Page 93 of The Chaos She Brings
Helpless
Tess to Nico: I’m so sorry. I wish I could have saved you. [undelivered]
Kai
ItfeelslikeIhaven’t had a chance to breathe since the accident.
Thoughts rattle around my brain, as I try to make sense of them.
The most prominent one is this feeling of helplessness. It's something I haven’t experienced in a long time. Not since I started keeping to my routine.
I realise now that even with Tess’s chaos, I haven’t felt helpless. Not like I did as a child.
It’s only when things like this—Russian Mafia bullshit—happens that I start to spiral.
I check the clock. It’s two in the morning, which makes it late evening where Tess is. Enzo and his men should be dealing with the Russians now, maybe even already done.
My phone ringing pulls my thoughts from my worries of everything going down today.
Please let this be over so she can come home.
I don’t recognise the number but press the phone to my ear anyway. “Hello?”
Two words.
“Nico’s dead.”
Tess’s pain-filled voice cracks then there’s a worried shout.
My heart races. “Tess?”
Nothing.
“Tess!” I shout, gripping the phone in my hand.
Nate comes rushing into the room, Carina not far behind, both of them sleep rumpled but ready to fight at the panic lacing my voice.
My fingers are already flying over my keyboard, tracking the calls location.
“Tess?” I call desperately. “Hurricane, are you there?”
There’s a crackle on the other end of the line then, “Hello, this is Jamie.”
“Jamie,” I growl to the masculine voice on the phone, “where is Tess?”
“I’m guessing Tess is the passed-out woman in my shop?”
The location alert pings to a corner shop in Albany.
“Keep her there. And keep her safe. I have to go.”
I don’t want to hang up the call, but it’s necessary.
Enzo answers after four rings. “Kai?”
My voice is a little frantic as I recount the facts to him.
He keeps his tone soothing. “Okay, okay. Doc’s close by. He’ll get her to my apartment. I’ll be in touch.”
