Page 21 of Judgment Day

“That’s good news,” she smiled. “I love you too. See you in our room.”

Nodding, he released her hand and watched her leave. Since they weren’t alone, he resisted the urge to smack her ass when she walked past him. Once he and Nik were the only two left in the room, he faced his friend. Before he could say anything, Nik spoke.

“I tried to stay away from her. I tried not to become a part of her world. I knew nothing good would come to her from knowing me.” Nik rubbed his hands through his hair. “But, every time I thought of her, I ended up showing up at her house. And she’d end up smiling at me. I’d tell myself, just one more time. Go see her just one more time then stop going. But my dumb ass kept going back for more of those smiles.”

Nik went silent for a while. Then he said, “She has a beautiful smile.” Nik rubbed his arm and said, “I feel like I’m going through withdrawals from not being able to see it.” His hand stilled and he glanced up at Scar. “She’s good, Scar. She’s a good person. She has a good heart. She’d been dealt a shitty hand in life, but she’s still good. She didn’t let life make her like us. She still sees the good in people. She saw the good in me. And doing so may get her and her son killed.” Tears spilled down Nik’s cheeks. “I always get the people I love killed.”

“That’s not true,” Scar told him.

Nik raised his head. His gaze connected with Scar’s. The despair and hopelessness Scar saw in Nik’s eyes sent a chill down his spine.

“It’s true,” Nik whispered. “There’s a lot of shit you don’t know about me, Scar. But trust me, aside from Kris, everyone else I’ve loved in the past is dead. All of them. What did they all have in common?Me. Everyone who loves me dies. I’m the problem. There’s something wrong with me. Which is why I should leave, before everyone here dies too.”

Chapter Seven

Scar

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“Nik!” Scar stood up.

Nik shook his head. “Calm down. I won’t be leaving any time soon. I have to save Letisha and James. They’re my priority. I won’t leave before they’re saved.”

“You don’t have to leave at all.” Scar strode to the end of the table and sat down next to Nik in the seat Kris previously occupied.

“I don’t have to leave at all?” Nik chuckled. “Says the man who left once already.”

“Says the man who was part of the committee who forced me to leave.”

“Says the man...” Nik started.

Scar chuckled. “We could go on and on with this.”

“Wait, I’ve got one more,” Nik told him with a slight smile on his face. “Says the man who left and found the love of his life.”

“I can’t argue with that one.”

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