Wicked’s bike idles between my thighs before he squeezes the throttle and drives us through the wired gates as they part open. There’s a dark car parked at the curb, with a police vehicle. Men are walking out of the house dressed in blue plastic coveralls and white booties. Before Wicked has parked the bike, I unlatch myself from around him and fling my leg over, flying to where Papa is standing, talking with a police officer.

“Papa!”

He turns just in time to catch me, and I see all of the blood soaked into his suit shirt, smudged on his face and sticking his hair up.

“Wolf—” The words barely leave my mouth before Papa shakes me, holding my upper arms.

“No, principessa, he is with Val—” He points to where our secondary carport is and my heart rate slows, my shoulders slacking when I see him curled into Val’s big body, and watch as Wicked makes his way to them both. My plan was to take it easy, introduce them slowly, but when Wolf’s dark blond head lifts off Val and his little arms fly out to Wicked instantly, a pang of guilt grips me around my throat. “But—”

I turn back to Papa, my mind no longer racing at speeds only a parent can understand. “What is it?”

“It’s your ma.”

I step backward, the floor shifting beneath my feet. “What?”

“We don’t know anything yet—”

He cuts me off, and before I can fall backward, an arm is holding me up and I can smell Wicked’s cologne all around me.

“Mama—” Wolf’s hand rests on my cheek, swiping my tears away.

I take his little chubby hand, pressing my lips to it and resting my forehead on his. “Mam—” I choke on the words. “I’ll be okay, baby.” I turn back to my father, who is now talking with his three right-hand men, his hands buried in his pockets as the police officer he was talking with moves back inside the house.

He notices me staring and makes his way back to us, now that cops are out of earshot. “You three should head to the penthouse.”

Shaking my head, I look back to the front door of our home, the once immaculate pearl white-washed door now smudged with crimson. I flinch away. “I want to see her.”