3. Wick

If someone had tried to tell me I’d end up in bed with Topher Nicholl’s girlfriend before the day was over, I would’ve laughed in their face.

Then again, this wasn’t quite the situation I would’ve pictured either. I’m sure I would’ve envisioned a scene that involved a hell of a lot fewer clothes, absolutely no tears, and considerably more sweaty-hot groping that took place nowhere near my sister’s dorm room. But here we were, sprawled across Izzy’s bed where I’d carried Haven Gamble—both of us completely clothed—after she’d passed out cold from having a complete, traumatic meltdown in my arms.

I swear, I’d never seen anyone cry that hard before. She wasn’t even the open-weeper, let-it-all-out-for-the-world-to-see sort. She’d curled up tight inside herself and burrowed against me as if trying to hide the pain and contain every single tear inside her until they’d simply ripped themselves free, emotionally shredding her apart in the process.

I couldn’t blame her for falling comatose afterward; it had drained and exhausted me just to watch. She must feel zapped of all energy and sensation right now. I was a little numb and shell-shocked myself.

Okay, maybe not quite that numb. I could still feel every soft, warm curve that was limply draped across my body. She was just as lovely and perfect as I’d always figured she’d be. And, God, she smelled good.

I buried my nose in her hair, inhaling deeply as I tried to identify the scent. I had no idea what kind of shampoo she used, but it was unlike anything I’d ever drawn into me before. It was something powdery and musky with hints of flower, but I couldn’t tell you what kind of flower. It just smelled…good.

A long shudder gripped her, so I pulled her a little closer and stroked her sweet-scented hair, murmuring gentle sounds until she calmed again.

She had stopped crying a good ten minutes ago, but little involuntary aftershocks would occasionally seize her.

Each one of them broke my heart.

Whatever Nicholl had done, it had straight-out fucked her up. Big-time. Made me want to track the bastard down and beat him senseless. But right now, she seemed to need me here, especially when she flinched suddenly and sucked in a breath as if coming awake from a bad dream before she clutched my shirt sleeve for dear life.

So I remained where I was. For her.

“Shh.” I pressed my cheek to the top of her head and slowly swayed her back and forth. “It’s okay. You’re okay. Everything’s over now. Nothing else is going to hurt you. Not while I’m here.”

That seemed to settle her. Her body went lax, except for her hand which continued to hold on tight to my shirt, making sure I wouldn’t escape.

I knew it didn’t mean anything; she probably wasn’t even awake and had no idea what she was doing, but feeling wanted like this got to me. I moved my nose along her hair until my lips just barely rested at the dip in her temple. I wanted to kiss her there, sweetly, but that felt more like a selfish longing than a comforting reassurance, so I closed my eyes and refrained.

When the lock in the door sounded, I realized I’d been twirling a piece of her hair around my finger, and I guiltily pulled it free just before my sister swept through the entrance.

Izzy paused, obviously surprised to discover we’d hijacked her bed. Then she shook her head and stepped the rest of the way inside before rushing the door shut behind her.

“He still out there?” I asked.

I’d never given Topher Nicholl the opportunity to meet my sister, but she definitely knew what he looked like. So there would’ve been no reason for him to harass her if he were still in the building and she just so happened to cross his path, ergo I hadn’t been too concerned about sending her out as a scout to reconnoiter the area, looking for him.

Izzy blew out a breath and nodded intently. “Yeah.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Fuck.”

“He’s pacing the foyer in the front entrance, but it gets worse. That wide receiver guy on the team: number eighteen…”

“DeShone?”

She pointed at me. “Yes. Him. He’s waiting in the stairwell at one end of the hall. Then the center on the team, Tyson, or whatever—”

“Tyrell,” I supplied.

“Whatever. He’s in the stairwell at the other end of the hall, and I swear there’s a tight end out in the back parking lot, keeping watch there.”

“Son of a bitch,” I hissed, shaking my head. “He really wants to find her, doesn’t he?”

He’d recruited half the team to help him keep eyes on the place.

“He’s not messing around about it either. He’s asking girls if they’d seen her as they leave and come in.” Izzy rubbed her hands over her face before focusing on Haven and moving closer to watch her, her gaze full of pity and worry. “He might want to find her as much as she doesn’t want him to.”

Maybe. But if I had my way, Nicholl would not win this round.

“She asleep?” I asked softly, unable to actually see her face for myself.

My sister shook her head. “No. Her eyes are open and she’s breathing, but she’s completely out of it. I don’t think she even knows we’re talking about her.”

I knew about the breathing part. I could feel her breasts press against my chest every time she inhaled, and then she’d lull more heavily on top of me when she exhaled. It drove me crazy with a craving I knew I shouldn’t be having as much as it reassured me that she was still at least alive. But I hadn’t known she was awake. That was concerning. Why wasn’t she responding to anything if she was awake?

Shit. Had she known I’d been playing with her hair?

Izzy’s gaze lifted to mine. “We need to get her out of the building, Wick. Out of here and away from him. With the state she’s in—”

“I know.” I clenched my teeth and momentarily squeezed my eyes shut. “Shit, just—”

The ringing of her phone interrupted my thoughts. “This damn thing,” I muttered, reaching down between us. Since the phone rested in her front pocket, it vibrated against my junk every time it went off, and I had finally reached my limit.

Yanking it free, I caused my sister to gasp my name in reprimand for being so familiar with Haven Gamble’s prone body.

I sent her a scowl. “It won’t fucking shut up.” Checking the screen, I saw Nicholl’s name pop up and sniffed bitterly. “Figures.” I held it out in front of Haven’s face. “You want to take this?”

In answer, she tightened against me and clutched me harder before burying her face completely in my shirt so she wouldn’t have to see the phone at all.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so.” I tossed the offending object to Izzy, who fumbled to catch it against her chest. “Turn it off, will you?”

Haven’s breath hissed through cotton and moistened my skin before she turned her face back to the side with her ear resting against my heartbeat again. I settled my palm on the back of her head and stroked her hair with my thumb to apologize for showing her his name.

“We’ll get you away from him. I swear.”

Without saying a word, she allowed her muscles to loosen as if she were reassured by my promise.

Standing by the bed, Izzy widened her eyes at me, silently asking how we were going to accomplish such a feat.

“If he’s going to call his guys in,” I said, smirking as I lifted my hips to dig my own phone from my back pocket. “Then I guess I’ll just have to do the same.”

With her comfortable perch on top of me suddenly unsettled, Haven whimpered out a sound of distress and clutched the side of my ribs with her free hand to steady herself as we both rose a couple of inches.

“Shh. It’s okay,” I murmured, brushing her temple with my cheek as I sank back onto the mattress, lowering us again as soon as I got hold of what I needed. “I was just getting my phone. I’m done now.”

And just like that, she went slack, except she kept her hand at my side, holding me. I drew in a breath, trying not to let that affect me, even though it did, and I used my thumb of the same hand I was holding my phone with to call Cannon because my other hand couldn’t seem to relinquish its fascination with her hair.

“Yo, man, where you at?” Cannon answered. “I thought you said you were going to get online so we could play tonight.”

Cannon was a defensive end rusher for the team as well as my best friend.

He was also obsessed with every survival game to ever be invented. I usually gave in once or twice a week and played a round or two with him. And I had promised to get online to pair up with him this evening as soon as I finished my weekly, big brother check-in with Izzy.

“Change of plans,” I said. “I’m in a bit of a situation here. How many of the guys do you think you can call in? Nicholl has his Os staked out around Dandridge Hall, and I need to get Iz and myself out undetected.”

I purposely didn’t tell him whose girlfriend I currently had lying on top of me, because I wasn’t sure how he’d take that bit of news.

“Think anyone would be up for a distraction-slash-rescue mission?”

“Dude.” Cannon’s confused chuckle echoed through my ear. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Tell you later. Right now, I just need a path cleared from room two-twelve to my truck in the back parking lot. Think of it as a real-live survival match. You got my back or not?”

“Hell yes. I got you, man. Give me ten to round up the troops, and I’ll text you the game plan.”

“Thanks. I owe you one.”

Cannon let out a low whistle. “This better be one hell of a story, that’s all I gotta say.”

“It’s something,” was my reply. “And hey, try to keep it on the down low what you’re doing, will you? I don’t want it obvious to them that you’re helping me.”

“Ten-four,” he answered. “Damn, but this super-secret spy stuff is kind of fun.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a dork.” Then I grinned because that was my favorite feature about him.

“Yeah, yeah. I hate you too. I’ll check back in a minute.”

When he hung up, I closed my eyes and pressed the edge of my phone to my forehead, hoping this worked. I had a feeling it would. I could always count on Cannon. He just might not be so happy if he realized who else he’d be helping in the process.

The football team was very clearly split into two groups: the offensive players versus the defensive players. Neither side got along with the other, so I had a feeling my defensive boys would jump at the chance to heckle some o-line guys. I just wasn’t quite sure what they’d think about assisting a girl they believed belonged to the enemy. Which was why I had neglected to mention that little detail. I couldn’t take the chance they’d refuse me.

Cannon might feel betrayed by this. But I was willing to risk it and ask for forgiveness instead of permission.

Surely, he’d forgive me.

Someday.

“Wick?” my sister said quietly, reminding me I needed to focus on the here and now.

“Pack a change of clothes and whatever else you’ll need for classes tomorrow,” I told her. “You’re spending the night at my place.”

Her eyes widened with worry. “What? Why?”

“I have a feeling Nicholl will be back, looking for her, and I don’t want to leave you here alone to deal with him, especially while he’s in the mood he’s in. I mean, look what he just did to her and he supposedly loves her, right?”

We both looked down at Haven, who remained placid in my arms, completely unaware of anything and everything happening around her, or if she was aware, she gave no sign of it.

Izzy slowly started to nod, her eyes wide with worry. “Okay, yeah.” Then she fumbled as she hurried to gather everything she thought she’d need.

When she started to stuff shit into a third bag, I rolled my eyes. “Only take whatever we can carry in one trip, because we’re not coming back for more.”

“Well I need my laptop,” she muttered moodily, slinging the strap over her shoulder before scooping up her overnight bag and then her book bag and sending me a defiant glance to show me she could manage what she had packed just fine in one trip all by herself.

With an amused sniff, I shook my head. “Always gotta prove me wrong, don’t you?”

She shrugged even as a proud smirk lit her face. “Just stop being so wrong and I won’t have to.”

I opened my mouth, trying to think up a worthy comeback when my phone rang. “Thank God,” I breathed, spotting Cannon’s name. “What’s the plan?” I asked as I answered.

“We’re pulling in now.”

“Wow.” I lifted my brows, beyond impressed. Cannon really got into this shit. “That was fast.”

“Yeah, well…” He sounded irritable. “We would’ve been here sooner, except Bear had to put on his makeup and pantyhose or some such bullshit before we left the apartment.”

In the background, I could hear Bear telling Cannon to go suck it.

Then Cannon’s voice was in my ear again. “Give us a few minutes to set up a perimeter, then someone will give the shave-and-a-haircut knock on your door when we’re ready for retrieval.”

“The what knock?” I asked with no idea what he was talking about.

“You know,” Cannon prompted as if that would somehow jostle my memory, which it did not. Then he sang, “Dah-di-di-dah-di,” before pausing and adding, “Di-dit.”

I shook my head and snorted. “Only you would know the name for that knock.”

“Shut up,” he growled, clearly aware how much I wanted to hassle him for being such a secret-agent geek. After someone in the background said something to him and he answered, he added to me, “Gotta go. Cannon, out.”

As the line went dead, my heart pounded hard with the challenge we were about to face. I shifted once more to put the phone back into my pocket and glanced toward Izzy. “Get ready to move.”

But my sister already had her shoes on and all three straps of her assorted bags hefted over her shoulders. She lifted her eyebrows mockingly, seeming to silently tell me she was more prepared than I was, so I ignored her and turned my attention to the girl in my arms.

“Hey,” I said softly. “We’re going to get you out of here now. Do you think you can walk?”

She didn’t answer. I glanced toward my sister, silently seeking advice. Izzy merely shrugged.

Fuck.

“Okay, then,” I decided on a nod. “I’ll just carry you. No problem.” She couldn’t weigh more than a buck twenty. I could handle that. But first, I had to get us upright. “Uh…” Mentally picturing all the places I’d have to touch her in order to position us, my body stirred.

Being attracted to her was going to make this so much more awkward than it needed to be.

Just do it already, Webster, a logical, impatient voice in my head growled.

When that knock came, we were going to have to move, no dicking around. Who knew how much time we’d have out in the open, undetected? I didn’t want her exposed any longer than she absolutely needed to be while she was stuck in this state. I would legit sacrifice myself before letting Nicholl set a single finger on her. So, I was just going to have to suffer through risking an accidental boob or ass graze in the process.

After blowing out a steadying breath, I moved, sliding a hand under her thighs—her warm, tight thighs that could probably wrap around my waist with ease—and the other around her torso, where I—yep—unintentionally slid my entire arm across her soft, giving breasts, and nudged her onto her side.

I tried to keep it as clinical as possible, but seriously, she was so fucking warm and curvy and female, things on me reacted without my permission. And she moved so amenably to my every prompt—trusting me to safeguard her—that it stirred the protector in me; made the beast swell its chest out in pride and purr over her complete faith and compliance. I liked helping her. I liked the way she let me help her. And I liked how our bodies molded to each other throughout the entire ordeal.

So it wasn’t any surprise to me that I had a straining erection digging into her ass by the time I’d managed to swing us around and sit upright on the bed with her in my lap, hugging my neck. But it was beyond mortifying, regardless.

I froze, certain she’d become offended and scurry off me or tell me in no uncertain terms what a jerk I was, but she made no move at all. The poor girl didn’t even realize my hard-on was there, insistently poking at her for attention.

Damn, her mind really wasn’t present at all, was it?

Rage infused my bloodstream. What the hell had Nicholl done to crush her spirit to the point of this kind of madness? I suddenly wished I’d hit him in the hallway a few minutes ago, after all. And hit him hard enough to leave a mark.

A knock sounded on the door: one slow, two quick, another slow, followed by a quick and a pause before it finished with two slow knocks. While Izzy jumped and let out a startled yelp after the initial knock, the girl on my lap did nothing. My anger at Nicholl mounted, and I tightened my arms protectively around his girlfriend.

He wasn’t hurting her ever again.

“That’s our cue,” I said, getting ready to stand, only to think I should give Haven one last chance to walk on her own. “You sure you don’t want to walk?” I asked quietly.

I started to let go of my hold under her knees in order for her feet to drape toward the ground. But she tightened her arms around me, buried her face deeper into my neck, and tucked her knees up snuggly toward her chest, letting me know, she didn’t want down.

“Okay,” I eased softly. “I got you. I won’t put you down.”

After sliding my arm back under her knees, I stood, and she nearly choked me with how hard she held on. Her added weight made me grit my teeth, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle, so I nodded toward Izzy, who raced to the door and pulled it open.

Bear’s hulking frame filled the entrance, causing her to rear back in surprise. But big teddy bear that our team’s nose guard was—hence the nickname—Bear merely gave her a respectful bow and greeted her with, “Little Web.”

All my friends called Izzy that, so she immediately calmed and hurried into the hall when he stepped aside to let her out. Then he turned his attention to me, only to freeze with his mouth half open and eyebrows arched high.

“Dude,” he said, blinking repeatedly at Haven until recognition set in. And just like that, his brow dropped low. “Hey. Isn’t that Nicholl’s girl?”

“Let’s go,” I answered, shifting sideways to fit us through the doorway and shouldering past him. “We don’t have enough time for me to explain.”

“Uh…” Bear shook his head and finally seemed to wake up. “Yeah, okay,” he murmured. “This way, man. Roark’s got Tyrell distracted in the stairwell and all riled up about the next game.”

I nodded, and Izzy and I followed him to the end of the hall, where he eased the door open and peered around the side. The voices of two guys talking shit echoed back to us as they argued about Northwest, the team we were set to play this weekend.

In front of me, Bear motioned with his finger, giving the all clear, before he stepped into the stairwell and positioned himself to help block us further from Tyrell as Izzy and I slipped past.

“Hey.” Izzy poked me in the back. “Let me in front of you. That way I can break her fall in case you lose your grip.”

“I’m not going to lose my grip. What the hell?” I hissed back, even as I shifted closer to the railing so my sister could squeeze by, because shit, what if I lost my grip? I’d be forever known as that asshole who’d dropped Topher Nicholl’s girl down a flight of stairs.

As soon as Izzy was in the lead, however, she scurried forward, leaving us behind so she could scout the area some more. All the while, Haven Gamble held on to me for dear life, letting me carry her to who-knew-where.

At the bottom of the steps, José, a fellow safety on the team, waited at the next door. “Hey, man,” he started when he spotted us, tipping up his chin in greeting. “We’re good to go. Cannon’s paved a nice, wide path for you from here, straight to your…” But his words trailed off when he peered past Izzy and caught sight of me, along with who I was carrying.

“Whoa, what’re you doing with Nicholl’s girl?”

I shot him a don’t-ask glance, but he only seemed to freak more when he transferred his attention to her face. “Holy damn. What the fuck is wrong with her?”

The door from outside swung open, and Cannon peered in. “Did someone mention Nicholl’s girl?” He stepped in beside José to gape down at Haven. Then he looked to me, his expression filled with absolute confusion. “Um…”

“She looks drugged.” José backed away suddenly as if she were contagious only to transfer an incredulous glance to me. “You drug her or something?”

“Yeah, I drugged her,” I answered drolly before scowling moodily, unable to believe one of my own would even entertain such an idea. Then I exploded. “Are you fucking kidding me? Really? You think I drugged her?”

“Of course, we know you didn’t drug her,” Bear placated as he jogged down the steps to join us. “But who did?”

With a shrug, I admitted, “No one that I know of. She was running like a bat out of hell down the hall when I left Izzy’s room tonight, and she plowed right into me. She seemed desperate for a place to hide and escape the douche who was chasing her, so we let her in—”

“Actually, she pushed her way into my room,” Izzy added.

“Who was chasing her?” José asked, his eyes wide with shock.

I lifted my eyebrows meaningfully. “I’ll give you three guesses.”

“Nicholl,” all three of my friends answered, their voices grim and expressions dark.

I nodded. “He attempted to barge in after her. But I kept him out and tried to convince him he really hadn’t seen her go in there, to begin with. Not sure if he believed me or not, but he left, only for her to break down and lose her shit completely. She’s been like this ever since.”

“Well, fuck,” Cannon murmured, stepping closer to squint at her face. “Whatever he did, she did not take it well.”

Then he lifted his gaze, and I saw all the questions. And accusations. He looked pissed and betrayed that I hadn’t already told him everything.

Unable to handle the glint in his eyes, I glanced at Haven and repositioned her in my arms to reinforce my grip on her. I’d done what I thought was best for her, and I refused to feel guilty about it.

But shit, Cannon was looking at me as if I’d stabbed him in the back with his own knife.

“What do you think he did?” Bear asked.

I shook my head. “No idea. Before she checked out, she said it was nothing physical, but it was definitely something.”

“Hell yeah, it was,” José agreed on a dumbfounded nod. “Poor girl.” Awkwardly reaching out, he patted her arm. “You just hang in there, mamacita. We got you.”

“So, where’re you taking her now?” Cannon wanted to know, pulling a step back, his gaze going guarded as if he no longer thought he could trust me.

I opened my mouth to answer, only to realize I didn’t have a clue. I glanced toward Izzy, who seemed similarly stumped by the question.

“Do you think she needs a hospital?” José asked, turning his attention to each one of us.

My stomach knotted because I really didn’t know. “I think she’s physically fine,” I started. What kind of medical treatment did you give someone who’d mentally checked out? “But she’s not…” She wasn’t fine at all; that was clear.

“She just needs a safe place to rest for a little while until she works through whatever happened to her,” Izzy spoke up.

I nodded, because hell, that sounded logical to me, and no one else had come up with a better solution, so… Where the hell did we take her until she returned to her own head?

“Anyone know any of her friends or family?” I asked.

Everyone shook their heads. I shifted impatiently, still eager to get her out of here where we could be caught any moment by Nicholl or one of his Os.

Cannon finally stepped forward and addressed Haven directly. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said, softening his voice to almost ridiculous tones. “Where do you want to go?”

She flinched away from him and burrowed closer to me. So I murmured consoling sounds until she settled.

Cannon lifted his eyebrows and met my gaze. Though there was warning and censure in his expression, what he said was, “Looks like she wants to stay with you, bud.”

A shot of pure adrenaline raced through my veins. She wanted me.

But then I realized what Cannon was suggesting, and I drew back sharply. “No. She can’t come home with…”

Me.

That idea was just plain crazy.

“Guys, I think someone’s coming,” Izzy said, glancing fearfully up the stairwell.

“Go!” Cannon urged, grabbing my arm and yanking me outside. “We got this. Just get her out of here. Who the fuck knows what Nicholl and his Os would do if they caught us with her.”

I nodded and hurried into the dark night, Izzy at my heels. Off toward the right, I saw Polansky, a cornerback, keeping Muldoon, the team’s tight end, distracted.

Izzy raced ahead and dug through one of her many bags until she came up with her copy of my truck key so she could unlock the door and pull it open.

“Thanks,” I panted as I set Haven gently in the back seat. But as soon as I tried to pull away, she whimpered and clung tighter.

Shit. I began to sweat. Honestly, I didn’t want to let her go. This hero/protector role was playing havoc with my head. I liked having her rely on me to take care of her. But we really didn’t have time for it at the moment.

“Baby, I gotta drive,” I said, my voice frantic and begging as I cupped her face so she’d look at me and focus, maybe even shake herself out of this daze she’d fallen into. But all she did was wobble her head back and forth before she clutched my wrists, unwilling to let me go. “You’ll be okay,” I urged softly. “We’ll be here with you the entire time. We’re not leaving you.”

Her breathing picked up, panic mounted. When she shifted her head back and forth more insistently, I swore she was going to start crying again any second. My heart shattered. I had no idea what to do for her but I couldn’t handle seeing her cry as she had up in Izzy’s room. “Haven, you gotta let go of me so I can get you to safety. Please.”

“Just get into the back with her,” Izzy finally hissed, shaking her hands in antsy anxiety. “I’ll drive.”

“Shit. Okay. Good idea.” Relieved by the suggestion, I nodded and crawled into the back seat. Izzy shut us inside and climbed into the front, shedding her bags and tossing them haphazardly into the passenger’s side as she went.

As soon as she slammed the driver’s side door and started the engine, she glanced into the rearview mirror and met my gaze, snickering. “So, you already nicknamed her baby, huh?”

The knowing smirk in her tone caused me to scowl. “Shut up. It just slipped out.”

“Uh huh. Right. Whatever you say, baby.” Laughing under her breath, she pulled out of the parking spot and headed toward the street. “Just remember to never put her in a corner, okay?”

Oh Jesus. I would’ve grumbled something petulant at her about how lame her joke was, but Haven took that moment to crawl into my lap and press herself against my chest.

My attention successfully diverted, I hugged her close and set my chin on top of her head.

“It’s alright,” I told her. “It’s over now. You’re good.”

Reassured, she sank gratefully against me.

All the while, it felt as if the horror of the evening was just beginning for me. The girlfriend of my most-hated enemy was coming home with me—my enemy whom I would just love to see miserable and in eternal agony—and his girl was in such a vulnerable state that she’d probably let me do anything I wanted to her.

As Izzy drove us past the front of Dandridge Hall, I glanced out the small back side window and spotted Nicholl himself leaning against the front door, looking worried as fuck.

Good. He didn’t deserve a moment of peace.

It was night and the windows of my truck were blacked out, so there was no way he could see inside to probably even know I wasn’t the one behind the wheel, but I tightened my arms more protectively around his girlfriend anyway, ready to duck her down out of sight if necessary.

Recognizing my truck, he lifted his arm and flipped us off.

Oh yeah, he had absolutely no idea whatsoever who was inside the cab of this truck with me right now. Burying my nose in Haven’s hair, I couldn’t contain a petty, smug smile as I stole the dick head’s girl right out from under his nose.

I guess the fucker should’ve treated her better.