Chapter 21
Twenty-One
T HEO
The grand foyer of the Angelos estate was a stunning sight. The crystal chandelier above sparkled with a rainbow of colors, casting a warm glow over the Italian white marble floors that gleamed underfoot.
As we gathered at the base of the grand staircase, my heart swelled with both awe and respect for Nerine, who stood with confident grace at the center of it all.
She radiated power and authority.
Her hair, now restored to its original lustrous black, fell in an elegant cascade down her back. She donned a suit made of the finest French silk. The black pencil skirt hugged her curves closely, accentuating her shapely frame, and her tall black suede heels added inches to her already regal stature. She commanded the room like a queen on her throne.
But beneath her polished exterior, I could see the changes that motherhood had brought Nerine. She was no longer the insecure girl forced into a cruel marriage or the abused woman living in fear. Now, she stood before us as a determined and confident leader, commanding the undivided attention of her loyal soldiers, who remained at attention at her feet.
I couldn't help but feel a wave of desire for this beautiful and strong woman. My cock throbbed painfully in my pants as I imagined her in bed, naked and writhing in pleasure.
Our Angel had never looked more stunning.
Nerine's favored soldiers stood at the front of the line, their faces filled with reverence and deep respect for their leader. This respect was well-deserved. Nerine had taken excellent care of them and their families over the years under Andraius, often at a personal cost, earning their undying loyalty through trust and devotion.
"First and foremost," Nerine began, calmly addressing her soldiers. "I want to thank each of you for your unwavering loyalty to my family. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed and will be generously rewarded."
She took a deep breath, her breasts rising and falling in the perfectly tailored suit that hugged her frame. I couldn't tear my eyes away as she continued to address her men.
She gestured to a group of five men to her side.
"Georgios," she said to the soldier nearest her. "I'm assigning you the most important task of all. Your responsibility is to ensure my mother’s and sons’ safety. Your team must never leave them unprotected, not even for a second. Our enemies will stop at nothing to harm them."
Georgios, one of her longest-serving soldiers and the group leader, stepped forward with a confident nod. "You can count on me, Angelos. We will protect your family. Nothing will happen to them while I'm on duty."
"Thank you, Georgios," Nerine said, recognizing his dedication and loyalty.
"As for the rest of you," she addressed her other soldiers, "stand by for further orders. In the meantime, keep a sharp lookout on the estate from all sides. We could be attacked at any moment."
With one final commanding glance at her soldiers, Nerine dismissed them.
I felt proud and inspired by this powerful woman who had claimed her rightful position as the Godmother of the Angelos family. Xander and I stood back willingly, knowing we would always stand beside her and support her every move.
With a confident stride and a serious expression, Xander beckoned me to a secluded corner near the foyer. "She's back where she belongs," he said in a hushed tone.
"I'd be lying if I said her confidence didn't make my cock rock hard,” I admitted. “I want to fuck her so badly right now.”
"Same here," Xander murmured in agreement. "There's just something about her that's so damn sexy."
"The session with Devani in the library helped her more than I initially realized," I remarked. "She has stopped constantly worrying and questioning everything and has accepted herself and her role. Especially today. She’s wearing her godmother's cloak like a weapon.”
"Her whole demeanor is as calm as a winter lake," Xander observed, a hint of caution in his voice. "It makes me nervous."
"I wonder what Devani said to create this change," I replied. "Have you managed to get any information from our angel?"
"No luck." He shook his head. "And you?"
"Not yet," I sighed. "We need to tread carefully, or we won’t get a single answer out of her. Remember, she’s stubborn on a good day."
"There is also a chance she’ll eat us alive." Xander chuckled wryly. "We’ve tasted her sharp tongue plenty of times before."
"Best to avoid it then," I agreed, gripping my hair in frustration.
"Do you have any idea what her plan is?" I asked Xander, nodding toward Nerine, who was engaged in a deep conversation with Georgios.
"All she told me was that she needed to get her household in order before she could bring us in," he replied with a frown. “I don’t like it.”
I thought for a few moments, trying to work out the possibilities of what Nerine planned.
Then it hit me.
"I have a feeling she plans to call a gathering of representatives from all the New England families, including the Aetos family," I speculated.
"It won’t be easy. Aetoses rarely attend and only if they see value in it," Xander added, his gaze never leaving Nerine.
"If that's her plan, we better prepare for trouble," I warned. "Remember the last meeting?"
"How could I forget?" Xander scoffed. "It turned into a bloodbath, and our angel even ended up stabbing someone."
"Exactly," I nodded grimly. "We have to protect Nerine at all costs. The danger could come from any direction."
"And she'll fight us every step of the way," Xander added.
"She can insist on whatever she wants," I said firmly. "I'm not letting her out of my sight."
"Me neither," Xander vowed fiercely.
"It's like some twisted game of chess," I muttered in frustration. "We’re constantly strategizing against each other, even though we're supposed to be on the same side."
"Yeah, she drives me crazy sometimes, too," Xander admitted with a small smile.
"I suppose that's just part of being in love with an angel," I replied with a gentle sigh.
Nerine's piercing cobalt gaze found us, urging us to follow her down the hallway and into the library. Xander and I trailed closely behind like eager puppies, unable to resist her.
Once inside the library, Nerine turned to face us with her arms crossed and one stiletto-clad foot pointed to the side. She exuded confidence and sex appeal, making it almost impossible for me to keep my hands off her. My arousal was evident as I felt my cock twitch.
"I know that look on your faces," she stated, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "Standing in the corner together, whispering. What are the two of you planning?"
She scanned our faces with a critical eye before continuing.
"Crossing your arms like that makes you look like an army sergeant. Is that what you're aiming for? Are you planning to discipline us?"
My question brought a faint blush to her cheeks. However, before she could respond, Xander interrupted.
"We're waiting for your orders, Angel."
His words lingered in the air because I had nothing to contribute. Technically, what he said was true; we hadn't developed a solid plan yet.
Nerine's lovely face scrunched up as she appeared lost in thought. At last, she directed her attention to Xander.
"Did you search this room for any monitoring devices?"
Xander's jaw twitched in irritation, a sign I recognized all too well. He took his responsibilities seriously and had undoubtedly checked every room in the house. Nerine questioning his diligence would surely irritate him.
But then she winked, and the tension dissipated as we shared a gentle laugh.
She knew as well as I did how meticulous Xander could be, not only in his job but also in other aspects.
"This stays between us," she began, her tone serious. "But I know where Fiona is now. She's safe. "
"Why can't we tell our soldiers?" Xander asked. "Or your mother?"
"I'm worried about Mama’s reaction," Nerine sighed. "She's extremely worried right now and won't be able to keep this to herself. She'll spill the news to all the wrong people that we've found Fiona. I can't take that risk. As for our soldiers, I'm not sure who we can trust with this information. So, for now, we trust no one."
"That complicates things," I said, glancing over at Xander to gauge his reaction, which was unreadable.
"You're telling me," Nerine muttered as she paced the room. Frustrated, she ran a hand through her long, dark hair. "Fucking Fiona and her need to dive headfirst into things. Even if it wasn't intentional, that book messed us up, and now we’re stuck in the middle of this damn mess."
"True," I agreed, aware that Nerine was nowhere near finished with the rant bursting out of her.
She walked over to the window, still muttering under her breath. "I mean, what was she thinking? She didn’t think. That’s the problem! She never thinks things through. She's always so stubborn and convinced she's right about everything! It's infuriating! I hoped she’d grow out of it before she could cause real damage. Well, that was a big mistake."
Her voice grew louder as she started to pace.
I shared a smirk with Xander.
I restrained the impulse to tell Nerine that, in many ways, she had just described herself. Stubbornness appeared to run deep in the Angelos family, and perhaps it was some inherited trait. In fact, Nerine was likely the most stubborn of them all.
This wasn’t good. At least one, if not both, boys were bound to take after their mother in this.
"Tell us where she is," Xander interjected, trying to get her back on track. "Do we need to mount a rescue mission?"
His urgent tone sliced through the tense atmosphere like a knife. "Please, tell us where she is. Is she in danger? Do we need to rally help for a rescue mission?"
Nerine shook her head, frustration etched into every line of her face.
"There's no rush. She doesn't need rescuing. She's been safe this whole time." She released a heavy sigh. “Fiona was inside her penthouse when the Aetos’s men broke in. She managed to hide and overheard their conversation and plans to abduct Hayes and Charis."
"Who do I have to kill then?" My anger burned bright at the thought of anything happening to those babies.
"No one. Not yet, anyway," Nerine replied, the furrow between her brows deepening. “Fiona staged her kidnapping to protect the boys. She was too scared to seek help but finally reached out to Devani."
"Are you saying she orchestrated all of this?" I asked, unsure if I had grasped the situation correctly.
"In a way, yes," Nerine said with a wry shake of her head. "Can you believe that?"
I snorted in response. Considering it was Fiona, it wasn't too far-fetched an idea.
"But that doesn't make sense," Xander interjected, his confusion evident in his tone. "Staging her kidnapping doesn't address the issues that drove her into hiding in the first place."
"And who exactly was planning to take the boys? Aetos, Santos, or one of their allies?" I demanded, my blood boiling with rage. "That’s the first thing we need to figure out."
"You're right," Nerine said grimly, her eyes glinting with determination. "I'm tired of all of this. I have a plan to end it once and for all.
"What's your plan?" Xander asked cautiously, studying her closely.
"I'm going to fight fire with fire," Nerine whispered darkly, sending chills down my spine. "Our enemies have shown no mercy, using our families and children as leverage. They killed my brother and Zoe, all for some twisted vendetta that can only be satisfied with the blood of innocent children. What kind of monsters do that?"
"Those that deserve to burn in hell," I growled, sensing where she was headed and hating every word.
"We have to show them that we are not weak. If sacrificing the lives of their beloved and innocent family members is the only way to get through to them, then that's what we'll do," Nerine declared, lifting her chin defiantly.
The darkness in her eyes was chilling, filling me with dread for what she was about to propose.
"Wait ... are you suggesting we kill the youngest children of our enemies?" Xander's disbelief was palpable in his words.
"I am," Nerine confirmed, a menacing edge creeping into her voice. "But not just one child. All of them."