Damon (The Protectors #1)(40)
“Sorry, I should have warned you guys about the way we end the games. It was a big hit the first time it happened for real when the benches cleared so we all decided to end them all that way having both teams thrown out so no winners.” Nicole waved to a couple of people who walked by. Then she spotted him standing alone. Without saying anything she headed toward him.
“What are you doing over here?” Nicole smiled adjusting her heavy ball bag up on her shoulder.
Without saying a word Damon lifted the bag off her shoulder and slung it up on his. “How much longer?”
“It's going to be a while yet.” Nicole glanced behind her watching the hungry mob attack the food tables. “You hungry? I'm starving.”
Damon glanced at the crowd with a frown. “Not really.”
Feeling disappointment Nicole sighed. “I can't leave Damon, but if you want to then I'm sure Jared and Sid will stay.
Shaking his head, he nudged her toward the crowd. “Come on.” Damon grumbled. “Just don't blame me if I accidentally kill that pitcher.”
Nicole laughed with a cock of her shaped eyebrow. “Accidentally?” Shaking her head at his serious expression she laughed again. “Jim wasn't going to hurt me Damon. I could probably take him with all those fancy moves you've taught me. It was all a show for the crowd and to end the game on an even keel.”
This time Damon's eyebrow cock up into his runaway bangs. “Fancy moves?” Damon frowned. “I teach sensible killing moves to keep you alive, not fancy.”
Rolling her eyes Nicole chuckled grabbing his arm. “Come on before all the food is gone. I'm starving.”
“For as little as you are you sure do eat a lot.” Damon teased.
“You ain't seen nothing yet buddy.” Nicole liked this teasing banter they had going on.
Damon smiled down at her before following her toward the food. The rest of the night was spent talking and eating. Nicole was happy to see that Duncan had brought Steve who was now talking to a girl his age and seemed to be charming her. Yeah, she knew how the poor girl felt. Damon was doing the same thing to her. He was polite to everyone, even Jim who he talked motorcycles talk with.
Nicole heard her phone ringing in her baseball bag and dug for it. Glancing at the number she didn't recognize she flipped it open. “Hello.” When no one replied she pressed her palm against her free ear cutting out most of the noise around her and walked a few steps away. “Hello.”
“So you think you're safe?” The deep voice on the other end hissed.
“Who is this?” Nicole replied, a wicked chill skimming up her spine as she took a step toward Damon
“Do not take another step.” The voice demanded. “Before I kill you I have decided to make you suffer.”
Oh God, he was here somewhere. Damon was still talking, but had turned his body toward her instead of her being at his back. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. “Who is this?” She whispered knowing she wouldn't get an answer, but she did and it was one she would never forget.
“Your worst nightmare.” He rasped with a chuckle. “I will give you five seconds to save your boss.”
Nicole gasped looking desperately for Mitch. “What?” Her voice shook not understanding until she saw the red dot on Mitch's forehead. “Oh God no!”
“One.” The man counted out.
With no thought to anything but Mitch Nicole took off running knocking people out of her way. She heard Damon yelling for her as heavy footsteps pounded behind her. Reaching Mitch she heard the sound a gun shot just as she jumped at Mitch tackling him to the ground. The wooden fence splintering where his head had been. Screams and panic sent people running. A heavy weight landed on top of Nicole.
“Are you hit?” Damon ran his hands frantically over her body checking. “Goddammit Nicole, are you hit?”
It took her a minute to get her bearings. “No.” Nicole shook her head. “I'm fine. Are you okay Mitch?”
“I'm fine.” Shaken, Mitch looked up at the fence which had a huge hole where he had been standing. “What the hell is going on?”
Sighing in relief Nicole scrambled for her phone that had fallen out of her hand landing a few feet away. Shaking so badly she could hardly get it to her ear. “What do you want?” She screamed into the phone.
“For you to suffer.” The voice responded, but before he cut off the connection he added. “Next time I won't miss Nicole.” Damon knelt beside her taking the phone.
Jared rushed up. “Whoever it was is gone.” Jared told Damon as he glanced at the fence, then at Nicole. “You okay?”
For the first time since this whole thing started at Club Zero Nicole wasn't okay. “No.” Her body started to shake from the horror of what had just happened. “No, I'm not okay. This isn't okay. Nothing is okay.” She rambled, standing up on wobbly legs.
Tossing the phone to Jared, Damon steadied Nicole. “Give this to Sid to see if he can find out where that number came from.”
“I need my phone.” Nicole said panicked. “You can't take my phone.”
“I'll give it right back.” Jared replied jogging toward Sid.
Nodding Nicole glanced over at Mitch who was sitting down at a picnic table looking haggard and shaken. Walking over, Nicole sat next to him. “I'm so sorry Mitch.”