Chapter 26 | Nick
Nick
We met Leo beside the concrete wall at Fort Tilton beach. It was built into the cliff, offering us a natural barrier from onlookers.
“What did the turncoat say?” Michael asked.
“Get ready, because this shit’s a doozy,” Leo said.
Michael’s lips thinned.
“Oskar has been given new orders by Sergey Kersna, the head of the syndicate in Estonia. The human trafficking organization from Eastern Europe has been shut down...for now.”
Michael’s eyebrows lifted. “That’s good news, right?”
Leo shook his head. “You’ve done this long enough to know that the bratva is never going to stop trafficking girls. Your mandate has forced them to find another way.”
“What other way?” Michael asked through clenched teeth.
“They’ve made a deal with Marco Nunez,” Leo said, disgust in his tone.
“If Sergey and Oskar let him take over the human trafficking in this region, he’s promised to send firearms for them to fight you and your syndicate.
They plan to murder everyone in your organization and send a message that there’s a new alliance in town: the bratva and Marco. ”
“Jesus,” Michael said, harshly rubbing his forehead. “Just when I get rid of Rossi, this shit comes along. What are my chances of cutting him off at the head and making some kind of deal with Oskar and Sergey?”
“Not great,” Leo said, lifting his arms. “They’re pissed you’re tailing them. They’re planning to send a stark message that you’re the one who started this war.”
“If they come after Bianca, I’ll murder every fucking one of them.”
“Not Bianca,” Leo said. “They’re starting with Nick. They planted devices on his car and were planning to either kidnap or kill him next time he went to one of your clubs. Nighttime is better for them to attack.”
Leo’s gaze shifted to me. “You were going to the clubs when you first returned, but then you stopped, so their plan got a bit muddled.”
“Yes, Nick’s been quite...distracted,” Michael murmured.
Shit. I knew in that moment that Michael definitely knew about me and Alexis. I’d had the opportunity to tell him, and I’d blown it. Feeling like an absolute ass, I inhaled a deep breath.
“So, you’re telling me there are surveillance devices on my car?” I asked, furious at the invasion of my privacy, and even more furious that they’d come anywhere near our property where the people we loved resided.
“Not only that, but there’s some whiz kid hacker who works for Oskar, and he’s been assigned to hack into every goddamn thing you own, which means they’re surveilling everything.
We have hackers who work for us at the FBI, but I can only help you so much.
My boss still pretends he doesn’t know I inform for you, and I’d like to keep it that way. ”
“I’ve helped your field office catch numerous bad actors over the years,” Michael said.
“And that’s why he pretends,” Leo said with a nod. “The world isn’t black and white, and good agents understand that.”
Michael’s phone vibrated and he lifted it from his pocket. “One second,” he said, lifting a finger. “Are you okay, stella? Now isn’t a good time—”
My ears perked as I heard Bianca’s voice screaming through the phone. I heard Alexis’s name, and my heart sank to my knees.
“Okay, we’ll be at the hospital as soon as we can.”
Lowering the phone, Michael lifted his gaze to mine. “There’s been an explosion outside the house and Alexis and Chris are hurt.”
My throat closed as I struggled to speak. “Is she...?”
“She’s alive, but Bianca doesn’t know anything else.” He faced Leo. “Thanks for the intel. I’ll digest and contact you later today.”
“I hope she’s okay,” Leo said, concern in his tone. “Tell Bianca I’m praying for her.”
Michael nodded. Gripping my arm, he squeezed. “Come on, son.”
We rushed up the rickety wooden stairs as I struggled to breathe. Once in the car, I gripped my chin as Michael asked the driver to rush us to the hospital.
“I’ll text Adrian and see if he can update us as soon as we get there,” Michael said.
I nodded.
“Breathe, Nick,” he said, cupping the back of my neck to offer support. “We’ll be there soon.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I said, my nostrils flaring as I refused to look him in the eye.
Shame washed over me at how much I’d failed him.
Failed Alexis. I should’ve encouraged her to interview in the city.
Instead, she’d been procrastinating to stay in the goddamned bubble we’d created.
If she’d been in the city, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. ..
“That doesn’t matter now,” Michael said, gently patting my neck. “Let’s just be there for her and help her recover. That’s what’s important.”
“I love her, Michael,” I said, lifting my gaze to his. “So fucking much. I knew I should’ve let her go, but I was so goddamned selfish...”
“You deserve love too, Nick,” he said softly. “And she’s pretty stubborn. I’m not sure you had much of a say at all.”
“Yeah,” I said, huffing a laugh. “She’s insufferable.”
“Like mother, like daughter. But Bianca’s stubbornness is one of my favorite things about her.”
“Same. Alexis was so tough when we were kidnapped and stuck in that damn blizzard. If you could’ve seen her...”
“I don’t doubt it,” Michael said with a nod. “She’s a good match for you.”
We rode to the hospital as concern for Alexis invaded every cell in my body. Closing my eyes, I prayed to the lord to keep her safe, promising that if she was okay, I would do the right thing and set her free from me and the world that had so violently hurt her.
We arrived at the hospital to see Bianca pacing around the waiting room. She rushed to Michael and hugged him before giving me a hug too.
“She’s in surgery, but Adrian says it’s not bad,” Bianca said, wringing her hands as she updated us.
“There was shrapnel lodged in her back, and they wanted to take every precaution in case it hit a major vessel, artery, or organ ...” Crumpling into a chair, she buried her face in her hands. “Oh, God...”
“That’s good news, stella,” Michael said, lowering beside her and rubbing her back. “It seems she’ll be okay. I’m here, sweetheart...”
I watched him comfort her as guilt swished through me.
Bianca stretched her hand toward me. “Come sit down here,” she said, dragging me over.
“She’ll be happy you’re here. She talks about you all the time.
I know you two became friends when you guarded her, and I’m so happy for that.
Alexis hasn’t met many people who understand her, and I always hated that for her. ”
“I care about her very deeply, Bianca,” I said, rubbing her shoulder. “I’ll stay here as long as you both need me to.”
Adrian appeared several minutes later, dressed in blue scrubs. “She’s going to be fine, guys, but I’ll warn you, it’s going to look bad when you see her.”
“How bad?” Bianca asked.
“Her back was badly wounded from the shrapnel, and she’ll have some scars. The ICU doctors are going to place her face-down for twenty-four hours and put her in a medically-induced coma so her back can receive some open-air.”
“A coma?” Bianca asked. “That sounds bad.”
“It’s not,” he said, shaking his head. “It will actually help her heal. You all can visit her, but she’ll obviously be unconscious. Tomorrow afternoon, they’ll wheel her up to the sixth floor for two more days of recovery. She’ll be positioned to lie on her side so her back can continue to heal.”
“Will she have any permanent damage?” Bianca asked.
“Besides the scarring, no. She’s young and healthy. Once she goes home in a few days, I expect her to resume normal life as she heals. You’ll need to apply antibiotics and hydrogel once per day. She won’t be able to reach it, so you’ll have to help her.”
“Of course.”
“Within a few weeks, she’ll be good as new. I promise, Bianca. It could’ve been much worse.”
Rising, Bianca pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m so grateful for you.”
“Anytime.” Drawing back, he smiled. “Also, Chris is doing just fine too. He should be able to go home this evening. He told me that he’s pretty sure he needs to stay away from Rossi women for a while.”
Bianca laughed and swiped her tears. “I need to make him some very tasty dinners and ply him with some of Michael’s expensive wine. He’s certainly earned it.”
“My wife loves to give away my hard-earned wine,” Michael said, rising and shaking Adrian’s hand. “Thank you, Adrian. We appreciate everything you do for us.”
“Not a problem at all. A nurse will be out soon to take you to the ICU.”
A few minutes later, a nurse named Kim approached us and led us to the fourth floor. Bianca went in first as Michael and I hung back in the waiting room. Forty-five minutes later, Bianca returned, appearing exhausted as tear stains marked her cheeks.
“I need some coffee,” she said. “Nick, maybe you can sit with Alexis while Michael and I go find the cafeteria.”
“I’ll be happy to sit with her, Bianca.” She squeezed my wrist before trailing off with Michael.
I stepped into the room, the steady beeping of the monitors attached to Alexis ringing in my ears. She lay face-down, and her back was crisscrossed with open scars that had some sort of gel on them.
“That’s hydrogel,” Kim said, breezing into the room and replacing one of the IV bags that hung above Alexis’s bed. “It looks gross and sticky, but it will make her wounds heal very quickly. I’ll be outside at the nurses stand if you need anything.”
I nodded, unable to speak as I gazed at Alexis’s back. She would always carry the scars of being in our family. Of living in our world. In my world.
Lowering to the chair, I gripped my chin as I softly stroked her hair.
“Hey, princess,” I said, unashamed of the tears that formed in my eyes. “I’m here.”
She lay completely still, the monitor beeping as my heart felt an intense pain I’d never experienced, even when my parents died.
“We’re going to get you all fixed up, and then you’re going to get the fuck out of Brooklyn. You’re going to go somewhere safe and follow your dreams, and no one’s ever going to hurt you again.”
I continued to stroke her hair, holding my trembling chin as I prayed to God to help her recover quickly.
Bianca entered the room and stopped short, two cups of coffee in her hand as she gazed at us.
“I...” she hesitated as her eyebrows drew together. Her eyes roved over my hunched shoulders as I tenderly stroked Alexis’s hair. “Well, I...uh, got some coffee for you.” Approaching, she handed me a cup.
“Thank you,” I said, rising and taking a sip. “I’ll let you sit with her now.”
“No,” she said, a slight confusion in her eyes, and I understood she was probably recognizing that I was soul-deep in love with her daughter.
“Will you stay with her a bit longer? I think it will be good for her to hear your voice. Michael’s on the phone, and I need to cancel my shooting range appointment this afternoon. ”
I grinned. “How’s that going? Do I need to be worried you’re going to be a better shot than me?”
“You’re goddamned right you do,” she said with a nod. “I’m pretty badass with a gun.”
We smiled at each other as a veil of acceptance covered her stunning features. She looked like Alexis in so many ways, and I was thrilled that she and Michael had finally found a way to be together.
“I’ll be back in a bit. Thank you for sitting with her.”
Lowering back to the chair, I resumed stroking Alexis’s hair as I continued to talk to her, hoping she could hear me somewhere deep in her dreams.