Page 14 of To Love and Protect
“Actually, my guy, we’re here to evict you too. You gotta go,” Nico said. He looked Zayden directly in his eyes. “I’ll allow you to take the cereal with you but nothing else.”
Remedie wanted to giggle because Nico was so dead ass serious right now.
“Nigga—” Zayden didn’t have a chance to say anything else. The cereal bowl was now leaking all over the floor, while Zayden’s feet fought to find traction on the ground several inches below him.
“Nico,” Remedie warned. “You promised.”
Nico grinned, but it wasn’t playful this time. This time, it was menacing. “This is my best behavior, cookie. Go grab your things.”
“Nico—”
“Tell you what.” Nico turned to look at her. “Call me what I want you to call me, and I’ll let the bum live to see another day.”
Remedie’s eyes ballooned. “You can’t be serious right now.”
“I know I joke a lot, but this ain’t one of those times.” Amusement danced in his eyes, and Remedie couldn’t even lie. She was turned on. This man had balls the size of the Pacific Ocean.
Remedie averted her eyes and mumbled, “Will you please let the bum go,love?”
“Aye, man, y’all not gonna keep calling me a?—”
Nico’s fist tightened around the collar of Zayden’s baby tank. “Ain’t ya mama ever tell you it’s rude to interrupt? Me and my future wife are talkin’. Pipe down, Pepé Le Pew.” She couldn’t help it. A giggle slipped from Remedie’s lips, and she quickly lifted her hand to cover her mouth. When her eyes met Zayden’s, she saw fire in them. “Eyes on me, cookie.” When she looked at him, he spoke again. “I know I said I liked that one last night, and I still do, but I want to hear somethin’ else. That nickname at the top of my list.”
Heat filled her. She knew exactly what he wanted to hear, and her damn tongue desperately wanted to test it out, too, though she told herself she was only doing this to avoid a bloodbath in her house.
Through clenched teeth, she said, “Will you please let Zayden go,daddy?”
“I liked it better when you called him a bum?—”
“Nico!” Remedie stomped her foot in irritation, and Nico chuckled.
“Fine. Your wish is my command.” He lifted Zayden with one arm and opened the front door before tossing him out. “Oh, I forgot.” He bent down to grab the cereal bowl that still had a small amount of milk in it. “As promised.” He chucked the cereal bowl at Zayden’s head. It connected with a satisfying sound.
“Ow!” Zayden yelped.
“And don’t think about coming back here either. I’m having the locks changed and a security system installed. This ain’t a damn homeless shelter, but I suggest you go find one.” Nico slammed the door on Zayden and then turned to Remedie. “Go get your things, cookie. I’ll clean up this mess. Just point me toward the cleaning supplies.”
Remedie’s brows rose in awe. “A comedian, a protector, and helpful? You can’t be real.”
Nico stepped to her and gazed down at her. “As long as I’m around you, my biggest job is to care for you and protect. Everything after that will fall in line.”
Nico came on really strong. She felt he was both moving entirely too fast and also not fast enough. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the attraction she had for him. All she could do was hope for some time to herself to process everything, but she doubted Nico would allow her that. He was all gas, no brakes, and she honestly couldn’t say she hated it.
CHAPTER SIX
While Remedie was packing her things, Nico got a call from his mother reminding him of dinner that night with her and his brother. He’d honestly forgotten about it. Remedie was a welcome distraction but a distraction, nonetheless. His mother was his world, and the fact that he had forgotten about her good home cooking crushed him a bit. He didn’t dwell on it, though, because he would be there, and little did Remedie know, so would she.
“Okay, I think this is everything.”
Nico glanced up from his spot on the couch. He’d heard her moving around and asked several times if she needed help, but she declined every time.
Now she had two duffel bags and three suitcases sitting by the door, and he was impressed with how quickly she packed everything.
He stood and strode over to her. “Bet. Go get in the car. I’ll grab your bags and lock up. I already called the locksmith. They’ll be here tomorrow with the people who install security systems, so if you forgot anything, we can grab it tomorrow or anytime, really. That nigga ain’t gon’ bother you no more.”
She nodded, and he could see the relief in her stance. Her shoulders weren’t as tense, and she seemed to breathe a little easier. He didn’t know what it was about her cute ass, but everything in him wanted to keep that softness about her afloat.
Nico watched her pretty ass walk to the car. She stopped when she got to the door and peered at him as she hesitated. He chuckled. That had been a test. Baby passed with flying colors. He jogged over to her and opened her door. Once she was inside, he went to work hauling her things into his car.
