My heart was racing seeing Niko standing in front of me. When I saw the spirit of his brother, Mikey, I tried to react quickly. I was completely caught off guard.
“You look nice and professional…I like it.”
Niko looked me up and down, then grabbed my arm, walking me to his car. I took deep, slow breaths to calm my heart. I didn’t want to have a panic attack.
He had a gun, and I wasn’t going to test to see if he would actually use it. For a few minutes, we sat in his car, and he talked to me like we were old friends catching up.
“Where do you stay now?”
My fear wouldn’t let me answer.
“Who was that guy that was at your apartment the night I was there? Was he your man?”
My hands were shaking while he touched them.
“You can tell me…”
I gave him a nod, and he sighed, leaning back.
“I figured he was. No man is going that hard over a woman he’s not with.”
Niko reached over and squeezed my thigh. I pulled away from him.
“I guess that means your fucking now, huh?”
My eyes watered as he moved away then started the ignition. He backed out of the parking spot then pulled off.
Thoughts of what I should do were swirling in my head. The security guard wasn’t in the booth when we drove out. My eyes kept looking at his gun while he turned the music up loud in the car.
Niko was now focused on the road as he turned the music up loud in the car. I wondered where he was going to take me.
🎵I get money, money I got...I get money.
The music drowned out my thoughts, and I closed my eyes, trying to stay calm.
After 20 minutes of driving, we pulled up to a big house. It was in a really nice neighborhood, and I kept my guard up. He turned the car off.
“Niko, why are you doing this?”
He looked at me with a soft smile.
“I just wanted to get to know you and be friends. But you wouldn’t give me a chance. So, now that I got you with me, I’m going to do whatever I want to you.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“Baby, I want to do this. You should’ve given me a chance prior to this.”
The way his smile went away with his eyes peering at me. I began to cry, and he tried to console me.
“Don’t worry, Mag…it’ll be fun.”
“This is not right, Niko. I was just trying to keep boundaries between us. You messed with my friend…why are you punishing me for that?”
“Punishing you? Listen, Magnolia…I don’t care about any of that shit or your ex friend. I want you, nothing more, nothing less.”
I looked down, not knowing what to do. Niko lifted my chin, softly kissed my cheek, then pulled away.
“I always get what I want.”
***
My sense of four different scents being near was correct. As soon as I got to the back of the cathedral, the four men went on full-blown attack.
I was impressed at how hard they were going for their boss and how they were about to die in his name.
My full capacity wasn’t even reached as I ripped the arms off three of them. I got a weird feeling that came over me, and I began to get Magnolia’s scent but not her scent of arousal that I enjoyed the most. It was pure fear.
I was pissed that I had to be here instead of with her, and I took my anger out on the man standing before me.
He got a couple slashes on my arms and chest. His head was nearly sliced off once my sharp claws machete his throat.
My spirit wolf left me again once the last man dropped. He went back to watch over Magnolia, then a feeling of ease came over me.
He is more brutal than myself, so that made my worry ease up.
I walked away from the church and went to another hotel. Staying in the same place for more than two days was not a good idea.
At any moment, I could be attacked or ambushed, so I was always ready. After getting my bag from my last room, I went to the new hotel and received my room card key.
I made my way onto the elevator with Magnolia heavy in my thoughts. I couldn’t wait to be deep inside her again. The thought of fucking her made me growl. The closer I got to my floor, my senses were on high alert.
I walked off the elevator feeling another energy following me down the hall. My excitement grew at the thought of another fight.
“Why are you following me?”
Then a familiar scent hit my nose and I turned around.
“Karina….”
“Hi, my love.”
She was standing a few feet away, wearing a black trench coat. My eyes looked behind her…she wasn’t alone.
“How do you know Max Stokes?”
The guilt on her face was obvious. There was no other reason for her to be here then helping him. She stayed silent as the other men I sensed came out around the corner hall.
Soon she spoke. “Does it matter?”
“I guess not…a traitor is a traitor anyway you look at it.”
“Then you’d fit that name perfectly.”
I knew why she said those words and I smirked.
“If that’s so, Magnolia is worth it.”
Her brows furrowed at my response as I stared into her eyes. I wondered if she would attack me next, but she suddenly switched her reaction. I put my bag on the floor.
“Wish we could’ve fucked one last time.” Karina smirked in return.
Her smugness was disappointing but not surprising. The six men pulled out guns and I planned my next move.
She shrugged. “Oh well…Make this quick gentlemen. I have a hair appointment in twenty minutes.”