NICCOI finished my eggs.They were quite good, though missing the meat and cheese that I tend to prefer at every meal. It was much healthier than what I usually eat, that’s for sure.I set the plate aside and gestured to Hope. “Do you mind looking at this for me and telling me what you see?First impression.”She nodded, putting her plate down and came to stand beside me.I moved my chair to the side and pulled her onto my lap. My wolf needed her close. We leaned into her, sniffing her hair and letting her scent wash over us. She was so engrossed in the spreadsheet pulled up on my computer that she didn’t notice.“First impression?” she asked, looking back at me.I nodded.“Okay, first impression is that someone is doing a really good job moving money around.It would pass most audits, but there are some discrepancie
HOPEI had the rest of the day to explore while Nicco set up my new office.Part of me was excited about having a job and earning my keep.I also loved that I was helping Nicco figure out who was stealing from him.The other part of me was nervous about what could possibly be asked of me.I knew he was keeping secrets from me. And I was also concerned about the legalities of everything. Nicco could do what he wanted but I wasn’t going to cross any of those lines. When I lived with my stepdad, I was in a prison. I had no interest in spending time in another.I left Nicco’s office and took the first exit to the outside that I could find.It was a little used door that opened out onto a small patio that was flanked by tall bushes, making the entrance private.I looked up to see cameras pointed at the door, so I gave a little finger wave
NICCO I ushered the men my door, closing it behind them. I grimaced. The hour had slipped into ninety minutes, and I was a little irritated that I couldn’t wrap up the business any sooner. I really needed to have that talk with Hope. Things were a little chaotic in the Pack right now and there was a really good chance that Hope would find out that she was mating with a werewolf before I had the chance to tell her. I crossed the hallway and gave a gentle knock on her office door. There was no answer, so I pushed it open. Hope was sitting in her chair, slumped over her desk. At first I thought she was sleeping, but then I realized there was foam dripping from her mouth. I gave a bellow for help and then ran across the floor, pulling Hope up from the desk and checking her pulse. There was a pulse, but she was not breathing. Vinnie came running in just as I was going to give her mouth to mouth. “Alpha, no! She’s been poisoned,” he shouted, pointing at the foam coming from he
HOPE I drifted in and out of consciousness. I was crazy tired, and my throat was so sore. I had a vague recollection of someone stuffing something down my throat and choking me, but it was fuzzy. I moaned. Someone was instantly there, wiping my head with a cloth. I could hear Nicco, speaking in a worried tone. “She’s so hot, Charlie. Is she okay?” “She’ll be fine, Alpha. She just has a little fever, that’s all. That’s how human bodies deal with infections. They don’t heal like we do. As soon as the doctor figures out what poisoned her, we can treat her. Shouldn’t be long, now.” My brain was screaming at me to pay attention because something important was just said, but I drifted off again in a fog. The next time I woke up I felt a lot better. The light was barely peeking into the room. Nicco was laying on the bed next to me, asleep, and Charlie was in a chair, bolt upright, his head leaning against the wall. His eyes opened when I moved. “You’re awake,” he said, s
NICCO I was looking through my papers when there was a light knock at the door. “Enter,” I barked, thinking it was probably Vinnie.Instead, it was Hope holding my laptop.I immediately stood up. “Hope!What are you doing up?”It had only been five days since she was poisoned.I wanted her to take it easy. She flushed bright red.“I can’t take Vinnie’s cooking anymore,” she confessed.“I made lunch for everyone.It’s laid out in the dining room.”She gestured behind her shoulder, arbitrarily.“But I wanted to show you this, first.” She plopped down on the couch and put the laptop on the coffee table, twisting it so I could see the screen.“I was right,” she said.“They used me as a distraction to move some money around.And I can tell it’s temporary.It’s set to go back to the original
NICCO I opened my eyes and looked at my Sweet Hope lying in bed next to me. She was curled in a ball, showing no effects from her nightmare. I sighed. It was time. She had her secrets, but I had mine. And it was time I shared. I was decidedly nervous. I spent most of the rest of the night trying to figure out how to do this. I thought about taking her to the Packland Village and letting her find out there, but if she reacted badly there would be no where for her to go. I needed to take her back to the city. Hope opened her eyes and looked at me. A slow smile spread across her face. “Good morning, beautiful,” I said, giving her a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Good morning,” she said. “What’s on the agenda today?” “We are going back to the city,” I said. Hope sat up in bed, excited. “Really?” she asked, in excitement. “What changed?” I shrugged.
HOPEI walked through the door and gasped again. The entire floor was done in polished stone with very contemporary furnishing. Even though it was contemporary, it also looked comfortable, and I fought the urge to flop down on the nearest couch.I looked at Nicco. “This is gorgeous,” I said. He looked pleased at my praise.“I have two floors,” he said, almost shyly. “The balcony goes all the way around the building, so I have different areas. It’s important to me to have fresh vegetables, so the part of the balcony that gets the most afternoon sun has been set up as a little greenhouse. I have a place where I take my coffee in the morning and my dinners in the evenings. Would you like to see?”“Oh, yes please,” I breathed, letting him pull me out of the double doors. We started walking left and he pointed out the different sights.
NICCOI came out of the bathroom and smiled.Hope was curled up on the bed, sleeping.I looked at her with a smile.She looked so innocent and unburdened, rolled up in the fetal position.She must have been dreaming about something pleasant because she smiled in her sleep.I hoped she was still sleeping as soundly tonight, after she and I had our conversation.I shook her gently and she opened her beautiful blue eyes and smiled at me.“My turn in the shower?” she asked.I nodded.“Be quick.I would like to be at the restaurant in an hour.”I should have known that wasn’t going to be an issue.Most women take forever, but Hope was in and out of the shower, had her dress on and her hair up before I had finished tying my shoes.She was wearing the crystal sandals that she had worn at our first dinner, and I had t