Seducing a Good Girl (Book 3 of the Billionaire Bad Boys)

20

Dominic kissed Nicki in the driveway. It was early in the morning and his flight left in thirty minutes. It was a good thing Nicki was a farm girl and used to early risings. He didn’t want to leave Nicki, but he had to go. “I’ll call you when I touch down in New York.”

“Don’t worry about me.” She said running her hand down his chest and pushing him into the car.

“I’ll be home around midnight.”

“I’ll wait up.” She promised.

He kissed her once more and then got into his car. He pulled out of the driveway and out onto the main road. He was headed for the airstrip when he passed a rundown red Chevy going in the opposite direction. It looked like a beat-up old work truck, but Dominic shrugged it off. It was the highway it wasn’t unusual to see run down trucks on it. The airstrip was twenty minutes from the house. Halfway there he found himself still thinking about that truck. Where could it have been going there was nothing out that way, but houses and that truck certainly didn’t look like it belonged at any of those million-dollar homes.

He parked his car in the hanger and boarded the jet. The truck was a work truck, so it was probably a gardener or a contractor, but it didn’t have a toolbox or any supplies in the bed. Dominic sat on the jet waiting to take off, but he had an easy feeling. Something in his gut told him that truck didn’t belong and that had Dominic worried.

Dominic took out his cell phone and called home. He’d feel better if he heard Nicki’s voice. The phone rang and rang but she didn’t answer, and he began to worry. “Are you ready to take off Mr. Sanchez?” The pilot asked as he came out of the cockpit.

“You know what I think I’m going to cancel this trip. I’ll reschedule for tomorrow, but you’ll still get paid for today.” He said getting up from his seat and leaving the jet.

“Is something wrong?” The pilot asked from the door.

“Hopefully not.” He said getting into his car. Hopefully, he was just paranoid.

***

Nicki poured herself a cup of fresh coffee and sat down at the island in the kitchen with her laptop. She sipped her coffee and placed it on the island countertop next to her computer and began to scan university and college websites in Montana. She was looking to compare their writing programs. She was lost in her task when she thought she’d heard a car door.

She wasn’t expecting anyone. Nicki listened, but she didn’t hear anything else, so she returned to her task drinking her coffee, wow it was really hot. Another sound caught her ear and Nicki got up to investigate. She left her cane by the island. She had her brace on so walking around the house wasn’t that difficult. In her hands, she held her coffee.

Nicki stepped lightly as she made her way through the house to the front door which was wide open. She was sure she’d shut it. Nicki limped over to the door to shut it when she noticed the red Chevy in the driveway. She recognized it immediately. Nicki quickly locked the door and turned around. That was Mark Harris’ truck. Somehow, he’d figured out where they lived, and he was in the house.

She very quietly but quickly moved through the house. She needed to get to the kitchen where her cellphone and her handbag where. Her hands shook as she made her way to the kitchen peering around corners keeping an eye out for Mark. The house was big, and there were many places to hide.

Suddenly Mark jumped out from behind a corner. Nicki screamed and threw her coffee in Mark’s face and then broke the mug over his head. It incapacitated him just long enough for Nicki to get past him. She did her best to run for the kitchen her leg was screaming in pain, but she made it to the island and grabbed for her handbag when she was tackled from behind and knocked to the floor with her handbag just out of reach.

Mark wrestled Nicki onto her back and tried to pin her down pinning her hands to the floor beside her head. Nicki stretched her neck and bit his hand hard until he yelped and released her. She reached out at that point and grabbed her bag then hit him in the head with it. It knocked him off her and Nicki scrambled to her feet and took the mace from her bag. Mark lunged at her and Nicki sprayed him in the eyes.

His hands went to his face as he screamed and staggered back into the wall. Nicki then took out her taser and turned it on Mark. She pulled the trigger, and the barbs shot out and hit him in the chest. Mark went down hard and began to shake violently on the floor. It was then that Nicki noticed Mark had brought a gun but had dropped it when she had tasered him. Nicki dropped the taser and picked up the gun. She checked it to be sure it was loaded and then she heard her cell phone ring.

She reached for the phone when Mark recuperated and kicked her bad leg out from under her. Nicki fell and couldn’t get back up; she was in so much pain. Nicki crawled on her belly across the floor trying to put some distance between them, but she reached the wall. Mark got up and stalked over to her. He cornered Nicki and kicked her in the leg again making her cry out in agony.

Nicki lifted the gun she’d taken from him and open fired. She emptied the entire clip in his chest. Mark shook from the impact and then dropped to his knees and fell face down on top of Nicki. He was heavy; she couldn’t push him off of her. She could feel his blood begin to soak into her shirt. He didn’t move or groan, so she was pretty sure he was dead.

But now she had a new problem she was alone until midnight, and she couldn’t reach her phone to call for help. He was so heavy the dead weight was crushing her. “Nicki?” Dominic’s voice called from the front door.

“Help!” She cried out.

A second later Dominic appeared in the kitchen, and he ran to her side. “Oh my god Nicki.”

“Get him off me.” She begged in tears.

Dominic took hold of Mark’s body and shoved him off her. Then he took her hands and pulled her up off the floor and into his arms. He held her close even though his clothes were being ruined by the blood on hers. “I knew that truck looked shady. Are you ok?”

“He came for me.” She cried. “I had to kill him.”

“I know,” Dominic said stroking her hair.

“I’m going to go to jail now. I murdered a man.”

“It was self-defence.” He told her. “You’ll never see the inside of a cell. I promise.” Dominic helped her to a chair in the kitchen and took out his cell phone to call the 911. The emergency response team showed up minutes later. The EMS checked Mark and then Nicki. The police took her statement and called the coroner. The coroner declared Mark dead on arrival and hulled his body off to the morgue after the CSI team documented the scene.

***

Since the house was now a crime scene, Dominic took Nicki to a hotel so the police could process the scene and bring in crime scene cleaners to clean up the blood before going home. Nicki sat up worrying for days that she was going to be arrested until the day that the DA came to them and told them he was not going to seek prosecution. That they believed she had only been protecting herself so no changes would be layn.

Of course, the attack had made national news, and Nicki’s family had rushed to her side to see for themselves that she was alright. Even Damien and Eve flew in to see how much of the media circus was true. When they were allowed back into the house Millie, Lacy, and Eve helped Nicki set her home right. Picking up broke knickknacks and cleaning up whatever the crime scene clean-up didn’t do.

Since their home was big, they were able to put everyone up for the weekend. It was nice to have everyone in the same house, and they were all getting along, although Nicki got the feeling her father was a little disappointed that Eve had brought her husband, Nicki was pretty sure Mitchell had a bit of a crush on the woman.

Nicki was happy the way things had resolved themselves. She was free form the threat of Mark, and she’d found justice for what he’d done to her. She felt terrible for taking a man’s life, but she felt relieved that it was finally over.

After everyone went to bed, Nicki sat on the patio staring up at the stars. “Why don’t you come to bed?” Dominic asked from the patio door.

“I will.” She said quietly.

“Something bothering you?”

“I killed a man.” Mark was a terrible man. “I feel guilty.”

“He deserved to die. He would have killed you.”

“I know, I don’t feel guilty about killing him, I feel guilty because I don’t feel guilty about it. I should feel something, shouldn’t I? I mean a good god fearing Christen woman should feel some remorse when she takes a man’s life. Shouldn’t she?”

“Not when that man is Mark Harris.” He said coming to her. “That man was the devil, and he got what he deserved. I only wish I’d done it myself. Come on doll, come to bed and don’t give that man another thought. He’s not worth tormenting yourself over.”

Dominic was right. Nicki was going to put Mark behind her. He’d ruined enough of her life she wasn’t going to allow his memory to make her feel any worse. Nicki got up and took Dominic’s hand. They went inside to bed, and Nicki laid her head on her pillow and closed her eyes. She’d never think of Mark again.