Blood.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: My heart skipped five beats.

"Hey bub," Nico said softly to the girl who walked up to him, clutching a blanket, her lower lip trembling.
"Where's mommy?"
"She's out with Uncle Xan," Nico said closing his sketchbook and picked the little toddler up, rubbing his nose against her neck making her giggle. "Why aren't you in bed?"
"'Cause there's a monster who's being a lil mean, can I sleep with you?"
"Sure you can, bub" He put her under the covers of his own bed, kissing her cheek. "Goodnight."

Aurora's P.O.V:

I watched the TikTok compilation that popped up on my home tab on youtube, waiting for Nico to finish his cigarette as he talked to a boy. Vince would have driven me home but he said he had a little business to attend to, we all saw him walk out with a girl on his arm. He was talking to her, listening to her talk actually, his face focused.

Thank Alina at least one of my brothers had the common decency to talk to people before the activity.

The rest of my siblings had either left with someone or had some work to do *cough* Alina *cough* I hadn't noticed Ryder leave either but we weren't the last ones to leave anyway, there were some people still left but according to Alina (or rather Vince) I should still catch some sleep while it's dark even if it's the weekend tomorrow and I'll be free.

I looked up as the door opened, Nico threw his suit jacket in and popped the first two buttons of his shirt before sitting inside.

"You had dinner?"

"Yup," I said meekly, both worn out and not sure because it was the first time I was alone with Nico after our last encounter and while I felt guilty about hurting him with my fear (if I did that) I wasn't so sure what to do or say so I chose to keep quiet as the car sped through the busy city and into the quiet woods.

Nico just switched the radio on, letting soft night music take over the silence, the RJ speaking occasionally. He simply glanced at me from time to time until we reached our residence, Nico parked in the garage and I jumped out ready to escape the awkwardness but turned to thank Nico for the ride.

"Aurora?"

"Than"-

"Vince won't be home today so fucking go to bed whenever someone tells you to or something."

"Okay," I said quietly and he nodded in response after which I practically ran to my room, this time in one of the golden elevators which reminded me of the 7-star hotels I saw in magazines and TV shows, looking at my reflection on the metal, I couldn't help but make a few funny faces until the doors opened again.

And as I stepped into my room, laying the weapons back on the table before turning to go shower, my mind shot back to Ryder.

Ryder, Ryder Mikhail, Ryder Mikhail, Ryder Mikhail, Mikhail.

He was Alina's godson.

I hadn't known, but I didn't know what to say to it either, he was the only person I disliked here and he was my eldest's godson, couldn't her godson be like Dev or someone I liked. But to think of it, if I didn't know or see a lot of him anyway, it shouldn't matter.

I let out a sigh, stepping into the steaming shower, my thoughts slowly drifting away, sleepiness taking over.

The warm water relaxed my muscles, I practically moaned in relief, it felt like heaven, slowly I got out of the shower and with shiver changed into a light peach T-shirt and black shorts, ignoring the weapons I put back on the table, and jumped into bed immediately, opening my phone to text Dan for a bit before switching back the apps to the TikTok compilations, the tiktoks getting creeper and creeper by the second.