Page 106 of Charity's Redemption

“And you don’t think it’s odd he still wants to go to dinner?”

“With his lawyer and,” his gaze collided with mine, “a beautiful woman… no. I don’t.”

Heat slapped my cheeks and made me look away from him. Curse my self-consciousness and unwilling nature to accept compliments.

“And if things go south?”

“I’ve planned for it all.” I patted his chest. “Burn the building down and hope for the best.”

“That’s not a plan.”

“Mmm. By definition it is.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m questioning my judgment with you.”

“What else is new?” I laughed. “We’ll be fine. I’ve got it handled.”

Nope. I’m not fine.

My palms were a sweaty mess and my heart wouldn’t stop assaulting my breast bone.

“Can’t we take the stairs?”

Nico held my hand as we stood at Adams’ penthouse elevator, the same penthouse Zoe was captive in. His warmth encompassed me as he made me forget what was about to happen.

“Who invites people to their house when they have a slave?”

When Adams changed plans from the club to his house, I assumed it was in his house… not with her, not with Zoe, the girl who got him out of jail and lost her chance to free herself from him.

“It’s their dynamic, I’m sure, Charity. Remember the type of people he surrounds himself with.”

“What if I can’t do this?”

“We’ve done this so many times, Charity. I’ll distract you, it’s just a brief ride up.”

I shook my head as I looked up at him, not even realizing we were about to get on my number one nemesis. “Not the elevator, Nico. I mean what I’m here for.”

The elevator dinged with an ominous pitch, and my stomach dropped as the doors slid open, paralyzing me in place.

“No. Mmhmm.” I shook my head as he pulled my terrorized frame through the doors. Nico shoved me in the corner, then covered me with his body, so the only thing visible was his hulking frame and his Moreno brown eyes.

“Listen to me, my dear. Adams is just another man. He’s no more special than Elias, the Russian, or Alejandro.” He cupped my cheek and rubbed his thumb against my lips. “You’ve got this. I have all the confidence of the world in you.” He kissed my forehead. “Understand?”

I swallowed the knot in my throat and nodded.

“Good. Don’t second guess yourself because he has a title.”

It’s not that I concerned myself with how he’d die. No, I had never killed anyone with witnesses left around. Zoe would be a witness. Nico wouldn’t be a witness, but an accessory. Would he feel guilty in the end?

The elevator jolted as we rose to his floor, my stomach doing somersaults. Nico’s hand slid gently up my outer thigh, unhindered from the dress that split up to my hip. I tipped my head back and released the breath I’d held. His lips captured my mouth with a sensual kiss, turning the flips in my belly into something of desire instead of fear.

I’d ride elevators all day long if he’d keep me in this heightened state of arousal the entire time. Nico’s fingers slid higher until they reached the string connected to my panties, then twisted his finger around it and tugged.

“Do you want me bare as I strangle him?”

He smiled against my cheek. “It’ll give me something else to look at while your hands are around his neck.”

My hand flew down and gripped his, stopping him from ripping them off my body.

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