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Nick’s forceful voice pullsme from a deep sleep. “Nora. Get up. Now.” He doesn’t sound angry, necessarily, just like he’s tired of being bullshitted and means business.
Sucking in a deep breath that turns into a yawn, I sit up and shield my eyes from the light while they adjust. I don’t think I’ve slept long, but it takes me a second to get my bearings. I’m in Oliver’s bed. We were attacked. He’s unconscious. I check the man still lying beside me like some kind of sleeping beauty. His face is still flushed, his brow caked with sweat. I push his bangs back and rest my hand on his forehead—it’s still burning up.
I turn my attention to Nick. He’s standing in the doorway to the bedroom, doing his best impression of a grumpy troll. His face matches his tone—he’s both glaring and he’s not. “Get up. I need you.”
I want to rage at him, but there’s something about him that has me hesitating. A hint of desperation and vulnerability mixed with anger that has nothing to do with me.
While we stare at one another, Ren elbows Nick to the side. “Move out of the way, you big lug.”
After Ren muscles his way past Nick, he stops, taking in the scene. He looks distraught, almost bedraggled, and his eyes are glued to Oliver. He swallows hard and makes his way to Oliver’s side. He mimics the action I just made, lovingly pushing Oliver’s hair off his forehead and feeling the fever with the back of his hand against Ollie’s cheek. His jaw grinds. “Damn that magical bastard.”
He brushes the lightest kiss to Oliver’s forehead, then plops down in Oliver’s desk chair and takes his hand. My throat tightens at the display of affection. I hate seeing Oliver like this, but I love seeing how much my guys all love him, too. And yes, Ren is mine. He may not be a lover, but like Terrance, he’s family. He’smine.
I shake my head free of my thoughts. I’m so possessive lately. Ever since my siren woke up, I feel this need to claim all of my men so that everyone in the city knows whom they belong to. I wonder if that’s normal.
As Ren stares down at Oliver, his eyes gloss over. He blinks hard and looks at me. “He’s going to make it.” His eyes move back to Oliver, and he gives his hand a shake. “You hear me, mister? You’re going to be just fine.”
His obvious love for Oliver is going to make me cry. I swallow and blink back a few tears of my own. “He is,” I promise with a nod. I’m honestly not so sure, but I can’t deal with any other possible outcome so I make the promise anyway.
“Nora,” Nick says again. His voice is softer now, but still firm. When I look his way, he stares me down with an anxious brow. “I know this is terrible timing, but I really need you.”
Anger rises up inside me. “Go find your missing griffin yourself, Nick.”
I expect him to argue. I don’t expect him to swallow hard. “This isn’t the missing griffin. It’s personal. I need your help, Nora.”
When I open my mouth to argue, he holds up his hand and says one word that stops me.“Please.”
Nick sayspleaseabout as often as Terrance saysthank you. My anger deflates when I realize how truly upset and desperate he is. When I don’t say anything, he drops his hands. “I know you’re pissed,” he says, “and you have a right to be. Choices were made, and maybe they weren’t the right ones, but they can’t be changed. The past is the past. The only way to make up for it is to do the best we can now.”
I say nothing. He has a point. You can’t change mistakes. All you can do is try to make up for them by being better. Maybe Nick didn’t care about humans then, but he helped me when he thought I was human. That’s progress.
He folds his arms over his chest and gives me another staredown that could rival Terrance. “Ignoring the good and not helping when you can just because you’re angry is the same as sticking your head in the sand. Is that any different than us looking the other way?”
My anger flares up again, but only because he’s right. If I refuse to help, am I any better than them? I want to be so mad, but Nick is a good man, and I’ve seen the good the Agency does for this city.
Nick lowers his voice and softly says, “The Agency needs you, Nora. The fey need you. This city needs you. And right now,Ireally need my partner.”
That desperation is back. Nick is pleading with me, and it’s so unlike him. I don’t like seeing him upset. My shoulders sag, and I let out a breath. “You’re right. I need to help if I can.” I’m giving in, but that doesn’t mean I’m okay. I meet his gaze so that he can see the truth in my next sentence. “But, Nick, I’m so angry.”
Nick sits down beside me on the bed and surprises me by taking my hand. “I know you are, little spitfire, and I’m truly sorry for the part I played in your mother’s death.”
With his hand holding mine, I can hear his thoughts. The sincerity of his apology is surprising. There’s true remorse. He’s conflicted because he still feels like the outcome—the Agency being formed and the underworlders uniting under the law—was worth the sacrifices. But he is genuinely sorry that it affected me, and he feels guilt about how little he thought of humans back then. They have more worth than most underworlders give them credit for.
He squeezes my hand. “So will you come with me, partner? I’ve got a case that needs solving yesterday. I could sure use your help.”
My eyes drift back to Oliver. How can I leave him?
“I’ll stay with him, Nora,” Ren promises. He’s still holding Oliver’s hand and combing his fingers through his hair.
I don’t want to go, but Oliver is clearly in good hands. I force down another lump in my throat. “Will you call me the second anything changes? Good or bad?”
Ren gives me a pained smile and nods. “Promise.”
A look passes between us. Understanding. Ren is every bit as devastated as I am. He’ll keep his promise.
Nick rises to his feet and tugs me up with him. “He’ll pull though, Nora.” I nod. He will. He has to. “Come on, partner. Some fresh air will do you good.”
I’m quiet as I leave the house bundled up in Charlie’s coat since mine is covered in Oliver’s blood. Nick is content to let the silence ride. He seems distracted. Whatever this case is, he’s upset about it. I can’t, for the life of me, imagine what could be so bad it has Nick Gorgeous upset.
