their lost girl

"it was my fault"

"Yeah I mean last I heard about him was like 2 days-" Cruz continues as Nico steps closer to Cruz.

"Shut the fuck up Cruz" Nico growls.

My eyes widened as my breath hitched, my heart thudding inside my chest.

Jay? How does Nico know about Jay?

It can't be the same Jay. I try to reassure myself as my body begins shaky while my knees go weak, threatening to buckle underneath me.

I step out from behind Nico as he turns around to look at me, his eyes wide and his jaw clenched.

"Oh shit who's the girl?" Cruz asks, earning him a glare from Nico.

"How do you know-how?" my words come out choked with my voice croaky as my heart continues thudding in my chest.

Nico grabs my arm gently as I continue to tremble, my eyes blurring with tears.

"You know him?you knew..." I whisper as I look up to Nico's face which was now plagued by an expression of guilt.

"Violet, please let me explain," he pleads, still holding onto my arm lightly.

My hand begins tearing at his hand trying to get out of his grip.

"Let go of me!" I scream as I pull at his hand, finally escaping from his grip.

As soon as I felt his hand let go of my arm I instinctively took off running. Running as fast as I could out of  that alleyway and down the empty backstreets. My tears blurred my vision as the soft glow of the streetlights lit my path down streets. I could hear Nico yelling behind me as I kept dashing down corners in any and all directions.

How could I be so stupid? Maybe they were working with Jay? maybe I'm going to get sent back there? Or what if they give me to Jay?

Irrational and nonsensical thoughts bounced around in my mind as I looked behind me, I had lost him. I pulled into a pitch black alley and leaned my back against the wall. i slid down the wall as my sobs became heavier. I pulled my knees into my chest as my sobs wrecked my body.

"Violet!" Nico exclaimed between huffed breaths, as he ran into the alley with his phone held in his hand as a flashlight.

I wanted to yell, I wanted to scream until my voice became hoarse but I couldn't because when I looked at my brother he looked like he was in pieces.

"Please just let me explain." he begged as he approached me. I flinched and covered my face with my hands expecting him to hurt me but it never came. Instead I heard him sigh deeply as he sat on the ground next to me.

I roughly wiped the tears from my eyes as he placed his head in his hands.

"Yes i know him. i have known about him for too long." he rubs his thumb along his forehead and shuts his eyes tightly.

"How? I don't understand. Oh you work for-" I couldn't even finish my sentence before choking up again. I knew Jay was powerful, I knew he had connections with gangs but this? I felt my hand find its way to my pocket carefully reaching for my knife.

"I would never work with somebody like him." Nico hisses as if the sheer mention of him fills him with both disgust and anger.

"That night Violet- the night you were taken..." Nico takes in a deep breath trying to compose his breaking voice. "He was the one who kidnapped you but he broke into my room first." Nico whispers as his eyes search my face for a reaction but all he is met is the confusion evident on my face. Nico shuts his eyes harshly as he takes in another deep breath.

"You slept in my room most nights but that night you slept in your own room, he broke in my room thinking it was yours." Nico pauses again as he looks away from me.

"He assaulted me that night, he eventually went to find you and I was frozen." tears are streaming down his face.

"I'm- I'm so sorry Nico" i whisper as tears begin blurring my vision again.

"No Violet, I'm sorry. It was my fault you were taken, it was my fault. If i had done something-anything you wouldn't have been hurt. If I had just gotten up..." Nico exclaims between shaky breaths.

"It isn't your fault Nico." I coed, reaching my hand out to hold Nicos shaky cold hand. "It wasn't your fault." I repeated.

"When we found you, I was so angry because every time I looked at you I felt that hurt and guilt all over again. I'm so sorry Violet." he whispered apologising over and over as I pulled him into a hug.

"It was stupid of me to think this but I hoped that he dropped you off at an orphanage as a means to get back at my Father. I just hoped wherever you were that you were safe. I needed you to be safe." Nico sobbed softly as I leaned my head against his shoulder.                                                     "I know you may not ever forgive but I'm sorry for everything I said Violet. It felt easier for you to hate me." He whispered.                                                                                                                                                                           

We sat there on the dirty alleyway floor hugging underneath the dim illumination of the moonlight as we both sobbed together. I felt guilt for ever thinking Nico would work for him and I felt guilt for the pain Nico went through and is still going through. If could I would take all his pain. I would in a heart beat. Watching him breakdown the tough hurt me more than any scar I had ever been given.

Nico gently pulled away from the hug as his expression softened as he looked at me.

"Did he? Did-" Nico asked between shaky breaths.

"Yes." I replied cutting him off. I knew exactly what he was asking.

"Past 10 years... he was Emily and Robert's supplier. So he was over a lot." I whispered, trying to not let my shaky voice choke me up. I looked up to the sky at the bright star that hung just over us. I took a deep breath in.

"Oh Violet," he whispered, pulling me into a hug as I sobbed against his chest.

"Please don't tell anybody Nico, especially dad. I haven't told anyone." I heaved as I pulled away from his hug. 

"I won't. I haven't told any of the family either but Cruz knows a bit of the story that's why-"he paused "that's why tonight he said that"

"What was he trying to tell you?" I asked as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"When I was 14 i was determined to hunt him down. Thats how me and Cruz became friends he offered to help me. I didn't know his name and Dad had been searching for him since you were kidnapped but there was no traces really. But a few days ago he was found nearby. Some allies of ours and Dads men have got him imprisoned right now." Nicos voice is filled with anger as he talks, his fist scrunching up as he continues.

"I haven't gone crazy." I whispered with my eyes wide, Nico looks at me with furrowed eyebrows as his eyes dart around my face.

"The shopping centre-  I wasn't hallucinating." I whispered again as I rubbed my thumb between my eyebrows.

"The man who attacked you at the shops, that was him wasn't it? I thought he looked familiar but I had tried so hard to repress what happened." Nico whispers , suddenly pulling himself to his feet.

"I don't think Jay came to Italy alone" Nico mutters.

-------AN-----

hi my loves! thank you guys so much for all of your support for this novel, it means the absolute world to me.i cant believe we are at 5k reads, seriously thank you every single one of my readers.

anyways i hoped you liked this chapter and the last few chapters, im glad we are finally learning more about Nico i find him to be such an interesting character to write.

id love to hear any theories,suggestions or comments you guys have. And next few chapters Violet is gonna be starting school, so be excited for that.
Let me know if you guys want more from other POVs? And who?