Chapter 7
Nike’s pupils shrank, and when he spoke again, his voice was low and husky.
“When did you figure it out, babe?”
I pulled the ribbon off and grabbed a fistful of his hair, turning his face toward Mine. “How long have you been addicted to playing dress-up? Where’s your little gold wig tonight?”
Nike raised both hands. “There was a reason for that.”
‘Right. Of course, there was.’
The red eyes, the trembling, all of it was an act. He was sitting up, composed, pulling Me back onto his lap. “How did you know it was Me?”
I pulled out my necklace, showing the same ring as his. “You’ve been wearing our wedding ring this whole time. It wasn’t hard to miss.”
He laughed softly. “I couldn’t take it off.”
“Don’t try to make that cute. You lied about who you were.”
“I can explain.”
“Go ahead.”
I couldn’t wait to hear what kind of excuse he’d pull out of thin air.
“It’s your fault, actually.”
I looked through for a second.
“You told me you only wanted someone who needed you. Soft. Sensitive. You didn’t want the version of me that could handle himself. But I still wanted to be around you. So I gave you two versions.”
He said it like it was reasonable. “You did this to me. I’m not your husband, and not your lover either. I have no way back.”
‘Wow, he’s blaming Me for this now?’
“So lying is my fault now.”
I pushed against his chest to get up. He tightened his arms.
Nicholas pressed a kiss to My jaw, then another, slow and unhurried. “Have you noticed that you’re different with Nike? Softer. A little spoiled.”
His hand stroked the back of my neck lightly.
“When you said you’d consider Nick. I was scared. For a second I thought you’d go through with it.”
I tapped his chest. “You are him.”
“But you didn’t know that.”
“I did.”
I’d already put it together before tonight.
“What if you hadn’t?”
Nicholas wasn’t dropping it.
I looked at him. “I wouldn’t want anyone who wasn’t you.”
His eyes darkened, like he wanted to devour me whole. “Miranda, since when do you feel this way about me?”
“Since when do you?”
“I love you.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not what I asked.”
“A long time ago.”
“How long are we talking?”
“First day of school. The first time I saw you.”
I didn’t say anything. Something bright unfurled inside Me.
He held me in his arms, still waiting. “Your turn. When?”
“Secret.”
“We’re Married. We don’t get secrets.”
“You kept the killer thing from me.”
Nicholas pulled back to the version of himself that didn’t back down. “And who’s
been going on business trips to kill people every other week?”
“Nicholas, just let me have this one thing! I hate you!”
He laughed and pulled me in. “That’s fine. I love you anyway.”
Once I’d cooled down, I went back to the list. “You could’ve taken the shot that night. Why did you let him make it to the building?”
Nicholas shrugged. “I was going to. But then I thought, if I do, I don’t get to see you. So, you know.”
He paused, shaking his head with a quiet laugh. “I didn’t expect you to skip the building entirely and put a bullet in him from six hundred yards out.”
I corrected him. “Seven hundred.”
“Fine. Seven hundred.”
He pushed the hair back from My face. “My wife is a total sharpshooter. I’M whipped, honey.”
I flipped him onto his back and pulled his tie free, drawing it snug against his throat. “Don’t flatter Me. You didn’t take me
seriously at first.”
The veins in his neck jumped under the tie, and Nicholas looked like he was enjoying it.
I knew he was thinking about the night he pulled My Mask off. “You were a stranger then. That’s different.
“Babe. One time you came home and I found a tie in your pocket. I almost went out that night looking for whoever it belonged to.
“Turns out you’d used it on a job.
“Every time you told me, right in front of Nike, that you loved your husband. Just hearing it almost had me come.
“Feels so good. Harder, babe.”
‘Damn, he’s such a freak.’
I let go, and he sat up slowly, pulled me into his lap, settling Me against him. “Don’t be Mad. Come home with Me. I’ll make it up to you.”
“How?”
“We’ll shoot.”
I was confident about guns, like I came to
a different center of gravity.
I scoffed. “Mine’s custom. I’m not
I turned my face into his hair and held him back. “Okay, stop crying, Nike. We’ve got a long time ahead of us.”