“RiseUp”—AndraDay
Everything that happened was a blur. I screamed and beat Phoenix’s back, demanding he put me down and go back for Nico. He’d been shot and there was a massive wolf attacking him, just like my dream.
Once we hit the building the vehicles were in, he tossed me in the silver SUV we’d arrived in, and I grabbed my daughter from Nico’s brother as he passed her in.
“Go get him!” I shrieked as I clutched a crying Ehria to my chest.
“Buckle her in and keep your head down!” Nico’s brother shouted at me as he jumped in the driver seat. Phoenix climbed in next, and the tires squealed as we drove forward as the garage door was still opening. We barely missed hitting it as the roof rack scraped the bottom of the door.
Hands shaking, I fumbled to buckle the straps over my daughter as she sobbed and fought. I wanted to look back to see what was happening, but at the moment, my daughter’s safety was paramount.
“Hang on!” Nico’s brother—I still didn’t know his name—shouted as several shots hit the glass, but it didn’t break. He plowed into a man pointing his gun at the windshield just as he shot again. The entire time, Ehria cried, and I tried to soothe her the best I could, but tears poured down my face.
“Bulletproof glass? Nice,” Phoenix muttered as he breathed heavy.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Phoenix?” I yelled at him. “You left your brother back there! Both of you!”
“Chill, Angel is there, and Ghost. But if we didn’t get you out of there, it would’ve been my ass.”
In shock, I fell back in the seat. “Angel is here?”
Phoenix nodded as he watched the road behind us. Clouds of dirt billowed as we tore down the drive toward the gate that was slowly rolling open.
Relief hit me at hearing my brother was there, but I hoped and prayed he got to Nico in time. I had no idea how many more people were there that they might have to fight off. What if it was too late? I knew there were limits to my brother’s abilities. Then I worried that the wolves I’d seen coming around the building would get to Ghost and Angel before they could help Nico.
Mind spinning, breath heaving, I leaned over to press soft kisses to my baby’s wet cheeks. She clutched my tangled hair as her cries lessened to whimpers.
“Yes. I know it was sooner than we anticipated and not the way we wanted it to happen!” I heard Nico’s brother shout, and I realized he was on the phone.
“Calm down, Maximus. We have things under control.” The man sighed through the vehicle’s speakers. “What a shitshow.”
“Nico and his friends?”
“Busy,” the man replied.
“My mother?” Maximus hesitantly asked. There was silence. I watched as Maximus fought for composure. “I’ll check in after I get to town.”
The call ended, and I bit my lip to hold in my sob. Though she had kidnapped me and my daughter, she was Nico’s mother. I may not have seen it at the time, but I believed she’d done the best she could to ensure her children and grandchild were safe.
“I’m going to take you to town. You will be safe there. My friends have taken control of the pack.” His words were subdued, and I knew he was working through his emotions. “We thought we could take over before he sent my mother after you, but he did it sooner than planned. I think he may have been suspicious that he had opposition in the pack. By the time we knew, it was too late. We had a plan,” he said, and his voice caught. After clearing his throat, he drove in silence.
Phoenix was contemplative as well.
We pulled off at a small motel. “I know the owners here. I’ll get you a room to get cleaned up while you wait for your friends. You’ll be safe. I’m sorry things went this way.”
He got out of the vehicle and went inside.
“Do you trust him?” I whispered to Phoenix.
“Insanely enough, yes,” he replied. “But fucking hell, I had no idea Chains had a brother or that his mother was still alive.”
“Me either,” I murmured.
“Facet tried to find her. Did you know that?” Phoenix asked me as he turned slightly in his seat.
I shook my head.
“Fuck,” he muttered as he ran a hand over his mouth.