Trusting Nicole (The Last Hangman MC #4)(18)

We go our separate ways after lunch and I’m almost home when I get a phone call. Masked number. I know it’s him. I don’t want to answer, but I have to. If I don’t, he’ll keep calling and it’s not going to be any good for me. He’s the one who’s been keeping me safe all these years. I owe him my life. I wish I could step away from all of it.

“Hello?”

“You’ll meet Mr. Raferty at the Hilton Garden Inn, room 409 at seven pm. Don’t be late,” he says before hanging up.

I wasn’t expecting this. Usually I never meet them in a hotel room. I hate change, especially like this. I park at home and go inside, making sure I rearm the alarm and go upstairs to take a shower and get ready for tonight. Looks like it’s a ball gown and high-heeled shoes type of evening for me tonight.



It’s close to one in the morning when I finally make it back home. I’m exhausted, my feet ache and I’m starving. I freeze when I see a black Mustang parked in front of my house. What is he doing here in the middle of the night? I park in the driveway and get out of the car. I look over to his car and see that it’s empty. Maybe I’m wrong and it’s not Jason’s car. I mean, he’s not the only person who drives a black Mustang in the area.

I rush inside and reset the alarm. I drop my shoes in the hallway and walk into the living room, not bothering with the light. I know the house well enough not to trip over every piece of furniture. I go straight to the fridge and make myself a sandwich and grab a bottle of water. I down half of the bottle and walk back into the living room with my plate. I grab the remote from where I left it on the coffee table and turn on the TV. I sit on the couch and scream as I sit on something squishy that is definitely not my couch.

I hit the person with the remote repeatedly. I hear a couple of groans but carry on striking.

“Will you stop, it’s me, Jason.” He winces as I whack his head.

“Jason? What the f*ck are you doing here?” I shout and turn on the lamp that’s by the couch. I gasp as I see his face. “Did I do that to you?”

“I needed to talk to you, so I came over here since you weren’t picking up your phone and yes you did.” He reaches up to his eyebrow and wipes the blood that’s oozing from his eyebrow. “Remind me never to scare you again, f*cking hell.” He grabs a tissue from the tissue box on the coffee table and holds it against his cut.

“I’m sorry, you scared the shit out of me, I didn’t expect anyone to be in my house in the middle of the night. How did you manage to get in and get around the alarm?” I look at his eyebrow and find my small first aid kit on a bookshelf.

“Handy.” He chuckles and sits still. “I’m a cop, I have access to that kind of stuff. The lock is easy to pick.” He shrugs.

“Right. What did you want to talk about in the middle of the night that was so important that you broke in instead of waiting in your car?” I dab an alcohol soaked cotton ball on his cut and he winces. “Big baby.”

“It stings! What are you doing dressed like that anyway?”

“Again, big baby. Nothing, just a party I was invited to.” I put a small plaster over the cut and dispose of the cotton balls before washing my hands and attacking my sandwich.

“Nicole…”

I sigh. “I told you, I was at a party.”

“What type of party? That’s pretty fancy.”

“It was a ballroom thingy event. It was boring.”

“You do know I could figure out pretty easily what you were up to tonight.”

“Yes, and you’d find out that it was just a party, so just drop it.” I glare at him and take an angry bite of my sandwich.

“They don’t feed you at that type of party?” He chuckles and wipes some mayonnaise from the corner of my mouth.

“Appetizers and those kinds of things, nothing filling.” I frown and take another bite.

“Sounds like that party sucked.”

“It did. So, why are you here?” I look at him and see his good mood crumble. “Hey, what’s with the long face?” I set my plate down and rub his arm.

“Wiping your hands on my jacket?” He chuckles softly.

“Yes, you know.” I shrug and grin softly.

“Just demons from my past catching up.” He sighs.

“With what happened to Jenny or something else?”

“Both.” He rubs his face.

“I know how hard this must be fo-“

“You have no idea how hard any of this is for me.”

“You’re forgetting who you are talking to, Officer...”

“Never.” He looks at me and something changes in his eyes. “I told you not to call me that.” He leans towards me, making me lean back into the couch. His lips are too close to mine for safety but at the last moment, he takes my plate and eats the remainder of my sandwich.

“You did not!” I glare at him and punch his arm.

“Stop hitting me, I’m a cop, remember?” He raises his eyebrow, grinning darkly at me.

“I remember.” I roll my eyes and get up.

“Where are you going?” he asks placing his left hand on my right hip, stopping me from going anywhere.

“I’m going to get changed. This isn’t the most comfortable dress to be sat around in.” I wet my lips and his eyes follow the movement, making me both uncomfortable and horny at the same time.