Six months later
Mateos POV
" Nico ! " I yelled through the house. I walked from room to room, damn why is this house so big ?
" Si fratello ? " I heard his little voice. He stepped out of his room with Arturo in his hands.
" Where have you been ? Lucy has been worried about you. " He shrugged.
He tilted his slightly as if he was trying to understand why I looked so exasperated. " I've been playing, can I have a snack ? " I sighed nodding my head.
" Yeah come on to the kitchen Laura is making cookies. " I told him and his eyes lit up as he ran.
I walked back to me and Lucy's room.
" He's fine Lucy, he was just playing with his toys. " I told her coming in the room to see her lying on her stomach on the bed typing on her computer.
" Oh okay, I was just worried I haven't seen him for hours usually he's following me around. " She looked up me.
" He's being independent. He's a big boy now. " I flopped on the bed next to her.
" I know he is but I still worry about him. " She pouted, I kissed her head.
" I know bambina, Laura's making cookies. " She sat up immediately nearly pushing me off the bed.
" I hope their chocolate chip. " She moaned which I found very sexy and rushed out the door. I laughed to myself at her excitement for biscuits.
Shaking my head I walked out too, making my way down to the kitchen. My phone rang and I pulled it out putting it to my ear as I continued walking.
" She's next." A deep voice rushed into the phone before the line went dead. Pulling the phone away from my ear confused, I looked at the restricted number and couldn't recognize it.
I reached the kitchen where Nico was yelling at Michael about taking his cookie.
Lucy and Laura watched with amused expressions.
As I stepped inside a guard walked briskly up to me and tapped my shoulder.
"Sir we have a very disturbing package at the front door." Alonzo whispered in my ear. Michael looked over to me with a confused look.
I nodded for him to come over.
Alonzo walked away as Michael walked over. Laura and Lucy glanced over and saw my expression.
" Some guy just called my damn phone saying she's next what does that mean ? Then Alonzo says there's a disturbing package by the front door. " Michael's face twisted into one of a scowl then a deep frown.
" Let's see this package. " Michael pushed past me. We walked through the house to the foyer where a medium sized package was in the middle of the floor. Two guards stood by it.
" We scanned it sir it is not a bomb. " Alonzo nodded stiffly.
" Who sent this ? " Michael growled.
" Not sure it was just left by the door and one of the maids brought it to our attention. It had a note on it that said it was only for Mateo and Michael to open it sir. "
" Cazzo. " Michael groaned before ripping into the box. I stood with my arms crossed. Have they finally found us ?
Michael stopped and looked inside the box before sighing loudly. He reached in and pulled the head of Claudia out of it. Her mouth in an O.
I pressed my eyes closed. Damn it.
" We need to leave here. This isn't safe. " Michael states dropping it back into the box and nodded for Alonzo to come and take it.
" Wait they said she's next. Their still after Lucy. Why after all this time are they back ? " We walked back into the kitchen, my mind raced as to how I was going to tell Lucy we had to move again because they whoever they are are still after her.
Her nightmares have really gone away for the most part. This will definitely bring them back full force.
" Piccola I need you to pack some bags we have to leave. " Michael said immediately entering the kitchen and walking over to Laura.
Her and Lucy were in mid conversation and now their mouths hung open.
" W-what ? " Laura stuttered holding her very pregnant belly.
" I know I will explain while I help you pack. " He shushed her guiding her out the kitchen.
" We are moving again ? " Lucy looked at me confused.
" They killed Claudia and told me she's next which I can only interpret to mean you are next. " I explained quietly.
" B-but I thought...why now ? " She got up walking over to me.
" I don't know bambina. All I know is that it isn't safe here anymore. We have to pack some bags and leave today. " I grabbed her head with both of my hands and planted a kiss on her forehead.
" Mateo this is crazy. We can't keep running. " She shook out of my hold. I furrowed my eyebrows, confused.
" We will, I can't have people after my family, I have a four year old little brother, you and Laura and her unborn that I have to protect at all costs. I'm not risking it. We will go somewhere else until we figure this out. " I stated crossing my arms. She looked at me with a deep frown and opened her mouth.
I interrupted her first. " Stop Lucy I know you are going to fight me on this but it is not up for debate. I will protect you even if that means having to carry you over my shoulder to safety because you are too stubborn. " She stared me down with those big brown eyes. I could feel my confidence waver just a bit.
" Fine. Where are we going ? " She asked blinking at me. I mentally let out a sigh of relief that she'd gave in before I did something stupid, like tell her we can stay here forever or something.
" Don't know bambina, Michaels in charge of that. " I pulled her to me, engulfing her in my arms.
I lifted her chin with my index finger so I could stare at her beautiful eyes. " I'm sorry I'm being hard on you but I will do anything to ensure your safety you know that. " She looked up at me.
" I know that Mateo. I guess I just thought with it being so long since anything has happened that it was over. I guess I got too comfortable. " She mumbled, I kissed her lips gently.
" I'm sorry baby but if it wasn't necessary I wouldn't make you go. If I thought it wasn't so dangerous I would let us stay here, but they beheaded Claudia and mailed the head to the house. If that isn't a clear sign that we are all in some sort of danger then I don't know what is. " I breathed, she looked a little green after hearing about Claudia's beheading.
" Okay, lets go pack. When do we leave ? " She asked as we made our way upstairs and to our room.
" Whenever everyone is packed I'm guessing. " I shrugged.
She was quiet and the only sounds were of my shoes clicking on the marble floors. We reached our room and I quickly pulled some suitcases from the back of the closet.
She began packing both of ours while I went to check in with Michael.
I knocked on his door and entered.
" What's the plan ? " I asked, he was packing guns into a big duffel bag and Laura was no where in sight.
" We are going back to the states, I have more protection there. Nico's mom called, said she wants him back. " He walked around throwing things into a suitcase.
" Wait she called you ? What was her story ? She left her son with us for eight months. " I exclaimed, she wants him back ? My Nico ?
" She was in rehab, her story checks out too. I made some calls and had men do a little background check. She was an alcoholic, she's better now. I know you don't want to see him go but if this is Roco and his men again, then he doesn't really need to be around all of us for a while. Things are going to get bad pretty quickly. He needs to be with his mom, he misses her Mateo. " He didn't look up from his fast pace of shoving things into pockets and compartments.
" I know I know but..." I couldn't find a good reason to let him stay. If his mom was okay now then it'd be best if he goes with her. He needs stability and we are not that. He needs to be able to stay at one school for more than six months.
" Fine. " I whispered barely audible but Michael heard me.
" This is what's best for him, she'll pick him up from the airport once we land back in the states. " He said nodding to himself as if trying to convince himself too. He will never admit it but he was just as sad as I am.
I left him to go to Nico's room.
Laura was inside helping him pack up his things.
" Hey buddy, you almost ready to go ? " I asked and he looked at me with a smile.
" Yup, Michael says I get to see mommy real soon. " He smiled and Laura gave me a small sad smile.
" You sure are, hurry and put some shoes on okay ? " I strained before turning and walking out of the room.
I took a few deep breaths. There's only a few people on this earth who could probably ever make me cry and one of them is Nico and another one is Lucy.
I sobered myself up and went into my room to see Lucy finishing packing. She took one look at my somber face and asked me what was wrong.
After explaining to her what Michael told me she looked like she was going to cry too. Who wouldn't ? Nico is the best kid on earth.
" I'm going to miss him so much..." She said her voice hitching as a stray tear fell down her cheek. I wiped it away and pulled her close into a hug.
" I know we all will but he's so excited, you can tell he really missed her. " I told her and she pulled away sniffling.
" That's good. " She wiped her eyes again before grabbing her purse and saying she was ready to go.
" Okay, I'll take these downstairs to be loaded up. " I kissed her head before grabbing the two big suitcases.
....................................
Lucy's POV
What is happening ? It's like we were all in paradise yesterday and some sort of hell today. Not only are we leaving this beautiful city but Nico is leaving us as well ? I frowned.
Laura poked her head into my room. " Hey..." She said and I could tell she already knew about Nico.
" I'm going to miss him so much. " I mumbled and she nodded knowingly. She hugged me her pregnant belly bumping me.
" We all are but he will be safe. Who knows what's going to happen when we get back in the states ? " She cried, her hormones are up and down these days so the littlest things set her off.
" Girls we have to go. " Michael said coming inside. Once he saw Laura's crying state and my dried eyes his face softened slightly.
" I know you all will miss him, everyone will miss him even the guards will miss him and his knock knock jokes. " He said quietly chuckling to himself.
" Come here piccola. " Laura walked into his arms and he rubbed her back before turning and leaving with her under his arm. I followed slowly trying to marvel at the house and brand it into my memory.
My hands touched the walls and ran over the paintings decorating the halls. I ran it over the thick railing attached to the big spiraling staircase as I descended down.