The Salvation of Vengeance (Wanted Men #2) (11 page)

Oh . . . man.

He put his arm around her and closed his eyes to the feel of her softness pressing into his ribs, her long leg snugging up to his, her silky hair tickling his neck as she tucked her head under his chin. And the killer? Her arm slid across to rest on his stomach, as though she wanted to hold him right where he was. She seemed to need the connection to another person, and Vincente tried like hell to ignore how familiar that was to him. Seemed as if she’d verbalized what he’d been feeling for years now: alone in a crowd.

“I haven’t felt this safe in a long time. You’re so big,” she added absently as her hand slid up his chest so she could pick up his prized wolf’s tooth necklace and fiddle with it. She placed it over the black T-shirt Quan had gotten him earlier, since his shirt had been ruined by Nika’s blood. She then took a piece of his hair, twining it around her long finger the way he’d seen her do with her own. “I love your hair.” She brought it to her nose and inhaled.

Vincente relaxed slightly and watched her. He didn’t think he’d ever done this with a woman before, just lay with her and offer comfort and warmth. It was kind of nice. Felt good. A little too good. If he wasn’t careful, Nika could make him forget all the reasons he should stay away from her. As innocent as being here with her was, it was also dangerous because she was making him feel shit. Nice shit. And that never lasted, did it?

“How old are you, Red?”

“I’ll be twenty-five in November. Kevin said that he might be nice to me on my birthday. That would be my present. He thought I’d be there for another November. Last year I wasn’t allowed to call Caleb, so he didn’t get to wish me a happy birthday on the day. I know that bothered him. My poor brother. I don’t cry very much, but I did that night. Maybe I should. I hear it’s cathartic. Cleansing.”

Her voice was soft and calm as she cracked his heart wide open. Too calm. She’d been suffering through a hell most people couldn’t imagine. And she was this casual talking about it? She was gonna blow. He just knew it.

Look at what had just happened to him a few minutes ago with her brother. The shit you bottled up didn’t stay bottled forever.

But, as she’d said, she’d been aching for someone to talk to about everything she’d been through. She’d been alone in it for so long, it must be good to now be free to get some of the hurt off her chest—especially in her painkiller-induced haze.

Even if that someone was Vincente.

“Where are your parents, babe?”

A little puff of air came from her mouth, like she’d snorted without a lot of energy.

“Thought I’d imagined you calling me that,” she said faintly, kicking him in the teeth with the satisfaction in her tone. “I like it. Makes me feel good. Like everything with you. For some weird reason, you make me feel . . . something. I don’t know. Just something. I haven’t had much good lately, so thanks for that. Didn’t like the way you looked at me at the wedding, though. But I understood it. At least now you know I’m not a disloyal person and a cheater. I didn’t kiss you in Seattle and have a clueless husband waiting for me at home. I was never really married.”

He hadn’t really considered her married either. Not really. But he didn’t mention that. The sound of footsteps came from the hallway, and he stiffened. Whoever it was walked on by, and he relaxed again.

“My mom died of cancer when I was little, and my dad died of the same when I was eighteen,” Nika replied to his earlier question, unaware that with her every word, that vice around his ice-encased heart was tightening. “Poor Caleb got stuck with me.”

“Your brother loves you,” he assured her, thinking of the raw deal she’d been handed in her short life. So much loss, layered under a degree of abuse no innocent person should have to live with. How the hell had she kept going?

“I hate him, Vincente.” His brows popped up until she clarified. “I hate Kevin so much I scare myself. Because I want nothing more in life than to watch him die. Over and over again. He shouldn’t be allowed to hurt anyone else. There’s something wrong with him. He’s crazy. So paranoid and delusional. He refused to make copies of Caleb’s video in case it stayed ‘in cyberspace and someone found it.’ ” She air-quoted with the fingers of one hand. “He doesn’t even have a bank account or a driver’s license. Said he didn’t want the government to be able to keep tabs on him.”

Vincente almost scoffed out loud. More like the asshole hadn’t wanted the authorities on his ass, nailing him for his family’s murder.

“I suppose that’s another good thing. At least we know Caleb’s secret is safe with us. I just wish I’d found it sooner. My brother doesn’t deserve to go to jail. I’m not sure why he killed that guy yet, but I know he must have had a good reason.” She paused and was quiet for a few before she went again. “When I got Eva’s wedding invitation, I knew coming to New York would save me. I knew Kevin wouldn’t leave that evidence behind. Is this what winning feels like, Vincente? ’Cause it doesn’t feel very good.”

Heartsick, he attempted to quickly process all she’d told him. “It’ll get better,” he lied. Nothing had gotten better for him after Sophia died. Why should it be any different for Nika? “Why didn’t you tell Caleb what was going on? He and Vex could’ve helped you. Taken care of Nollan and then looked for that footage. Or Gabriel. Or me.”

She was shaking her head before he’d even finished speaking, making her scent fill the air around them so that he got a whiff of oranges and jasmine even around the smell of antiseptic. “Because I wasn’t sure if I could believe Kevin or not. What if he was playing me? What if he wasn’t as paranoid as he led me to believe and he
had
made copies? What if something had happened to him and someone else sent the evidence to the police? I couldn’t trust him. And as hard as I looked, I could not find where he kept that stick. So how would Caleb, or you or Gabriel, have found it? For all I knew, Kevin kept it behind a trash bin two blocks from the apartment. If he was gone, someone else would have eventually found it and sent it in. I don’t know. Maybe I screwed up. Did it all wrong. I tried my best.”

He gave her a gentle squeeze. “Hey, you did great, babe. Really, you did what you thought was right in a shit situation. Don’t mind me—I’m just thinking out loud.” Vincente looked down as he sifted his fingers through her hair. So many colors: a burnished gold, blazing russet, and vibrant ginger. The way she tilted her head so he could reach more reminded him of an animal begging for a gentle touch. He gave it but was careful to stay away from the area where her stitches were.

Hoping he wasn’t making a mistake, he brought his other hand over and put the memory stick on his chest in front of her. “You can destroy it yourself.”

She winced as she pushed herself up on her elbow, picking it up with a hand that trembled slightly. Damn, she was beautiful. “What if there
are
more?”

“Then I’ll find them.”

“Why?”

He faltered. “Sorry?”

“Why do you care? Why would you help me? Us?”

Shit.
If that wasn’t a loaded question. One that could easily backfire and explode right in his face. Thank fuck a timely knock on the door saved him from having to answer.

“That’ll be Caleb,” he muttered, slipping out from under her hold, biting back a groan of disappointment when her body heat instantly dissipated.

What could he possibly have said as an answer to her question? That his actions really had nothing to do with her? That he wanted to slay her dragons because he hadn’t slain Sophia’s?

That would have been the truth. He did want to do that, for that exact reason.

But it wouldn’t have been the whole truth, because he also wanted to do it for
her
. He wanted her to feel safe and free to live her life as she saw fit. And that had nothing to do with anyone else.

Nika watched Vincente through a hazy, pained stupor as his big body moved easily across the room to open the door. Her big brother stood in the hallway. Her poor, clearly guilt-ridden big brother whom she’d tried so hard to keep all of this from. Tears choked her at the agony she could see in those big brown eyes of his. The dagger tattoos on his thick neck rippled as he swallowed, obviously fighting emotions as strong as hers. She lifted her heavy arms and waved impatiently.

“C’mere,” she whispered.

He was sitting at her side a second later, pulling her into his arms. God, she marveled, he was so gentle for such a big guy. But even as gentle as Caleb was, this hug hurt like a mother.

She dimly heard the door shut and knew Vincente had left them alone, and she appreciated that. More for her brother’s sake than her own. She was too out of it to care about being watched right now, but what guy wanted his buddy to see him crying on his sister’s shoulder? Which was what Caleb was now doing, his wide shoulders shaking silently. She held him as her own tears fell.

After a few minutes, he pulled back, his thumb and finger digging at the moisture still on his lashes. “Nik, I’m so—”

She covered his mouth with her palm. Her thought process was so sluggish. “Please don’t. Kevin did this. To both of us. There was nothing you could have done to stop it. I don’t blame you, Caleb, so please don’t apologize for something you had no control over. Okay?” She wiped at her damp face and hoped she’d made sense. To her it sounded as if she was talking gibberish. She must have sounded like a loon to Vincente.

Her brother shook his head, shadows swirling in his eyes. “You shouldn’t have done it. Why? Why
the fuck
did you do this for me?” He cringed and shook his head again. “I mean, I know you did it because you love me, the same as I love you. But why didn’t you tell me so I could help you?”

Tiredly, she repeated pretty much the same thing she’d told Vincente, minus the Las Vegas and Kevin being impotent parts. He didn’t need to hear that.

“Nik . . . I don’t know what to say.”

“Because there isn’t anything to say. It’s over. Except, can you tell me why you killed that guy?”

Caleb’s face grew dark. “Remember Mark? The Seattle chapter’s VP?”

She nodded, picturing the heavyset man with his salt-and-pepper goatee and shaved head.

“That fucker assaulted Mark’s eleven-year-old boy. Sexually assaulted him. Cops said there wasn’t enough proof to put the pedophile away, and Mark was doing time for assault, so I took care of it.”

“I knew you had a good reason. And if applauding you for what you did makes me a bad person, then so be it.” She handed him the stick that had caused so much trouble. “Please destroy that,” she said as she lay back on the pillows, hissing when the back of her head burned with pain. “What the . . . ?” She reached under her tacky hair and felt a small bandage.

“When you fell against the dresser, you cut your head open. Tegan said she’ll take the stitches out in a few days. You were out for a while. Too long. Scared the fuck out of us.”

“Who’s ‘us’?” Her memories were fuzzy after Kevin disappeared out the fire escape. She vaguely remembered having a hard time cutting open the suitcase, but that was about all.

“Me and Vincente.”

“Really? Did he say something?” She clamped her lips shut.
Shit.
She’d sounded too eager. Her cheeks heated in embarrassment.

Caleb frowned down at her. A frown she recognized as the “brotherly” frown. “What’s going on between you two?”

“Nothing,” she said honestly. “Why?
Did
he say something?”
Eager, again! Grr.

“No. But then, he didn’t have to. His actions spoke louder than any words he could have used. He was rattled. Big-time. Lost that impressive control he’s famous for. Was ready to kill Kevin—that was for sure. And anyone else who got in the way of getting you here.”

There was no denying the pleasure that dipped in her stomach that time. “Well, maybe he’s just a good guy.”

“He is. Been through the ringer, too.”

“How so?”

Caleb shifted, settling next to her with his ear almost touching her forehead, because she was on her side. She snuggled up to his warm bulk, still so cold, and relaxed against his comforting presence.

“Kirov said Vincente had a sister. Younger than him, from the impression I got. She was snatched off the street on her way home from school one day by some guys running a prostitution ring. They got her and the other girls hooked on meth and made them trade sex for more drugs. Really messed them up. Vincente found her body on one of his nightly rounds to the morgue. She’d OD’d after almost a year.”

Nika could barely breathe, unable to even comprehend what that must have been like for Vincente. “Oh, my God, Caleb. I wish you hadn’t told me that,” she wheezed through a tight throat. “Poor Vincente.”

Caleb briefly tightened his arm around her. “Sorry, Nik. I wasn’t thinking. Maks also said he thinks V is taking this so seriously to make up for not being able to save his own sister.” He grunted but with no real feeling. “So be prepared to have him hanging around. I, for one, am glad. If anyone can help us find that cocksucker, he and his boys can. Do you have any idea where Kevin went?”

Nika shook her head as something that felt like defeat settled on her bruised chest. Vincente wasn’t acting like her watchdog because he might care for her in some small way. He was trying to salve his own conscience. She buried her head deeper into her brother’s shoulder, sighing long and quietly as her eyes slid closed.