Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“She was hurting me, Nicoya. I couldn’t let her keep hurting me,” Ricky told her.
Nicoya walked over to kick the gun out of his reach before checking on the woman. There was no pulse. Turning to look at Ricky, she noticed a red mark on his skin. After walking back to him, she pushed up Ricky’s sleeve. “Did she do this?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you call someone?”
“There was no one to call.”
“Is anyone else in the house, Ricky?”
He shook his head.
Good. At least no one else was being held or had been harmed. The person the captain had assumed was a hostage was dead. The entire scene brought bile to Nicoya’s throat though. Not just from the blood and loss of life, but it was obvious Ricky had been abused and neglected for quite some time.
Struggling to maintain her composure, Nicoya radioed in to the captain that the threat was controlled. She reported there was one fatality and another who would need medical care before she squatted down next to the man she barely remembered from school and took his hand.
Hours later, she pulled into her driveway. Turning off the engine, she sat there staring blankly at the dashboard. There were days she loved and hated her job, and then there were shifts like today. Ones that showed her the worst of humanity.
A knock on her window made her look up as she reached instinctively for her gun. Her shoulders sagged at the sight of Axel’s concerned face. Immediately, she unlocked the door, pushed it open, and slid across the trash bag she’d used to protect the upholstery from the filth that was ground into her uniform.
He took one look at her and wrapped his arms around her in a massive bear hug. “Oh, Niki. Let’s get you inside and cleaned up.”
She nodded and allowed him to guide her into her house. He stopped at the laundry room just inside the garage. Nicoya took off her duty belt and set it carefully on the dryer before allowing him to strip off her clothes and shoes. When she stood naked before him, Axel pulled his T-shirt over her head and helped her thread her arms through the holes. Nicoya waited, wrapped in his scent and the warmth that lingered in the soft fabric as he dumped everything washable into the machine, added soap, and started an extended cycle. She picked up her duty belt and tactical vest as he guided her to the door.
“Let me carry this for you, Niki,” Axel offered, taking the heavy tactical vest from her hands. “Where do you store your gun?”
“In my bedroom.”
In a few minutes, she had everything put away with his help and could relax fully. Turning to him, Nicoya wrapped her arms around him, relying on his strength to support her as she sagged against him. “It was bad.”
“I’m so sorry, Little girl. Let Daddy help you clean up. You’ll feel better after a shower.”
Holding her against him, Axel released the pins and elastic band holding her tight bun in place. Nicoya sighed with relief as the pressure of the tight hairdo eased. Axel massaged her scalp, making her groan in pleasure.
“Come on, baby.”
After guiding her into the bathroom, Axel turned on the shower to warm before stripping off his clothes. She watched him blankly. Noticing his incredible body mechanically as her mind struggled with all she had seen, she felt numb.
“Into the water, Niki,” Axel ordered guiding her into the spray and following her inside. He washed her body without lingering on her curves, simply making sure that every inch of her skin was clean. He even had her dip her head into the water so he could shampoo her hair carefully.
“How do you feel, Little girl?”
“Clean. Thank you.”
Turning off the water, he toweled her dry and wrapped another towel around her wet hair before wiping the moisture from his own skin.
“Are you hungry?”
She shuddered at the thought of eating. “No.”
“Then let me hold you.”
Within minutes, he helped her into bed and tucked Ruffles into her arms before climbing in behind her to wrap his arms around her. With her snug against his body, Axel pressed a kiss to her temple. “You’re safe, Niki. Push everything out of your mind. Just be my Little girl for a while.”
She nodded and felt the last of the tension flood from her body. Taking all the memories of that horrific scene and locking it into a box in her mind, Nicoya focused on being with him now. His loving care surrounded her. She closed her eyes, feeling suddenly exhausted.
Chapter Nine
The room was dark when she woke up. Nicoya lifted her head from Axel’s chest to look into the sleeping man’s face. Her heart swelled with emotion. He hadn’t asked any questions but had simply taken care of her. She remembered his words in the truck when she’d resisted allowing him to do something as easy as open her door for her. Why in the world had she bristled against his attempts to do simple things for her?