Page 56 of Wilde In His Arms

She turned to him and held up a shopping bag he hadn’t seen until now.“I hope you didn’t think I forgot about you.”

He didn’t need anything but her.“I have everything I need standing in front of me.”

She leaned in and kissed him.It was soft and tame and nowhere near enough, but he’d take it for now.“Don’t you want to see what I brought you?”She set the bag between his legs.

He peeked inside and grinned at a dozen of his favorite chocolate croissants from the bakery he loved beneath an oval metal key chain that held a picture of him and Aria kissing.A selfie she snapped when they were on their first official date.

“I have a matching one.We belong together.So when you finally move, we’ll have matching keys toourplace.”

Theirplace.Finally she agreed to move in with him.Yes!

The joy he felt in that moment was quickly eclipsed by the threat Javier spewed at him in that kitchen before he left Nick bleeding all over the floor.I will fucking hunt you down and kill the one you love most, and then I’ll kill you.

Nick couldn’t take the chance that Javier went after Aria.More than likely he’d go after his brother, Mason.An eye for an eye and all that.His brother could protect himself and Lyric.But Nick was in no shape to protect Aria.The only way he could do that was to stay away from her until Javier was in custody.Dead would be better, because Javier had a far reach, people who owed him.People who would do anything for him to keep their secrets safe.

Fuck.

He couldn’t tell her he wasn’t coming home anytime soon.

“Nick?”Her worried gaze searched his.

He’d waited too long to say something and now he had her worried that moving in with her wasn’t what he wanted more than anything.He pulled out the key chain and held it in his fisted hand.“You have no idea what this means to me.”

“It means everything you want it to mean.Everything we talked about.You and me and a life together.”She bashfully glanced at his parents, then back to him.“Right?”

He held her gaze.“That’s exactly what I want.”

“Then that’s what we’ll have.”She pressed her lips tight and her gaze shied away from him.

“What is it?”

She turned back and shook her head.“I don’t want to spoil this.”

He wanted her to be able to tell him anything.“Aria, talk to me.”

She huffed out a frustrated breath.“I can’t stay.”She was needed at home.At the bar.“Mason wants to stay and help you with the case; Lyric is of course staying with him.They’ll discharge you in a couple of hours, and though you’re supposed to go home and rest, I know you’re going to take these kids to be reunited with their parents.As much as I’d like to stay and help you with that…”

His heart deflated.“I understand.You have to go.”

“I don’t want to.”The anguish in her eyes hurt his heart.

“I know you don’t.Just promise me you’ll be careful.Stay alert.If you’re tied to me, you could be a target.”

“I can take care of myself.”She took his hand and squeezed it.“I’ll be fine.You’re the one who needs to watch your back.”

“It’s just…if something happened to you…I couldn’t take it.”

She kissed him, her lips soft and warm against his.“I don’t want to lose you either.”

“How are you getting home?”

She pressed the back of his hand to her belly as she held it.“Hawk is flying me back.”

That made him feel better.She wouldn’t be traveling alone.

He squeezed her hand.“You know I’d rather go with you.”

“I know.But they need you.”She turned and smiled at the kids.

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