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NICO
It’s becoming more and more clear to me that Marco isn’t going to get himself caught, and that I’m going to have to go after him. I tell myself it’s because I don’t want to be stuck in safehouses or looking over my shoulder when I get home, but I know, deep down, that it’s not that.
I want to kill him myself for what he’s done to Aurora. He’s broken her in many ways, and she seems dimmer after those nightmares.
He’s given a bright young girl something to be afraid of, and I hate him for it.
It’s not because I have feelings for Aurora. That’s not possible. I don’t get feelings for women, but I do like to protect them. She’s my little sister’s best friend, so of course I want to protect her. Francesca would be lost without her, honestly.
They’re like sisters.
When Aurora is still sleeping, I get up and pack all our things, putting away all her clothes and packing some snacks for us as well as the first aid kit that came in the original duffel bag. I want us to have a way out if we need it.
I call Dante and he picks up on the fourth ring.
“Why do you call me so early?” he groans.
“I haven’t heard from you in two days,” I snap.
I can all but hear Dante’s scowl. “Well, there hasn’t been much to say,” he says. “They still haven’t caught Marco. There’s been no sign of him since we found the car.”
“Well, we need to figure it out,” I say, sighing. “I can’t be stuck here forever.”
“She can come here,” Dante offers. “Stay with me and Mia.”
I haven’t thought of that. I could take Aurora home, and have her stay with Dante, Mia, and Francesca. I don’t have to do this on my own.
But I look over at her, sleeping peacefully in bed, her fingers curled around my pillow, and I can’t bring myself to tell Dante that I’ll do it.
“There’s no sign of him at all?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Nothing,” he responds. “I’ve got people staked out all over the Esposito place and close as I can get to the Barones.”
“They’re protecting him?”
“Not officially,” Dante sighs. “But yeah, they’re going to protect their own, keep him from getting caught, most likely.”
I curse under my breath. “So, in the meantime, we just have to wait it out?”
“Like I said, just bring her here,” Dante says, sounding exasperated.
“I’ve got this,” I say, even though I’m not that confident that I do.
“What’s the deal, Nico? Do you like her or something?”
I scoff. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just stuck with her, that’s all.”
I hang up the phone and start to make breakfast, but Aurora doesn’t come out into the kitchen for a long time. When she does, she just grabs her plate and goes back into the bedroom, closing the door.
I stand at the closed door for a long time, looking at the doorknob but not turning it. Is she still upset about last night, about the dream she had? She wouldn’t tell me about it, only told me that it was awful, full of memories from that night.
We’ve been at the new safehouse for six days now, and I’m getting antsy. I don’t want Marco to trail us here and I keep thinking that he might.
I put my hand on the doorknob and open it and Aurora is lying down, the plate barely touched on the nightstand next to her. She’s staring at the ceiling.
“I’m sorry that you have to be stuck with me,” she says softly.
“Fuck.” She heard that? “That’s not what I meant, Aurora...” I trail off. What else could I have possibly meant? I sounded like an asshole.
