The Troubleshooter

47- Did you miss me?

Nico POV

"Wake up Dickhead, you're fucking heavy and I'm not carrying you."

Honestly being called a dickhead never felt so good.

Even with my entire body screaming in pain, all I can think is, 'thank fuck Matt made it.'

I let out a long groan as I try to move, forcing my eyes open. Matt's face is hovering above mine smears of brown dried blood across it, but as I open my eyes he smiles.

"This is no time to nap" he jokes. Reaching out to help pull me to my feet. I wince as a pain shoots through my arm at the tensing muscles.

"What happened?" I grumble, inspecting the bullet wound on my arm.

"An allegedly professional international assassin turned his back on an open door and got knocked the fuck out" he explains raising an eyebrow.

"I was saving your ass." I point out.

"Doesn't make you less stupid. Just makes me owe you" Matt says.

"Especially since you were the one who opened the door." I mutter. "Wait Benji?" I ask, spinning around. My head throbbing unforgivably.

"He's dead" Matt says simply. I eye him carefully, "oh it wasn't me," he explains. "Taken out by his own incompetent rescuers." He scoffs.

"How did they find us?" I wonder aloud.

"That fucking bracelet" Matt explains. "I got the last guy talking. It's got a fucking GPS in it."

I squat down beside the body looking at the now destroyed bracelet on the floor. Benji's body is slumped forward blood stains across the shirt of his chest.

I was disappointed that it wasn't me who ended him, but I was glad he was gone and my family was safe. After watching his body for a second I get to my feet.

"We should torch the place," I suggest, "do we need the hospital for your head?" I ask.

"No, it's just a scrape, and as far as Sophie is concerned that's what it was. Do not even think of telling her a bullet grazed that close!" Matt warns me.

"Sure how shall we explain the hole in my arm though?" I chuckle.

"Let's just appreciate that your vest did its job so there isn't a hole in your chest. Now let's get out of here. It fucking stinks and I miss my wife"

We don't even bother trying to make the fire look like an accident. The bodies full of bullets would ruin that story anyway. We just pour gasoline and light it, retreating further as the burning heat of the flames engulf the building.

"Ok, we can stop off at your villa and someone will come by to check your arm before we go home tomorrow" Matt tells me ending a call.

"Why tomorrow? I thought you 'missed your wife' why not leave now?" I complain.

"Because A, we need to get the hole in your arm stitched up. And B, Sophie had someone called Chianti schedule an appointment for us at a vineyard to potentially supply our bars, to explain why we flew here for a day right before a totally coincidental shoot out" he reasons.

"I don't need to get stitched up, let's just stop somewhere to buy a sexy nurse outfit and head home" I chuckle, starting the van.

"Keep saying shit like that and you'll have a matching bullet hole in your other arm!" He threatens.

I swear it was easier working on my own, flying commercial, using one of my fake passports. I never bothered about any of this crap, and I could be on my way back now.

The medic was waiting at the apartment when we arrived, Matt's insistence that it was just a scrape was ignored and after gluing the gash on Matt's head (head wounds being the obvious priority) he got to work on my arm. Informing me that the bullet was still lodged in there. The stitches were the easy part, digging the bullet out though… I think I'd rather have taken another bullet.

We both decided to shower and sleep after that. The vineyard trip was scheduled for the morning and would last hours with the tours, tastings and the meeting. Our flight taking us back to Venice in the evening. I wouldn't admit it to Matt but I missed Lili as much as he missed Sophie. Maybe more.

The next morning I basically made Matt run around the vineyard inpatient to get back. We were looking at a shit day if travel but I wanted to get home.

An hour to the airport, two hour flight to Venice and a two hour drive to aunt Penny's, and a numb ass, later and we were finally pulling up at the house. I was surprised to see the light was still on downstairs, glancing at my watch to see it was almost midnight.

Following Matt inside I see Sophie pacing the hall with a fussy Ella.

"Look, Papa and uncle Nico are home" she coo's at her softly.

"Why are you both awake Mia Vita?" Matt asks scooping Ella into his arms and kissing the side of Soph's head. I hear Soph mumble something about teething but It seems like a little family moment so I bypass them with every intention of spending the night in Lili's room.

I put on a little burst of speed right as I hear Sophie ask what happened to his head.

I'm not surprised to find the door locked, but considering that I have a spare it doesn't slow me down. Lili seems to have forgotten that once upon a time this was my room.

I slip inside seeing her sleeping silhouette and smile. As usual she's forgotten to close her blinds again, so I go to the window looking out at our tree and lower them before stripping off. I leave my t-shirt and shorts on to protect my wound and slip under the covers. Spooning my body against my girl.

I'm honestly ready to sleep when I feel her hips wiggle in my lap temptingly and her soft voice whisper.

"Did you miss me?"

A/N

Sorry bit late I worked a pub shift during the England game.

Nobody drinks like a happy football fan!