Page 69 of Mine to Keep

“Why’d you do that?”

He shrugged. “They want to think they have the upper hand—it’s nice to make them realize they don’t.”

“What did you write?”

Nick busied himself with his coffee. Sipping it…not answering me.

“Nick?”

“Nothing you need to worry about.”

Four got up from the table and followed Lizzy to the counter. I narrowed my eyes at Nick.

“Nicholas!”

“Oh.” His eyes widened. “You’re full-naming me now.”

“What. Did. You. Write?”

He made an expression like he didn’t want to tell me but also like he was bracing himself. “I simply said that they were wrong.”

“About?”

“That you weren’t theirs…youweremine.” He rushed the last part out so fast, I barely caught it.

“I was…you antagonized a stalker?”

“No.”

I rolled my eyes. “Nick, why’d you do that?”

His phone buzzed, and he was all too happy to answer it. “Hey, brother.” He held up a finger. Yeah, he could have a minute, and then I’d be returning to this conversation.

“Okay, sure, I’ll be home soon.”

When he disconnected I lifted a brow. “So?”

“Seems I got some hits on info I needed. I have to go to the house as soon as Mason or Shep arrive.”

“The note, Nick. Go take it off.”

“No can do, Mattie. Sorry.”

“I swear if you keep calling me that, I’ll never have sex with you again.”

“Hate it that much?”

“Yes, if I ever refer to myself by that name, kill me.”

He chuckled. “Dramatic.”

“Seriously, Nick, why antagonize them?”

He sighed, his gaze softening. “Because if they focus on me, maybe they’ll leave you alone.”

That was the dumbest thing I’d ever heard, and I was going to say as much, but I could see how much protecting me meant to Nick.

“Thank you for wanting to be my guard dog. But maybe don’t antagonize them anymore?”

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