Chapter Sixteen #2
Saint Medard, perhaps it was time he cut himself a break. Kristiah hadn’t just been a tool of Gapg’n, the asshole priest. She’d had ties to both Cum Hua, God of the Underworld, and to the Goddess Ixchel.
Fuck, there were so many deities playing chess with mortals, no wonder they were tripping over one another as they crossed and double crossed each other.
Nico’s family, their crew, they’d just been caught in the crossfire.
Kristiah had sought them out. Targeted, and researched them.
His parents hadn’t sensed anything amiss.
Hadn’t realised she was manipulating and using them for her own aims. And that they along with the crew would pay the ultimate price once the hollowed out blade had been located.
Manipulated. He certainly knew how that felt lately. Gigi might mute the call of Qetesh’s cursed silver ring, but it would take some kind of weird mental sandpaper to completely eradicate the memory of the demi-goddess inside his head. Trying to exert control over him, own him.
Once this was all over, maybe he should talk to his sister-in-law, Quinn, the psychiatrist, it was long past time he purged the guilt, the suspicions, and the all-pervasive dread that had lingered too long like a dark cloud over his life.
And once he had his head on straight, officially, he could, could what?
Pursue Gigi? She’d been pretty clear about keeping the sex and all the playacting separate.
Hell, was he fated to join the long list of eligible bachelors that had at one time or other had Gigi in their grasp yet failed to engage her on every level?
He had a lock on the sex part of the equation.
And he’d been nothing but supportive on the business front.
Unfortunately, there was one area he was sadly lacking any expertise in, emotions.
He'd come to care for Gigi. As a partner, as a friend. But she deserved more than that. For that matter, perhaps so did he. But love?
Nico’s past encounters with that particular emotion were not good, to say the very least. How did you know if you were in love? It was such an ephemeral state of being, how could you trust in it? That it wouldn’t fade, or buckle at the first sign of adversity?
Fucking hell, love, he’d know it when he saw it, wouldn’t he?
He’d certainly been busy spending the last year or so, since he’d discovered who Kristiah was and what she’d done, berating and belittling the emotion.
Bloody Hell, the only two things he was sure of right at this moment was that tomorrow’s baby shower was a potential fubar situation in the offing.
And that there was something really wrong with Gigi.
The chills. The shivering. Too often she felt icy to the touch unless they were in bed together.
“You okay?”
Hah, and she was the one asking him that.
He honestly had no idea anymore, but forced a small nod and smile.
“Sure. Come on. We need to head to Elijah’s place for our final strategy meeting.
” He wanted this baby shower over and done with, Sunny and Nell safe, the Lurve Goddesses vanquished and he wanted Gigi to consult a doctor.
Nico wouldn’t force her hand, but as soon as this baby shower was over he was going to demand Gigi seek medical advice.
And not because he loved her, but because they were friends, that was all, and like any good friend he was concerned.
Yeah, that was totally mild concern eating away at the lining of his gut making him feel like he should wrap Gigi in cotton wool and at the same time kill someone…
casual, friendly concern, yeah. Totally.
* * *
“I should get first dibs on the nasty little demi-trollops. I think everyone here would agree that it’s only fair. I want to hear them scream before I rip their hearts out their chests and send their souls fleeing to the pits of the Underworld.”
You could have heard a pin drop after Nell finished speaking.
Everyone present eyeing her, trying to hide their surprise and amusement.
Because seriously, the woman was almost ten months pregnant, and what had for the majority of her pregnancy been an almost too tiny baby bump was now so large that Nell’s balance was completely skewed.
It took her over a minute to both sit and stand up.
And if she wasn’t holding onto something, she tended to list to the side, like she was on a boat deck during a storm.
“Well?” Nell’s normally placid deep blue eyes blazed with anger, an unfamiliar scowl clinging to her forehead.
“Absolutely.” Darcy, of all people, was the one to step up, attempting to placate her older sister.
“Only fair. We’re all in agreement, right?
” She glanced around at those gathered for the final baby shower strategy meeting.
Elijah and Copper, sharing a couch, nodded in unison.
Whilst Taite and Adrian, top ranking Enforcer Lieutenants, followed their commander’s lead, hurriedly agreeing.
Vaughn and Hadleigh both shrugging casually.
Nell’s meld mate, Drum, patted her hand reassuringly before giving her shoulder a slight push to right her, as she was beginning to list to the left.
“Sure, Doc. You get first dibs.” He probably would have looked more concerned if he thought there was a chance in hell Nell would be able to even lever herself to her feet at the first appearance of danger.
Let alone waddle in a straight line to meet it head on.
“I feel like you’re all just telling me what I want to hear.” Nell directed her scowl at the room at large.
Patricia heaved a sigh, brushing away Cullen’s warning hand from her knee.
“That’s because we are. Nell, I love you.
We all love you. But you can’t even put your own shoes on at the moment.
Let alone lead the charge against a deity offensive.
You’re the target. You and Sunny need to let all the Warriors and Enforcers do the heavy lifting by protecting you and getting you to safety at the first sign of danger.
Now, I’m going to need you to suck all this anger up and be less hormonal and do what’s best for you and the baby. ”
Silence descended with a thud. Gazes swivelling between the two women.
“I’m not being hormonal.” Nell protested sullenly, her scowl disappearing, big tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. “And these are not sad tears. They are tears of promised vengeance and an ugly death.”
“Warrior tears.” Hadleigh agreed.
“Yes, exactly. You probably cry in battle all the time, right?”
“Not me, personally, but Vaughn.” She patted her six-foot-seven meld mate’s muscular arm lightly. “Constantly. He’s the sensitive one in this relationship.”
Everyone’s gaze shifted to Vaughn’s stoic handsome face as he absently rubbed baby Asher’s belly, his almost seven month old son strapped to his chest by an overly complicated set of straps and multiple high grade locks.
Asher loathed having his back to a room, just like his parents, so he was always strapped in the baby harness carrier facing outwards.
Currently his clear grey gaze was fixated upon Nell’s belly, little arcs of lightning zipping back and forth in those depths.
“Tears of promised vengeance and an ugly death. Couldn’t have put it better myself. ”
“Okay.” Darcy intervened, fearing if she didn’t they’d be here all night.
“Everyone knows the plan.” Pointing at the nearest screen depicting the layout of tomorrow’s baby shower.
“You’ve all been assigned grids. First sign of incursion lock the bystanders down behind shields.
Drum, you stick to Nell. Gigi and Nico are your backup and will be hovering, making it look like we’re spoiling Nell with extra attention on her big day…
” Darcy hesitated, a loud sniffle coming from Nell, tears rolling even faster down her cheeks.
“You all know where the extra weapons are stored, disguised as party…” Nell issued another loud sniffle.
“…decorations.” Clearly there was more to say, but Darcy, glancing her sister’s way, was worried if she kept talking then the sobbing would start.
Emotions, she was just so very bad at them.
Luckily for her, Declan, her annoyingly hot, and annoyingly cheerful meld mate excelled at them.
Striding forward Declan knelt before Nell, handing over a tissue, before gripping one of her hands in his.
“I don’t think anyone had said it yet, but damn, Nell, we’re totally all in awe of you right now.
I know this pregnancy hasn’t been easy, and now with Hathor and her daughters circling.
Taking a stand tomorrow, it must be as scary as hell, but if you’ve changed your mind, if you want to cancel the party, then we would all understand. ”
Nell mopped up her tears, smiling. “You’re such a kiss ass, I adore you, now get out of my face.
I’m just tired and pissed off, and really scared.
Our baby girl is coming into the world, eventually.
And all I wanted was a little party in my parent’s backyard to celebrate that fact.
Instead, it’s going to be a supernatural smackdown with potential causalities and I can’t even bend down far enough to help anyone if they do get injured. ”
“Declan is right.” Darcy grudgingly agreed, she’d put in a lot of hard work planning everything, but there were no guarantees that everything would go off smoothy. Especially with their extended family present. “We can cancel the party.”
“Who would tell, Mum?” Nell was shaking her head in horror.
Darcy pointed immediately at Declan. His head swivelled around lightning fast. “You did not just designate me the sacrificial lamb?”
“Our mother loves you. And I would totally make it up to you later.” Liking the way her meld mate’s eyes heated up at her words.