Chapter 3

Dani was discharged from the hospital shortly after. Nico had barely spoken a word to her since she had laid that heartfelt argument about not blaming himself on him. Dani allowed him his space but started to worry as he helped her into his car, was he going to just drop her off? Had she really crossed that line that he felt compelled to shut her out completely, she hoped with everything she had it wasn't the case. When he passed her exit she looked at him with a confused expression, Nico kept his eyes on the road even as he felt hers pressing him for an explanation. After about 45 minutes into the drive, Danielle fell into a drug induced sleep. Nico pulled into his house driveway, owning two properties had its advantages, only one other person knew of this place and she had passed leaving it to him. His mother's place was on the outskirts of New York, just far enough to be outside his realm of "Work Jurisdiction." It was his getaway. As he parked the car and noticed the sleeping occupant next to him, he almost couldn't believe he was willing to share his sanctuary with her. This place was something he cherished into silence for 10 years, never even visiting longer than a couple of days at a time and only then to get the sleep he never could in the city. This place was where he grew up, had good and bad memories, and now found sanctuary when everything became too much. Looking upon the 3 story brick house, he felt his heart swell and burn at the same time; it had been too long since he had spent some time here. Driving here had come naturally and almost against his will when he knew he needed some place peaceful for her to deal with the aftermath of what happened, especially since he wasn't planning on her going through it without him there every step of the way. He got out, climbed the steps , disarmed after unlocking the front door, and travelled inside to check the stock on food. Realizing he would need to go to the grocery store, he walked to his bedroom and made sure it was made and comfortable for Dani. He ran back out to the car and carried her to his bed, laying her down and tucking her in so that she could sleep comfortably while he went to the store.

Fifty or so minutes later, Nico pulled into the driveway. Walking into the house he unlocked and disarmed it, when he started to carry groceries in he heard crying and whimpering coming from his room. Running upstairs he noticed no one was in the bed, but could hear Dani panicking. "

"Danielle, it's me, Nico. Where are you honey?"

Suddenly she burst out from underneath the bed and ran into his arms. Sobbing with everything her small body had, Nico pulled her close tight but mindful of her ribs.

"Danielle, baby, I just went to the store. I thought you would sleep through me being gone. Honey, everything is going to be okay, please believe me, you are safe."

Feeling her nod into his chest she began to calm down a bit. Pulling away after a couple of more minutes trying to calm herself down, she looked into his eyes, silent tears streaming down her face.

"I woke up, and called your name out. Then I remembered everything that happened. When I heard the door open and the alarm disarmed I realized I had no idea where I was. I had flashbacks to last night, I hid under the bed until he found me Nico. I was so scared; all I could think about was that I would never get to see my kids or you again." Her tyrant was put to a stop when he placed a single fingertip against her lips and pulled her back into his arms. Cradling her in his shoulder he kissed the top of her head and gave a large sigh of guilt and pain.

"Dani, I'm so sorry. I thought you would sleep through it, I should have realized I had been gone too long. You are in my house, the safest place possible. Only people who knew about this place besides me are dead. Danielle we are out of anyone's reaches, and I promise nothing will ever happen to you again."

She pulled back with a sad smile on her face, "I know Nico. You have always made me feel safe, and always will. I thank you for that."

He smiled sadly as well and caressed her cheek with his fingertips, causing her to gasp and lean into his hand. He slowly and sadly pulled his hand away; turning to leave the room she grabbed his good hand. He turned looking at her with an unknown intensity from her cataloged Nico expressions in his eyes.

"Nico…what did you do to yourself after leaving the hospital?" He tried to turn and leave but she walked a little quicker than she should have been able to with her injuries to block his entrance. Grabbing his face in her hands she made him look her in the eyes, "What did you do Nico?"

"Why? Why Dani do you want to know that?"

"Because I know you punished yourself more than breaking your hand, I want to know what caused you to use violence against yourself Nico. Please just open up this once."

He pulled from her grasp, she started to feel hurt at his reluctance when he spoke looking away from her out the window into the darkened country.

"I cried all the way back to the apartment replaying your sentence about the what if's had I not shown up in my head. When I got there I screamed from all the intensity building in my heart, grabbing some sweats and running as hard and fast as I could. I ran all night until I fell to my knees at central park and sobbed because I couldn't have prevented what happened to you. I saved you by chance Dani, and if the what if had happened I'm not sure I would want to live anymore." He turned to look at her with more tears in his eyes, not yet running down his face, "Happy now? You know my weakness and its you." Storming out of his bedroom and he jogged down the steps and out the door. He grabbed his cowboy boots he kept in his shed and grabbed a saddle, running to the horse ranch he loaded himself onto a black stallion and took off at a fast trot. Something no one else knew about him either, he loved to ride, ever since his childhood and growing up around horses. In the city he ran, here he took flight on the back of a stallion into the night.

Dani sat down on the bed and smiled a weak smile at what had just been revealed. Walking down the steps he caught sight of him on a horse taking off for the woods out the back window of the living room. She had a puzzled look on her face realizing she would learn more about Nico Careles in the next couple of days than she was sure anyone had ever known about him. So she put his groceries away with as much speed as possible with her ankle and injuries and started a pot of coffee. Sitting down on the luxurious couch next to the fireplace that she had lit, she sat with coffee determined to wait him out.

Nico pulled back into the horse ranch feeling better, knowing he had given a huge part away of himself and his heart's true feelings to the subject of those feelings was a little unsettling for him. But as he unloaded his stuff from the horse and gave it a midnight brush, he realized he was going to open up more to her than anyone ever in his life, because he was in love with her and couldn't live without her. Walking into his house he found her with a cup of coffee, awake and just sitting with her back to his fireplace. He noticed the groceries unpacked, and couldn't help the warmth at the idea of Dani waiting for him to come home for the rest of his life. He crossed the room to her, put her coffee cup on the table next to the couch and gently lifted her to her feet. When she looked up with that cute and puzzled look on her face again he couldn't help it. He gently laid his hands on the side of her neck and kissed the bruises across her face, when his lips kissed softly on the busted part of her lip he heard her breath catch in her throat. He slid his hands into her hair softly, and lifted her lidded eyes to his in a question. As a response to that question she slid one hand up his clothed chest resting her palm against his heart, and slid her other hand into the end of his hair on his neck. He leaned down with the intent of closing the distance between them now and forever, when his lips stopped hesitantly above hers she moaned softly and closed the rest of the space, causing his lips to land softly against hers. He moaned with unrequited need and love for this woman as he soft began to move his lips against hers, mindful of the cut and bruise on the corner of her mouth. Dani got lost in his kiss, never having been kissed with such love and compassion before she slid her tongue across his bottom lip. He growled and moaned at the same time as he shifted her head to allow him the angle to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue into her sweet mouth they began a beautiful and passionate tango of tongues. When air begged attention he broke away resting his forehead against hers, not being able to stand being away from her lips after tasting her he kissed her softly, two more times. She moaned softly at his attention. Pulling away completely but keeping her wrapped in his arms, he sighed with content and love evident in his face.

"Danielle. My Danielle.