Nico

Nico quickly showered and dressed, so he could figure out what the hell was going on around his house. Jace and Oliver had come over to lend a hand with getting everyone off his property, but he worried just shooing them away wasn't going to be enough.

"Heather, call the police," Nico ordered. He knew they would be able to help, but he wondered just how much help they would give. If his hunch was right and Zac leaked the story, his money and power usually won him a few favors from the local authorities. At least, that was Nico's experience when dealing with James Bernston. Toni's father had deep pockets and a lot of friends willing to look the other way.

"I want you to stay put, honey. Jace, Oliver, and I will go out and talk to the reporters. I don't care what happens, I want you two to stay in the house." He looked between Toni and Heather and waited for them both to agree before he nodded to the guys to head outside.

Nico opened his front door to about forty reporters surrounding him, shouting questions. He was about ready to turn around and head back into the house when Jace's shrill whistle cut through all the commotion.

"Hey," Jace shouted. "We have called the local authorities, and you will be forced to leave." It was as if he hadn't spoken at all, the deafening commotion started up again, everyone buzzing with excitement and shouting questions at the three of them.

"Is it true Toni Bernston is alive and well?" one woman shouted, holding up a small recorder for their statement. Nico panicked at the realization his hunch was correct—the sea of reporters was there for Toni. She had been through so much these past few days and he felt as though he was just getting her back. He wouldn't let the chaos that surrounded them set back her recovering her memory.

Nico turned to go back into the house, Jace and Oliver hot on his heels, when his door opened, and Toni walked out onto the small front porch. He gave her one order and she couldn't seem to follow it. Toni shot him a sheepish smile and he knew there would be no stopping her, no matter how angry he currently was with her.

"Fuck, Toni," he growled, pulling her against his body. Flashes were going off around them from people taking pictures and holding up their cell phones to capture video. This was going to turn into a circus, and he worried that Toni was caught in the middle of the mess.

She held up her hand as if asking the crowd for silence and within seconds, they settled down to hear what she had to say. "Hi," she squeaked. Jace and Oliver surrounded her with Nico, like a protective wall. "My name is Toni Bernston. I am very much alive, as you can see." Toni gave a little curtsey and the crowd laughed. Nico couldn't take his eyes off her, she was so strong, confident, and capable. He held her a little tighter, hoping she would be able to feel the strength he was silently giving her.

"About a year ago, I was in a boating accident, and I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, I was found by these three men, and they have allowed me to recover from my injuries. I had no memory of who I was and had to rely on the kindness of strangers to take care of me. A couple of days ago, I regained some of my memories and was able to piece together my past. I'm saddened to hear of my father's passing and I hope you will allow me time and space to grieve for him and say goodbye." Her voice cracked and Nico pulled her toward the house. He wanted to get her as far away from the crowd as possible.

"Did you kill your father, Miss Bernston?" a man shouted from the back of the group. His question seemed to ignite a slew of horrible accusations and questions about Toni and Nico knew it was time to get her back into their home. He wouldn't let her stand there and listen to them.

"Let's go, baby," he whispered in her ear. Toni let him whisk her back into the house where Heather was waiting.

"You were great, girl," Heather gushed. She pulled Toni in for a quick hug and released her when they heard the police sirens coming up the road.

"I told you two to stay in the house," Nico barked at Heather and Toni.

Heather smiled. "I did stay in here," she sassed. "So, don't get all growly and grouchy with me."

"And I'm not your employee," Toni said. "I don't have to follow your orders, or anyone else's for that matter." Nico shot her a look. He was about to explain to Toni that she was his, but the knock at the door stopped him. He looked out the window to find two uniformed police officers. Nico opened his front door to let them in.

"Thank you for coming out today," he said. "As you can see, we have quite an issue here and no real way of handling the problem."

"Well, they are allowed to be on public property, and we have officers roping off your front yard, setting a clear boundary. If you choose to leave the confines of your home, we won't be able to stop them from following you and asking questions," he said. Toni's breath hitched and Nico knew she was finally getting the whole picture.

"Shit," she swore.

"I'm sorry, Miss Bernston. Is there anything we can do for you?" the officer asked.

"No, I'll have to figure something out," she whispered. "I'm so sorry to put you through all this." She looked at each of them, her eyes stopping to rest on Nico.

"We'll figure this out together, baby," he promised. He just hoped like hell he could keep it.

"Is there any place you can go while this all settles down?" Jace asked. Toni shook her head and Nico knew neither of them were going to like his plan, but he had no other option.

"What about a trip up north, to visit my parents?" he asked. The last thing he wanted to do was expose Toni to his parents. He had gone almost a year without seeing them. He made excuses every time his mother asked when he would be coming up for a visit. Hell, he never even told his parents about Toni and that was going to come back and bite him in the ass now.

"Have I ever met your parents?" she questioned. Nico shook his head, not wanting to get into this conversation with an audience present. "Don't you think it's too soon? I mean we only just, well, you know," Toni whispered the last part, as if everyone standing there couldn't hear her. Jace and Oliver both laughed, and Heather shot them a glare that could freeze ice.

"Can we talk about this when we're alone, honey?" Nico pleaded. Toni turned a cute shade of pink and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine," she said. "Thank you for your assistance, officers." Toni shook both of their hands and showed them out. "I'll be back in the bedroom," she said. "I'm suddenly very tired." Toni stormed off and slammed the door once she got back to their bedroom. Nico groaned, knowing she was going to be mad at him for shutting her down, but their sex life wasn't something he wanted to discuss in front of everyone.

"Thanks for coming by, guys," he said. "I appreciate the backup." Nico patted Jace on the shoulder.

"So, you're going to head up to Boston?" Oliver asked. Nico wasn't sure what the plan was. He didn't want to go home and explain the existence of a girlfriend to his parents. Hell, she was so much more than his girlfriend and if he had his way, she'd be his wife. Now wasn't the time to dwell on what-ifs. He needed to get his head out of his ass and remember that keeping Toni safe was his priority. He had to get her off the island and as far away from Zac Bierman as possible. He had a sinking feeling that Boston might not be far enough away from the trouble that was chasing her down.