Chapter 29 Theo
THEO
We land, and I carry Xander to one of the waiting SUVs. Stassi is close beside me, holding my hand. Under different circumstances, I'd feel like the luckiest man in the world, but right now, I just want to get them back to my estate.
There are seven SUVs following us home. Maybe a little overboard, but I have to protect them.
When we pull up to the gate, Xander sticks his head against the glass. "Wow, big gate. Big house."
I laugh.
"You think it's big enough for a dinosaur to live in?" I ask.
He looks at it for a moment, his little gears turning in his head.
"Maybe. Not long neck. His head would hit roof."
Stassi and I laugh.
"I think you're right, buddy," I say, then lean over next to him to look out the window. "One day this will all be yours."
"Really?"
"Yes. It belongs to all Kastaris’s, and you're one."
"Is Mommy?"
I glance at her. Her hand rests in her lap, fingers curled slightly like she's bracing herself.
"She always was," I say, holding her gaze. "Even when she didn't believe it."
Her breath catches. Slowly, she reaches over and laces her fingers through mine. A small smile plays on her lips.
The car pulls into the driveway, but I can't look away from her.
Just as she's about to speak, one of my men opens the door and Xander hops out before either of us can stop him.
I follow out of instinct. "Hold on, buddy. Wait for us."
My men begin unloading the bags, heading toward the house. Stassi moves toward the guest wing with Xander, casting one last glance over her shoulder.
"I'll find you soon," I tell her. "I just have to take care of something first."
I create a group chat with Dimitri, Ares, and Calli as I walk into the office.
Family meeting. Urgent. Video call. 9 a.m. Chicago time.
Dimitri replies immediately.
You back?
Yes. Be here for the meeting.
About ten minutes before the meeting is supposed to start, Dimitri walks in, not bothering to knock.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?"
I look at him and gesture toward the screen. "Wait. I need everyone on this, and I don't want to have to say it more than once."
He frowns but sits down, eyeing me like I've grown another head.
I turn on the TV and cast the video call to the screen. A small phone icon pops up, and then I see Ares's face. Calli stands beside his chair, wearing workout gear and glaring at her phone.
"Okay," Calli says, bending down to look at the camera. "My trainer just got here. Is this gonna be quick, or do I need to cancel?"
"Cancel," I say.
She sighs. "Tell him to go," she shouts offscreen, then looks back at me. "This better be good, Theo. He's still gonna charge me."
"Calm down with your MMA dreams," Dimitri says, half-smiling. "You can miss one day."
She rolls her eyes. "I'm trying to take this seriously."
"Good, Calli," Ares cuts in. "So, Theo, what's going on?"
I take a breath. No turning back now.
"Stassi's back," I say. "And she brought someone with her."
They're silent. Looking. Waiting for me to continue.
"He's three and a half," I continue. "His name is Xander, and he's my son."
Dimitri blinks.
Calli's mouth drops open.
Ares mutters, "Knew it."
Calli finally reacts. "Wait. Hold on. You're a dad?!"
I nod.
"Oh my God, that's so exciting," she practically squeals. "Can we see him? Does he look like you? He better have your eyes."
"Soon," I say.
Ares leans forward. "I knew there was a kid involved in the incident in Italy. Figured it was something like this."
Dimitri lifts a hand. "Yeah, bro, same. I saw him in the kitchen with Stassi when I got here."
"What? Dimitri already saw him?" Calli says. "Come on, at least send me a pic, Theo."
"I mean, it was from a distance. Obviously, it'll mean he likes me the best, but it's not like I met him yet," Dimitri says, teasing Calli.
"Well," I say. "There's more."
I launch into it. All of it.
How Stassi left because our father threatened her. How Stassi got pregnant and went to a doctor. How that doctor was likely on our father's payroll and reported it.
How our father called her. Told her she had to get rid of the baby. That I was promised to Sean Killaney's daughter.
"He told her that me being with her would ruin my role in the family. That she'd be the reason I lost everything, so she had to go. Gave her money and everything."
They look at me, stunned. Complete silence as they process the bomb I just dropped on them.
Calli's eyes narrow, and she's the first one to speak. "He told her to terminate?"
"She didn't, obviously," I say. "But she faked it. Used some of the money Dad gave her and paid off a doctor. Got a certificate. Gave it to Dad. Then disappeared."
I can tell Calli is upset. She wants to say more but holds back and just says, "Well, that's pretty brave and awesome of her. I do have to admit I wasn't only mad at her for leaving you, but she ghosted me, too. I missed my sassy Stassi!”
Dimitri clears his throat. "I don't mean to be disrespectful here, Theo, but are we sure she's telling the truth?"
I look him in the eye. "Yeah. I believe her."
Ares sighs. "She is."
"You're sure?" Dimitri asks.
"Yeah," Ares says. "Dad discussed it with me once. Said aligning with the Killaneys was the only way to keep the Irish close. Said pairing you with their daughter was the deal he was going to make happen."
I exhale sharply. "Are you fucking serious?"
He nods. "Yes. But the way you were with Stassi—I mean, we all saw it.
I told Dad he couldn't do that to you. When Stassi left, he brought it up again, but it turned out he was able to broker the shipping deal with the Killaneys, and he felt that secured the deal and wanted to keep you marrying the daughter in his back pocket. "
"Son of a bitch," I say, rubbing my forehead. "I... I'd do anything for this family, but..."
"Theo. You don't need to sell us on your loyalty. It wasn't the right call Dad wanted to make. He wasn't perfect," Ares says, interrupting me.
"I didn't like Stassi when she left. I think everyone knows how vocal I was when she hurt you," Calli says. "But knowing this? That changes everything."
Dimitri rubs the back of his neck. "Shit. Sorry. Obviously, she's telling the truth. If Dad threatened her like that, then she did what she had to do."
I wave it off. "That's not all. A few weeks ago, Stassi got a package. Someone knew I was the father. Knew about the fake termination certificate. Threatened her. She panicked. Came to me."
"And?" Ares asks.
"It's all connected."
"What's connected?" Dimitri asks.
"The person who sent it to her—they knew everything," I say.
"And it wasn't random. Milo, the man who kidnapped Xander, he was working for someone.
The one who knows everything. When I found Milo, he was bleeding out.
There was a camera. Someone was watching him to make sure he said something to me before he died. "
"What?" Ares asks.
His last words to me were: 'The sons will follow the father.'
Dimitri jerks upright. "What?"
Calli raises an eyebrow. "Wait, what does that mean?"
Ares answers for me. "It was the same message found on Dad's body."
Dimitri turns to the screen. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
Calli presses a hand to her chest. "So someone's coming after you guys? Like, all of you?"
"Not just us," Ares says. "If what happened at the restaurant with you and Katerina is any indication, they're after you too."
"And apparently, it means our children too," I say.
"Jesus Christ, they're targeting our bloodline," Calli says, pressing her hand to her forehead in disbelief.
Dimitri punches the back of the chair. "And no one fucking told me?!"
"You're being told now," Ares snaps. "Don't let anger cloud your focus. That's how we end up in the ground."
"Fuck!" Dimitri yells and turns away from the screen.
"He's right," I say. "You'd have done exactly what I wanted to do—burn the world down without a plan. And we need one now more than ever."
Calli wipes her face. "Okay. So the people who killed our father—they're the same ones who are behind the kidnapping of Theo's son too?"
"Yes," I say. "It's all connected."
She looks straight into the camera. "Then what the hell do we do about it? Come on, brothers. Someone give me a plan."
Dimitri turns back to face the screen. "Cosmo Kouris."
"The Minister of Infrastructure?" I say.
Dimitri nods. "He runs Greek Spartan Holdings. They manage every account tied to the Athenian Warriors. Every trail leads back to Cosmo."
Ares leans back. "Fuck. Government."
"Yes, and getting to him won't be easy," I say. "Zervas is afraid to move. Says if we go after a government minister, the backlash could crush our operation. Full exposure. No more blind eyes, and they'll come down hard on us."
"And what did you tell him when he told you this?" Ares asks.
"I told him I don't care. We'll take whatever heat comes. If he's connected to our father's death, and now to Xander's kidnapping, he dies."
Dimitri looks at me, then back at Ares.
Ares leans into the camera. "Agreed. Subtlety's over. I'll call Zervas. Stavros too," he adds. "Get them looped in. If they won't help, they can get the fuck out of our way and rot in the shadows. Let the cowards watch while we clean house."
"Let's just be prepared to move forward without them," I say.
"On that note," Ares says, "I'm coming to Greece."
"No," I say instantly. "You need to stay there in Chicago. With Katerina. With the baby. You can't leave her now."
He opens his mouth to argue, but Calli beats him to it. "If you go, I'll step in to help Katerina. But honestly, Ares? Theo's right. She needs you here."
Dimitri steps forward. "We've got it here," he says and turns to me. "You and me, brother. We'll take care of this."
I shake my head.
Ares's jaw is tight. "Fine. But you call me the second you move on him. And if anything—and I mean anything—gets out of hand, call me and I'm there."
"Of course," I say.
"Find Cosmo Kouris. If he's behind this, kill him. Burn the fucking government down if they had a hand in what happened to our father. Just tell me what you need, and I'll pull every damn resource and call in every favor we have."
Dimitri steps beside me and claps a hand on my shoulder.
"Suit up, brother. Time for war."
I nod. "Let's have our vengeance. For our father. For our family. And for my son."
But first, there's something I have to do.