Keep Her Close - Jenika Snow Page 0,41

happened to Saneyea?”

Just hearing that name had everything inside of Niklo moving to the past. He may have wanted Angie at one time, but when he had met Saneyea ten years ago, a lot of shit had shifted inside of him. “Man, that’s in the past. I guess you weren’t updated on all that.”

Alex shook his head. “You going to tell me?”

“Keep it clean and covered for the next couple of days,” the doctor said, handed Niklo a bottle of narcotics, and headed out of the room.

Once the doc left Alex stood and walked over to Niklo, handed him the joint, and then leaned against the wall. Niklo took a long inhale, not really into smoking pot, but right now he was amped up about the Gondalo shit going down, and then about Alex bringing up Saneyea.

“I have a feeling there is bad blood there?” Alex said and took back the joint. “I mean last I heard, which was ages ago and right before I went in, was that you and Saneyea were getting hot and heavy.” Alex took a hit, kept the smoke in for a few seconds, and then exhaled. The smoke billowed around his face for a second before dispersing.

“No bad blood. She just wanted different things from me, and when I wouldn’t comply with what she wanted she left.” Niklo shrugged, reached for the joint, and took a long hit. Honestly, that had been years ago, but he still loved Saneyea, still thought of her and wished he would have made different choices. But, that was life, he couldn’t change it, and all he could focus on was the family.

Harboring things that he should have done would only hold him back, and he had shit that he needed to focus on now.

With that he got off the table, put a shirt on, and he and Alex headed out to get obliterated.

18

Marra grabbed another square of gauze, dipped it in the water and peroxide solution, and cleaned the cut on Joey’s throat.

“You are so lucky he missed your jugular,” she said, and although she knew he was aware of that, the feeling of standing on a ledge came back to her. Thinking that he could have died, and that the last year had been wasted because she had let her mind control her heart, made her feel slightly sick.

He hadn’t told her what had happened, or how he had gotten the blood on his clothes or the slice in his neck, but she could guess. And when he had said things were safe for her now, that she didn’t have to be worried about anything because he would always watch over her, she knew he had killed people tonight.

She knew she should have been horrified, disgusted, and run from him, but the thing was he had done these things to ensure she was safe, and that the ones he cared for were as well.

How could she hate a man that went to great lengths, even if they were morally wrong and illegal, to ensure the ones he loved were protected?

He held his hand on hers, stilling her, and looked into her eyes. The emotions that passed across his face were hard and cold, but there was also sadness and regret. “Angie is dead, my men are hurt, and the image and thought that kept passing through my mind was that I wanted to be here with you so nothing could touch you.”

She swallowed, feeling empathy for the woman that had lost her life today. Even though she hadn’t known Angie, and had only experienced her crazy, erratic screaming, that was still a life lost. Marra felt the water drip down her arm from the new square of wet gauze she held, and didn’t know what to say. All of this was new when it came to allowing herself to feel for Joey, but she wasn’t a fool into thinking there wouldn’t be bumps along the way.

“This life that I lead is gritty and hardcore, and I can’t expect you to be okay with it.” He cupped the side of her face. “But I want you, Marra, and I don’t think I can just let you walk away.” He leaned in and kissed her. “I can’t let you walk away.”

Maybe she was dumb or desperate, or maybe she just wanted him so badly that she was blind, but either way she knew she wouldn’t go anywhere, because being with him, in his arms, seemed so right, and nothing