Chapter 28 Stassi
STASSI
Xander falls asleep twenty minutes into the flight, curled up beside me on the leather sofa, his head resting against my thigh. He's wrapped in Theo's jacket, his little fists holding it tightly like it's a security blanket. I stroke his hair gently and try to breathe in some sense of safety.
We're in the sky.
We made it.
That's what I keep telling myself.
And yet, my chest won't unclench.
Marlena's gone, but he has us. And right now, that has to be enough.
Across from me, Theo sits in silence, still wearing the bloodstained shirt he was in when he carried our son from that hellhole. There's a bourbon in front of him, untouched. He hasn't said a word since we boarded. He hasn't had to.
I can only imagine what he did.
But I know now, more than ever, if there's anyone who would tear through the gates of hell to bring me or Xander home, it's him.
And I've never trusted him more.
Theo decided, since we were so close to the airport, we'd go straight there. He sent men back to the villa to collect our things and had his remaining crew sweep the waiting area for threats. They even checked the jet before we boarded.
I didn't care. I had Xander. And I knew Theo would take care of everything.
I always have been able to let go with him.
In a world that demands women be strong—always smiling, always managing, always polished—I'm expected to hold everything together.
But with him?
I can be undone.
Perfectly imperfect.
I can fall apart, and somehow, in the ruins, I feel safe.
Theo commands because I need to let go.
I provoke him because I want to be claimed. Because I crave someone who can silence the chaos in my head with a look, a word, a hand at my throat that says, I've got you.
It was never about weakness. It never will be.
With Theo, I choose to surrender.
Because no one else has ever made me feel safe enough to let go.
The rules, the commands, the edge of pain—they center me. He strips away the noise and allows me to feel alive.
Xander shifts in his sleep, murmuring something unintelligible. I rub his cheek, hoping he's dreaming about dinosaurs and not about the man who took him. I lean down and kiss his temple.
He doesn't stir.
It's crazy how he was the reason I left.
He's the reason I came back.
And now, he's the reason I'll never leave again.
I look at Theo.
His jaw flexes, then relaxes. He's somewhere else right now, probably still in that hangar, still doing whatever it took to bring Xander out alive.
But beneath it all, I recognize something else.
Guilt.
He carries it like a second skin.
He thinks he failed us.
"Hey," I say softly, smiling to get his attention. "You're too loud over there. Can you keep it down?"
He gives me a small, forced smile and shifts in his seat. His hand moves toward the bourbon, but he doesn't touch it.
"What are you thinking about?" I ask, already knowing part of the answer.
"Everything," he says.
"Well, I want you to know that I am so thankful you brought him back to me, Theo. You did what had to be done without hesitation. Without fear or..." I stop to think of what else to add. "I don't know, just... you did it. I mean, you came out covered in blood. Not everyone can do that, or would."
He looks down at himself. "Jesus, I was so focused on us getting out of there, I forgot about the blood."
"There's always blood on you, Theo. Either figuratively or literally," I say, looking into those blue eyes of his. "But you're the only man I'd ever follow through fire."
He smiles. It's genuine this time.
"With you, and now him," he says, nodding to Xander, "I always try to avoid the flames."
As I look at him, I realize there's something I haven't told him. Not fully.
Not in the way he deserves.
"We need you, you know. He needs you," I say and pause. "I need you. I should have never left, Theo," I say, feeling my eyes swell with tears.
"I'd be lying if I said that our time apart wasn't the darkest period in my life.
I was lost. Spiraling, even. But I understand.
If I was you, hearing what my father said, knowing about my family.
.. I'd probably have done the same thing.
I'm glad me and my brothers have a different view of how the family should be run. My father had an old way of thinking."
And just like that, Theo knows how to balance understanding and confidence.
He strips away all my armor. All the pressure.
And what's left is the truth.
"I know I've already said it. But I'm never leaving again. I love you, and death will be the only thing that breaks us apart again."
Theo gets up and comes over to me and kisses me passionately. Deeply.
"Until death, Stassi."
"What's next? What do we do?"
He sighs and sits next to me.
"I need to let my family know about Xander. Not only because he's my son, but because him, you, the letter you got—it's all connected to my father."
I look at him, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when Ares found my father, there was a note: 'The sons will follow the father.' And when I found Milo, he said that exact thing to me."
"He was involved?" I ask.
Theo shakes his head. "No. Whoever put him up to it. That's been my biggest problem with my father's killer. Every time we think we're making progress, it leads to someone bigger. But I think we're finally getting to the head of the snake. Dimitri's been doing work on it."
"So, that means whoever killed your father also happened to know I had your son? I mean, I was so careful. Paid people who needed to be paid. Covered all my tracks. How did they find out?"
Theo shrugs.
"No, seriously. They have to be connected. Like your family. You know I don't know much about the whole mafia world, but in order for someone to know all that, they have to have some kind of connection to things."
He nods. "Well, one of the blocks I have with my father has been restricted accounts funneling money. But it seems we may have cracked that. And a person involved is in government, and they tend to be just as dangerous as mobsters, so you're right in your thinking."
I take in everything he's just told me. And something hits me. Delayed. The note.
I inhale sharply. "Wait. Wait—the message. 'The sons will follow the father.' Does that mean someone's trying to kill you?"
I look down at Xander.
"Or him?"
Theo grabs my chin gently and brings my face back to his.
"My brothers and I will figure it out. We'll get to them before they get to us. I promise."
I nod, but my heart pounds.
"We'll be safe in Kalamata," he says. "Safer than we were in Italy. Safer than Chicago. I won't let anything happen to either of you."
I rest my head on his shoulder.
But something is already lingering under my skin.
Because if they killed his father, and now they know about Xander.
They're not just coming for Theo.
They're coming for all of us.