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I've never run towards a fight before in my life, but I want to dart out of that door right now. It was different when Vince shot Knox, I was right there, grabbing that weapon was instinctive and I knew I had to help him. Going out to find and fight my own sister is a completely different thing. I don’t think she is stronger or faster than me, but I don’t see her as weak. But I am worried about Nico going up against her. He isn’t as strong as he would normally be, and his skin is still sore from the rope burns. If she grabs his arms, it will hurt him.
Luckily, everyone is just as keen to go out and find him, even if it isn't for the same reason. They are more worried about finding Annie, and possibly the gun Nico stole, than about the boy himself.
I'm nothing more than a paperweight, getting in the way as Edward, Knox, Caeo, Gregory and Carter prepare for war.
This is my life. And this is definitely theirs.
Bio-dad has a gun. Boyfriend has a gun. Daddy-in-law has a gun. I guess the other guy is my half-brother, he has a headache and a gun.
Everyone else has orders, the foremost one is to find Nico and/or Annie. The 'no harm' order doesn't ease the cold chill from seeing so many guns. It just means any death that is going to happen will be personal. I am more concerned about Nico now than I was when he was missing. Then, my only worry was finding him, and I had complete faith in Knox. Now, Nico disobeyed Knox, stole a gun and attacked Gregory. If Carter doesn't take that as a personal insult I'll be surprised. If he asks for Nico's life as forfeit, I will fight all of these men to save him. I will hate all of them forever if I fail.
I do try and beg each of these men to be kind to Nico, and each one assures me with genuine intent that they aren’t interested in him, my fears can't be eased.
All I can do is run along behind them and keep begging to hold Nico in my arms.
Getting outside is just the first stage of this. No one knows where Nico is, let alone Annie. We know Nico is here, the rest is just a hunch. I know that hoping he dropped the phone and crept off to wait in the car when Edward arrived is probably wishful thinking.
It doesn't take long to find where Nico had first called us, Knox identifies the perfect tree to snip straight into the living room, and Carter visibly shudders. As soon as we find the abandoned gun, Carter nods at his men and I know this tree is going to meet its end. But it offers us no clues about Nico's new location.
"Phone him again," Knox suggests, cupping his hand over his eyes so he can scan the landscape for signs.
Chapter forty-four
Nico
MysituationwithTiffanyis at a stalemate. She is in cuffs, but I can do no more with her. Every time I try to grab her, she kicks and headbutts. It hurts and I have no more energy to give. I'm a panting, knackered mess. I took down a big mafia guy, but I'm getting my arse whooped by a handcuffed woman. It's different circumstances, I know, but this isn’t doing my tough guy image any favours.
I shuffle back on my butt out of her reach as she tries to stamp on my legs, and I find the dropped phone belonging to the shower man. I connect through to Carter, taking a boot to the head while I'm distracted; I need help.
"Hello. Is this speaker?"
"Technically whoever is talking is the speaker," Carter replies abruptly.
"Speaker phone please," I clarify.
"Yes, Nico, we can all hear you," Knox calls, though he sounds more distant than Carter.
"I have the fanny girl but need pick up and get."
Tiffany throws herself at me. The air is forced from my lungs, and for a moment there is too much thigh over my face to breathe.
"Roses-," I splutter with all the strength I can muster.
Tiffany is a better fighter than I am, even with both hands tied behind her back. Her legs fight to get around my head, one either side, and once she bends one leg under the other, I'm stuck. Her thighs tighten and I am very close to dying between a woman's legs. I'm not a fan of anything between a woman's legs, which I blame on Gavriil's TV choices. My hands grapple with her legs, but they're entwined all the way to her ankle tucked under her knee. I have to pull them apart before I have any hope of freeing my throat.
Stars dance in front of my eyes, and if I don't breathe soon, she's going to succeed where someone else took three days to fail.
"Get off him." Caeo's voice breaks the fog. His face briefly appears, along with more arms than he should own by himself and then Tiffany's legs release me.
My ability to breathe returns and then a hand reaches out to me.
"Porter!" I can't take his hand, but I appreciate it all the same. It takes him and Knox to help me up and I look at quite a crowd around me. Carter and Edward are here; Caeo and Gregory are holding Tiffany's arms, and a collection of unknown thugs stand around us. My eyes slip past Caeo, ending on Gregory and I fix on the blood coating his collar.
"I am sorry for head."
"I've been through worse," Gregory shrugs. "You look like you've been through the wars more than me."
I give a shudder and pull my sleeves back down over my wrists, hiding the cast around the right one.
