Page 8 of Destroyer

"Get the fuck in." I unlock the car and throw myself into the driver's seat. "And tell me everything."

"It was nothing."

"It's not nothing. It was worth driving across town to apologise over."

"Fine. I've been mentioning his grandfather a few times. If his dad doesn't want to know him, he could try his mum's father. If he doesn't want to know his grandson, there could be another house in the bargain. Nico could build himself up a nice little rental income."

It is nice seeing Nico getting his finances together with Carter and Gavriil's houses, plus the club that was put into his name when his mum's killer was finally caught.

"But he said no?" I ponder. This isn’t helping me work out where he'd run off too.

"Yeah. But at first, I just thought he had too much going on, y'know. Give it a few weeks to get his head above water and he'd change his mind." Gregory gives a shrug. "I just brought it up, I never pressured him."

I just nod.

If Porter was home, I would expect the kid to run to him. Porter is pretty easy going as far as half-brothers are concerned. Gregory is the only one I've ever wanted to strangle.

"He stole my phone. I caught him going through it. Said he was trying to delete Balen's number, but we argued when I reminded him he couldn't read."

If he was looking through Gregory's phone, this might not be just about the grandfather. If Nico thought he'd been caught going through Gregory's phone, it could be enough to trigger his flight response. However tough his childhood was, it was consistent and fell within his understanding. Brothers and phones are not what he is used to dealing with.

"He'll be wanting familiarity right now," I decide. "If he's overwhelmed, he'll go back to what he knows."

It means taking Gregory to Nico's tree set up, but it means more to find the kid. I'll kick his brother's arse over this after.

It's pitch black by the warehouse, and I regret not bringing anything better than my phone torch to find my way back to Nico's den. Gregory follows me willingly enough, but he's probably questioning my sanity by the time I find the little tunnel into paradise. The den is exactly as we left it, with no signs that he has been back here. The hammock is still twisted around on itself as I left it.

"This is his home?" Gregory questions, shining the phone torch around. "I always got the impression he was neglected by you guys, but I never realised it was this bad."

"He slipped through the cracks. Everyone thought someone else was taking care of the kid." That was a hard lesson to learn. I've been trying to do everything I can to rectify Nico's life, but he's so used to what he knows, I've got to ease him into it. It's going to take time to fix all the mistakes.

After a thorough search for signs that he might have scarpered when he heard us coming, I have to admit that he isn't here.

"Maybe he went to the Gavriil guy's house?" Gregory frowns. "I guess he'd think of that more as a place when he wants company than when he wants to be alone."

I'd hoped he'd come to my house if he wanted company.

Now I've breached his confidants over this place, showing it to the enemy I was investigating, and he was running from, and no Nico to show for it.

"Right. Let's get to Gavriil's house." I let out a sigh and conclude this is going to be a long night searching for a boy who probably doesn't even know he's lost. He's just doing what he always does.

"Nico's house. It doesn't belong to the dead dude anymore." Gregory corrects me.

"Nico's one-bed house." Nico's one bed rental property. The only house that boy is going to call his own is mine.

It's a short drive around to Gavriil's house, which is more than doubling in size with Edward's extension plans mapped out. The house is in darkness, but that doesn't mean Nico isn't inside. I walk to the door, finding the same old lock still in place. I would assume Nico would replace the old doors and windows when the new part is glazed, but until then, it means I have a key to the property. The downstairs has been gutted, there is a new carpet, and the walls are a light fresh colour. My phone light picks up the new kitchen carcasses unfitted at the back. No sign of Nico.

The sound of movement upstairs is more promising. Gregory is right behind me as I head slowly up. I don't want to startle Nico. I remember what happened to him last time he was here.

There is a dim light flickering around the window above the bedroom door, Nico must be inside. I open the door like a man seeking a lost child, ready to welcome him into my arms to comfort and support.

What I find inside stops me dead in my tracks.

There is a naked man strung up in the centre of the room.

Chapter six

Nico

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