I was already nodding before he’d even finished talking. I’d never been so afraid in my life. Tears were leaking from my eyes, sliding across my cheeks to drip into my lap. “Why is this happening? I just want to know why.”
Nico put a hand to my face, cupping my cheek. His voice went quiet and soft. “We’ll figure that out together. I promise.”
6
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 alittlesense 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 hellareyou 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.
