by D W Marshall
He gasps. “Did you just call me dumb?” his smile says he’s joking.
“Of course not. But the neurology of the brain is not the most exciting conversation topic.”
Niko leans forward and brushes my lips with the softest kiss I have ever felt, causing my body to tingle just about everywhere. “I am so happy to see you taking control over your life like this. I knew you were brave the second I met you. Whitney, you never cease to amaze me.”
“Brave is not the right word for where I am right now, but I believe I’m getting there.”
“I think you are further along than you think you are.”
Where did you come from, Niko Andres?
Chapter 24
Niko
“You love her,” Sam says when I let myself into her hotel room.
I shake my head at her. “I’m pretty sure that is a very strong word for how I feel for Whitney. Not sure it’s love.” I toss my keys on the counter, grab a beer out of the mini fridge, and fall onto the couch.
Sam sits down next to me. “Well, you may not love her, but you certainly like her—a lot.”
My partner is someone I never lie to. It’s a pact we have with each other—no lies, no secrets. “Whitney is phenomenal. She’s smart and beautiful, and stronger than she knows. She has been through a fucking lot. So, I can’t rush her.”
“But you do love her?” she asks, walking to the fridge as well.
I take a long gulp of my beer and think about her question. When I see Whitney, I get anxious and nervous. When we’re apart, I can’t wait to see her again. I love any chance I get to touch her. And, my protective instincts awoke the moment I met her. “Don’t know, never been in love.”
Sam hands me another beer. “Until now,” she teases.
“Stop. She and I are getting to know each other.”
She laughs from deep within her belly. “You did not see the way you were looking at her at the restaurant,” she sings the last word. “You hung on her every word.”
Was I that bad? “Just forget about it. The second she finds out I’m not a personal trainer and I’m a cop, she’s never gonna forgive me,” I say as I suck down the second beer and let out a loud burp. She’s never going to forgive me. “She trusts me. When she finds out I lied. Voop—” I sail my arm through the air.
Sam turns on the television. “You haven’t given her a chance.”
“Update me on Thomas,” I say to get her to change the subject.
She turns to me, her face alight with energy and enthusiasm. She loves to work a case. “He is the biggest piece of shit.”
“I know this already. The case?”
“He has been prying into my life. Most of his questions focus around my morality. He got handsy a few times, and I averted his attention easily enough. He hasn’t come out and asked me to work for him, but the last time I talked to him, he said he had something big to discuss with me.”
All I can do is shake my head. “He is desperate. You’ve been here a minute, and he’s already propositioning you.” Sam, I’m not worried about; she can handle herself. But Thomas’ desperation makes me worried for Whitney. Desperate men are unpredictable.
“Has he talked about Whitney?”
“Not too much, but I’ll feel him out. If I make him think I can do the work he wanted her for, maybe he’ll forget about her.”
I take another swig of my beer, stare at the tube, and mutter, “I hope so.”
Chapter 25
Whitney
There is so much I want to tell Dr. Wesley. I want to tell her about my growing feelings for Niko and how I think about possibilities with him, that I feel safe with him and how the growing feelings scare me. I want to tell her how much I am enjoying making plans for my future again. University College emailed me and I’m enrolled in classes for the Fall. She might think I’m on something, but I feel happiness coursing through my veins.
When I’m driving up toward the office building, I see a familiar form coming out of the door—Thomas. It’s a medical office, so he may be seeing another doctor, but it’s weird that he’d be here. I pull into a spot and wait for him to get into his car and drive off. His gait is cocky and overly confident as usual. I don’t care if I’m late to my appointment; I can’t risk him seeing me.
How long will my heart race at the sight of him? How long will fear course through my body? He has the power because I give it to him. Even if I resisted him, I know he is stronger than me and would just take it away.
I don’t just wait until he’s in his car and driving away. I wait until I can’t see him at all—anywhere. Once he is out of sight I rush into the building and into her office.
I exchange pleasantries with Lucy, and wait. The ten minutes that go by allow me time to calm myself down after my near run in with Thomas.
“Good afternoon, Dr. Wesley. How are you?” I say when I walk through her office door.
“Doing just fine. And yourself?”
“Feeling better every day.” I take my usual seat.
She smiles at me, but it’s tense instead of her usual emotionless smile.
“How is the meditation going?”
“Better every day.”
“Are you able to get through the entire session?”
I nod. “I am if I do it outside, not as easy if I’m inside.”
She writes that down. “Why do you think that is?”
I shrug. I think it’s because when I’m outside, when I close my eyes the sunlight filters through, I feel the heat on my skin and it lets me know I’m okay. But when I try at home it’s too dark when I close my eyes, and I get freaked out.”
She continues to jot what I’m saying down.
“Have you tried to turn on the light?”
I nod. “Doesn’t help.”
“I want you to keep trying at home. It’s good that you have found a safe place to perform your meditation, but it is important that you feel safe enough to do it anywhere. Just in case you are in a situation where you can’t get outside.”
The thought alone makes me anxious. “True.”
“Nightmares?”
“None this week. The sleeping pills are helping. I don’t even have to take them every night.”
“Good.”
“Actually, I’m feeling a whole lot better. I’m starting to feel like my life is starting to fall back into place. I’m learning self-defense and it is empowering. I don’t feel as afraid all the time.”
She scribbles onto her pad, but remains silent.
“I was reaccepted at University College in London. I also met someone.” I throw that in the middle, hoping it gets absorbed by everything else. “I guess, I’m starting to feel alive, doc. For the first time in over a year, I feel some of the old me working her way back.”
Dr. Wesley doesn’t speak. She only stares at me, her eyes assessing me.
“Say something,” I urge.
She peers over her glasses at me. “You certainly appear happy,” she says but doesn’t smile.
“Is there something wrong with that? With me being happy? Because I thought that was the goal here.”
Dr. Wesley removes her glasses. “My fear for you is that you glossed over some major steps in your healing process. You’ve avoided dealing with your issues, and you think running off to London will solve everything.”
“What? I mean, I was always meant to go to school there. I look at it as me being back on track, or at least near the track. I can find another therapist in London. I don’t plan on stopping.”
She doesn’t respond, instead she clears her throat and writes more.
“What steps am I missing?”
She flips the pages of the notebook and stops. “For starters, your fiancé.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I don’t have a fiancé.”
“Thomas,” she says and slides her glasses back up to her face.
“What about him? He’s a monster, and we aren’t together anymore.” I keep my voice even
and flat.
Dr. Wesley closes and sets the tablet down on the side table. She stares at me before speaking. “I don’t think things are as over for you two as you believe. He loves you, Whitney. And, you, you didn’t give him a chance to adjust to what you went through.”
I am out of my seat. “Are you kidding me? He wants time to adjust? What about my time? He didn’t experience anything heinous, I did.” Is she for real? “Wait. You’re my doctor, why are you cheering for Thomas? I saw him before my appointment. Did he pay you to say these things?”
Dr. Wesley gestures for me to sit. I don’t want to, but I need answers.
“He is struggling with not being with you. He misses you. He is sorry for how he’s treated you. It’s just that every time he sees you, he thinks of the horrible things that happened to you.”
My jaw hits the floor. “Are you kidding me right now? Thomas is sad and misses me? He can’t stand what happened to me?” My voice is loud and sharp. “That’s what you’re peddling here?”
She nods and purses her lips.
“I guess he omitted the fact that he wants to prostitute me out to make back the money he lost while I was gone.” I jab my finger in her direction. How dare he hijack my therapist. How dare she be an unethical bitch when I trusted her. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted a therapist that grew up with me on this fucking tiny-ass island. My first instinct was to find someone off island, a real professional that doesn’t already know my life story.
Dr. Wesley waves my accusation away. “Preposterous. The Ackerly’s are an upstanding family. There is no way their son would do something so unspeakable.”
“Well he fooled you, too. Everybody on this stupid island thinks he’s the golden boy. Maybe he was once upon a time, but I’m here to tell you the prince has fallen. He is a monster in the making.”
She stares and waits for me to continue. “Whitney, please sit.”
“I can’t. This is so fucked up. I trusted you. You are a doctor. There are laws being broken here. You have an oath to do no harm. I would definitely call this harm. I knew this would be a conflict for you, knowing us both so well.” I do aggressive air quotes. “But I thought you could be professional. Heard of a little thing called HIPPA? I’m pretty sure I could have your license for this.”
“Please calm down, Whitney.” She is out of her seat.
I stare daggers at her. “Calm down? Fuck you, Biance.” She is no longer worthy of the title doctor. “Before I walk out of this office and never return, know this, you should consider a change of profession because you fucking suck at this one.” I storm out with immediate plans of reporting her to the licensing board.
Damn Thomas. His desire to infect every facet of my life is exhausting. I need to beef up my training because I might have to kick his ass.
Chapter 26
Whitney
Today is my first day back at my parent’s house. I need to pack my room for my move to London. My therapy session was days ago. I sent a very long letter to the medical board about Dr. Wesley because there is no way she should be in practice.
I’m still upset with my therapist and Thomas, but my date with Niko overshadows all of the negativity in my life.
When I walk into the living room, Niko stands. He is stunning in his suit. My mind goes back to the first and only time I’ve seen him in a suit—the hotel suite. I shake the thought, even though I know we need to talk about his being in that room and what he was prepared to do had I not been the woman who walked through the door.
I cross the room and wrap my arms around him, and he plants a sweet kiss on my cheek, very close to my lips. I’m not hiding what we are becoming from anyone anymore.
My parents aren’t warm, but they are polite to Niko.
“You look amazing, Whitney.”
I blush at the compliment. “This old thing,” I say. The dress is fitted, above the knee and midnight blue.
I say goodbye to my parents and leave with Niko.
Niko takes me to a romantic dinner club with live music. We sit close to one another and share a plate of appetizers. We hold hands, and Niko wraps his arms around me as we listen to the band’s soothing sounds.
When we finish dinner, we walk to the beach. The moon hangs low and casts a glow on the water. I take off my heels, and we lace our fingers together, getting lost in the sounds of the waves.
I lean my head on his arm; I’m not tall enough to reach his shoulder. “Where did you come from?”
“You ask that a lot.”
I stop walking and turn to him. “It’s just my world was about to fall apart for the second time, and there you were. Here you are.”
“I could say the same for you.”
“Really?”
Niko lets go of my hand, gently cups my cheeks and neck with his long fingers and stares into my eyes. Only by the light from the restaurant patio am I able to see his face. “You kind of came out of nowhere, too. This terrified, gorgeous woman, begging for help. I fell for you in that instant.”
He brings his face to mine and I dizzy when our lips touch. His tongue tastes my lips, requesting entrance and I don’t hesitate to grant it. My body heats in secret places, and I long for more of this, more of him. When he breaks the kiss, I greedily pull him back for more. Moans escape me. Niko’s hands caress my body, and I arch my back in response. He tells me what he wants with his mouth, with his hands, his panting breaths, and his growing erection. This moment could change everything for us.
We separate sooner than I want to, and we continue our walk on the beach. My heart beat slows, incrementally, calming itself from a very sensual display.
“So, if I tell you something, will you promise not to get mad?” I ask.
“No conversation that starts with that question is ever easy to promise.”
“I know, but I don’t want to keep anything from you, and I’m pretty sure you’re gonna want to know this.”
“How bout, I promise to try.”
“Fair enough,” I hesitate. “I saw Thomas the other day. He didn’t see me, but I saw him.”
“Okay.”
“He was coming out of my therapist’s building, and I hid in my car once I spotted him. He started seeing the same therapist as me. Long story, but I fired her.”
Niko stops walking. “This has got to end. He can’t keep meddling in your life. Over means over.”
“I agree, but…I mean, I’ll be in London in only a month. He’ll never leave this island.”
“Let’s go.” Niko says, grabbing my hand and leading me off the beach.
“I wouldn’t have told you if it meant ending our date. You said you wouldn’t get mad.”
He looks back at me. “I said I would try and I’m not mad. I’m furious. He can’t keep doing this to you. I won’t let him.”
Niko helps me into the truck. I’m suddenly exhausted. He climbs in the driver’s side. He is bristling with anger.
“I had a lovely time tonight, Niko. Thank you.” My face bears the sadness I am feeling. He is wound into my mess. My stress is his stress. I hate this.
He calms noticeably from my words. “I’m sorry. I have to keep you safe.”
“I know.”
Niko walks me to the front door. “I’m sorry I cut our evening short. It was one of the best nights ever. Every minute I spend with you feels that way. But this has to stop, Whitney. He can’t keep harassing you and getting away with it.”
I sit into one hip and pout. Here goes Thomas interfering with my life again. Over and over.
Niko brushes my lips with his thumb and kisses me on the lips. “Until next time, lovely lady.” He kisses me, soft, slow. No tongue, just wet lips.
We say goodbye and I walk into the house. My heart sinks a little.
I hope he doesn't get into a fight with Thomas or worse.
Instead of suffering the worry of what he might or might not do to Thomas, I go back to packing up my room. I’m sure Chalice and Amaris are going to want to hang out wit
h me tonight, since Amaris is leaving in a few days. That’s another part of my life that I have recently enjoyed. Living with Chalice allows me to really enjoy my gals, like old times.
The house is quiet. Date night for mom and dad. I’ll be long gone before they get back home.
Chapter 27
Niko
“Okay, this shit ends now. I need you to make your move with Thomas, now. I need him to back off of Whitney. He is a persistent fuck,” I tell Sam when I stalk into her room.
She stares at me like I’ve gone mad. “And how do you expect me to do that. It’s not like he’s gonna just ask me to work for him; he doesn’t know if he can trust me yet. And you went and pissed him off.”
“That may be it. If he thinks he’s gonna get back at me for stealing Whitney from him, he’ll jump at the chance.”
“Okay, I see where you’re going with this. He is cocky and douchey enough to think with his ego,” Sam says.
“Fuck it, I’m just gonna go beat the shit out of him. If he’s in the hospital he can’t fuck with her.” I make my way toward the door.
“Niko, wait.”
“What?” I don’t turn toward her.
“That solves dick. If you beat him, you’re off the fucking case. This is why you don’t make things personal. You know better than this. If you beat him, that may save Whitney, but you know he will start this shit back up again once he heals. What about the other women?”
“Argh!” I shout. I pace back and forth, thinking. Another idea pops into my head. “Money problems. Confide in him that you are having money problems and came here hoping that I would bail you out, but you don’t know how to ask me.”
She rises from the bed. “I like it. I could say something about him being your good friend and maybe he could help me figure out what to say to you.”
“Yes, and make sure you use the words desperate. He’ll jump on that shit.”
