Nico's Heart (RARE Book 1) (8 page)

Chapter 27

Angel held onto the wall as she slowly opened her eyes.  “Fuck,” she g
rowled out.  “She’s here.  She is right fucking here,” she said as she smacked the red wall she was leaning against.  She peered around the corner looking at the cantina next door with the bright yellow sun on it, then came swiftly back.  “Flame saw a sun on the building next to the building she was taken to, and the building she is in is dark red.  We have to get in there now.  Flame is in the middle of losing the baby and the guards just came into her room.  She can’t defend herself.  Dammit, I wondered why I could keep the connection with her for so long.  She is so close.”

Rikki took off around the building and Trace moved to a place dow
n at the corner of it.  “There is a door on the side by the cantina,” Rikki said.  “I’m in place.  Let’s rock n roll.” 

Bran jumped straight up grabbing hold of a window sill on the second floor and pulled himself through the window.  “Well, that works,” Nico said.  He ran around to the left side of the building as Phoenix went to the right and jumped in.  Angel decided to use the front door.  The thing was actually unlocked. 

They swept all of the floors quickly, but found no one.  “What the hell,” Bran growled out.  “Where are they?”  Angel closed her eyes and silently slipped into Flame’s mind again.  The pain was excruciating.  The baby had slipped out, but the guards were on her now.  They were beating her.  One had his pants undone, but was holding his junk.  Way to go, Flame, Angel thought.  The other one had her down and was digging his knee in her stomach.  There was blood everywhere.  Flame was so weak she could hardly move, but she turned her head and bit the guard as hard as she could on the wrist. 

We are in the building, Flame.  There isn’t anyone here.  How do we get to you? 
Angel yelled into Flame’s mind.  She barely heard Flame’s weak response. 
There’s a hidden door.  Behind a book case.  Goes down below.

Angel felt Flame pass out as she came back to herself.  She ran quickly to the room in the back of the warehouse yelling at her team to follow.  So much for making a quiet entrance.  Those sick bastards were not raping Flame while she was passed out.  “There’s a door behind the bookcase.  Hurry!  They’re hurting her!”

Bran threw the bookcase across the room.  Angel opened the door and Bran flew past her down the stairs.  The first guard came at them from the bottom of the stairs.  Bran snapped his neck before he could pull out his gun.  “We got them, Bran!  Get to Flame!” Angel cried.

Bran kept moving and he heard a thump as a throwing star flew past his head and was imbedded in between the eyes of the next guard.  He came up to a hallway and had to make a decision
to go right or left.  He took in a deep breath and smelled blood.  Lots of blood.  It was mixed with the scent of cinnamon and sunshine. Mate!  He turned left and ran as hard as he could.  He heard gunshots and fighting all around him, but he didn’t even slow down until he came to the room his Flame was in. 

Bran bellowed loudly at the scene before him.  Flame was on the floor, her eyes shut, skin so pale, surrounded in blood. One of the guards stood off to the side stroking his dick while the other guard had Flame’s gown up around her thighs and was positioning himself between her legs.  Flame’s eyes snapped open at the sound, but Bran didn’t hesitate.  He grabbed a knife from his boot and let it fly.  As the knife went into the first guard’s neck, Bran tackled the other guard that was on top of Flame.  They ended up on the other side of the room, Bran on top of the guard beating the hell out of him. 

“Help me,” he heard Flame beg softly.  As the sound broke through the red haze in his mind, he scrambled off the guard and crawled over to Flame.  The guard was dead, but his mate needed him.

There was so much blood, he wasn’t sure what to do.  “God, baby,” he whispered as he reached down and softly stroked the hair off her face.  As tears squeezed out of her eyes, she weakly pointed over to something on the floor by the wall.  “Please bring him with.  Please,” she said weakly.  Then she was out again.

Bran grabbed a blanket off the bed and wrapped Flame up in it.  Then he grabbed a sheet and wrapped up the little boy.  Placing the baby on his mothers’ stomach, he picked them both up and walked out of the room. 

“Let’s g
et the hell outta here before the building blows!” he heard Angel yell.  He looked over to see that she was carrying one of the little wolf pups, Nico had the other one, and Jaxson had the bear cub.  He must have been done with the computers.  Phoenix came out of the second room carrying a very pregnant woman who looked scared to death.  As he moved through the basement area, down the hall and up the stairs, Bran saw so much death.  It did not affect him at all.  They had all deserved to die.  Anyone that touched and hurt what was his deserved to die.  Guard or scientist-he didn’t give a shit.  And he would track down every last person that had a part in taking his mate and hand out the justice they deserved.

They ran out of the building and raced to the vehicle that would take them to the airfield.  Trace tried to take the baby from Bran, but he refused.  Flame was his mate, his responsibility.  He would take care of her and the baby.  The building blew sky high when they were almost to the SUV.  They all piled in quickly and ran full throttle to the airstrip.  They were in the air within minutes, flying hell bent out of Mexico.

Chapter 28

“Angel, we gotta do something for Flame,” Bran said.  “She’s lost a lot of blood.”  Angel nodded as she knelt down on the floor of the plane by where Bran had put Flame.  “We need to do a transfusion.  We have some blood in the back.  Nico will get it all set up.”

“How did you know?” Bran asked.  Angel smiled at him.  “Nico,” was all she said.

Nico came over with a medical bag and set up an IV, putting it into Flame’s arm and then hooking it up to a bag of blood he had.  The he hung the bag on a hook above their heads.  As he started to undo the blanket around her body, Bran let out a low growl.  “I just need to check her man. I need to make sure the bleeding has stopped,” Nico said.  Bran let him, but he did not leave Flame’s side.  Angel handed him a clean gown, and once Nico confirmed the bleeding was under control, Bran changed her gown and wrapped her back up in a different blanket Angel had given him.  Then Nico hooked another IV up with antibiotics in it. 

Nico took the baby and stood up.  “Where are you taking him?” Bran questioned.  “Just to
clean him up,” Nico said.  She is going to want to see him, and I don’t think she should see him like this.”  Bran nodded and sat down, picking Flame up and holding her in his lap.  She didn’t stir.  He leaned his head back against the plane and let himself rest.

Chapter 29

The plane bumped slightly as it hit the ground at the airport in Denver.  Flame’s eyes fluttered open and she stared up at the face of the man that held her.  God he was beautiful in sleep.  Light blond
e hair cut short, darkly tanned skin, gorgeous full lips.  He had saved her, she remembered.  He had busted into her room when the guard had her on the ground and was about to rape her, and he had saved her.  And then he had called her baby. 

She wanted to connect with him and see what he thought she was to him, but she was just too weak.  And right now it didn’t really matt
er.  She couldn’t be his anything right now.  Her life was so messed up; she couldn’t be anything to anyone.

    His eyes opened as she watched him.  “Hi,” he whispered.  “Hey,” she whispered back.  He reached out and lightly ran his knuckle down the frown between her eyes.  “Stop thinking so hard,” he said.  “Right now is about taking care of you.  Nothing else.”  She watched him for a moment and then slowly nodded.  Then she snuggled up into him and passed out again.

Bran stood up holding Flame as Nico came over and picked up Flame’s baby.  Everyone filed off of the plane and moved towards the vehicles waiting for them.  Bran went straight to the SUV where his alpha stood and stopped in front of him.  Chase reached out a hand and grabbed his shoulder and they just stood there, Flame between them, while Bran soaked up strength from his alpha. 

After a moment, Chase opened the door and helped Bran inside with his mate.  Then Nico got in on the other side, holding the baby.  Rikki climbed in back with Janie, the pregnant woman that had been held with Flame. 

Everyone else climbed into the other SUV with the children, Angel at the wheel.  She followed Chase to the compound and they pulled up in front of a building that she hadn’t been in yet.  As she got out of the vehicle, she saw Jenna run towards Nico, stopping abruptly when he got out of the other SUV holding the baby.  The smell of death hung in the air and Jenna’s eyes filled with tears. 

Angel moved quickly to her side and quietly told her, “Take Lily back home and I will send Nico there as soon as I can.”   Jenna turned around and gasped as she saw that Lily had followed her and was standing there staring at the baby, too.  “I thoug
ht she was with Storm,” she whispered.  Gathering Lily up in her arms, she moved back towards the cottage.

They all entered the building and Angel found out it was a hospital f
or shifters.   Shifters could not go to a regular hospital because they healed so much faster than humans. 

A couple of nurses rushed over to them and directed them all into different rooms.  Nico followed Bran into the room he took Flame to.  A nurse tried to take the baby from Nico, but Bran growled at her.  She jumped back quickly and looked at the floor baring her neck in submission to the beta. 

“It’s ok,” Flame said weakly.  “I just want to hold him before you take him away, please.  I haven’t gotten to hold him yet.”  The nurse’s eyes jumped to Flame’s in compassion.  “Of course.  If you would like me to, I could get him cleaned up for you first while the doctor looks at you?”

“It’s already been taken care of,” Bran said.  “Get the doctor in here now.”  The nurse nodded and ran from the room. 

Bran gently placed Flame on the bed and smoothed back her hair, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.  Then he nuzzled her cheek.  As he pulled back, the doctor rushed into the room.  “Get out of my way, Bran,” she demanded.  Bran growled low in his throat, but moved back so the doctor would have more room.  She just rolled her eyes and moved up to the head of the bed by Flame.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” she asked Flame.  Flame watched her for a moment and then glanced over at Bran.  The doctor had on a lab coat just like the scientists wore.  She knew it was unreasonable, but it scared the hell out of her.  Normally she was as feisty as the next redhead, but right now she was weak, tired, an
d in so much pain.  She would not be able to defend herself if anyone here tried to hurt her, and that scared the hell out of her.

“Bran,” Flame whispered, fear pouring off her in waves.  He was around the bed and at her other side in an instant.  Sitting down by her, he pulled her into his arms and gently stroked a hand down her hair.  “It’s ok, baby,” he said.  “I’m right here.  No one is going to hurt you.  This is Dr. Josie Bennett.  Doc Josie has been the pack doctor for years.  I trust her.”

Flame looked at the doctor in confusion.  “But she looks so young,” she whispered to Bran.  The doctor burst out laughing.  “Shifters don’t age like humans, hon.  I’m actually 54 years old.  Bran here is 123.”

Flames eyes grew wide in amazement.  “You’re not kidding?” she asked.  “Nope,” the doctor said still laughing.  “Your mate is an old man!”  Flame looked even more confused, “My what?”  She asked.  Doc Josie’s gaze flew from Flame to Bran.  “Oh, I’m sorry! I thought you knew?” she said. 

“That’s enough,” Bran growled.  “Just check Flame out.  She’s human.  She doesn’t heal like us.  She lost a lot of blood and needs to be looked at.”

“Talk to me, Flame,” the doctor said all business now.  “What am I looking for?”  Flame sat there for a minute and then nodded towards where Nico held her son.  “I lost my baby,” she whispered.

“That’s not all of it,” Angel said from the doorway.  “Some asshole had his knee shoved into her stomach pretty hard afterwards, too.  And she’s had no real medical attention at all while losing her baby up until now.  Just the basics to get her by until we could get her here to see a doctor.”

Flame looked over at her and her eyes filled with tears.  “You’re still here,” she said.  “You better believe it,
” Angel said.  “I’m here and I am not leaving until I know you’re ok.”  Flame smiled, “You sure you don’t have wings and a halo?” she asked.  Angel let out a harsh laugh, “Not even close, sweetheart, not even close.” 

Angel walked over and took the baby from Nico.  “Go to your mate, Nico,” she said.  “She and Lily need you.  I got this.”  As Nico left, Angel brought the baby over and put him in Flame’s arms.   The doctor protested, but Angel told her, “Nico looked her over on the plane and gave her an IV of antibiotics and some blood.  Let her have a moment with her son.”  There was no give in Angel’s voice, so the doctor backed off.

Tears streamed down Flame’s face as she held her baby for what would be the first and last time.  She slowly unwrapped the blanket and looked at him.  He was so tiny.  He had such little fingers and toes.  Such tiny, perfect little ears.  Flame cried and cried as she held him and gently stroked her fingers over his ears, nose, and arms.  He was the size of her hand.  So small and helpless.  She vowed right then and there that she would hunt down everyone that was involved in what had happened to her and make them all pay.  And Gideon, he would suffer the most.