Nicky ,” Ellie continued quietly, remembering all too well the last time Nicholas took the law into his own hands. "We have to let the law handle this if there is something to handle. I need you with me, here and safe." She took hold of his hand, solid, strong, warm within her own slimmer one and interlaced their fingers.
"Elle…" He averted his gaze, staring at a point beyond her left shoulder. Her gentle touch on his cheek finally drew his gaze to her.
"Promise me, Nicholas ,” she implored.
Unable to provide the answer she so desperately needed, Nicholas rested his head on her shoulder and sighed. He loved this woman. Dear God how he loved her. There wasn't anything Nicholas wouldn't do for her and the children they’d brought into the world. For Ellie to ask him to do nothing when the situation clearly called for it was wholly unfair on her part. Nicholas could understand , he had a tendency of taking things too far, but how could he not when scum like Hunter insisted on preying on his family? How could he sit idly by and do nothing when he had knowledge of the sort of man Hunter was? Especially now discovering that the bastard was abusing his daughter? It was all Nicholas could do to keep himself in check at the present moment.
"Nicky…"
"You can't ask me to do nothing,” he raised his head and met her gaze, "if you know the sort of man I am then you should know it's impossible for me to make and keep that promise."
"Nicholas…"
"I can't , Ellie,” he said gravely.
"Why not?"
"Because that man is dangerous!"
"What do you mean dangerous… You know something." Dawning set along her features.
"Yes and its knowledge I'd like to keep until I have all the facts."
"What facts? What aren’t you telling me?" She struggled out his grasp, putting distance between them.
"Keep your voice down, Ellie." He reached out to her and ignored the pang when she recoiled from his touch.
"Tell me what's going on." She steeled herself against his wounded expression, folding her arms across her chest she waited for a response. "Secrets again? I thought we were long past this."
"This isn't about keeping secrets from you, Ellie. This is about me trying to keep you and the children safe."
"Safe from what? And whoever said you had to go at this alone? It's not just you, Nicky, it's you and me. Just because I'm the mother of your children doesn't mean I'm incapable of protecting them or you for that matter."
"That's not what I meant and you know it. I don't even understand why we're arguing here."
"Because you're a controlling, secretive, egotistical bastard.”
“You forgot charming.” His disarming grin had the expected result and he laughed outright when Ellie flew at him, fists landing blows that weren't really meant to harm.
Nicholas’s arms encircled her waist, trapping Ellie against him. "You stupid jerk," she mumbled with a glower. "Is it so hard for you to just trust me?"
With one arm still holding firm, Nicholas brought his hand to her face, raised her chin with gentle fingers and lowered his dark head. "I trust you with my life, Ellie." His lips were a tender caress, his warm eager tongue coaxing the seam of Ellie’s lips for entrance and when she allowed him in , he stroked with gentleness, seducing and loving in the same breath. Ellie moaned, rose on the tips of her toes and fell deeper into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Nicholas’s neck. Toying with the hair at his nape, she sighed when he pulled her close.
"Ahem." They drew apart and simultaneously turned to glance at the intruder, much to both their chagrin Andrew stood at the entryway, an imperceptible smile on his face. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Of course you didn't." Was Nicholas’s surly reply, retaining his hold on Ellie’s waist, he leveled Andrew with a look.
"Andrew, we're glad your home safe. Sophie told us something happened with a friend of yours…?" she trailed off hoping Andrew would fill in the rest.
He shrugged his
"Elle…" He averted his gaze, staring at a point beyond her left shoulder. Her gentle touch on his cheek finally drew his gaze to her.
"Promise me, Nicholas ,” she implored.
Unable to provide the answer she so desperately needed, Nicholas rested his head on her shoulder and sighed. He loved this woman. Dear God how he loved her. There wasn't anything Nicholas wouldn't do for her and the children they’d brought into the world. For Ellie to ask him to do nothing when the situation clearly called for it was wholly unfair on her part. Nicholas could understand , he had a tendency of taking things too far, but how could he not when scum like Hunter insisted on preying on his family? How could he sit idly by and do nothing when he had knowledge of the sort of man Hunter was? Especially now discovering that the bastard was abusing his daughter? It was all Nicholas could do to keep himself in check at the present moment.
"Nicky…"
"You can't ask me to do nothing,” he raised his head and met her gaze, "if you know the sort of man I am then you should know it's impossible for me to make and keep that promise."
"Nicholas…"
"I can't , Ellie,” he said gravely.
"Why not?"
"Because that man is dangerous!"
"What do you mean dangerous… You know something." Dawning set along her features.
"Yes and its knowledge I'd like to keep until I have all the facts."
"What facts? What aren’t you telling me?" She struggled out his grasp, putting distance between them.
"Keep your voice down, Ellie." He reached out to her and ignored the pang when she recoiled from his touch.
"Tell me what's going on." She steeled herself against his wounded expression, folding her arms across her chest she waited for a response. "Secrets again? I thought we were long past this."
"This isn't about keeping secrets from you, Ellie. This is about me trying to keep you and the children safe."
"Safe from what? And whoever said you had to go at this alone? It's not just you, Nicky, it's you and me. Just because I'm the mother of your children doesn't mean I'm incapable of protecting them or you for that matter."
"That's not what I meant and you know it. I don't even understand why we're arguing here."
"Because you're a controlling, secretive, egotistical bastard.”
“You forgot charming.” His disarming grin had the expected result and he laughed outright when Ellie flew at him, fists landing blows that weren't really meant to harm.
Nicholas’s arms encircled her waist, trapping Ellie against him. "You stupid jerk," she mumbled with a glower. "Is it so hard for you to just trust me?"
With one arm still holding firm, Nicholas brought his hand to her face, raised her chin with gentle fingers and lowered his dark head. "I trust you with my life, Ellie." His lips were a tender caress, his warm eager tongue coaxing the seam of Ellie’s lips for entrance and when she allowed him in , he stroked with gentleness, seducing and loving in the same breath. Ellie moaned, rose on the tips of her toes and fell deeper into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Nicholas’s neck. Toying with the hair at his nape, she sighed when he pulled her close.
"Ahem." They drew apart and simultaneously turned to glance at the intruder, much to both their chagrin Andrew stood at the entryway, an imperceptible smile on his face. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Of course you didn't." Was Nicholas’s surly reply, retaining his hold on Ellie’s waist, he leveled Andrew with a look.
"Andrew, we're glad your home safe. Sophie told us something happened with a friend of yours…?" she trailed off hoping Andrew would fill in the rest.
He shrugged his
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