CHAPTER 380: SILENT BOMB

Nick’s POV

Georgia had been knocked out cold the moment we got to our villa by the waterfalls. One minute she was insisting she was "fine," the next she was curled up on the bed, snoring softly with a pillow over her face.

I stayed behind at the main villa, lounging with the guys in the open dining area. The ocean breeze did nothing to cut through the heaviness of the conversation that followed.

Oliver leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, with that sharp lawyer look in his eyes. "Raymond and Nancy’s cases are being expedited by the judge," he said. "There’s a very high chance we’ll get the verdict for both of them at the same time. Multi-defendant ruling."

The air stilled for a moment.

"Do you think their punishment’s going to be heavier than Reagan’s?" I asked, my jaw clenching without me even noticing.

Oliver didn’t hesitate. "Absolutely. They’re facing multiple criminal charges, perjury, obstruction, and aggravated coercion. And..." He paused, voice lowering. "I’m pushing for homicide. At the very least? Involuntary manslaughter. But, as for Nancy, there’s a high chance it would be murder."

The table fell quiet.

"Jay Gambino’s gone," Oliver continued. "He’ll never serve a day for what he did. But Raymond and Nancy? They’re alive. And they’re the ones who started this damn fire in the first place."

A pulse of vindication throbbed through me.

"Good," I said, leaning forward, elbows on my knees. "If there’s a way to make them get the maximum sentence, do it. I’ll be forever indebted to you, man."

Oliver scoffed, smirking as he shook his head. "Why the hell would we keep score? We’re brothers by choice, Nick. Not by blood, not by obligation, by choice. You don’t owe me anything."

He lifted his chin slightly, that lawyer pride dripping off him.

"Besides," he added, "I have a reputation to maintain. I don’t just win cases, I make sure my clients walk away with every damn benefit they deserve."

That made me laugh, an honest, full one.

"I’m lucky to have you," I said.

He smirked again, nudging my shoulder. "Yeah, you are."

Steven, who had been quietly sipping his drink until now, grunted in agreement.

Oliver puffed up a little more, because of course he did.

And for a moment, even with all the darkness we’d been dealing with, even with the storms waiting for us back in the city... the brotherhood around that table felt solid. Unshakeable.

Exactly what I would need to protect my wife, my daughter, and the family we were building.

"But we need to stay sharp," Steven said, his tone dropping, drawing all of our attention. "One of the guys at the port told me there were people asking around... for Oliver and for the Knight siblings."

My spine stiffened.

Liam nodded grimly. "Yeah. Some of my men reported it too. And Vicky’s staff spotted unfamiliar faces roaming near the port the last few days."

A thick silence followed, the kind that makes your gut twist before the words even land.

Oliver exhaled slowly, like he had expected this. "I know," he said. "And honestly? I’m not surprised." His jaw tightened. "Jay Gambino is dead. It may not be our fault, but we orchestrated enough moves for the blame to slide toward us. His family wasn’t going to shrug that off."

A cold pressure crawled up my spine.

"He has no wife, no kids, no parents," Oliver continued. "But he does have a brother. Dante Gambino." He paused, letting the name hang like a blade in the air. "And he’s the leader of the bigger organization, the one Jay’s small group was under."

I swallowed hard. My fist curled against my thigh.

I had spent years out at sea, away from the city’s filth and politics. I didn’t know these people. Didn’t care to. But now? Because of Raymond and Nancy, because of everything they dragged us into... danger had come knocking on our door.

And I had a family now. A pregnant wife. A daughter. There was no room for naïve peace.

"What’s the move?" I asked, voice low. "Besides tightening security?"

Oliver leaned forward, elbows on the table, his aura shifting into full lawyer-strategist mode. "For now? Everyone stays careful. No one goes out alone. Bodyguards at all times." His eyes swept across each of us, sharp and steady. "We don’t know what Dante’s people are planning. But they’re not sniffing around for nothing."

The ocean breeze suddenly felt colder.

A quiet understanding passed through all of us—Steven, Liam, Oliver, and me.

Our enemies were just a few minutes away on this island.

Whatever storm was coming... we needed to be ready.

"Are we going to tell Dad?" Liam asked, glancing at me.

"I think we shouldn’t—" I began, but Oliver cut me off before I could finish.

"He already knows," Oliver said, leaning back with a sigh. "And because of that, he’s tightening security across everything, ports, Knight Group offices, the buildings, even all your homes." His voice grew firmer. "He’s coordinating with a private security firm to install additional CCTV coverage. Background checks for every entry. Even re-checking employees who were cleared years ago."

Steven let out a low whistle. "That’s... a lot."

Oliver shook his head slightly. "He’s paranoid now, and honestly, I get it. After what happened to Katie, to Georgia, and even Reagan... his trust is gone. He won’t gamble with anyone’s lives anymore."

"You’re right, Ollie."

We all turned toward the familiar voice.

Dad was walking across the deck, sunlight behind him, followed by a few island staff balancing trays of freshly cut coconuts with straws stuck in them. He looked calm, but his eyes carried that sharp edge, the one he only wore when he was already ten steps ahead of everyone else.

"When it comes to my family," Dad said, handing each of us a coconut, "I don’t compromise."

He settled beside us, his expression grave despite the relaxed tropical backdrop. "I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep all of you safe."

None of us spoke. It wasn’t the first time we’d seen him like this, but it wasn’t often either.

Dad exhaled—long, heavy. "Protecting all of you... that’s the last thing I can do for my children. You’re grown. You have your own lives, your own families. But danger doesn’t care how old you are." His gaze drifted toward the direction of the waterfall villas—toward Georgia and my unborn child. "I won’t be around forever. One day, I’ll leave you. Maybe sooner than you think."

That hit the table like a silent bomb.

The air thickened.

Even the island breeze couldn’t ease the tension that settled over us—because none of us wanted to think about a world without him.

And yet... for the first time, it felt like he was preparing us for something.

*******

Thank you for the Golden Tickets!

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