Claim Me Captain! I'm Addicted to You!-Chapter 410: Confession (2)

Nick’s POV

Dad’s gaze swept across each of us, lingering on Georgia and me the longest.

"So until the police dismantle every piece of his operation, we don’t let our guard down. No complacency. No solo errands. No unnecessary trips. And Georgia"—he softened slightly—"you especially need to prioritize rest."

Georgia gave a small nod, though I could see the lingering tremor in her shoulders. My arm instinctively tightened around her.

Dad clapped his hands together lightly, like sealing the conversation. "Alright. Enough for today. Let’s all go home. Let Nick and Georgia rest—they’ve been up since dawn."

Liam opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, but Dad lifted a hand.

"We’ll figure things out. After Raymond and Nancy get their sentence—soon, from the looks of it—then we can breathe a little easier. And once that happens..." Dad’s face broke into a tired but warm smile, "we can focus on planning Liam and Ella’s wedding without any shadows hanging over us."

That earned the first genuine smile from Liam since we got to the hospital.

Dad moved toward the door. "Come on. Let’s not keep digging into this today. We’ll tackle everything again when we have clearer heads."

Everyone slowly filed out of the office. I stood up, helping Georgia to her feet. Her hand slipped into mine, cold but steady.

As we stepped out into the hallway, I glanced back at my father—strong, composed, but more protective than ever.

He was right. This wasn’t the time to relax.

Because if Dante had men still out there... This war wasn’t done, surely they will get back to us.

And protecting my wife—and our unborn child—was no longer just a priority.

It was everything, and that doesn’t mean that my now extended family is of any less, they are just as important, and I will not let anything happen to them.

Vicky was already teasing Liam and Ella before they even reached the foyer, her voice echoing playfully down the hallway as we follow behind.

"So," she began with a wicked grin, looping her arm through Liam’s, "now that you two are officially engaged, does that mean I get to boss you both around for the wedding preparations? Because I have a whole Pinterest board ready. Color-coded."

Ella flushed, groaning softly. "Vicky, we just got engaged."

Prudence chimed in instantly, "Oh, sweetie, that just means his torture from his sister starts early. Welcome to the family."

Dad burst into warm laughter, shaking his head. "Leave the poor boy alone. He already looks terrified."

"He SHOULD be terrified," Vicky replied proudly. "He’s marrying Ella, and Ella deserves everything a lady can get, princess treatment, like that."

Ella smacked her shoulder. "Hey!"

They all laughed—loud, light, a welcome distraction from the tension that had been weighing us down for days. For a moment, it felt normal. Like we really were just any other family, heading toward the front door after a long day, ready to finally rest.

Georgia and I broke away from the group, heading toward the stairs. Her steps were slow, still groggy from sleepiness from her unpredictable hormones. I placed my hand low on her back, steadying her, guiding her gently.

"We’ll rest together," I murmured. "You need it."

She smiled tiredly. "Only if you don’t sneak out of bed the moment I fall asleep."

I was about to promise her that, about to tell her everything was fine—

When Nora’s voice ripped through the air like an alarm.

"Oh my God! Everyone, DON’T GO, STOP!"

We froze.

"You must see the news!" she shouted again, panic slicing through her tone. "THERE’S A SHOOTOUT IN THE HOSPITAL—AND ATTORNEY OLIVER MORRIS IS ON TV, AND HE GOT SHOT!"

Everything in my body went cold.

Vicky was the first to move—she bolted, sprinting toward the living room so fast that her heels clacked violently against the floorboards.

"What? WHAT?!" she yelled as she reached the TV, fumbling for the remote.

The rest of us stumbled after her, crowding into the room.

And there, on the screen, chaos.

Police cars. Sirens. Flashing lights. The hospital entrance was taped off. Reporters shouting over each other.

And then—

A stretcher is being pushed past the cameras.

Oliver.

Blood staining the side of his shirt. His head was lolling. A medic pressing something to his ribs.

Vicky covered her mouth with a shaking hand. "No, no, no—"

Dad immediately pulled out his phone. "I’m calling his assistant."

Liam was already dialing. "I’m calling my head of security. We need to go there—we need to help Oliver’s team NOW." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

My heart hammered against my ribs. I grabbed my phone and barked into it the moment my head of security answered.

"CALL EVERYONE. All teams, all units—NOW. Full lockdown drills. Coordinate with Liam’s team. Secure the entire property. EVERY ENTRANCE, EVERY GATE. I want the house impenetrable tonight."

[Yes, Sir.]

"And call my driver. I’m leaving in three minutes."

Georgia’s fingers gripped my arm, trembling. I cupped the back of her head and kissed her forehead quickly, grounding myself—grounding her.

"This isn’t your fault," I whispered. "And I promise—I’ll come back."

My driver called to confirm he was outside.

I turned to Dad. "We’re going to Oliver—"

"I’m coming with you," Dad said, stepping forward with that familiar domineering presence. "He’s like a son to me. I’m not staying behind."

But Vicky spun around and grabbed his arm with both hands, gripping tightly as tears streamed down her face.

"Daddy..." Her voice cracked. "Please... let ME go. Oliver... he needs me. And Mom—Mom needs YOU here. Georgia and Ella need you. Everyone is scared. You have to stay. They need a man with them. Let me go with Nick and Liam."

Dad’s expression shifted—shock, pain, then an understanding so deep it almost broke me.

He rested a hand on the side of her face. "Be safe, my baby girl."

Vicky nodded rapidly, wiping her tears, swallowing the sob building in her throat.

I helped Georgia sit down on the couch so she wouldn’t faint from the panic washing through her.

"I’ll be back soon, my love," I whispered against her temple.

She held onto my shirt, eyes glossy. "Nick... please don’t get hurt."

"I won’t," I promised. "I can’t. I’m coming back to you."

I kissed her—fast, firm, a promise sealed in urgency, and pulled away before I could second-guess leaving her during something this terrifying.

Liam, Vicky, and I rushed toward the front door. My driver was already out of the car, holding the door open.

The moment we stepped outside, one thing became painfully clear:

If this is Dante’s doing, then he just declared war against the Knights.

*********

Thanks for the Golden Tickets!

kashvi14

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