Chapter 37 – Vanessa
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Vanessa
Wilder Pierce, Patrick and Malachy O’Connor, and Gabriel Torres approach from the sidewalk on the right. It runs perpendicular to the semi-circle where the vehicles park, and Hawk aims at them as he climbs out of the SUV.
The last time I saw him, he was checking for pulses, so I’m not sure what he was doing in the vehicle, but he lowers his weapon as soon as recognition hits. Shoving his gun into his holster, he stomps our way with a bottle of water.
Moretti continually taunts Grigoryan, who sounds like he’s in rough shape. I’m so frazzled that I’m not sure where to look or what to do.
I want to go home, goddammit.
Dealing with a massacre and the cleanup required to not go to prison following it was not on my imaginary to-do list. I was well-fucked and ready for bed, and this kinda ruined the vibes.
Once Hawk makes it to us, he hands the bottle of water to Magnum, along with a small plastic baggie.
“I was worried you’d be in pain, so I brought your next dose of meds with us. Take that,” Hawk says, nodding at Magnum. “Hopefully it’ll help get your pain under control.” He pries me out of Magnum’s hold, wrapping his arms around my lower back. “You okay, sweet girl?”
I nod, but my nose wrinkles as I pick up hints of blood. It taints his scent, and I almost take a step back to check him over for injuries. The only thing that stops me is that I know for a fact no bullets were directed at us. He must have gotten bloody while checking the corpses.
“Did you know this was coming?” I ask, my tone coming off as accusatory.
“He did not,” Moretti says, and I pull my face from Hawk’s chest to see where he is. He strides closer, putting his gun away. Looking over at Wilder, the O’Connor brothers, and Torres, he says, “Give me just one minute, gentlemen.”
Grigoryan’s screaming has finally stopped, but I didn’t hear any more gunshots, so maybe he passed out.
That, or they drugged him to knock his ass out.
“We’re always on high alert when we’re leaving the warehouse,” Hawk says, nuzzling his cheek to the top of my head.
I’m still learning the ins and outs of the bond, but it feels like he’s poking around, trying to gauge my emotions.
Moretti stops a few feet away, holding out an arm.
I briefly consider staying glued to Hawk. If I did, it would hurt Moretti’s feelings, and my stomach wobbles at the thought. I’m annoyed with him for not giving us a heads-up, but I also know that’s just who Moretti is.
“You definitely knew this was coming.” I point at my husband, disengaging from Hawk.
“Oh yeah, he definitely did,” Magnum agrees.
“I had a feeling Grigoryan might try something.” Moretti grips my wrist, tugging me to him.
His electric scent hits my nose, and the urge to rub my face in his shirt gets too strong to resist.
It’s freezing out here, and I’m in a dress, heels, and a coat.
My calves, ankles, and feet are almost painfully cold, but Moretti’s chest is warm as I give up on fighting my instincts and bury my nose between his chest and arm. His suit coat even gives my ear some much-needed wind protection.
“Let me put it this way,” Moretti says, lowering his voice considerably. “I never enter or exit any of the buildings within the compound without someone watching from above.”
“Even when you have meetings with Wilder?” I ask just as softly.
“That would be correct,” he says, keeping his voice barely above a whisper.
“Usually it’s just one individual. Tonight it seemed prudent to have a team in place.
” He returns to his normal tone. “I cleared it with Wilder before the party, but I hoped it would be overkill. Something in my gut told me not to fall for Grigoryan’s distraction. ”
“Why would he attack us here, of all places?” I ask, but it comes out muffled against Moretti’s shirt.
“I believe he was hoping to take us out before we could decode the information Magnum found in his office.” Moretti soothes his hand up and down my back.
“He knew once I had proof, I would immediately pass that information on to the other families. Attacking my home would be fruitless. I believe he assumed tonight would be his only chance. He knew the approximate time we would be leaving, as well as exactly where we would be located.”
“Damn,” Mag says. “That makes sense, but even if he was successful, he had to know it would put him in deep shit with the other families.”
“Desperate people do desperate things,” Hawk chimes in.
His words spark a visceral memory of how hopeless I felt when I found out my father was going to proceed with marrying me off to Grigoryan.
My stomach wobbles, and I slide my arm around Moretti’s back, giving him a squeeze. I was desperate enough to seek out the only person who I knew hated my father and Grigoryan as much as I did, but I had no backup plan if that didn’t work.
I get choked up for no good reason, making it hard to speak, but I push my emotions through the bond to Moretti. I’m so fucking grateful that he didn’t leave me to the wolves.
“I’m going to be stuck here for a bit, supervising the cleanup, but it’s cold.
Hawk will get you and Magnum home.” Moretti kisses the top of my head, patting my back.
“Grigoryan is going into the basement you visited while we were at Luminescence. It has a room you weren’t privy to that’s filled with cells.
Cormac offered to place him in his torture dungeon, and I may hand him off once I’m done, but I want Stavros to suffer for quite some time before someone puts an end to his existence. ”
“Agreed.” I pull back and look up at him. “Death should feel like a blessing he has no right to taste.”
A dazzling smile breaks out on Moretti’s face, and those damn dimples appear under his short beard as he dips his face to mine. “Ahh, darling. I knew I picked a worthy queen to rule at my side.”
Damn right, he did.