Chapter 6 - Protecting the Nest
Nia didn't feel the icy rain slicing against her skin, nor did she feel the sharp stones cutting through her thin socks as she sprinted across the flooded grass. Her mind was filled with a single, horrifying image: her helpless two-year-old son alone in his dark bedroom.
She burst through her broken patio door just as a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped out of the hallway, carrying a heavy duffel bag and holding a flashlight.
"Where is he?" Nia screamed, grabbing the heavy wooden rolling pin from the kitchen counter and lunging at the intruder with wild, terrifying fury.
The man was caught off guard by the sheer velocity of her attack. The rolling pin cracked hard against his shoulder, making him grunt in pain and drop his flashlight. He lunged forward, grabbing Nia by the wrists and slamming her back against the wall.
"Quiet, bitch!" he snarled, raising a gloved hand.
Before he could strike, a dark silhouette burst through the doorway behind him.
Matteo moved like a phantom. In one fluid, brutal motion, he grabbed the intruder from behind, twisting his arm back until a sickening snap echoed through the room. The intruder shrieked, collapsing to the floor as Matteo swept his legs out from under him, pinning him to the hardwood with a knee to his chest.
Matteo pressed the cold barrel of his pistol against the man's temple. His eyes were devoid of humanity, dark and pitiless. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't put a bullet through your skull right here in this kitchen."
"Matteo, no!" Nia cried out, stumbling forward, her breathing ragged. "Leo... I need to check on Leo!"
She scrambled up the stairs, her knees trembling so badly she nearly tripped twice. She threw open the door to the nursery.
Leo was sitting up in his crib, clutching Mr. Bun Bun tightly to his chest, his big brown eyes wide with confusion. He looked up at his mother and blinked. "Mama? Loud noise?"
Nia let out a sob, reaching into the crib and pulling her son into her arms, holding him so tight he let out a tiny, grunting chuckle. "You're safe. Mommy's here, baby. You're safe."
Downstairs, the sound of heavy boots signaled the arrival of Elena and two security guards. Within minutes, the intruder was disarmed, flex-cuffed, and dragged out through the back door into an awaiting unmarked van.
Matteo stepped into the nursery, holstering his weapon beneath his coat. He stood in the doorway, framed by the warm glow of the nightlight, looking completely out of place among the cartoon dinosaur posters and pastel wallpaper. Yet his eyes held a profound tenderness as he watched Nia rocking her son.
"He's unharmed," Matteo said softly, his voice trembling slightly. "The intruder was looking for safe-house blueprints he thought I kept in neighboring properties. He never made it upstairs."
Nia wiped a tear from her cheek, looking up at the dangerous man who had just saved her world. "Thank you, Matteo."
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He bowed his head slightly. "I swore I would never let another child be hurt by my world. I failed my nephew. I will not fail you." He paused, looking around the small, modest room. "You can't stay here tonight. It isn't safe until my men sweep the area and secure the perimeter."
Nia looked at her sleeping son, then back at Matteo. For the first time in her life, she surrendered control. "Okay," she whispered. "We'll come with you."
