Oh, I thought it was one of the other guys. Lawrence, yea … we hit it off too.” I said quickly before pretending to notice something out the window.
“Right. Well, I would like for you to get with Luke tomorrow and give him details about each of your clients.”
I spin my head towards him, “Why? It is none of your damn business what I do with them.”
“You know I’m getting sick of your attitude with me. I don’t know why you think you can talk to me like that, but it better change … quickly.” Nick leans around to catch my eyes. “Kayla?”
“I got it. I will be more respectful to my pimp.”
Rolling his eyes, “That’s much better. I am in too good of mood to deal with you tonight but I wanted to tell you that I don’t want you working the club and dealing with clients too. It is too much. So put in enough time at the club for Kyler to find someone to replace you and then concentrate on keeping yourself pleasing for your client. These new gentlemen you have brought in are paying more for one night with you than the other girls are making in two weeks. I don’t know what kinky, screwed up shit you are doing, but keep it up Princess and you will be buying your own Mercedes. Luke has the new address for your meeting with this Lawrence guy tomorrow.” Nick casually looks me over with obvious doubt, “Man must be insane.” I glare at him as he laughs in the opposite direction.
When the car stops, I get ready to jump out but realize we are not at my house, “Nick, what are we doing here? I want to go home.”
“Hold on. We are only picking someone up and then we will drop you off.” I slump down in the corner. When the car door opens, a tall blond gets in with a smile a mile wide. “There isn’t much room in here right now but we will be able to move around better when we drop her off.” Nick said smirking at me.
“Oh, it’s okay! I am just so excited to see you!” She squeals jumping into his lap and nearly screwing him right beside me.
“Could you not do that until after I get out, please?” I said repulsed.
Nick looks over at me with enjoyment, “Don’t worry about her, she’s just jealous.” I ignore his comment and pray for green lights.
“If you like, Nick, I could play with her while you watch.” The blond gushes over him.
“You would do that for me?” He asked handling her overtly in front of me.
“I would do anything for you, Nick.” She moans.
“Even share me?” She nods shaking the air out of her ears even faster. Nick turns to me, “I guess I might be able to stomach you for tonight. What do you say, Princess?” I look over at his obnoxious smile.
“REALLY just want to go home! And slam my head into a wall until I get these images out of my head.” I expressed clearly.
“So that’s a no?” He laughs, fondling the woman. The blond takes his fingers and puts them into her mouth, sucking each of them one at a time. “Be careful, sweetheart, some women like what I can do with those. Don’t they, Kayla?”
“This is a fucking nightmare,” I huff as Nick laughs next to me. I barely wait for the car to stop before I jump out and run into the house.
~
My next rendezvous with Daniel, I decide to stay distant and stick to the task at hand. However, he greets me with such warmth, hugging and kissing me deeply. “I missed you,” he exhaled against my cheek.
“It has only been a few days.”
“It seems like forever.” He said before I can push away from him. “Did I do something to upset you?”
“I honestly don’t understand what your intentions are, Daniel.”
“My intentions are to spend as much time with you as possible.” He said with his usual shocked expression during this conversation.
“I don’t understand why you’re pretending that this is anything other than sex or why you think it can be anything but?”
“It doesn’t have to be. I told you that I can take care of you. You don’t need to work for Nick anymore.” He said confusing me how he would know anything about Nick. Nick doesn’t handle any of the business personally, only Luke knows for sure of his involvement.
“Nick? You mean Luke?” I asked.
Daniel smiles with a slight laugh, “I guess I assumed. Nick Jayzon is well-known and suspected of such ventures. Luke, then. Tell him you’re done and stay here with me. I bought this place for us.”
“Daniel, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I know what you think but you’re my only escape. The nights I spend with you I come alive again. So forgive me if I can’t wait to see you, to touch you, to hold you, and especially to kiss you. I rush through every day until I can get to that moment you fall asleep in my arms. I want to know your real name so when I dream about you I can whisper the right one.?
?? His eyes smile and comfort me like no other, “Let me take care of you?”
“Daniel …”
Lifting my chin he looks into my eyes, “Don’t speak … think about it. Now come here, Beautiful, and let me make love to you like a man should.” He picks me up, carrying me to his bed and laying me down in sheets made of clouds.
Looking into his smiling eyes, “my name is Kayla,” I whispered against his lips.
“Kayla. And what’s your last name, Kayla?” He smiles teasing me, “I know! It’s Kayla Heartbreaker.” I laugh shaking my head. “No? Then it’s Kayla Goddess?” He said laughing with me.
“It’s Donovan.”
“Oh, Donovan. Nice to finally meet you, Kayla Donovan.” He said beginning his slow journey down my chest. His lips are so warm and soft against my skin and his hands handle me so gently and respectfully that I exhale and allow myself to enjoy him. Maybe I have found the perfect man?
~6~
Kayla
My last night at the club and I should feel happy about it but I don’t feel confident that it isn’t a setback in my plans, especially when Nick is at the club several nights a week. I don’t know how I am going to see him when I am with Daniel all the time. I am going to have to come up with something to get closer to Nick, something other than having to sleep with him like the rest of his female entourage. There has to be a way to get Nick to slip up and give me something to hold over him. Everyone has secrets and he has to have at least one that I can use. As the various ideas run through my head, Exie’s car is cut off by another. I look over at Exie as she puts the car in reverse only to slam on the brakes to prevent a collision with a second car.
“Oh, this is not good.” Exie said reaching under her seat and pulling out a gun.
Shocked I stare at the weapon in her hand, “What exactly are you thinking that’s going to do?”
“I don’t know, but I know I am not going anywhere with these guys. Whoever they are.” Exie said gripping the gun.
Two men exit the car behind us and tap on my window, “Our boss would like to talk to you. Briefly.” The large man said with a forced smile.
“Do you want my gun?” Exie asked.
“Why so I can accidentally shoot myself?” I said slowly getting out of the car. I follow the man to the car in front of us and hesitate as he opens the back door for me. I look into the dark car and I instantly recognize the cigar-smoking weasel, Harvey Rice. He’s as dangerous as Nick, but even more so to me now. Nick and Harvey have been at odds for some time and now someone has let Harvey know about me. Someone has betrayed Nick and put me right in the middle.
“Hello, sweetheart. Do you know who I am?” Harvey said looking me over with little to no interest as anyone would do to someone they know is not going to be around much longer.
“I do.” I said sitting as small as possible so as not to get any closer to him than necessary.
“Very good, then I will get right to the point of my visit.” Visit? Well, I hope that means I am not going to die right now at least. “I hear you are valuable to my old friend Nick.” I glance over at him as he smiles. “I would like to make you an offer. Come work for me instead. I will make sure you have only the highest paying clients, some of the most respectable men in the city. I have a nice house you can live in rent free. A car. Everything you need. All you have to do is leave Nick and come work for me.” Harvey said sticking his cigar back between his large chapped lips.
Of course, I leave Nick and then he will surely kill me himself but if I say no to Harvey he will kill me to get back at Nick. Talk about being stuck between a rock and the bottom of a grave. “As nice of an offer as that is, you don’t mind if I think about it for a night at least, do you?” I asked, hoping it wouldn’t cause my immediate death.
“Sure thing.” He said flashing his crooked stained teeth at me. “Take all the time you need, honey.”
I graciously take his card and pretend to consider his offer, but as soon as I get a chance, I seek Nick out, determined to get help- even it is from him. “Nick, I need to talk to you.” I said ignoring Luke as I barge in on their conversation.
“I’m talking, Kayla. Maybe later.” Nick said waving me off.
“NO! I need to talk to you now!” I demand standing straight and trying to control my trembling legs.
Nick’s demon eyes meet mine immediately, “Talk and it better be damn good.”
“Alone, please.” I asked not giving a shit about Luke’s evil glares.
“You have to be kidding me! Sweetheart, you better be glad you are still able to talk!” Luke said slamming his fist on the table.
“Please, Nick. I promise you are going to want to hear what I have to say.”
“Fine. Let’s go to my office.” Nick said getting up and waving me in front of him.
“Nick?” Luke holds out his hands as Nick waves him off.
Nick impatiently grabs my arm and hurries me along. Once we enter his office, he begins searching for something seemingly uninterested in what I have to say. I am hoping it is not a gun to shoot me with. “I’m waiting. What is this huge news that you have for me?”
“Someone came to see me today.”
Nick looks up at me ready to bite my head off, “Kayla, I swear!” I lay Harvey’s card down in front of him and his temper eases instantly towards me. “What did he want?”
“For me to leave you and work for him.”
“And what did you say?” He asks eyeing me directly.
“I said I would think about it. I’m not stupid. He would have killed me right then if I had said no, just as you will kill me if I leave you for him. So instead, I am asking for you to help me get out from in the middle of this feud you have with him.” I said feeling better about my decision to come to him.
Nick sits back pondering my information, “Call him and tell him I offered you a better deal and you have decided to stay.”
“He will kill me if I do that!” I yell back at him.
“No he won’t. Do it and I will take care of the rest.” Nick said confidently.
I leave Nick’s office not feeling much better than I did. I spend the rest of the night listening to Luke huffing at me for shaking down Nick for more money. I don’t understand what he is talking about at first but after Nick tells him that I have earned it, I play along nervously. I thought for sure Nick would tell him what I said and it worries me that he didn’t. I drop off Exie at a close friend’s house, who is already watching Jerran. Knowing they both are safely away from me, I head home alone becoming more nervous the closer I get. I run into the house, locking every door and window, and sit in a corner with Jerran’s baseball bat. I barely breathe while I watch every movement in the yard. I know I am probably making myself go insane but when I hear a noise in the basement my heart stops. It's footsteps, definitely footsteps coming up the stairs. I stand up slowly and wait to take aim. When the door opens, I swing.
“Fuck, Kayla!” Nick yells catching me in midswing before taking the bat away from me.
“Nick, damn it! You scared the hell out of me!” I stomp and yell at him.
“Obviously! Calm down. I checked around, there is no one out there yet.”
“What are you doing here?” I huff at him.
“I told you I would take care of everything.”
“I thought that meant you would go find him somewhere else and take care of it.”
“Oh, Princess, Harvey is not going to put himself in a position to be killed by me. But he will not miss a chance to get at me, especially if he thinks I am nowhere near.”
“Tell me you brought some people to help.” Nick smiles tapping my chin. “Nick, are you stupid? He will kill us both.”
“Princess, just do what you normally do and leave the rest to me.” I stand awkwardly looking around. “Seriously? That’s what you do every night?”
“NO! I usually get ready for bed, but I am not going to do that now.”
“Why not?”
“Wh
y NOT!” I yell.
Nick shakes his head and turns me around, pushing me forward. “Go clean yourself up and go to bed. You don’t have to go to sleep and you can go to bed with your bat, if you like, but the quicker you look vulnerable, the quicker they will try to kill you.”
“Oh, well. Let me hurry then.” I said faking my excitement.
“I know I’m excited.” I glare at him as he smiles back. Getting cleaned up I find something to put on and start to change before noticing Nick sitting in a corner watching me.
“Do you mind?” I say to him hiding myself.
“Are you kidding?” He said before shaking his head at me. Exasperated I do my best to change and show him as little as possible. “Wow, I know I’m turned on.”
“Shut up.”
“Is that what you wear to bed?”
“Nick!”
“I think my dick shriveled up looking at it.”
“Well, I am not trying to get you turned on right now. I am trying to not get killed.”
“Okay, but I was hoping for better from you. You could put on something a little smaller and tighter, at least. Anything would be more appealing than that mess. I am here to save your life. Give me a little reason to want to.” Even in the dark I can see his obnoxious smile.
“Ass! I swear…” I mumble climbing into bed.
Hours go by and I begin to fall asleep. When reality seeps back into my mind, I wake up quickly, “Nick?”
“It's okay, go back to sleep.” He whispered from what seems closer than I remember him being. I reach out into the dark and he takes my hand. “Go to sleep, I’m here.” I settle in and slowly fall right back into my dreams.
Suddenly I am startled awake. I gasp before realizing Nick is still holding my hand. “I’m right here and yes I heard it to. I’m going to drop back and give him space …” I nod understanding.
I get up to investigate the noise with my bat in hand. They come right through the front door, with little trouble. I swing and fight with everything I have, but am ultimately in their control. Harvey walks in at their signal and smiles at me. “I hope we didn’t wake you,” he says.
“Daniel, you treat me well but I don’t know how to deal with this? I have never been treated like this before.”
“So, you do feel it to?” His hope returns in an awe inspiring smile. I can't help smile back. “I knew it.”
“It doesn’t matter what I feel. I am still a prostitute and you’re still married.”
“Well, one of those might be true but the other not so much anymore. I guess I shouldn’t be wearing this ring anymore but it is hard to let go of her. My wife died a few years ago, I haven’t cared about anyone since … until you.”
“Daniel, I am sorry, but are you sure you’re not trying to replace her with me?”
“Sweetheart, I have had plenty of dates and plenty of women since her. Trust me. You’re not my rebound girl. You’re my girl.” He said pulling me back into his arms. “I am falling head over heels for you. Do you have any idea how amazing you are?” Daniel takes my hand and walks me over to the window and points outside. “Do you see anything out there you want?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked uncomfortably.
“Tell me what you want and I will buy it for you. I will find it for you. I will make sure it is made specifically for you just tell me what it is. All I ask is that you take down your walls and let me love you.” Daniel said with loving eyes. As much as I may want to jump into his arms right now, my past holds me back. I manage to put Daniel’s expectations off for a little while, calming him back down into our usual routine. Even though I will lie next to him tonight, I won’t be sleeping.
~
The club is busy as usual and after a long night with Daniel the night before, I am ready to crash. As soon as I finish my last set, I get dressed and head for the door but before I can reach Exie, and my ride home, Nick’s car pulls up in front of me. Tanner doesn’t even bother to get out. Nick simply rolls down his window and barks, “get in.”
“I am tired, Nick.”
“Did I ask you a question?” He said opening the door for me.
“Ass,” I whispered in the wind. I wave Exie on, hiding my laugh as she huffs blatantly, falling into her car, and driving off.
“I don’t have all-night, Kayla.” Uggghhhh I sit down next to him ignoring his eyes on me. “You’ve done well these last few weeks. And it looks like you have impressed one client so much that he would like to see you exclusively. He is paying big bucks to keep you to himself.” I glance over at him and quickly look back down at my hands. “I’m impressed. Intrigued even, as to what you did to make this man so in love with you?”
“Who said he was in love? It’s just sex!” I snap back at him.
“Easy, wrong choice of words. Anyway … what’s his name?” Nick said thumbing through his phone for the answer.
“Daniel.” I said.
“Daniel? That doesn’t sound right. No, it’s Lawrence Jennings.” Nick looks over at me with a curious expression. “What made you think his name was Daniel?”
Unsure why Daniel is keeping his name private, I panic on what to tell Nick. “Oh, I thought it was one of the other guys. Lawrence, yea … we hit it off too.” I said quickly before pretending to notice something out the window.
“Right. Well, I would like for you to get with Luke tomorrow and give him details about each of your clients.”
I spin my head towards him, “Why? It is none of your damn business what I do with them.”
“You know I’m getting sick of your attitude with me. I don’t know why you think you can talk to me like that, but it better change … quickly.” Nick leans around to catch my eyes. “Kayla?”
“I got it. I will be more respectful to my pimp.”
Rolling his eyes, “That’s much better. I am in too good of mood to deal with you tonight but I wanted to tell you that I don’t want you working the club and dealing with clients too. It is too much. So put in enough time at the club for Kyler to find someone to replace you and then concentrate on keeping yourself pleasing for your client. These new gentlemen you have brought in are paying more for one night with you than the other girls are making in two weeks. I don’t know what kinky, screwed up shit you are doing, but keep it up Princess and you will be buying your own Mercedes. Luke has the new address for your meeting with this Lawrence guy tomorrow.” Nick casually looks me over with obvious doubt, “Man must be insane.” I glare at him as he laughs in the opposite direction.
When the car stops, I get ready to jump out but realize we are not at my house, “Nick, what are we doing here? I want to go home.”
“Hold on. We are only picking someone up and then we will drop you off.” I slump down in the corner. When the car door opens, a tall blond gets in with a smile a mile wide. “There isn’t much room in here right now but we will be able to move around better when we drop her off.” Nick said smirking at me.
“Oh, it’s okay! I am just so excited to see you!” She squeals jumping into his lap and nearly screwing him right beside me.
“Could you not do that until after I get out, please?” I said repulsed.
Nick looks over at me with enjoyment, “Don’t worry about her, she’s just jealous.” I ignore his comment and pray for green lights.
“If you like, Nick, I could play with her while you watch.” The blond gushes over him.
“You would do that for me?” He asked handling her overtly in front of me.
“I would do anything for you, Nick.” She moans.
“Even share me?” She nods shaking the air out of her ears even faster. Nick turns to me, “I guess I might be able to stomach you for tonight. What do you say, Princess?” I look over at his obnoxious smile.
“REALLY just want to go home! And slam my head into a wall until I get these images out of my head.” I expressed clearly.
“So that’s a no?” He laughs, fondling the woman. The blond takes his fingers and puts them into her mouth, sucking each of them one at a time. “Be careful, sweetheart, some women like what I can do with those. Don’t they, Kayla?”
“This is a fucking nightmare,” I huff as Nick laughs next to me. I barely wait for the car to stop before I jump out and run into the house.
~
My next rendezvous with Daniel, I decide to stay distant and stick to the task at hand. However, he greets me with such warmth, hugging and kissing me deeply. “I missed you,” he exhaled against my cheek.
“It has only been a few days.”
“It seems like forever.” He said before I can push away from him. “Did I do something to upset you?”
“I honestly don’t understand what your intentions are, Daniel.”
“My intentions are to spend as much time with you as possible.” He said with his usual shocked expression during this conversation.
“I don’t understand why you’re pretending that this is anything other than sex or why you think it can be anything but?”
“It doesn’t have to be. I told you that I can take care of you. You don’t need to work for Nick anymore.” He said confusing me how he would know anything about Nick. Nick doesn’t handle any of the business personally, only Luke knows for sure of his involvement.
“Nick? You mean Luke?” I asked.
Daniel smiles with a slight laugh, “I guess I assumed. Nick Jayzon is well-known and suspected of such ventures. Luke, then. Tell him you’re done and stay here with me. I bought this place for us.”
“Daniel, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I know what you think but you’re my only escape. The nights I spend with you I come alive again. So forgive me if I can’t wait to see you, to touch you, to hold you, and especially to kiss you. I rush through every day until I can get to that moment you fall asleep in my arms. I want to know your real name so when I dream about you I can whisper the right one.?
“Daniel …”
Lifting my chin he looks into my eyes, “Don’t speak … think about it. Now come here, Beautiful, and let me make love to you like a man should.” He picks me up, carrying me to his bed and laying me down in sheets made of clouds.
Looking into his smiling eyes, “my name is Kayla,” I whispered against his lips.
“Kayla. And what’s your last name, Kayla?” He smiles teasing me, “I know! It’s Kayla Heartbreaker.” I laugh shaking my head. “No? Then it’s Kayla Goddess?” He said laughing with me.
“It’s Donovan.”
“Oh, Donovan. Nice to finally meet you, Kayla Donovan.” He said beginning his slow journey down my chest. His lips are so warm and soft against my skin and his hands handle me so gently and respectfully that I exhale and allow myself to enjoy him. Maybe I have found the perfect man?
~6~
Kayla
My last night at the club and I should feel happy about it but I don’t feel confident that it isn’t a setback in my plans, especially when Nick is at the club several nights a week. I don’t know how I am going to see him when I am with Daniel all the time. I am going to have to come up with something to get closer to Nick, something other than having to sleep with him like the rest of his female entourage. There has to be a way to get Nick to slip up and give me something to hold over him. Everyone has secrets and he has to have at least one that I can use. As the various ideas run through my head, Exie’s car is cut off by another. I look over at Exie as she puts the car in reverse only to slam on the brakes to prevent a collision with a second car.
“Oh, this is not good.” Exie said reaching under her seat and pulling out a gun.
Shocked I stare at the weapon in her hand, “What exactly are you thinking that’s going to do?”
“I don’t know, but I know I am not going anywhere with these guys. Whoever they are.” Exie said gripping the gun.
Two men exit the car behind us and tap on my window, “Our boss would like to talk to you. Briefly.” The large man said with a forced smile.
“Do you want my gun?” Exie asked.
“Why so I can accidentally shoot myself?” I said slowly getting out of the car. I follow the man to the car in front of us and hesitate as he opens the back door for me. I look into the dark car and I instantly recognize the cigar-smoking weasel, Harvey Rice. He’s as dangerous as Nick, but even more so to me now. Nick and Harvey have been at odds for some time and now someone has let Harvey know about me. Someone has betrayed Nick and put me right in the middle.
“Hello, sweetheart. Do you know who I am?” Harvey said looking me over with little to no interest as anyone would do to someone they know is not going to be around much longer.
“I do.” I said sitting as small as possible so as not to get any closer to him than necessary.
“Very good, then I will get right to the point of my visit.” Visit? Well, I hope that means I am not going to die right now at least. “I hear you are valuable to my old friend Nick.” I glance over at him as he smiles. “I would like to make you an offer. Come work for me instead. I will make sure you have only the highest paying clients, some of the most respectable men in the city. I have a nice house you can live in rent free. A car. Everything you need. All you have to do is leave Nick and come work for me.” Harvey said sticking his cigar back between his large chapped lips.
Of course, I leave Nick and then he will surely kill me himself but if I say no to Harvey he will kill me to get back at Nick. Talk about being stuck between a rock and the bottom of a grave. “As nice of an offer as that is, you don’t mind if I think about it for a night at least, do you?” I asked, hoping it wouldn’t cause my immediate death.
“Sure thing.” He said flashing his crooked stained teeth at me. “Take all the time you need, honey.”
I graciously take his card and pretend to consider his offer, but as soon as I get a chance, I seek Nick out, determined to get help- even it is from him. “Nick, I need to talk to you.” I said ignoring Luke as I barge in on their conversation.
“I’m talking, Kayla. Maybe later.” Nick said waving me off.
“NO! I need to talk to you now!” I demand standing straight and trying to control my trembling legs.
Nick’s demon eyes meet mine immediately, “Talk and it better be damn good.”
“Alone, please.” I asked not giving a shit about Luke’s evil glares.
“You have to be kidding me! Sweetheart, you better be glad you are still able to talk!” Luke said slamming his fist on the table.
“Please, Nick. I promise you are going to want to hear what I have to say.”
“Fine. Let’s go to my office.” Nick said getting up and waving me in front of him.
“Nick?” Luke holds out his hands as Nick waves him off.
Nick impatiently grabs my arm and hurries me along. Once we enter his office, he begins searching for something seemingly uninterested in what I have to say. I am hoping it is not a gun to shoot me with. “I’m waiting. What is this huge news that you have for me?”
“Someone came to see me today.”
Nick looks up at me ready to bite my head off, “Kayla, I swear!” I lay Harvey’s card down in front of him and his temper eases instantly towards me. “What did he want?”
“For me to leave you and work for him.”
“And what did you say?” He asks eyeing me directly.
“I said I would think about it. I’m not stupid. He would have killed me right then if I had said no, just as you will kill me if I leave you for him. So instead, I am asking for you to help me get out from in the middle of this feud you have with him.” I said feeling better about my decision to come to him.
Nick sits back pondering my information, “Call him and tell him I offered you a better deal and you have decided to stay.”
“He will kill me if I do that!” I yell back at him.
“No he won’t. Do it and I will take care of the rest.” Nick said confidently.
I leave Nick’s office not feeling much better than I did. I spend the rest of the night listening to Luke huffing at me for shaking down Nick for more money. I don’t understand what he is talking about at first but after Nick tells him that I have earned it, I play along nervously. I thought for sure Nick would tell him what I said and it worries me that he didn’t. I drop off Exie at a close friend’s house, who is already watching Jerran. Knowing they both are safely away from me, I head home alone becoming more nervous the closer I get. I run into the house, locking every door and window, and sit in a corner with Jerran’s baseball bat. I barely breathe while I watch every movement in the yard. I know I am probably making myself go insane but when I hear a noise in the basement my heart stops. It's footsteps, definitely footsteps coming up the stairs. I stand up slowly and wait to take aim. When the door opens, I swing.
“Fuck, Kayla!” Nick yells catching me in midswing before taking the bat away from me.
“Nick, damn it! You scared the hell out of me!” I stomp and yell at him.
“Obviously! Calm down. I checked around, there is no one out there yet.”
“What are you doing here?” I huff at him.
“I told you I would take care of everything.”
“I thought that meant you would go find him somewhere else and take care of it.”
“Oh, Princess, Harvey is not going to put himself in a position to be killed by me. But he will not miss a chance to get at me, especially if he thinks I am nowhere near.”
“Tell me you brought some people to help.” Nick smiles tapping my chin. “Nick, are you stupid? He will kill us both.”
“Princess, just do what you normally do and leave the rest to me.” I stand awkwardly looking around. “Seriously? That’s what you do every night?”
“NO! I usually get ready for bed, but I am not going to do that now.”
“Why not?”
“Wh
Nick shakes his head and turns me around, pushing me forward. “Go clean yourself up and go to bed. You don’t have to go to sleep and you can go to bed with your bat, if you like, but the quicker you look vulnerable, the quicker they will try to kill you.”
“Oh, well. Let me hurry then.” I said faking my excitement.
“I know I’m excited.” I glare at him as he smiles back. Getting cleaned up I find something to put on and start to change before noticing Nick sitting in a corner watching me.
“Do you mind?” I say to him hiding myself.
“Are you kidding?” He said before shaking his head at me. Exasperated I do my best to change and show him as little as possible. “Wow, I know I’m turned on.”
“Shut up.”
“Is that what you wear to bed?”
“Nick!”
“I think my dick shriveled up looking at it.”
“Well, I am not trying to get you turned on right now. I am trying to not get killed.”
“Okay, but I was hoping for better from you. You could put on something a little smaller and tighter, at least. Anything would be more appealing than that mess. I am here to save your life. Give me a little reason to want to.” Even in the dark I can see his obnoxious smile.
“Ass! I swear…” I mumble climbing into bed.
Hours go by and I begin to fall asleep. When reality seeps back into my mind, I wake up quickly, “Nick?”
“It's okay, go back to sleep.” He whispered from what seems closer than I remember him being. I reach out into the dark and he takes my hand. “Go to sleep, I’m here.” I settle in and slowly fall right back into my dreams.
Suddenly I am startled awake. I gasp before realizing Nick is still holding my hand. “I’m right here and yes I heard it to. I’m going to drop back and give him space …” I nod understanding.
I get up to investigate the noise with my bat in hand. They come right through the front door, with little trouble. I swing and fight with everything I have, but am ultimately in their control. Harvey walks in at their signal and smiles at me. “I hope we didn’t wake you,” he says.