Chapter 272


    Chapter 0272


    “It’s fine,” I said. “I got away before anything truly bad happened.” At his insistence, I then proceeded to


    exin exactly what Terry had done.


    “He tried to touch you,” Nichs growled. “He did touch you.”


    “I left before anything could happen. I got myself out of that situation.”


    After cleaning his wounds, I wrapped his hand in a sanitized white bandage. He held himself very still


    for me, though I could feel the tension buzzing under his skin.


    The moment I fastened the bandage, securing it, he pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms


    around me.


    “I should have been there,” he said. “I’m sorry.”


    “You can’t be there every minute. Besides he was so subtle about it, even Julian didn’t notice.”


    Nichs hummed, a deep rumble I felt in his chest against my ear.


    “I’m worried,” I said. “Stepping out like that was not the most tactful move. My standing is sure to


    suffer.”


    “You protected yourself,” Nichs said. “That is the most important thing.”


    To him, maybe it was. But I wasn’t as sure about myself. Elva needed the medicine and treatment only


    the pce could provide. Any loss of standing, any risk of being removed, was a danger to her.


    Still, I wrapped myself in thefort of his worry for me, and let it help build my courage. I would


    protect Elva. I would do anything for her. But I didn’t need to sacrifice myself to Terry.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    At least, not yet.


    “We should get back,” I said. “We can’t risk looking too suspicious.”


    Nichs lowered his face down into my neck, where he breathed me in for a long moment. Then,


    reluctantly, he released me.


    As we returned to the dining room, he stayed very near my side, not touching but never more than an


    inch away.


    As we approached the table, I noticed that Julian had moved into my seat.


    “You don’t mind, do you, Piper?” Julian asked, eyes alight with mischief. “This makes it so much easier


    to talk to Joyce.”


    “Of course not,


    ,” I said, and moved to Julian’s old seat, which now ced me across the table


    Nichs pulled back my chair for me, then pushed me in as I sat. When I wasfortable, he lowered


    himself in the chair beside me.


    Terry red at both of us.


    A small sense of victory filled me. Itsted only a moment, long enough for Terry to stretch out his arm


    and wrap it around the back of Susie’s chair.


    Susie instantly paled.


    My heart leapt into my throat. Susie was quiet and self–conscious. I didn’t know if she would have the


    confidence to stand up for herself against Terry’s flirtatious onught.


    Terry leaned into her and whispered something into Susie’s ear. Susie tried to lean away, but Terry


    brought his arm around her and locked her into ce.


    Her eyes were wide and panicked. She stared at her empty te like it might offer help.


    I kept my gaze on Terry’s hands. So far they were both visible. If one so much as slipped out. of view


    for a second, I was going to jump across the table and throttle Terry, standings be damned.


    I knew, deep down, that Terry was only flirting with Susie to get to me. This must have been his backup


    n all along, if I showed any kind of resistance. He somehow knew we were friends and plotted to use


    that knowledge against me.


    I hated him deeply, almost as much as I hated myself for getting Susie caught up in all this.


    The empty entrée tes were taken away, and in their ce, a desert was brought in. It was


    cheesecake, smothered in a rich–looking chocte sauce. If I’d had any appetite at all, I would have


    gobbled it in a sh. As it was, I was struggling to keep my lunch down.