“That’s really fucking rich, Sebastian. You’re a goddamn hypocrite. What about your actions and what you did?”
Things were quickly going sideways. If I didn’t step in, one of them would say something they couldn’t take back. Luis looked nervous, but he hung back. I stepped between them and gripped Abi’s shoulders, staring into her eyes.
“Abi, try and remember who you were before all this started. You’ve been through a lot. So damned much. I understand that. Through it all, I think you’ve lost yourself. You need to find that.” I stopped talking, suddenly realizing what I was going to say next. “You… maybe you’re right. Maybe you do need to leave.”
Sebastian threw his hands up and stomped away from us toward Nico’s house. Heat built in my belly and chest, hot and strong. I’d never felt it before. Probably a response to the fight. I shook off the feeling and gestured at Sebastian’s retreating figure.
“Once you’re back to yourself, you better fix that.”
Abi huffed and rubbed a hand across her face.
“And,” I added, “if you do decide to go, you won’t be leaving unprotected, and you won’t be going back to your apartment. I have an idea.”
I headed back toward the house.
Abi called from behind me. “What idea?”
“Come on, and you’ll see.”
Abi hustled to catch me. We found Nico standing in the kitchen, making a sandwich. He glanced up, and the smile forming on his face died when he saw our expressions.
He slapped the sandwich on the counter. “What now?”
“Okay, hear me out,” I said. “Do you think Donatello might be willing to hide Abi for a while?”
112
NICO
Istared at Maddy in exasperation. There was far too much going on for me to worry about the drama between Abi, Sebastian, and Luis. If it hadn’t been for the imploring way Maddy looked at me, I’d have totally brushed it off. I looked from her to Abi, who promptly lowered her head in embarrassment.
“Are we being serious right now?” I asked.
Maddy glanced at Abi, then back to me. She nodded. “Yes. It’s important. She needs a safe place where she can get her mind right. Between the situation with the guys and what happened when she was captured… it’s too much. She wants to go back to her apartment, but that isn’t safe.”
I looked forlornly down at the turkey and salami sandwich. My appetite had vanished. Would Donatello be willing to give Abi a safe haven? He’d offered to house my entire pack, going so far as to say he’d send in transport helicopters to prevent us from having to drive out of the pack lands into danger. But this was a single person. Was it even worth his time?
“I’ll ask him,” I said. Seeing Maddy perk up at that, I raised a brow in warning. “That doesn’t mean he’ll say yes, though. He may tell us to go and pound sand.”
Maddy nodded vigorously. “No, yeah, I get that. Thank you, Nico.”
The relief in her voice had my irritation fading. I could actually sense her relief. It came off her in waves, calming my own fears and worries. I tugged my phone out of my pocket and sent Donatello a text.
Less than three minutes later, my phone chimed with his response.
I can do that,but you’ll need to get her to me. I can’t risk using too many of my resources for one person. Get her to Miami. I’ll take care of the rest.
Maddy peered over my shoulder,trying to see what Donatello had said.
She sighed in defeat. “How are we going to get her to the airport? She’s a human, so she’ll be fine once she’s away from here, but once she’s past those gates, who knows what those crazies out there will do.”
The trip to the airport would be the most dangerous part of the entire thing. Sinthy’s wards protected everyone within the boundaries of the pack lands, but once we were out in the real world, it was open season on shifters and shifter allies. Maddy was right, though. If we could get Abi away from here without anyone noticing, she’d be fine.
“Can Sinthy teleport her to the airport?” Maddy asked.
I shook my head. “She could, but as soon as Sinthy leaves this area, the wards come down. Even if she came right back, it took her over a week to build and cast the spell big enough to protect this large piece of land. We’d have no defenses from anyone wanting to harm us. From what we’ve seen already, I doubt we’d make it a week. And God only knows how many spies Viola hassituated outside our gates. The moment they see the wards are down, the royals will be on us in no time. Sinthy can’t leave.”
The cracking sound of knuckles popping interrupted our conversation. I looked up to see Sebastian leaning against the wall. I hadn’t seen or heard him come into the room. He looked pissed.
