Page 96 of Nikolai (Kansas City Reapers)

“Take care and…” Maddy began, pausing as she searched for words. “I guess all I know to say is thank you. It’s not enough, but thank you for protecting me. For making me laugh. For keeping me safe.”

“Anytime, Maddy,” Sully responded, his voice thick with emotion. I was more than shocked to see a tear streak down his face. Sully may be the most emotional one among us, the one most likely to cry, but he didn’t do it often. At least, not outside of his annual rewatching of Homeward Bound. That movie got him choked up and sobbing like a baby every damn time. I’d never understand why he still watched it.

“Where’s Detective Mercado?” Maddy asked, looking out of the front door window and seeing the driveway empty.

“He left already.” There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes, and I didn’t catch it before my mouth was already open, spewing out the words that would crush her. “I’ll be taking you to the new safe house myself.”

Just as I suspected, the flicker of light in her eyes dulled, her face growing stern and emotionless before my very eyes.

“Then let’s go.” With that, she threw open the door, marching her way out towards the garage that housed our vehicles.

I sighed, heading out behind her, but Deacon’s hand on my shoulder stopped me.

“Are you sure this is the right call, Niko?” he asked, a look of concern etched on his face.

“I have a feeling it’s too late for that.” My eyes met his, and he only nodded, that same look of pity and regret written on his face.

I didn’t have time to think about that right now, though. I needed to get Maddy to the safe house. And I needed to figure out a way to express my feelings to Maddy in a way that made sense, while not compromising the mission at hand. All in the span of a short car ride.

I had a feeling I was well and truly fucked.

I jogged out to the garage, wanting to waste as little time as possible. I had already squandered my opportunity to talk to her. Hell, I should have talked to her yesterday, before all of this happened. I should have —

Well, I should have done a lot of things, and focusing on all mywhat ifsandshould haveswasn’t serving either ofus. It was time to man up, and right the wrong I had done. I could only hope she’d listen.

By the time I got to my SUV, Maddy was already in the vehicle, sitting in the passenger seat with her bags safely tucked away in the backseat.

“I need you to sit in the backseat, please. Behind my seat.” The words flew from my lips before I could think better of it. Jesus, I was fucking this up.

With a huff and an overly dramatic roll of her eyes, Maddy opened the passenger door, stomping her way around the vehicle to where I stood, holding the door open for her.

If looks could kill, the icy glare she threw my way would have absolutely been my demise. Seriously, those eyes were murderous.

I slipped into the driver’s seat, my eyes checking the mirrors out of habit. But as my eyes met hers in the rearview mirror, I couldn’t help but notice the glassy look in her eyes again, even if they were still shooting daggers out of the window.

“Maddy, I wasn’t trying to be harsh. I need you to sit in that spot for safety reasons,” I tried to explain kindly.

“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid, Niko. I know how a car works. And I would have been just as safe in the front seat as I am back here. Didn’t you tell me it’s all armored and bulletproof, anyway? But you go ahead and do whatever you want. Lord knows you will anyway.” Her harsh words, full of anger and vitriol, cut like a knife. “It’s not like you care.” Those last words were uttered so softly under her breath I almost didn’t catch them. Honestly, had I not been looking in the rearview mirror and readingher lips, I would have missed them entirely. If her anger was painful to me, it was nothing compared to that last sentence.Thatcut like a goddamn knife straight to my heart.

“Maddy,” I began again as I pulled out of the garage and headed off our property, mindful of the time. “It’s a standard procedure that, when transporting someone, the safest seat is directly behind the driver. It is a natural response in an accident for the driver to protect themself, which makes your position directly behind me safer than up here in the passenger seat. I wasn’t trying to be an ass.”

As I drove off of our property and onto the country road, I glanced in the mirror just in time to see yet another eye roll from her. But no words were spoken.

“Maddy, I want to talk to you about all of this. I know I should have talked to you about it before this morning—”

“You should have done a lot of things, Niko,” she grumbled, her arms crossing over her chest, half in defiance, half in what seemed to be self-preservation. I couldn’t blame her. All I wanted to do was turn the damn SUV around and take her back home, where she belonged.

Immediately, that very thought struck and took hold. What the hell was I even thinking? Take her home? That wasn’t her home. It was my home. Her home was nearly half an hour away, in a small apartment. This wasn’t her home, and it wasn’t her life. This was a job, just like Deacon had said.

Still, that didn’t mean there weren’t feelings involved.And that was the part I needed to fix. I cared for her, sure. But this was supposed to be a casual thing, nothing more. And I was letting it turn into something neither of us wanted.

The miles ticked away as I tried to figure out what to say to her, how to make her understand that I was doing this for her. That I had her best interests at heart. Finally, I just blurted out the best thing I could come up with. “Maddy, I know I didn’t handle this well. But it’s going to be good for you. You’ll have protection from a retired police officer at an official safe house. This is a good move for your safety.”

Somehow, the trip was gone and past, with almost no real conversation between us. Looking at the GPS, I made the turn into the driveway. The house was… surprising, to say the least. It was old, weathered, and unkempt. The grass was overgrown, almost knee-high, and the siding and simple roofing were faded and warped by exposure to the sun. All in all, it was a rather uninviting place.

The urge to turn around and take her home hit hard and fast once again. But that wasn’t the answer. I had failed to put Maddy’s safety and protection first, instead choosing my own selfish wants to claim her. It was time to adapt and overcome. It was time to be professional and put her first.

We pulled into the driveway, behind and to the side of Quinn’s unmarked squad car, which he had pulled over in front of the one-car garage.

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