Page 22 of Judgment Day

“See. Leaving can be beneficial.”

“There’s no need for you to leave. You’ve found someone already. We just have to get her back from Zian.”

Nik’s smile faded, making Scar almost wish he hadn’t brought up the Triad leader’s coward grandson.

“Once she’s back, she won’t want me any longer,” Nik told him.

“You don’t know that.”

“I do. The thing she fears most is something happening to her son. I’ve put him in danger. I’ve caused the thing she fears most to happen. She won’t let me come near them again. And she shouldn’t.”

“Look at my situation. I was hired to turn Exa over to a judge. He’s even trying to double the pay if I kidnap her and bring her to him right now.”

Nik cocked his head to the side. “Right now? He’s still trying to get her?”

“Yeah. He threatened to send hitmen after us if I don’t bring her to him.”

“Fuck him. Do you need me to help you kill him?”

“No. He’s given me a week to turn her over. I’m going to talk to Exa soon about taking him out before that time is up.”

“I’m in need of a distraction. I’d be happy to help.”

“You need to be here in case anything changes with the Leader and Zian.”

Sighing heavily, Nik swiped his hand over his face. “You’re right. I need to stay here. I’d probably fuck up in the field and endanger you and Exa, anyway. Then you’d hate me too.”

“You won’t, Nik. And no one hates you. The point I was trying to make earlier was that Exa and I have had our issues, but we overcame them. She now trusts me wholeheartedly, and I trust her too. Our love is new, but it’s solid. And look at Dean and Rain. He kidnapped her and tried to ruin her business. And she forgave him. And you know all about Oni and Garrett. He threatened to torture her. Now look.”

“Now, she’s torturing him.”

Scar chuckled. “Don’t let her hear you say that. My point is...”

“I get it.” Nik lowered his forehead to the table. “I get that love can sometimes overcome obstacles. But I’m proof that it sometimes can’t. I’ve lost a lot, Scar. A lot. I avoided love because I can’t take another loss.” Raising his head, he stared forward. “I joke and shit to keep my mind off everything and everyone I’ve lost.” Sighing again, Nik faced Scar. “Joking to keep from falling apart is tiresome. Sometimes, I just want to let go.”

The blood in Scar’s veins turned cold. “Let go of what?”

Nik smiled, then shook his head. “It’s just a metaphor.”

“Fuck that. Let go of what?”

Nik patted Scar’s hand and stood up. “I’m just talking shit. I haven’t slept well in days. I’m going to try to get some rest.

“Nik, talk to me.” Scar stood and followed Nik out of the room. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

In the hall, Nik stopped. “I’m just tired, man. That’s all. Don’t mind the shit I say.”

“We need you,” Scar told him. “Not for dispatches. We need you in our lives, in our world. Lathan worships you.”

Nik chuckled. “He’s a good kid.”

“A good kid who’s seen some bad shit. He needs men like us, men who’ve seen bad shit too, in his life.”

“I know,” Nik agreed, voice low. “There’s a lot of men like that in his life now.”

“You’re the only Nik in his life. He needs you. We need you.”

“What about what I need?”

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