Page 29 of Taming Nikki

Irritation swept through me as I pulled out a cigarette. Nicole was nothing like I thought she’d be. She was vastly more complicated, and the hateful bitch routine seemed more and more like a mask she wore to protect herself. I was almost constantly distracted trying to figure her out. I started to become obsessive. It felt like an overbearing need to tear her walls down and see what made her tick, but I knew she would kill me if I tried.

A woman like her posed a significant threat to everything I’d built. She doesn’t listen. She does her own thing. She’s out on the streets selling shit I still didn’t have the full picture on. And she does it all with a smile on her face and a gun strapped to her thigh like she was born to it. If she had been born a boy, she probably would have taken our world by storm. As it was, I already felt like she was a threat. Which begged the question, why the fuck was I still going through with this? If it was just about revenge for her little break-in, then it definitely wasn’t worth it. But the more time I spent with her, the more obsessed I became, and obsession is dangerous in my line of work. It splits your focus and can get you killed.

By the time I finished, I had calmed down considerably. I made my way into the house and back upstairs, intent on getting some actual work done today, when I heard Nicole’s voice from down the hall.

“What do you mean, no?” She sounded frustrated. “You know I can’t. Because it’s not fucking safe. You know that. No. I said no! Tony, I–” I stepped closer to her room, listening to her argue with whoever was on the other line. “Don’t be stupid. That’s not an option. They’re too fucking young and you know it.” I stood just outside her door, watching her pace the room, the phone pressed to her ear. She looked like a wild animal in a cage, her long strides eating up the distance easily.

“Fine. I’ll handle it without you.” She scowled, rolling her eyes at the response. “You’re an idiot. She’s going to cheat on you again and you’re gonna come crying to me about how you need a distraction. It’s a fucking job, not something to do when you’re bored.” She paused, her gaze flicking across the floor. “What do you mean?” I crossed my arms and leaned on the frame of the door. She was either ignoring me or so angry she was oblivious to me standing there watching her. “You’re a real asshole, you know that? Yes. What the fuck does yes mean? Fine. Bye.” Her gaze finally flicked to me, annoyance flashing across her face. “Did anyone ever tell you eavesdropping can get you killed?”

I pushed off the frame and stepped into the room. Her room, apparently. She was right next door to her father’s office. The room was a disaster zone, clothes thrown everywhere, boxes stacked in the corner. I gestured toward them.

“Going somewhere?”

“One could only hope. What do you want?”

Since flinching from me this morning, she seemed determined to stand her ground whenever I stepped up to her. She didn’t realize it worked in my favor because it kept her where I wanted her. I shoved my hands in my pocket to keep them to myself, standing toe-to-toe with her.

“Sounds like you could use some help.”

She scoffed. “Not from you. Get out.”

I resisted the urge to grab her. The fucking disrespect needed to stop. “What’s the plan, then?”

She frowned. “What?”

“The plan. You’re obviously down a man. Going to run it alone?” I may not have known what she was selling, but I knew about moving product so it wasn’t a stretch to figure out what she was arguing about. Someone was supposed to go with her on the job and backed out. Since I didn’t want her on the streets anyway, offering to help her only benefited me. I should be able to figure out what the hell she was selling if I watched her do it and I’d be able to keep people off her at the same time.

She sucked her teeth, scowling at the floor as she tried to run through her options. I waited, willing to bet with an argument like that, it was important enough that she’d cave eventually.

When I cleared my throat, she snarled, throwing her hands into the air. “Fine! I don’t know what I’m going to do. Happy?”

I kept my face neutral. “When’s the drop?”

“Tomorrow night.”

“I’ll be there.”

She shot me a look. Obviously she didn’t trust me. “Why the fuck would you help me?”

I gave her a lazy shrug as she fought back a scowl. She seemed undecided for a moment before her typical mask of bitchiness reared its ugly head. “You fuck this up for me, the deal is off. This isn’t a typical run and I won’t have you ruining my reputation.”

I shot her a droll look. “I think I can handle it.”

She shot daggers at me, her eyes narrowed, before her chin lifted as she sized me up. “You’re going to need a tux.”

Nicole planned to keep me in the dark until the last possible moment. She gave me a dress code and a time, but she wouldn’t give me a place until the following evening.

“How am I supposed to help you if I don’t know where I’m going?”

“I’ll tell you when you need to know. You’ll be meeting me here first anyway. Don’t you have somewhere you should be right now?” She crossed her arms, staring me down.

“Sounds like you’re trying to tell me what to do again.”

She raised an eyebrow and said nothing. Yes, I was supposed to be meeting with her father, but I wasn’t going to let her win.

“I’m not doing this for free.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course not. What do you want? If it’s marriage, the answer is no. I’d rather do the job alone.”

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