Chapter Six
Reyes came back into the living room. He looked around. The Declan guy was gone. He figured he must have left because not even Natasha could dispose of a body that fast.
Natasha was flushed and looked on edge. Reyes had a feeling there was a lot of history there somewhere, but even Reyes wasn't stupid enough to ask about it right now.
"So, who was that guy?" Reyes asked in his most neutral voice.
"The head of the Irish mafia." Natasha replied, kind of like she had just said he was the owner the local dry cleaners, and it wasn't all kinds of weird that she actually knew him.
"Like the guy that runs the mafia in D.C?" Reyes didn't know much about the mafia, but he'd always kind of thought they were a little like the boy scouts, except for the killing part. A local chapter with boys with different skills, that reported to a troop leader, that reported to headquarters, that reported to someone. Reyes didn't know much about the boy scouts either he realized.
"No, Reyes, like the Pope is to the Catholic church. He's not the local guy."
Well shit, Reyes thought that didn't seem like a good thing. That seemed like a really bad thing when he thought about it.
"And Ranger brought him to our home." Natasha hissed.
Uh oh. That tone suggested this was way beyond the fine word. Reyes kind of figured that Ranger didn't really know who Declan was, and that maybe he should point out she and Nikko seemed to be the ones that actually knew him. Dollars to donuts, Nikko was the one meeting with him. It wasn't like Nikko didn't have more than a few ties himself, but Reyes wasn't totally stupid. He knew now wasn't a great time to mention those salient points. Nope, now was the time to remain silent as the grave or risk ending up there sooner than planned.
Ranger walked down the hall and into the living room.
"How dare you bring Declan McShane to our home!" Natasha hauled off and slapped Ranger across the face with brutal force. It sounded louder than a gunshot.
Reyes' mouth popped open and he kind of stood there for a second. Damn if that hadn't been all kinds of wrong. This wasn't Ranger's fault. He couldn't believe he was actually on Ranger's side for once, it happened so rarely he could barely process that fact. Not like he wasn't going to end up on the wrong side of this fight by virtue of being Natasha's husband anyway. Reyes took a step forward in case Ranger fought back or touched Natasha in any way. Reyes didn't want to tangle with Ranger, but he would if he had to.
But to his credit, Ranger didn't do anything except stand there staring at her with the muscle in his jaw ticking like a metronome. They glared at each other for a minute and Reyes held his breath praying for a miracle. Then Natasha stormed off, presumably to go deal with Nikko.
Ranger swung his gaze to Reyes. Reyes narrowed his eyes. He figured he should say something to defend Natasha. To back her up. He started to say really how dare you bring that guy here, but then he thought better of it. That's how people probably felt when they took Nikko places or Natasha for that matter. Nope, he had nothing. If anyone was to blame it was Nikko, not Ranger. So, he closed his mouth, and for the first time since meeting Natasha, he thought it was entirely possible he was in over his head. Nikko and Natasha's so-called friends included the head of the Irish mafia. Reyes wasn't really sure he was equipped to deal with that.
Ranger had been pretty sure something bad was going to happen when Nat descended on him with that look on her face, but he hadn't quite been prepared for that. Damn if that slap hadn't hurt like a mother. His head had snapped to the side and he was pretty sure that popping sound was his jaw being dislocated. He just managed to resist the urge to reach up and check.
Ranger wasn't sure exactly why Nat was quite so pissed, but he figured it had a lot more to do with Nikko than the fact Declan was here. He knew Nat had spotted the fact that Nikko was high the minute they had walked through the door. He knew it was probably fear driving her. She'd always been a little terrified that Nikko would go off the rail and self-destruct one day.
Ranger didn't really know Declan or even the extent of his ties until tonight. He'd seen him a time or two years ago when they were growing up. Declan had mostly been meeting with Nikko. Of course, even then, Nat had given off a weird vibe when she was around him. Maybe they had history he didn't know about. Apparently, there was a hell of a lot he didn't know about Nat, and probably never would. At the moment, he thought maybe that was a blessing given how hard his jaw was throbbing.
When he'd looked at Reyes his mouth was hanging open like he couldn't really believe Nat had just slapped Ranger. He looked like he wanted to say something, instead he just shut his mouth.
Ranger stalked to the door, but then stopped and turned around to face Reyes.
"Tell Nat I'm sorry." And, Ranger was. He knew Nikko wasn't making great decisions tonight and he should have stepped in. He should have never brought Declan to their apartment. It wasn't a secure facility, and he should have thought that through a little more. It just seemed that Declan and Nikko were friends, but Ranger knew looks could be deceiving.
Reyes nodded to Ranger. Now Ranger got to go talk to Steph. This night was shaping up to be a giggle a minute. This was the last time he was ever doing Nikko a favor.
When Natasha entered the bedroom, Nikko was on the bed with his eyes closed. Someone had at least put a towel under him so he wasn't bleeding on everything.
He looked pale and drawn. Natasha's heart gave a little tug as she sat down on the bed. She reached out and started unbuttoning his shirt.
"Let me take a look." She felt Nikko reach out and capture her hand, and bring it to his lips.
"I'm OK." Nikko told her.
Natasha tugged her hand loose and finished unbuttoning his shirt. She gently pushed it to the side and probed around a little.
"You're going to need stiches. I'll call Kate."
"No." Nikko kept his eyes closed.
"No?" Natasha queried.
"Kate left." Ah, Natasha thought that explained a lot.
"Left you or you pushed her away?" Natasha asked and waited. "She loves you Nikko, you know that."
"She doesn't know me, and if she did, she wouldn't. Kate deserves a lot better than me. A lot better than a guy that got paid to fuck people."
"Nikko, where is this coming from? You didn't do it for money. You did it for survival just like me. You were a child. You did what you had to, that's all." Natasha laid her hand on his chest. "Nikko maybe you need to talk to someone about it, like I did. Maybe you should tell Kate. I think she might surprise you."
"She's gone love." Nikko opened his eyes and looked at her. "Let it go."
Natasha sighed. "Fine. But every time you look at the scar I'm about to give you, just remember it's there because you were stupid."
Nikko just stared at her. His pupils were dilated and his eyes were bloodshot.
Natasha narrowed her eyes at him. "You're high Nikko."
"Yes."
"You went to a meeting with Declan McShane and Viktor Petrov high?" Nikko could hear the anger in her voice. Anger he knew he deserved. There was really no excuse for what he had done.
"Yes."
"And screwed some woman."
Nikko cocked his brow at her. "Now why would you say that?" How the hell had Natasha known that he thought. It wasn't like it was branded on his forehead or something.
"Strawberries Nikko. You smell like strawberries, so unless you got a new body wash, you were clearly up close and personal with someone."
Nikko sighed. Nikko had never been able to get anything past Natasha.
"Do you have a death wish? Is that what this is?" Natasha's voice was quiet.
Nikko thought about it for a minute. He honestly wasn't sure anymore. "I don't know love, I don't know."
"Well, you need to decide. I won't sit here and watch you self-destruct. If you want to get better, I'll help you. If you don't then I'm done Nikko. I love you, but I can't watch you kill yourself."
A beat went by and Nikko blew out a breath. "I fucked up Sprite. I'll do better. I promise." Natasha was right. Nikko needed to get it together. If nothing else for Natasha. She didn't need to be worried about him.
"And talk to Kate. You owe her at least that."
"I know." Natasha was right. Nikko at least owed Kate the truth. He'd already ruined that relationship, but he could at least let her know none of it was her fault. It was him. All him. He was the one that was damaged.
Natasha looked down at Nikko. He looked so vulnerable, so broken. For the first time since she met Reyes, she wondered if leaving each other had been the wrong choice. Maybe the only people they were fit for were each other. Maybe they both just had too many sharp edges to ever be with someone normal. Maybe Nikko was right. What if Kate did deserve someone better. Then again, maybe Reyes did too.
Natasha helped Nikko out of his shirt, and numbed his side. She cleaned and stitched the wound, and then gave him something to help him sleep. Nikko needed rest. Maybe if he could just sleep for a while he would wake up and his mind would be clearer.
She couldn't believe that he had had gone to a meeting with Viktor Petrov of all people and been high. He risked his life and Ranger's and that was just crazy. Usually, Nikko's self-destructive behavior never bled over or put other people at risk.
She couldn't believe he was using. And for how long? How had she missed this? Well, that was easy. She hadn't been paying attention. She'd been so caught up in her life with Reyes, she'd missed all the warning signs including Kate leaving.
Natasha leaned down and kissed him on his forehead and pulled the covers over him, his breathing was already slow and steady. Nikko was a good man, she just wished he would believe that. She knew he had done things; they all had to survive and get by. But that was the thing. If Nikko was just the monster everyone said he was, it would be fine. He wouldn't be so tortured. But he wasn't. The things he had done, the things he still did, weighed on him because they ran so contrary to his heart. Natasha had often wondered what Nikko would have been if his mother had lived. Someone that helped people, of that, she was sure.
Nikko had spent so much time on her recovery. He'd made sure she had the best doctors and the best therapists, and him. He'd been the single most important factor. His total acceptance of her. He'd put up with a lot from her in the early days. And not once did he ever make her feel ashamed. Maybe Nikko needed the same. Maybe some of that time and effort should have gone into his recovery. Maybe if he had spent a tenth of the time on himself, they wouldn't be here now. She'd been young and selfish then, but there had been no excuse for her behavior now. She'd do better, because despite her bluff, she was never giving up on Nikko. Natasha rummaged through his jacket until she found his drugs. She took them out and flushed them down the toilet, and came back to sit with him.
That's how Reyes found her. Sitting with Nikko, tears in her eyes.
"Hey darlin' you OK?"
Natasha wiped her eyes. "Yes." Reyes didn't think she looked fine, but he kept that to himself.
"Come on, go get some rest. I'll sit with him."
"No, he's my responsibility."
"No darlin', that's where you are wrong. Nikko is Nikko's responsibility, but to the degree that you feel responsible for him, he is ours. I'm your husband, that means we are in this together."
Natasha eyed him for a minute, weighing what he had said. Reyes held his breath. This was one of those defining moments. Either she would let him in as her partner, as her husband, or she would withdraw into that that insular cocoon she had with Nikko where it was just the two of them against the world, and Reyes was just an outsider looking in.
Finally, she nodded and got up and went to Reyes.
"Thank you for looking out for him." Natasha wrapped her arms around Reyes and snuggled into his chest. Reyes wrapped his big arms around her. Finally, he could breathe again.
"Of course, darlin'. He's our family." Reyes gave her a kiss and went to sit with Nikko. He waited until she got out of the room before he broke into a grin. It was going to be OK. They were going to be fine. Tasha had trusted him with Nikko. Anything else they could definitely figure out.