Page 129 of Sweet as Sin (Bad Habit 1)
Don’t let something awful someone does to you make you feel like you don’t deserve love, she’d said in the video, staring straight into the camera, her blue eyes fierce with unshed tears. Don’t take that on yourself, like I did. Don’t let the bad guys win.
“So you’re not sorry the truth is finally out about who you really are?”
“I’m only sorry for all the attention it’s brought us. I know how much you hate that shit.”
I made a small noise of agreement: I did hate that shit. Newspapers and the tabloids had picked up the story long before E! aired it, and it had gone viral. On the plus side, once the general public knew I wasn’t the cause of Avery’s overdose or breakup with Nico, the death threats against me died down. There was, however, a thriving online community convinced the entire thing was a conspiracy to boost Bad Habit’s record sales and generate buzz for the tour.
Not that they needed it. The tour had sold out the day tickets had been released. Apparently people didn’t care if Nico Nyx was really Nico Jameson, or if he was from Mars. They just wanted to watch him play music.
As for the threat of Nico going to prison because of what happened that fateful night with his father when he’d taken his two younger siblings and fled town, the police had told us that Amy’s video testimony—self-defense, she said—combined with eyewitness accounts of teachers and friends from that time who vouched for the violent alcoholism of their father, were enough to convince them not to bring a case, in spite of the story Michael had been telling in prison.
Maybe Eric had something to do with that, as well. Like Barney said, it never hurts to have a cop who owes you a favor.
And, as it turns out, the word of a drug trafficker who’d been under investigation by the FBI for several years doesn’t hold much water. In addition to being extremely pissed off he’d tapped all our phones and houses with software only the NSA was supposed to have access to, the FBI had found out about the hacking of the security company’s computers and the murders of Juan Carlos and the photographer. The list of Michael’s transgressions was so long I doubted he’d ever be released from prison.
Which suited me just fine. All in all, things were looking up.
“How do you think Barney’s doing? I’m a little worried about him.”
Nico’s deep chuckle vibrated his chest. “Why, because he’s followin’ you around like your shadow or because of his back?”
He’d sustained injuries to several of the discs in his back from the car crash, and now walked with a distinctive limp. So far it hadn’t deterred him from making himself a complete nuisance, sticking almost as close to my side as Nico did. I had a pair of bookends beside me wherever I went.
“Because he takes his job too seriously. The man has no private life, and he never takes time off. Don’t you think that’s unhealthy?”
“We’re the only family he has, Kat,” said Nico softly, trailing his fingers up my arm. “He considers me his brother, and he loves you like the little sister he never had. Him bein’ the way he is, he feels responsible he didn’t figure it out sooner that Michael had everyone’s places bugged.”
“But he did figure it out, and not only that, he turned it to your advantage! He has nothing to feel guilty for. He’s awesome.”
I didn’t understand all the technical particulars, but somehow Barney had used the software Michael had installed in our phones in reverse to track Michael’s location. When he tapped in to listen to a call, Barney could see where he was. Which was how when Chloe called me that morning to see how I was doing, Barney discovered Michael was lurking right down the street from Grace’s. Barney had never gone to my house first, like he’d told me. He just knew Michael was listening to our conversation, and hoped to smuggle me out of the house before Michael decided to make a move. Nico had been waiting to pounce with the police nearby, but Michael, with his suspicious nature, figured out the clothes drop for the red herring it was and beat him to it.
“Hmm,” said Nico, sounding disgruntled. “So Barney gets all the credit for comin’ to your rescue, does he? Your man thinkin’ to track you to Malibu usin’ the GPS on your cell phone doesn’t count for much in the knight in shinin’ armor department?”
I snuggled closer to the heat and safe solidity of Nico’s body, inhaling his warm, spicy scent. I trailed my foot up his calf. “Yes, it definitely gets you credit, sweetie.” I paused. “Though to be honest, I still might be a little pissed about all those brunettes. And that everyone in the world thinks I took you back without a fuss after you’d gone on a humping rampage across Los Angeles.”
“Not like they could blame me, after the shitty way you dumped my ass.”
I shoved at his chest. “Nico!”
He dipped his head and playfully bit my shoulder. “Kat!”
Pretending to pout, I rolled away. Nico prevented my escape by grabbing me around the waist and hauling me atop his naked body.
Just as I’d planned.
I grinned down at him. “You’re so easy, sweetie.”
“Oh yeah? ’Cause I’d describe myself as hard.” He flexed his hips to underscore his prominent erection. I’d nicknamed it Mr. Happy due to all the joy it evoked.
“Speaking of which . . . we never did take one of those baths you told me you liked so much.” When I coyly batted my lashes, he laughed, and squeezed me.
“Oh, yeah? Twice in two hours and she’s still not satisfied? Now she wants to do it in the bathtub?”
I rolled my eyes. “If you’re going to start with the ‘she’ business again, you won’t get lucky at all, mister.”
He pinched my bare behind. “And if you’re gonna start with the smart mouth again,” he said in a husky voice, “you won’t be sittin’ right for a week, woman.”
I nearly squee’d in glee. “Promises, promises.”
