Nico's Heart (RARE Book 1) (14 page)

The General was scrambling up the hill to the helicopter.  He had almost made it.  Rikki tried to take the shot, but it wasn’t there.  Nico was running up the ridge trying to catch the General and get to Serenity.  Rikki took two more shots
before dropping her gun.

It was just like in Nico’s vision.  He was almost to the top of that fucking ridge.  He was trying to get to the General who was carrying a very small woman.  The General reached the helicopter and turned just as Nico scrambled over the top.  The woman in his arms was blocking any shots to him. 

Phoenix fought to get to Nico.  The bastards were not taking his brother.  He had Jenna and Lily waiting at home for him.  Phoenix could not let it happen.  But no matter how hard he fought to get through the army of men and get up the steep incline to Nico, he knew there was no way he would get there in time.  It was all just how Nico had described it.  Utter chaos.  “No!” Phoenix screamed as he clawed his way up the hill.  “Nico, run!”

Phoenix watched as a guard rushed Nico and Nico’s blade sliced through the other guy’s neck.  He fell to the ground leaving Nico standing wide open on the edge of the incline.  Suddenly, Nico was falling down the incline toward Phoenix as he was shoved roughly from behind.  Phoenix watched in horror
when the bullet meant for Nico slammed into Rikki.  What the fuck was she doing there?  She was supposed to be up in a tree picking off the General’s army. 

Bright red spread across her chest and her pain filled gaze met his. 
Neither of you are expendable, my brother,
she whispered into his mind. 
Love you both so much.
  Then she was gone.

The link severed as she fell to the ground.  Two men grabbed her roughly from behind and ran quickly to the helicopter throwing her in.  Just like that, the fighting stopped.  As soon as the helicopter was safely gone, most of the General’s men retreated.  RARE quickly picked off the ones that were left, but they were all running on auto pilot now.  Rikki was gone.  Their little sister, the youngest of the group, had just sacrificed herself for the two brothers she loved more than anything in the world, and now she was gone.

Chapter 43

“Let’s go,” Angel told everyone.  “We need to get to the extraction point.”  They took off down the mountain as fast as the women could move.  When they were far enough away Angel ordered, “Blow the fucker, Phoenix.”  Phoenix detonated the explosives and the building blew sky high.  

It took them almost two hours to get to Chase and his enforcers.  Once there, they
piled into the SUVs and headed towards home.  Chase had asked where Rikki was, but Angel just clenched her jaw and shook her head, tears in her eyes. 

Nico still could not
believe what had happened.  Rikki had given her life for him.  No, he would not believe she was dead.  She was not dead.  And they were going to find her.  They were going to tear apart every fucking place associated with the General until they found her.  Pain filled his heart as he thought about her. 

Rikki hadn’t had a family before she came to RARE.  Another foster kid that had slipped through the cracks, just like Phoenix.  She hadn’t told any
of the team her whole story, just that she didn’t have anyone and had ran away from her last foster family at the age of fifteen.  She had been on her own since then.  Angel had done a thorough background check on her, just as she had on all of them, and Nico knew that she knew everything there was to know about Rikki, otherwise she wouldn’t have hired her.  But no one else knew the details of Rikki’s life before RARE, and Angel respected her privacy.

Phoenix and Nico had adopted Rikki right away.  She had been a tough little thing with a chip on her shoulder.  She was still tough, but she had attached herself to Phoenix and Nico and was learning to chill out more, even acquiring a sense of humor.  She was the little sister they never had.  The team was her family.  Rikki had finally found a place she belonged, and she had finally found out what it was like to love and be loved.  Before them, she hadn’t really known what love was.  But she loved her family more than life itself.  And she loved Phoenix and Nico more than anyone because they had taken the first steps in accepting her.  They had been there for her when fighting her personal demons had become too much and she just needed someone to be there.  She had spent many nights at their place, crashed out on their couch because she didn’t want to be alone.  She loved her family, but she lived for Phoenix and Nico. 

Nico looked over at Phoenix where he sat with his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands.  “We’re gonna get her back, Phoenix,” he growled.  “We are going to bring her home.”  Phoenix raised his head, and Nico saw the raw pain in his gaze.  “She knew the plan, man.  She knew I was going to take that bullet for you and get them to take me instead.  How the fuck did she know?”

Angel looked back at them, “The trash,” she whispered.  “What?” Nico said.  “The trash.  After our meeting, she took the fucking trash out.  I thought she was putting it in the dumpster.  She took it home and found something that showed her what you saw and what you planned.  Why didn’t I catch that?  Why the hell didn’t I catch that?” she cried.  Chase reached over and placed a hand on hers.  He didn’t know exactly what had happened, but he was
slowly piecing it all together. 

God, Nico needed Jenna now.  He needed his mate.  He needed to hold her, and to let her shoulder some of this burden with him.  To help take the pain away, just for a little bit.  And then he was going hunting.  They were all g
oing hunting.  And they would not stop until Rikki was back home where she belonged. 

Chapter 44

It took them a full day to get home even driving straight through, but there were too many of them to fly.  When they pulled into the compound, Nico d
idn’t stick around.  He headed for home and Jenna.  “Nico, Phoenix”, he heard Angel call.  He swung around.  “My house tomorrow.  Be there as early as you can.”

“Wait,” a woman called out as she exited the SUV.  “You’re Phoenix?”  Phoenix turned toward her.  “Yeah?”

“Oh God,” another woman cried out as she took a step towards him.  “I told her he was coming.  I told Serenity he was coming for her.”

“Serenity?” Phoenix asked.  Who was Serenity?  “Serenity,” the woman said.  “Your mate.”  Phoenix just stared at her blankly.

  “All of the women were being held upstairs, except Serenity and the young girl.  They were downstairs,” Becca said.  “I had locked the girl into a room so the guards couldn’t get to her.  One of the guards was pissed because he had tried to force himself on Serenity.  She had just found out about you from Ashley the night before.  Ashley told her that her mate, Phoenix, was coming for her.  That everyone was going to be rescued soon.  Serenity told the guard there was no way he was touching her because she was not going to have her mate smell his filth on her.  She sliced his chest open with her claws.  He beat her and then drugged her and shoved her in one of the rooms downstairs.” 

Phoenix just stood there staring at the women.  He had a mate?  God, he wanted a mate.  He remembered the tiny woman with the long dark hair and delicate features the General had held in his arms.  It had to have been Serenity.  She had been drugged and at that point he wasn’t sure she had even known what was going on around her.  He had just gotten a quick look at her because he had been so focused on getting to Nico.  God, if he had only known.  He would have done what?  He co
uldn’t get to Nico.  He would not have been able to get to Serenity either.  But it didn’t matter.  She was his and he had let the General take her. 

  “My mate?” he growled.  “You have got to be fucking kidding me!  I lost my little sister AND my mate?”

Phoenix swung around and slammed his fist into the car window next to him shattering it.  As he pulled his bloody hand back, he looked over at the women and then walked over and got into one of the SUVs.  He had to get out of there.  Had to be alone.  His mate.  His beautiful little mate.  So tiny.  She had been waiting for him to come rescue her.  He had lost Serenity and Rikki.  That sick prick had them both.  Phoenix had failed them.  He tore out of the compound, blood pouring from the gashes in his hand.  All he could think about was his mate and his sister. 

They were all going to die.  Every last bastard that worked for the General had just si
gned their own death warrant, and he was the mother fucking Grimm Reaper.  

Nico watched Phoenix leave knowing he had to let him go this time.  How much more could the guy take?  It was all so jacked up.  “Go be with your mate and child,” Angel said.  “He has to work this one out on his own.  Be there early tomorrow.”

Nico nodded, and with one more glance at the fleeing vehicle, he turned around and ran home.  Jenna was there when he opened the door and he yanked her into his arms, burying his face in her neck.  He was shaking, and he couldn’t stop.

She pulled back and looked at him, questions in her eyes.  “It was Rikki,” they heard a tear filled voice say.  They both turned to where Lily stood in the kitchen doorway.  “I didn’t know Daddy.  I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”  She ran to him, her breath catching as she sobbed, and he scooped her up holding her close.  Her abilities were supposed to be a gift to her, not a burden.  He didn’t want her to feel like this.

He gently stroked her hair and whispered, “Yes Princess, it was Rikki.  But we are going to get her back.”    Lily leaned back and looked at him.  “And the pretty white wolf.  You have to get her back, too.”

She had to be talking about Serenity.  As Jenna watched in confusion, he said, “We will definitely be bringing Serenity home, too, Princess.”

“No, not Serenity, Daddy.  The other wolf.  She’s scared and wants her mommy.  She needs to come home with Rikki.”  Now Nico was confused, too, but he promised Lily he would do what he could for all of them.

Nico spent the rest of the evening with his family.  After they put Lily to bed, he and Jenna sat out on the back porch on the swing.  He held her as he pushed the swing and told her about the mission.  And then he told her about Rikki.  About how much she had changed and opened up since she had first come to work for RARE.  About how she used to always come over and hang out at Nico and Phoenix’s and was the pesky little sister they had never had.  About what she had done for him so that he could come home to his family.  And about how much he loved her and was scared to death that she was
not going to come home to them at all.

He also told her about Serenity and how it had to be tear
ing Phoenix apart that he had not been able to save Rikki or his mate.  A mate he hadn’t even known he had.  

Through it all, Jenna held onto him and just let him talk.  Afterwards, they went inside and went to bed.  Nico held Jenna, thanking God that she and Lily were home safe.  He loved them both so much and would do anything to keep them from the General.

The next morning Nico got up while Jenna was still sleeping.  He silently got dressed and then leaned over to give her a quick kiss.  Without opening her eyes she whispered, “You bring them home, Nico.  You find them and bring them home.” 

Nico nodded and gave her a hug, then went into Lily’s room and gave her a kiss and hug, also.  “Rikki’s hurting, Daddy.  But Serenity is going to help her.  She has a secret.  And she’s still waiting for Phoenix.” Lily yawned and turned back over to fall back to sleep.

Serenity had a secret?  Nico headed out to ask Chase for a vehicle, but stopped when he saw Phoenix sitting in front of the house.  He went over and got in the SUV.   Phoenix glanced at him, then turned the vehicle around and headed to Angel’s.  “Lily says Rikki’s going to be ok.  That Serenity has some sort of secret and is going to help Rikki.”  Nico said softly.  “She also says Serenity is still waiting for you, Phoenix.”

One lone tear fell down Phoenix’s face.  “Let’s hope she doesn’t have to wait too long,” he said.

Chapter 45

Pain.  There was so much pain.  She was on fire.  The bullet had hit her closer to the shoulder than the chest, but it still hurt like a bitch.  Rikki squeezed her eyes shut, breathing hard.  She tried to shut out the pain, but it was just too much.  She felt a small hand reach over and touch hers.  She tried to jerk her hand away, but she couldn’t move.

“It’s ok.  Let me help you,” a voice whispered.  “Who…who are you?”  Rikki gasped.  The hand moved from her hand up towards her shoulder.  “Shhhh,” the voice whispered.

Rikki felt white hot pain slam through her shoulder.  It was agony.  What the hell was she doing to her?  “That fucking hurts,” she ground out. 

“Not much longer,” the voice huffed out.  All of the sudden the pain started to recede.  The hand fell away from her sh
oulder.  The pain was not entirely gone, but it was more of a dull throb now.

“What did you do?  Who are you?” she asked as she opened her eyes.  She was in a dimly lit room
, lying on a cot that was low to the floor.  As she looked over she saw a woman sitting back against the wall, her long dark hair covering her face as she panted heavily. 

The woman raised her head and gazed at
her, her face pure white.  Before she could respond, she fell over onto the floor and was out. 

A door opened and the General himself walked in.  “Keeping secrets from me, Serenity?” he laughed cruelly.  “We will see about that.”