Groaning loudly, the scent of fresh coffee filled my nose, and I cracked open an eye. Matteo walked out of the kitchen and held a cup up.

“You want coffee?”

“Mm, I might.” I said and sat up.

“Here.” he said and set it on the table, and he looked at me. “So, how did you sleep?”

“Um, good actually.” I said and took a drink of coffee. The warm liquid was delicious going down.

“So…. Alexi was worried about you last night, and I got an alert, but I knew it was probably you, since the code was entered. I mentioned I knew where you were and that you were safe. He was a little peeved with me for not saying something sooner and sent a certain someone to bring you home. He might have come with me too,” he explained.

I expected Creed, or maybe one of the other enforcers, but nope. That was not who came out of the kitchen, two plates in his hand and that stupid bright smile on his face. “Morning.”

Kylian.

I should have known it would be him. He is enough of an outsider in our family that Alexi was sure to assume I wouldn’t think anything of it. But Matteo ratted him out. I wasn’t a stranger to being picked up and nagged at by Creed, but he definitely was not as bad as my brother.

He set the food down and slipped into the booth beside me, forcing our legs to touch. His muscles rippled in his legs and I felt them. Without even asking or thinking much about it, I rubbed my hand on his thigh and gave it a decent squeeze.

Blondie went stiff under my hand and he cleared his throat. “Nikki… can I help you?” his eyes glanced down at my hand and I yanked my hand back.

“Shit… sorry. That was…um.. yeah, I don’t know how to explain that.” I muttered. Taking a deep drink of my coffee, “I must not have been awake fully.”

Eating the food placed in front of me while I chewed, I located my phone and flicked through my contacts, looking for anyone to help take the edge off. I was well aware sex would only make things worse right now, but I felt I needed it. Kylian took my phone out of my hand and placed it face down on the table.

“Just eat.” He said.

“I was making… plans.” I muttered, and Matteo gave me a pretty good kick underneath the table. Letting out a groan, I reached down to rub the spot on my leg.

“The last thing you need to add to all this right now is sex and hooking up, Nikki.” Matteo hissed at me, a frown set on his features. “Focus on your daughter.”

The way he said this, more so, the part about my daughter got under my skin and I wanted to scream at him. Letting my anger simmer, I tossed back the rest of the coffee and pushed the food away and collected my things.

Moving, I was able to stand up on the booth seat and step over the back and into another one and down onto the floor.

“Nikki, wait!” Matteo said.

“Save it.” I muttered, and left the diner, Kylian hot on my tail, all the way to the SUV. Opening the front driver’s door, he held the door closed, his chest pressed against my back.

“Move your hand.”

“Let me drive, Nikki.” He said, his voice gentle as it flowed into my ears.

“I can…. fine.” I mumbled, and let go of the door handle, turning in the small space, our chests barely not touching. I slid the keys into his front pocket of his black jeans. “You shouldn’t get this close to me.” I muttered, before ducking under his arm and walking around to the other side of the SUV.

Without missing a beat, he slipped the keys out of his pocket and opened the doors. He said nothing until he was in, driving the car and down the road a way.

“I don’t think Matteo meant his words in the way that you took them, Nikki.” Kylian said, but kept his eyes on the road.

“Whatever way he meant it, he didn’t need to say it. I made the decision that was best for my daughter at the time and that was for Alexi and Creed to have her until I’ve come back around. Looking for someone to have sex with doesn’t mean I am neglecting my daughter. I have my wants and needs, too.” I bitched, annoyed with how things were. I didn’t need to be reminded of my daughter. I thought about her often. Even now, I would give her the whole damn world if she asked for it.

“I think Matteo is just worried about your wellbeing. You have many people around you like that, Nikki.”

“I know, and they have all been supportive, but it’s just too much. I knew I need to sort out my head. I know better than anyone. If I just fall back into my routine like before, things should just go back to normal.” I said, and I heard him sigh.

“Nikki, you just can’t force things to go back to normal. Things aren’t normal. Your grandmother is gone, and you’re still suffering from something traumatic. You aren’t that you anymore. You even know this,” Kylian said, and the look on his face was between a soft smile and a frown.

Not entirely willing to speak about this anymore, I turned and looked out the window. I could feel his eyes flicking to me every now and again, and I wanted to question him about it, but I settled on ignoring him all together.

After a few minutes of silence, we arrived at the complex, but instead of letting me out in front of Maddox’s building, he drove all the way to Alessio’s. Parking the car, he looked at me again. Continuing my message to one henchman in Maddox’s building, I got the part ‘you up for a round’ typed before Kylian once again ripped my phone out of my fingers. Looking at his face for a second wasn’t enough to gauge his emotions, but I figured with this action, he wasn’t pleased with me.

“Thanks for the ride, I’m going to head to----”

“No, you’re not.” Kylian said and got out after turning the SUV off and came around, pulling me out with him, his hand on my lower back as he pushed me through the front doors. He pushed me all the way to his room. Unlocking the door, he shoved me inside and closed the door after he came inside, too.

“What the hell are you doing?” I questioned him.

“Bargaining with you.” He muttered.

This area was way smaller than the wing I lived in, and was more like a bedroom, bathroom and living room kitchenette combo. If he had a washer and dryer set, it was probably in a closest or in the bathroom. I couldn’t say for sure, though.

“What are we bargaining?” I asked.

He grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with two or three inches of tap water, and he dumped a capsule in after he broke it open. He gave it a swirl, and walked to me, the glass held out.

The colour of the sleeping pill had Alexi written all over it, and I chewed on my lip. “We definitely are not close enough for you to be drugging me with my brothers’ sleeping pills.”

“At this second, that’s true. But hear me out. You take this, and take a nap on my couch, or the bed. I don’t give a damn. And in return, I’ll give you the sex you want,” Kylian said, and I scanned my eyes down his figure again. Grabbing the glass, I tossed it back and hated the flavour of the meds. This was hardly the first time I had got a chance to experience them.

Alexi had drugged me himself a few times.

“You best hold up your end of the bargain, Kylian.” I declared, and went to his couch, knowing that it wouldn’t take long for these damn meds to kick in and kick my ass.

“Should I take you to my bed, Nikki? Since that is the terms of our agreement.” Kylian said, as he made his way over to me and knelt slightly. “If I take you to my bed now, it would be easier for later.”

“Just show me. I’ll take myself.” I muttered, feeling the pill kicking in. Kylian moved, picked me up, carrying me to his room. He kicked open the door lightly with his foot and carried me inside. He dropped me on the bed and softness touched my bare skin on my hands. The fuzzy blanket was the last thing I expected to be on his bed. It was soft and warm, and reminded me of something I might put on my daughter’s bed for her.

Grabbing the other side of the blanket on the bed, he pulled it back and wrapped the top blanket around me. The look he had in his eyes should have been a red flag, but stupidly, I curled into the bed and closed my eyes.

Whatever came after I woke up, that was a problem for at that moment. Sleeping was the problem at this moment. Drifting closer and closer to my complete surrender to the sleeping pill, the bed felt like a cloud.