Page 157 of Cross & Crown

until he got tired of feeling Kelly’s eyes on him so he’d look

at him. Nick’s jaw jumped and he swallowed heavily, but he

never turned, never met Kelly’s eyes.

“What’s this going to do to you, babe?” Kelly finally asked

him. “What does it mean, owing Paddy a favor?”

Nick licked his lips, a nervous habit he’d nearly broken

himself of over the years but which had returned full force

when he’d come home the last time. “It’ll be fine.”

“O’Flaherty,” Julian said softly. “I understand what you’re

doing. I can assure you, the next time you call I will answer.

No matter the reason.”

Nick glanced over his shoulder, but never actually at

Julian. He returned his eyes to the elevator doors. “I do hope

you mean that.”

The elevator opened up before they could say more.

Nick’s face could have been cut from marble when Kelly

finally saw it.

158

Kelly had always wondered about those tales Nick had

told of barely escaping the grasp of the mob, if Nick had

simply been a young man exaggerating about a rough past

because it gave him that added air of authority among the

other Marines, or if he’d been serious.

The look in his eyes now, of stark fear and resignation

barely covered by steely determination, told Kelly he hadn’t

been exaggerating all those years ago.

Nick would go to the ends of the earth, carve out little

pieces of his soul, to keep a promise. Kelly could see him

carving away right now, preparing another piece to throw into

the fire.

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