“Morning,” they chorused in unison.
“Hi, Nico!” Tristan and Aurelio shouted with glee. A smile spread across my face as I reached out to ruffle their tousled hair.
“How is she?” Emillia asked, as a look of concern crossed her face.
I hesitated, the words caught in my throat. “She’s...” I started, but the truth was, I didn’t know how to answer.
Emillia nodded, a fragile smile breaking through.
“Is she coming down for breakfast?” Tabi inquired, her brow slightly furrowed.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted.
“I’ll go check on her,” Tabi said, gliding past me and heading up the stairs.
Mya wrapped her arms around my waist. “She’s going to make it through this, Nico.”
I returned the hug, but uncertainty lingered in my mind like a shadow. Stepping back, I asked, “Where are the guys?”
Emillia tilted her head toward the other room. “In your office.”
I gave a subtle nod and turned on my heel.
“Nico,” my uncle greeted me.
“You’re not dead,” Luca quipped, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
“What is he talking about?” my uncle demanded, his thick eyebrows knitting together.
I let out a weary sigh, turning toward my desk. “It’s nothing, Uncle.”
“Not nothing. Fucker was shot,” Lo blurted.
“What?” My uncle turned his head sharply, scanning the room. “You were shot? Who shot you?”
“By his feisty little angel.” Luca chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m fucking loving that girl more every day.”
I wanted to throat punch my cousin.
“Gigi shot you?” Uncle looked at me with eyes as big as saucers.
“Yes. Last night was a misunderstanding. And it was just a graze, it’s fine.”
I called Jacobi first thing this morning. It was not the first time he came over and took care of a bullet wound, and I was sure it wouldn’t be his last. But this time, it was different. The bullet that stung was from the woman I loved. No bullet could ever cut deeper than the way I treated Gigi. Physical pain faded, but the guilt continued to eat at my gut.
Uncle’s expression darkened, his voice dropping. “As the head of this family, you must assert your authority, Nico. She needs to learn her place.”
The entire room went silent. I fixed a sharp glare at my uncle as I moved to my chair behind the desk.
“I know who the fuck I am.” I gripped the back of the chair. “And I don’t need to remind her of her place, Uncle. She’s not a fucking dog,” I snapped.
The doorbell rang right as I was going to sit down, and Alphonse’s voice thundered through the house.
“Where the fuck is my daughter?”
GIGI
After my shower, I was relieved to find Nico wasn’t in the bedroom. Instead of staying in his room, my feet had a mind of their own and walked me across the hall toward the guest room with Demon by my side. I shut the door behind me and pressed my back against the solid wood as if it could shield me from the chaos outside, which felt suffocating. It was too much to absorb in such a short span of time.
