Page 49 of Wilde In His Arms

Well, actually, they kind of did, because being his fuck buddy or girlfriend wouldn’t get her any information.It wouldn’t get her into his room.

The older woman behind the desk looked past her to Mason and said, “Room 212.”

Aria sprinted for the elevator to the left and hit the Call button like ten times in two seconds.She bounced from one foot to the other, impatient.

Mason put his huge hand on her shoulder.“Calm down.You go in there like a tornado and you’ll upset him.”

“He can be upset all he wants as long as he’s okay.”

“He’s fine.You heard everything my mother said when she called.He’s out of surgery.No major damage.”

Except for two cracked ribs, extensive bruising across his chest and back, stitches for the two gashes he got when someone tried to stab him.And, oh yeah, a stab wound to his shoulder.That and the through-and-through gunshot wound to his thigh required surgery to clean up and repair.He’d be off that leg and using a crutch for a while.He’d need physical therapy.

The elevator doors opened.It was all she could do to wait for others to walk out before she dashed in and hit the button for the second floor.She should have taken the stairs.She could burn off some of the pent-up energy she’d stored up worrying through the long flight from Boston to here.

Lyric stepped in next to her and Mason filled the rest of the space.

Her sister hooked her arm around Aria’s shoulders.“He’s going to be okay.”

They kept telling her that through the whole flight.She’d seen the look in Lyric’s eyes when Mason got that text at the table while they were celebrating Melody and Fox’s engagement.Mason had said something to her.Lyric’s gaze had met his, and in her eyes, Aria could see the relief that it wasn’t him.At the same time, lines of concern for Nick wrinkled her forehead.

Mason and Nick were so close.Brothers, yes, but it was more than that.What they’d both endured on the job and survived brought them even closer.

“My head knows he’ll be okay.But…I need to see him.”She couldn’t explain it.Until she saw him with her own eyes, she couldn’t take their word for it.

Nick was tough.Nothing ever really seemed to bother him.Well, except when someone he cared about got hurt or needed help.Then, he was there, ready to do anything and everything for them.

She wanted to be that person for him.

But he hadn’t called her.He’d sent that text to Mason and gone silent.

She shouldn’t feel like he’d picked Mason over her.Mason had explained they had a system in place for when things went to shit.As they often did in their line of work.So when Mason got the text, he’d called his parents to let them know Nick was in trouble, most likely hurt, then he’d called in to the FBI office to get an update.Mason had shared very few details from that ten-minute call.

All Aria knew was that Nick had gotten close to capturing a very dangerous man.Their suspect shot him three times.Thank fucking God for his vest, or he’d be dead.The guy’s sister stabbed Nick, while Nick tried to save some children.

Heroic stuff.

That was her Nick.

There to help everyone.To right wrongs.To take down the bad guys.To rescue children taken from their families.

But Aria wanted to be Nick’s first call.

The elevator doors opened and she nearly ran into his parents.“Oh.Sorry.”

Nick’s mom, Adeline, took her by the shoulders.“He’s going to be so happy to see you.”She pulled Aria into a hug, holding her close for a few seconds before stepping back.

“Where are you going?”She stared at both Adeline and her husband, Noah, who she’d met several times when they came down to Wyoming to visit Mason and get to know Lyric.

Noah gave her a quick hug, then looked from her to Mason and back again.“Nick is asleep.We’ve been here all night.We’re just going home to freshen up, have a good meal, some sleep, then come back later.They’ll discharge him and the children tomorrow.”

“Are their families here?”Mason asked.

Adeline shook her head.“Not yet.They’ve notified the parents and helped them get flights, but they won’t start arriving until tomorrow afternoon.The FBI will want to interview the kids before they send them home.From what I understand, the kids refused to be separated from Nick.They’re all in there with him.They won’t talk to anyone, just among themselves.”

Aria still hadn’t been told about the children and their situation.“Are they okay?”

“One has a badly broken arm.The others seem to be fine, though how can they be when they’ve been kidnapped and trafficked.”Noah’s disgust for the people who did that to them rang in his words, along with his sorrow for the children.

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