Page 13 of Vicious Little Princess

“Don’t hurt her,” I managed to eke out as I pushed off the wall.

“Trying not to,” he grunted, as she fought him and shrieked.

He used his powerhouse strength to maintain his hold, and I watched as it started to take effect, her body slowing, her eyelids starting to droop, until she finally stopped fighting entirely and went limp in his all-encompassing hold, losing consciousness.

“Damn,” he uttered, scooping her up in his arms. He looked around, then eyes filled with a shitload of pain met mine. “He’s not here. Julian’s not fucking here, Nico.”

“I know, brother. I know. We’ll find him. I swear to you, we’ll find him.”

“We both know the person best equipped to do that is her,” he said, nuzzling against her, not caring that blood was smearing all over his cheek in the process.

I hadn’t fucking cared, either. Even as she’d been wailing on me and digging into the hard leather of my jacket and even penetrating through my skin all over my neck and chest, I hadn’t fucking cared about the pain. Just that she was here with us. Just that we’d found her, that she was safe.Fuck.

Rapists…I couldn’t get that word out of my head. What she’d alluded to, what Angelo had ordered them to do to her. It was a struggle and a half not to give into my own animalistic side right now and lose my shit all fucking over the placeandtear into the assholes who were already mere corpses.

That wouldn’t help anything.

Julian needed us. And to help him, to find him, level heads and rationality needed to prevail.

But once we did locate him, all bets would be off.

There would be absolutely no mercy.

Humanity would take a backseat.

And the worst of me would reign.

“I’ll see to her and get her back to the house,” I told Milo. “I need you to see tothis.”

“So many dead bodies, the mess… it’s a lot to sanitize. I can’t do it alone. Not fast enough to be able to help with tracking Julian. Want me to call in Rocco? Tony, maybe?”

I shook my head. “Carlo.”

“What? You’re serious?”

“Consider it the test of his loyalty to us.”

“Nico, I don’t know if—”

“He has the resources that we don’t currently have until we’re sure which of my soldiers are loyal to me, independent of the Family.” I pulled out my phone and fired off a text to him.

Nico:Need your assistance. Milo will contact you with the details.

He responded right away, surprising both of us.

Carlo:My resources are yours, Nico.

I sighed and stowed my phone back in my pocket, confirming to Milo, “He’s on board.”

“Why doesn’t that fill me with a whole lot of relief—or any?”

“Desperate times make for deals with devils, Milo. It is what it is right now.”

“Being restricted, backed into corners… I hate this shit.”

“As do I. But the situation is fluid. This is just where we are at now. It won’t remain as such. I fucking promise you that.”

“And I trust you. I just… Julian is… fuck, Nico.”

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