Chapter 13
Thirteen
N ERINE
Xander's voice was urgent as he spoke to Theo. "We need to move quickly," he said, his eyes fixed on the phone in his hand. The two hurried through my apartment, their eyes scanning every corner.
Frustration and anger surged within me. "This is completely absurd!" I yelled, struggling against the restraints that confined me. "You have no right to keep me here!"
They didn't even flinch at my outburst. "Do you even remember who I am?" I yelled, straining against the ties once again.
"As if we could ever forget," Xander muttered before dropping to his knees and peering under the bed.
"I hate you," I seethed.
But Theo lifted his head and met my gaze. "No, you love us," he said with a smirk. "You're angry because Xander's a pro at tying knots."
I clenched my jaw, attempting to push away the memories of the pleasure their ropes had brought me. There was no escape once they had bound me in place.
"You really believed me when I said I loved you?" I spat out, feeling another surge of anger rising within me.
Theo leaned in close, almost touching our lips. "Your love for us, especially our cocks, has never been the issue," he whispered. "You proved it by how quickly we were able to slide our dicks inside you after we walked through that door."
"If I could move, I’d punch you both in the face," I growled, straining against my bonds again. "You egotistical bastards! You showed up at my door."
My arms strained against the silk restraints as I imagined what to do to them once free. "Let me go! I was perfectly fine without you two. If you don't let me go, I swear I'll beat you until your eyes pop out of your head and then grind them into a bloody pulp."
"You might have stirred the beast," Xander said, a touch of amusement in his voice.
"I am not a fucking beast," I snapped back at him. "I'm a queen who will rip that dick, the one you say I like so much, off your body. Mark my words. I will turn your lives into living hells once I'm free. Don't say I didn't warn you.”
"You can take the girl out of Boston," Xander joked.
"But you can't take the Boston out of the girl," Theo added. "And when have you done anything other than make our lives hell in the past two years?"
"Do you think I wanted this life?" I asked, my voice shaking with exhaustion and defeat.
"Do you think we wanted this life?" Theo shot back, his voice heavy with pain. "We had no choice but to clear this area and erase any trace of your existence. We can argue later."
My rage simmered and then fizzled as exhaustion and utter despair overwhelmed me. I slumped against the bed, feeling defeated.
"Empty my closet," I said, too exhausted to argue any longer. "And don't forget to clean out my nightstand."
Theo briefly vanished into my closet and returned with two bulging duffel bags, tightly zipped shut.
"We've handled everything while you were asleep," he said matter-of-factly.
"Of course you did," I sighed, shaking my head in resignation.
He tossed a heap of clothes onto the bed beside me, and I looked at them skeptically.
"You need to get dressed quickly," he said, looking away from me.
I raised an eyebrow, trying not to point out the obvious. "In that?" I asked incredulously. "Do you really think I won't stick out like a sore thumb dressed as a broke college student in one of the most luxurious hotels in the city?"
"We're professionals," Theo said, now standing over me. "Don't forget that this is our livelihood. Did you forget everything while escaping your old life? "
"Whatever," I muttered, frowning and choosing not to engage with him any further.
I took deep breaths, attempting to calm the panic that had been coursing through me since I woke up to find them looming over me.
"And don't even think about trying to fight us," Theo warned as he sat beside me on the bed.
I remained silent, my body tense as Theo slowly loosened the scarves around my ankles. I could feel his intense gaze on me, ready to pounce if I made any move. But why would I? Being with him and Xander was all I wanted.
Now that I knew this wasn't merely a figment of my imagination, I couldn't bear the thought of spending another moment without them. My future may not be filled with roses and sunshine, but I trusted Theo's promise that he wouldn't kill me.
Xander and Theo both wanted me by their side. A shiver ran down my spine as Theo's fingers glided over the skin of my wrist while he untied my hands. His body heat radiated from him as he leaned over me, and I fought the urge to wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer.
I yearned to feel his bare skin against mine once more.
Our eyes met, and I caught sight of the same storm brewing in his cloudy gray irises. It was always a battle between us when we were this close, an unspoken contest to see who would give in first and break the tension with a fiery kiss. His gaze flickered to my lips, confirming that our thoughts aligned along the same path.
"Enough!" Xander's voice sliced through our trance. "Get up. We need to hurry. There's no time for you two to begin something you can’t finish."
"He's right," Theo growled. "Stand up."
We both sprang into action, the scarves tumbling onto the bed as I hurried to my feet. Quickly, I threw on my baggy clothes: black cotton panties, oversized jeans, and a massive sweatshirt from UNLV. I barely had time to slip into white sneakers and tuck my hair under a baseball cap before they flanked me, grabbing my arms and rushing me out of the hotel room.
"Did you get all my photos?" I asked.
"Packed in here," Xander replied, holding up the duffel bag.
One hung over his shoulder while Theo carried two more. I prayed they had grabbed everything because I would never return to that apartment again.
“Put these on.” Theo handed me a pair of oversized sunglasses.
I frowned, stuffing the frames into my pocket. “I’ll attract attention wearing that with this outfit.”
“Fine. Just keep your head down.” He tugged at the rim of my hat so I could barely see.
“Like I wasn’t aware of this.”
Tension hung thick as we descended to the tower's ground floor. They shared subtle nods and gestures, silently signaling any potential threats nearby. We wove through the usual crowd at the resort and past the high roller section of the casino, heading toward the hotel lobby.
Thankfully, it was peak check-in time, providing plenty of cover from clueless tourists and onlookers flooding the area.
A wave of sadness washed over me briefly as I realized I wouldn't see Penny or the friends I had made here again. But just as quickly, those emotions shifted to elation, knowing I wouldn't have to deal with all the headaches Las Vegas brought its locals.
I was done with this place. I had never truly enjoyed it in the first place.
My companions stayed as serious as ever, their guard still high as they meticulously scanned for any hidden dangers lurking in the shadows.
“Is that Tobias Stratos’s consigliere?” I whispered.
Andraius and all the nightmares that came with him were born into the Stratos family. To say I blamed them for my countless scars, both physical and emotional, is an understatement. After Andraius’s death, Tobias, his nephew, expected me to jump at his command and marry him with underhanded persuasion.
One Stratos was more than enough for a million lifetimes, and I clarified my position on Tobias’s tactics. The Stratoses wanted revenge for the shame I had brought upon them, and their hatred for me knew no bounds.
"Good eye, Angel," Theo whispered as we hurriedly turned away from them. We maneuvered through the maze-like hallways of the bustling casino, passing rows of flashing slot machines and crowded roulette tables until we arrived at the section leading to the parking garage at the back of the property .
"Wait, I recognize that guy. The one in the corner by the bar," I said. "That’s Dante Galani's nephew. I remember seeing him at a party."
"That’s fucking Rico," Xander muttered as he pulled me to the side, concealing us from view. “Well, that accounts for two families who hate our guts. Why not make it three, and we’ll have a complete set? Galani needs to deal with this shit with his son, not us.”
The former head of the Galani family hated me on a visceral level. Aside from the fact that I had assisted his son Anthony in overthrowing him and that he viewed me as a significant threat to his power, I was a woman in a world where I didn’t belong.
Oh, and there was this little issue of me stabbing him.
According to rumors, Dante named his nephew Marco as his heir. However, no one understood what he would inherit since Anthony held the position of Godfather of the Night for the Galani Family and aligned with our Angelos Syndicate.
Dante's hatred for me burned fiercely after an incident two years ago when I refused to back down from his insults and ended up stabbing him.
He’d learned the meaning of the phrase, fuck around and find out.
“Let’s go,” Xander commanded.
As we stepped outside through the revolving doors, the darkness of the parking lot surrounded us, hiding any potential danger lurking in the shadows. The tension between us remained tangible, our senses heightened and on alert .
"Where's the car?" I asked, my voice revealing my anxiety.
Xander responded with a grunt and a tug on my forearm.
We passed a long line of vehicles before turning a corner and approaching a man in a sleek black suit, quietly smoking as he scrolled through his phone. My heart skipped a beat; it was one of Aetos's men.
"Aetos, too?” The question barely left my lips before Theo covered my mouth with his hand.
He shook his head. “And we have a set.”
“That doesn’t comfort me.”
I might be dead right now if it weren't for Xander and Theo. Those three families were so close to finding me, all because of clues in a damn book.
There was no denying that I was now with Theo and Xander after we walked through the casino and hotel together. They attracted attention wherever they went, whether they meant to or not. And with my outrageous outfit, it was impossible for anyone not to notice the tall, quirky girl strolling beside two handsome men.
"Follow me, Angel," Theo whispered, taking my hand and pulling me away as the man by the car turned his back. We rushed past the first row of vehicles, navigating through the parking garage to avoid detection before reaching Xander's car at the end of the lot.
My companions unceremoniously shoved me into the backseat among the duffel bags, making me scowl as they closed the door in my face. Theo took the passenger seat while Xander slid behind the wheel and safely drove us away.
I couldn't shake the feeling of unease as we drove away. With so many scouts from rival families lurking around, it seemed almost sure that one of them would spot us. But to my relief, we arrived at a private hangar at McCarran Airport just a few minutes later.
"We have our own private plane now?" I asked incredulously.
"We've had some profitable ventures while you were away, Angel," Theo smirked.
As we settled into the plush seats of the luxurious plane, I felt tension rising in my chest. My two companions sat across from me, their eyes fixed on mine as if daring me to speak. Taking a deep breath, I finally mustered the courage to ask the question that had been burning in my mind.
"Can you please tell me where we’re going now?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
Xander and Theo exchanged glances before responding, their stern expressions sending a chill down my spine.
"I guess you'll have to figure that out alone," Xander replied cryptically.
Confused and increasingly uneasy, I turned my full attention to them.
Leaning forward, they seemed to loom over me with their combined presence.
"Now you decide," Theo's voice was low and menacing. "Where have you hidden our sons, Angel?"