Nicco - Season 2

14. Ice, Ice, and More Ice

ARIA

For a second, all I can see is ice, ice, and more blocks of ice in the cooler. A frown pulls on my mouth while my brow furrows deeply. Then, I notice it, peeking out from beneath the translucent cubes, the mutilated thing, sealed in a plastic bag. Small, severed, and bloody. Takes me a full second to realize what it might be. I shriek and gag.

Jesus, fuck.

Who did it belong to?

Unfortunately, I think I already have the answer. I've seen Jaime do this to a few rats who worked for him in the past. Rats like Casey. Rats—who tried to steal from him and got their hands caught in the cookie jar.

God help me.

Did my dad try to steal from Jaime and Manning in Shanghai?

I'm terrified.

Is that why they made him disappear?

I'm disgusted.

Can he even use his hand anymore?

I'm enraged. I cringe as though in pain. My whole body begins to quake. I can't even bring myself to describe the horror of it in words. I recall what I found on Manning's burner phone: The photograph of Appa. There were bandages everywhere. Bandages on his hand. This small detail torments me. I barely make it to the toilet when I start vomiting in the bowl. Tears pour down my face while silent screams catch in my throat. I'm so distraught for my dad. Another troubling doubt unsettles me.

Was Nicco really the one behind this atrocity?

It could be some kind of eye for an eye bullshit. Call it revenge. Call it justice. Either way, I hurt him, so he hurts my dad. I guess it's not out of the realm of possibilities. I did a number on Nicco, and he despises me for it. More doubts sink in. He was definitely away from the office for a while.

Maybe this was what kept him so busy?

Protest surges within. Again, for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that the rationale here doesn't compute. From working with Nicco, I've learned that, despite his overblown ego at the beginning of our professional relationship, he's grown surprisingly purposeful and efficient since then. As a leader, he knows how to sets aside petty distractions and background noise to make the right call for our department. Even if he wanted to punish me, there are far greater fires that require his attention right now. His top priority should be going after Jaime, who poses a real threat to Jackson & James, rather than my dad, whose downfall only hurts me.

Not to mention, the evidence that was planted in my room is simply too flimsy. I know Nicco. I know Jaime as well. Both men are formidable in their own ways. Yet, Jaime has always terrorized me while Nicco gave me nothing but strength, freedom, and joy. I refuse to believe that Nicco would do such a sinister thing. This kind of brutality has Jaime's name written all over it. Only he's inhuman enough to assault another fellow human being in such a grievous, unforgivable way.

Oh, Appa...

I continue to feel like shit over what happened to my dad. Heart severs from mind. Emotions become numb. Every movement of my body feels like it's on autopilot. It's the only way I can keep calm and carry on. I'm this close to losing the last of my fucking marbles. When resolve verges on the brink of crumbling, Nicco's face flashes before me. Out of desperation, I summon his advice from that fateful night in Inverness when we were cheating death on the back of his Ducati.

Do not be afraid.

His voice silences the noise in my head.

Just keep your eyes fixed straight ahead.