I looked up into his face and grinned. “Yup.”
“I think maybe you should sleep it off. Maybe try the whole seduction thing sober tomorrow morning if you want.”
Raising an eyebrow, I said, “Oh really? Are you going to say no to this?”
Lifting my hands to my chest, I swear to God I thought I was trying to pull the buttons apart to reveal my bra. My wine-addled brain had forgotten that I was wearing a T-shirt and not a button-down. Instead, I grabbed the cotton fabric and yanked, doing nothing but stretching my shirt and hurting my fingertips. “Well, shit.” I looked down and pouted. “I was trying to show you my tits.”
“Okay, that’s the cue to get you to bed.” Nico put an arm around me and helped me up the stairs.
We lay in bed, getting ready to fall asleep, and I patted Nico on the chest. “I really like your family.”
“We’re mated now, Maddy. They aren’t just my family. They’re yours too.”
That sent a warm, tingly feeling through my whole body, which had nothing to do with the alcohol. Having his family welcome me like they had was a nice way to soften the pain of having my own family taken from me. Feeling loved like that was exactly what I needed.
“Thank you so much, Nico. I don’t think I can ever thank you enough.”
“You don’t need to thank me. You’re my mate, and I love you. Youaremy family, and that means I put you first.”
A new thought formed in my head as I ran my fingers over his chest. An idea I’d not allowed myself to contemplate until right then. Maybe the alcohol had opened some doorways I didn’t know were waiting to be opened.
“What are your thoughts on family? I mean… a family for us?”
Nico shifted his position in bed. “I’ve always wanted kids. You’ve seen my brothers. I had a big family. It’s definitely something I want. What about you?”
“Yeah. I do. One day anyway. Things are a little crazy right now to plan something that big, though.”
Nico rubbed my back. “Right. How about this? One day, when all this craziness is over and behind us, we can revisit this conversation. When I know for sure, you and your family are safe.”
A smile crept across my lips. “That would be fantastic. I’d like that.”
61
NICO
Luis had sent me a text early the next morning, saying it was time to infiltrate the safe houses. My shoulders tensed as I read the message. I tightened my grip on the phone, then eased it off, worried the screen might crack.
Glancing over my shoulder at Maddy, I said. “It’s Luis. Today.”
Those three simple words carried a metric ton of meaning. Both of us knew how difficult and dangerous this was. In my mind, I felt like I was at war. I wanted Luis and the other shifters to be safe, but I also wanted as much information as possible about Maddy’s family. If anything happened to Luis and his team, I’d be swamped with guilt. My own anxiety spiked as I texted Luis back.
Maddy looked equally nervous. Her face was pale. She wanted this to be over. She was desperate to get her mom and dad and Abi back, but she knew as well as I did that the next few days would be incredibly dangerous.
“I told him to hold off starting until I can get everyone together. I’m going to call everyone over,” I said as I got up and dressed.
Nodding, Maddy stood and started dressing. “Umm, do you want me to, like, make breakfast for everyone?” I could tell how nervous she was. Maddy probably wanted to stay busy to keep her mind off what was about to happen today.
I gave a little half nod. “Sure. Let’s… I guess let’s try and keep the day as normal as possible. There’s literally nothing we can do but wait.” I wasn’t very hungry, but normality would keep things a little less stressful.
After Maddy headed downstairs, I called Dad, Felipe, and Sebastian and told them to come over as soon as possible. Once I was off the phone, I headed down to the kitchen. Maddy was sliding a big pan of frozen biscuits into the oven while bacon sizzled in a skillet and eggs cooked in another. Surprisingly, as the food cooked, my stomach growled. It seemed I had an appetite after all.
Dad arrived first, with Felipe and Sebastian right behind him. I helped Maddy finish up and put plates down for everyone. Everyone was pretty quiet as we ate, even Sebastian. We all felt the pressure and seriousness of the situation. As hungry as I’d felt a few minutes ago, I barely managed to eat anything. Instead of talking, I exchanged texts with Luis. Once he let me know he and the brothers were ready to go, I stood and put my half-eaten food in the sink.
“Okay,” I said once they’d finished. “Luis said they’re about to leave the motel. Let’s go and sit in my office. There are enough chairs for everyone in there.”
The five of us trudged up the stairs and found spots in the office, then waited for the call to come in. I was in my leather office chair, rocking back and forth, staring at my phone on the desk.
“Bro, you gotta chill,” Felipe said. “Won’t help if you’re freaking out like you are.”
