Damon (The Protectors #1)(35)
“Who says?” Damon ask, knowing exactly who that was. What he wanted to know is what Alice had said to make her run like that.
“I said.” Nicole looked away nervously. She was a horrible liar.
“We are going to talk Nicole.” Damon glared at her. “Whether you like it or not, whether it’s out here or inside, we are going to talk. So I will give you the option of where you are going to tell me what is going on in the pretty little head of yours.”
Nicole felt a warm heat settle in her stomach at the word pretty, then mentally bitch smacked herself. What the hell was wrong with her? She was mad, not all warm and gooey like a teenager with a crush. She was a strong, independent, pissed off woman dammit. “Go to hell.” Ha, how about that option vamp, her nose went into the air and she crossed her arms this time.
“That is not an option.” Bending over he tossed her over his shoulder giving her a head rush of deja vu. He carried her inside, fumbled with the keys trying to find the right one when a door behind them opened. Damon turned so fast Nicole thought she was going to be sick. Seeing an elderly woman peeking out he relaxed.
“Nicole honey, are you okay?” The woman opened the door wider her wrinkled face scrunched in concern. “Do you need me to call the police?”
With her butt facing the old woman Nicole pushed off Damon's leg to look around his shapely butt. Seeing the concern on her elderly neighbor's face made Nicole feel terrible. “No Ms. Webster, I'm fine.” Wow, if she kept lying she might actually get good at it. “He's just helping me inside.”
Ms. Webster nodded as if that explained everything when in truth it explained nothing at all, but the old woman just smiled. “Well, you two youngsters have a good night.” She winked at Damon who winked back making the old woman blush to the roots of her white curly hair.
“Lock your door ma'am.” Damon reminded her and didn't turn back around until the click of the lock echoed in the hallway.
Ahhh....how sweet. Nicole got that warm gooey feeling again, then frowned and pinched him on the butt, hard. She kept forgetting she was trying to get rid of him. She squealed when he spanked her hard, then rubbed it to ease the sting. “Hey, that hurt!”
“So did that pinch you little hellcat.” Damon finally found the right key and shoved the door open slamming it shut with his shitkickers then set her down.
Blood rushed to her head making her sway. “You really need to stop doing that to me. I think you're giving me brain damage.” She watched as he stuck her keys in his pocket and decided to let it go...for now. Glancing at his face she noticed he had dark circles under his eyes and her heart sunk to her stomach. “You look tired.”
Damon ignored her observation. “Why did you run Nicole?”
“Why didn't you feed tonight?” She answered his question with one of her own.
“That's really not your concern.” His eyes shifted away from hers.
“It is my concern if I'm being blamed.” Nicole sat down heavily on a kitchen stool and sighed. “I won't be your downfall Damon.”
Anger blazed across his face. “Listen to me and listen good.” Damon stepped toward her leaning down to her face level. “My decision to feed or not feed is my decision.”
Nicole jumped up. “Okay, this isn't working.” She paced nervously to the kitchen and pulled out a beer wishing it was something stronger. Twisting the cap off she drank down half the bottle then wiped the back of her hand across her lips. “Maybe I was wrong to leave like I did. I don't want to cause you any problems. I admit that I was just a little jealous of Alice and didn't want to see you around her.” She looked away from him ashamed of herself. She felt like a jealous nag, she hated jealous nags.
“You have no reason to be jealous of her Nicole.” Damon shook his head, his sigh echoing in the silence.
God she was making a mess of this. With one last long swig she set the beer down. “Listen Damon, I am going to take a leave of absence from my job. I will leave town until you all get this under control. I should have done that in the first place.”
“Is that really want you want?” Damon asked, his eyes glaring into hers so hard she knew he was trying to read her.
“Yes.” Nicole replied in a strong voice. Yep, she was getting this lying thing down.
“Bullshit.” Damon growled. “You love this job and nothing will stop you from doing it. You said so yourself.”
Don't cry she told herself. Do. Not. Cry. “Just please leave Damon.” Nicole couldn't look at him. “Take care of yourself. I'll be fine.”
“I'll call Jared and have him come stay with you.” He pulled out his phone.
Nicole jumped grabbing his hand. “I don't want him here. I don't want any of them here.”
What the hell did Alice say to her? If he got his hands on her he'd wring her no good neck. “Did one of them say something to you?”
“No.” She replied quickly. God this was going nowhere. “I just don't want to be a bother to you all anymore.”
“You are not a bother to us.” Damon touched her cheek and frowned when she jerked away.
“Don't. I can't think when you touch me.” Nicole walked backwards running into the stool she jumped up from. Reaching behind her she steadied the stool wishing she could steady herself as easily.