Loving Nicole (Savage Brothers MC #3)(22)

I’m at the flower shop giving approval to the bouquets and tying up last minute details. Dragon sent Bull along to watch over me. I’m glad he’s here, he’s probably one of the brother’s I’m closest to, but since the accident, he has changed. I’m not sure how to help him, but I understand it. Totally.

“Going outside, Nic, I got to make a call. Don’t leave the store till I come back,” he grumbles and I strain to hear him. He doesn’t talk loud these days; it pains him. He’s got a nasty scar along the side of his neck and I know it bothers him.

“Okay, Bull,” I nod looking at the beautiful pink roses the florist has put together with baby’s breath and wishing Dani could see them. I hear the bell sound as the store’s door opens, signaling Bull’s departure.

“These are beautiful, Trish. I love them,” I say honestly and hope she doesn’t detect the sadness in my voice.

I hear her gasp and look up. The man who delivered the note from Michael is standing beside her with a gun pointed to Trish’s temple.

“Ms. Wentworth, I’ll need you to follow me quietly through the back without making a scene.”

“Like hell I will,” I’m not going a damn place with him. If I do, it’d be like signing my death warrant.

“You will, or your friend here dies. It’s your choice.”

My eyes lock on Trish’s. She’s crying and the sobs shake through her body. The man has his gloved hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. I look over my shoulder, trying to spot Bull through the shop’s main window. His back is turned to me as he talks on the phone. There’s no way to get his attention and I’m not even sure what he could do if I did. I turn back to look at the man.

“She’s innocent,” I try to stress.

I listen to the sound of the hammer cocking on the gun. It seems extraordinarily loud.

“Stop! I’ll go. Just don’t hurt her!”

He takes the butt of the gun and slams it on top of Trish’s head. Her eyes roll backwards and she slumps against her captor, unconscious. He reaches out and grabs my arm before I can run.

“Don’t make a sound. I can still kill your friend and you before anyone can make it to you. You do have a child to worry about, do you not, Ms. Wentworth?”

I nod stiffly once, then allow him to pull me and my child into the back room. I hope Bull finds us missing quickly. It’s not much, but that hope is all I’ve got right now.

*

We’re in a limo. The creep (my name for him) and I are riding in the back and someone else is up front driving. I can’t see because the screen is up. We’ve been riding for a while, but I have no idea for how long. I can’t think past this giant lump of fear in my throat. Eventually we stop. I look around, it’s an abandoned grade school that the county shut down a few years back. The weeds have grown around it, the windows have been shattered here and there and the brick is faded and there are cracks in some of them. I’ve passed it before, but until this moment I never realized how evil it looked.

When the vehicle stops, creepy guy grabs me by the arm roughly and pulls me out. I’m not the most graceful person right now, so I fall to the ground. I wince as gravel digs against my ass upon impact.

Shit, that’s going to leave a mark.

“Get up.”

Gee, not so cordial now.

I have to angle myself to the side to get up, but eventually do. He grabs my arm roughly again and pulls me along to the front entrance. If Dragon was here he’d feed this man his entrails. I decide that if the baby and I survive I’ll tell him all about the guy, so he will.

He pushes me inside, ahead of him, and it takes everything I have not to fall again. I look up when I finally come to a stop, but immediately wish I didn’t. Standing in front of me is the devil himself. Michael Kavanagh. Realistically, I knew it would be him, since it was his henchman and all that kidnapped me, but I just didn’t want to see the * again.

“Hello, Nicole.”

“Asshole.”

His face tightens in irritation. I know it’s not smart to upset him, but I can’t keep from doing it, to be honest.

“I see you are the reason for the decline in Melinda’s manners.”

“That probably has more to do with the fact you’re a butt munch,” I say back to him and I really wish I could control my mouth sometimes, because I know that is going too far. I should be more cautious, because it’s not just me now, it’s the baby.

He slaps me hard with the back of his hand. I stumble backwards, holding the side of my face.

“I would watch my mouth, Ms. Wentworth.”

I really want to say more, but I bite my tongue hard to keep from doing so. The coppery taste of blood enters my mouth.

“You do know that Dragon’s man has already discovered I’m missing and they will be on your ass any minute.”

“I do know they’ll be here soon, but it won’t matter. By the time those imbeciles arrive, we will have already made our deal.”

“I’m not entering into any kind of deal with you.”

“Oh, but you are, Ms. Wentworth.”

“No, I’m really not.”

He motions over to creepy dude. The guy nods and walks towards a set of double doors. It looks like it used to be a gymnasium for the school. Michael puts his hand on my lower back to steer me towards the room. My skin crawls at the feel of his touch and I jerk away, giving him a scathing look. I walk in front of him though, because I know arguing will only get me or my child hurt. The fact that I’m pregnant won’t bother Michael at all. I’m sure of that much.