And then a hard knock sounded at the door.
And another.
Sergio froze.
I blinked, my eyes most likely mirroring the horror in his.
He jumped off me and threw one of the blankets on the couch in my direction, just as the door opened.
He didn’t bother to cover himself up.
I, however, wrapped up like it was zero below.
“Holy shit!” Chase burst out laughing. “Really, dude? You do realize there’s four dead bodies surrounding your little love nest?”
Sergio started stalking toward him. I grabbed his arm and jerked him back. Did he not realize he was still naked?
Nixon followed, his eyes scanning the mess of blood and bodies before turning to us. “Nice work…”
“Amazing,” Chase muttered. “Leave it to Nixon to comment on the dead bodies rather than the naked ones.”
Nixon smirked, but other than that, didn’t comment.
“Serg…” Chase shook his head and leaned down to examine the lone bloody hand. “…not your best work. The cut is off a few inches.”
“Yeah well,” Sergio started pulling on his jeans. “Russia here only managed to find the smaller of the two machetes.”
“I knew it!” I shouted.
“Russia…” Chase tsked. “…I’m disappointed. Always grab the bigger machete. Always.”
“Life lesson number one,” Sergio said under his breath.
“You just make a joke?” Chase tilted his head. “Hmmm, I’m amazed you’re in such a good mood, considering what I just walked in on…”
“Thus the good mood,” I finished, defending Sergio.
“Ah, the good mood hadn’t started yet… or… should I say… finished?” Chase chuckled.
Nixon joined Chase near the floor and sighed. “You gonna mail it out or should I?”
“Allow me.” Sergio’s jaw clenched. “You know what this means, right?”
“Yeah.” Nixon rubbed his face with his hands. “I know. It means you need security.”
“Because of me?” I said lamely.
Sergio wrapped his arm around my shoulders. It was completely unexpected but welcome. I curled into him, resting my head on his strong chest.
Nixon glanced up, his eyes piercing through the darkness in the room. “Sorry, Andi. It’s what’s best for now. Not only would it be horrible if anything happened to you, but if something happened to Sergio too… it would be too big for us as a family to ignore, meaning, a war we don’t want to start.”
“Hell, we’re already in it.” Chase nodded in my direction. “The minute we offered her protection.”
“They wanted me alive,” I offered. “They weren’t going to kill me yet.”
Nixon stood. “Well, that’s interesting.”
“Shit…” Sergio gripped me tighter. “…they’d only keep her alive for one reason, Nixon. You know that.”
Nixon’s eyes darkened. “Hell.”
Chase gave me a sympathetic look before reaching down and searching each of the men’s pockets. I assumed for ID.
“What?” I squinted at Nixon. “What’s it mean?”
“Intel…” Nixon sighed, then rubbed the back of his head with his hand. “They’d keep you alive only as long as you were valuable. They’d be banking on the fact that Sergio would either come after you, giving them permission to start something — or if he didn’t, they’d simply torture you in order to gain as much information as possible before killing you.”
“Don’t.” I jerked away from Sergio. “Don’t you ever come after me.”
“Wait, what?” Sergio blinked in confusion. “You married into this, Andi. There is no out. I protect you. I keep you safe. That’s the deal.”
“And I’m saying no.” I shook my head. “Protect me as well as you can, but if something happens, if they take me, don’t follow.”
Sergio rolled his eyes. “Don’t be dramatic. I’d have no choice.”
I held his gaze. “If I even think you’re going to be going all Robin Hood: Men in Tights on me, I swear I’ll find a way to kill myself.”
Chase muttered a curse under his breath while Nixon held up his hands and made quick work moving the bodies.
Sergio stood still as a statue. “That’s not your call to make.”
“The hell it is!” I hissed, pushing at his naked chest. “You’re not putting your family in jeopardy. You’re not starting a pissing match with my father over me. It’s not worth it. I’m not worth it, remember? Weren’t you saying that just a few days ago? What’s changed, huh?” It was unfair, baiting him, making him see his own weakness when it came to me. I knew the walls were crumbling, and a few minutes ago I couldn’t have been happier, but now I knew there was a reason they needed to stay up.
it wasn’t just my life on the line, but his.
Sergio’s eyes flashed. “Right.” He bit his bottom lip and stomped away from me. The front door opened, a few more men shuffled in and started bagging the bodies.
The hand, however, was left on the floor.
It stared at me.
It represented so many things — all things that could be prevented if Sergio would just get his head out of his ass.
Nixon motioned for one of the men to grab the last body. “Put enough weights in the bags for them to sink fast. I don’t want evidence anywhere.”