Chapter 6 Nico
NICO
Doc gave Maddy another sedative so she could get some rest before he discharged.
She hadn’t been happy about having to take more drugs, but Carter assured her it was to calm her down and let her rest a little more before leaving.
I stayed by her side until she was asleep, then slipped out to call Luis.
“Where did you go?” I asked as soon as he answered.
“Took the nurse lady to a secure location. She is…Bro, she’s not in a good place right now. Never seen someone so fucking torn up. You’d think the husband was already dead. How’s the girl?”
“Asleep. Doc knocked her out so she could rest before we moved her out. He might keep her one more day just in case, but he won’t know for sure until later after he checks her wounds.”
Luis paused, letting the silence draw out uncomfortably, before he spoke again. “So, what the hell is going on with Javi?”
I snorted a humorless laugh. “Not sure. This is weird. It had to have been him who approached the nurse, right?”
“Had to be. Probably not him directly but one of his boys. I don’t get why he’s got such a hard-on for this chick.
She’s hot, yeah, but other than that, I don’t see anything special.
I can’t find any connection to Javi. I’ve been looking into it and asking around.
She doesn’t come from money. The bar looks legit, no sign of money laundering or anything like that. I just don’t get it.”
“Yeah.” I grunted, not knowing what else to say.
It was strange. Usually, when Javi made a move of some sort, there was always something obvious to be gained.
Respect, money, territory, power, something.
It would have made at least a little sense that he wanted Maddy for himself, but the whole attempted-murder thing seemed to rule that possibility out.
“What’s our next play?” Luis asked.
He wouldn’t like what I had to say next, but it was something that had to be done. “I need you to set up a meeting with Javi.”
The pause on the other end of the phone was longer this time. “Are you serious right now?” he finally asked.
“I am. This might all be a misunderstanding. I don’t want to go to war or get this girl killed all because it could have been sorted out in a five-minute conversation. Right?”
“I guess. But Javi is a stubborn piece of shit, you know that. He’s not going to be happy you got in the way of his plans. Not once, but twice now.”
“I get that. I’ve got to approach this like an alpha, Luis. I’ve got a responsibility to resolve things in the best way possible. I can’t just drag the whole pack into something without exhausting every avenue. I’ve involved myself in this, and I’ve got to do my best to figure out an endgame.”
“That’s something else,” Luis said, sounding confused and irritated. “Why the hell are you involved? Since the moment we pulled into that bar parking lot, it’s like you’ve been a different person.”
That was a question I still couldn’t answer. It was part of the reason I wanted, needed, Maddy to stay with the pack. If I kept her close, maybe I could figure out what this feeling was.
I stayed silent, trying to figure out the best way to explain it. Trying to find a good reason to drag all my friends and family into something this dangerous. Instead, all I said was, “I don’t know.”
“You know what you’re acting like, right? It’s what Sebastian said. Like she’s your fated mate.”
I winced at the suggestion. “Luis, she’s human. You know that isn’t possible.”
“I know that. Do you?”
“Yes. Fated mates don’t apply to humans. All I can tell you is that every instinct in my body is telling me I need to protect her. I can’t ignore that.”
Luis sighed. “This is so fucking weird. I trust you, though. With my life, Nico. I’ll stand by you on this. Whatever call you make on how to proceed, I’ll have your back.”
I was thankful for my friend. There was nothing like having someone who supported you. As an alpha, having someone like Luis as your beta made life easier and more manageable. “What’s the plan for the nurse?” I asked.
“We’re gonna keep her under lock and key. I’m going to check into the kidnapped husband. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Okay, sounds good. I’m gonna see if Sebastian can come watch Maddy. I need to get back to the house and get that spare room ready for her to move into.”
I called Sebastian, who agreed to come over. I gave him the rundown on all that had happened and made sure he understood how serious it was.
“Shit,” he said, eyes wide with confusion. “This is some heavy shit, bro.”
“I know. I’ll be back in a bit, just make sure she’s okay. I trust the doc, but at this point, no one else gets in to see her. Got it?”
Sebastian nodded. “Yeah, yeah, we’re good.”
On the drive home, I went over the multiple ways the conversation with Javi could go. The scenarios in my head ran the gamut from intelligent adult negotiation that ended with a resolution we could all deal with to disaster that ended with shouts, screams, blood, and everything in between.
When I pulled into my house and saw the car sitting in the driveway, I sighed. It was not what I wanted to see. I loved my mother, but I wasn’t really in the mood to have the conversation I knew was coming.
I found her in the kitchen.
“Nico? What is going on? Everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off. All over the pack compound. Is something wrong?”
With everything that had happened, I hadn’t had time to let my family know about the situation.
I rubbed my face and let out an exhausted sigh.
“Mom, call Dad and everyone else. Have them come over. I’d rather explain it once instead of four or five times.
I need to go clean up the spare room. I’m going to have a house guest.”
My mother’s eyes glittered with worry, but she did as I asked.
I heard her on the phone with my brothers and dad while I was in the back room.
The bedroom had mostly been used as my own personal storage area.
It was full of boxes, bags of clothes, and books.
I spent twenty minutes hauling items into the attic and garage before the room looked suitable for a guest. I grabbed some spare sheets and blankets from the linen closet in my bathroom and had just finished making the bed when I heard the rumble of conversation coming from the kitchen and living room. The Lorenzos had all arrived.
When I walked out, I saw my entire family sprawled through my house.
Diego and Mateo were sitting on the hearth of my fireplace in quiet discussion.
Rafael was with my parents at the kitchen island, it seemed like they were arguing, which was usual for them.
My baby brother, Gabriel—the youngest of us all—was on the couch, scrolling through his phone, looking the least concerned out of everyone.
Dad glanced up and saw me standing in the hallway. “Nico?” Everyone else stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me. “What’s going on here? I can’t get any of your guys to give me a straight answer. I’ve called everyone. Why has the guard around the neighborhood been increased?”
I held my hand up. “Hang on, Dad, I’ll get to that.
Can everyone give me a second to explain?
” I took their silence as agreement and launched into my story.
I explained about finding Maddy half-dead and being attacked by shifters, recognizing them as members of Javi’s pack, the second attempt on her life, the nurse-and-husband issue, and my offer of security.
I left out the strange feelings I’d been having toward Maddy since I first scented her blood.
That seemed like information that would muddy the waters, and I had no time for that.
Unsurprisingly, Mom was the first to speak once I was done. “Nico, why are you involving yourself in this? It seems like this should be between this girl and the police. You’re putting yourself and the entire pack in danger.”
Dad chopped his hand down through the air like a knife. “Julia, you know what it means to be an alpha. Nico is a true alpha, and any alpha worth his salt helps those in need. He can’t turn his back on this girl. This Maddy girl needs help, regardless of the pack. It’s the right thing to do.”
Diego cleared his throat, and we all turned to look at him. “And this could be a way to weaken Javi. Right, Dad?”
Dad nodded. He looked at me, and I noticed the calculating look in his eyes. “True, this could be the chance we’ve been waiting on to finally bring Javi down. Especially if we have something he wants. We can use that.”
Mom’s eyes blazed in fury as she turned on Dad. “Carlos, you’re talking about war! Is that what you want?” She turned her gaze back to me. “Nico, you’re being reckless. You can’t put the entire pack in danger for one single human. You need to think this through. You’ll understand that you can’t—”
“Do you trust me as alpha, Mother?” I asked, my irritation turning to anger.
The room went deathly quiet. Gabriel turned back to his phone, averting his eyes from the uncomfortable situation.
Mateo put a hand to his eyes, and Diego and Rafael looked on in greedy anticipation, ready to watch the fireworks of a fight between Mom and me.
Dad looked like he was waiting to see how I’d handle the situation before chiming in.
The question seemed to be a slap in the face to Mom. I knew it would and didn’t feel bad about it. She needed to understand. After staring into my eyes for several seconds, Mom finally lowered her gaze, face going red.
She nodded. “I trust you, Nico. Implicitly. You are the pack alpha,” she murmured, sounding adequately chastised.
I sighed. “Then trust me on this. Can you do that, Mom? Dad does.” I swept a hand across the room. “All my brothers do. Can you?”
Mom nodded again, managing to meet my eyes. “Yes. I trust you. I’m sorry. I…I’m just worried.”
“I understand, Mom. So am I,” I said.