Page 103 of Nikolai (Kansas City Reapers)

Quinn exited the car, the phone still held to his ear. He looked back at me before closing his door.

“I’ll keep you updated. Keep your phone close.”

With that, he bounded up the stairs to his home, my watchful eye covering him until I got the all-clear signal from him inside the house.

Finally relaxing my grip on my sidearm, I took a deep breath. I pulled out of the driveway and headed for home.

Thoughts of what had just gone down swirled in my mind like a fucking pinball machine. I focused on the only thing that mattered in that moment: keeping Maddy safe, and getting her back home. Where she belonged.

Chapter 25

Nikolai

I couldn’t see straight.Rage and fear warred inside of me as I pulled into the garage, not wanting my vehicle spotted in any situation. Not that it would be easy. Our driveway was not only gated and protected, but the house was also nearly a mile from the road, and surrounded by forest. We were well protected here. The guys and I had painstakingly made sure of that before we ever bought property together.

I exited the SUV, immediately opening the rear door to find Maddy shivering, her eyes still transfixed on absolutely nothing at all.

It was shock. I knew that much. She needed to be handled with care.

But rage, anger, fear, and about a million other emotions flooded my mind, clouding my better judgment.

“Let’s go.” It was cold. It was biting. It was borderline cruel. But I was afraid that if I said anything more, I’d losemy shit. And that wasn’t how I wanted to handle this. Not after I’d fucked everything up so royally already.

Guiding her from the car, I grabbed one of her bags — the one with a shoulder strap — and flung it over my shoulder. I was glad that Quinn had noticed her suitcases lying in the driveway where she had dropped them when the shooting started. My hand stayed on the small of her back, making sure her body was closer to the house than the road at all times. It was foolish. My body would do little to protect her if bullets went flying again, but it was something. It was the least I could do at that moment.

Across the yard and up the two steps into the house we walked, opening the front door and stepping inside. Immediately, Sully popped his head out of the kitchen, an apron affixed around his large torso. His face was all smiles until he saw us. I barely saw Deacon coming from the living room, but I felt his presence as he joined us.

“Niko…” Deacon began.

“What the fuck?” Sully said at the exact time, their words overlapping.

“Not now!” I bit out in an angry, emotional response. “Deacon, suitcase in the car. Get it.”

I dropped Maddy’s bag on the floor right there in the entryway, not caring one bit as I lifted Maddy into my arms and made for the stairs.

“Put me down,” Maddy protested half-heartedly. It was more than I’d heard her say since we’d arrived at the safe house, but just hearing her words gave me some small measure of hope that she would be ok.

“Shut it.” The words were as cold as ever, but it was allI could manage through clenched teeth as I climbed the staircase quickly, taking her immediately to my bedroom.

Setting her down carefully on the bed, I strode over to my closet, pulling the first aid kit from my closet.

No sooner had I stepped back out into the room than the bedroom door opened. Deacon stood there with a stern, serious expression on his face.

“Not now, Deacon,” I growled. I didn’t mean to throw him any attitude, but my emotions were hanging by a thread, the adrenaline crash dangerously near.

“Yes now, Niko.” He lifted his hand, holding his own medical kit in one hand. Deacon had served the majority of his military career as a medic, before taking on more… unsavory work within the special ops teams. “You both need to be looked at.”

We stood there for a moment, almost at an impasse, as he waited for me to make my decision. As much as I wanted to close that bedroom door, locking both Maddy and me in here for the foreseeable future and not letting her out of my sight, Deacon was right.

With a nod of my head, Deacon came through the doorway, closing and locking the door softly behind him. I was grateful for his foresight. I did not want any other questions, concerns, or comments tonight. Tomorrow would be a different story, but tonight, I needed to be here. Just her and me.

“You good?” Deacon asked as he crossed past me, giving me a quick once over.

“I’m fine.” It was true. I was not seriously injured in any way. A few scratches from the shattered glass, too much dirt to mention, and probably a bruise or two bymorning, but nothing more serious than that. Maddy, on the other hand, sat there in utter shock, her eyes glazed over as she paid us no attention whatsoever. A fact that shook me to my core.

Before approaching her, Deacon turned to me, his hand on my shoulder.

“Why don’t you go take a shower? Get yourself cleaned up while I tend to her.” His calm tone and easy demeanor did little to soothe my aching nerves.

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