Chapter 12
Twelve
N erine
“Mama, I’m so happy to hear from you,” I said in Greek when I picked up the call. “I wish you were here.”
There was a bit of comfort in speaking to her in our native language. Growing up, I only used Greek with the elders of the household since the younger generation preferred English. Then when everything went down, I refused to speak Greek with Andraius to spite him.
He’d tried the “I’ll only ever speak Greek to you” shit, and I’d acted as if I hadn’t a clue what he was saying.
My favorite line to use against him was, “What did you say? I don’t understand. It’s all Greek to me.”
Yeah, I was a royal bitch, but he’d made me into one.
“Cara, if only things were different. Tell me, what have you been doing? I called you on this new number earlier, and you didn’t answer. I thought I’d made a mistake. Why do I feel you are sneaking around and may get into trouble?”
In my mind’s eye, I imagined her wrapping me in her arms and engulfing me in the scent of her flower and spiced perfume.
Mama was home. The safe place, the love and joy of my childhood, all packaged in one person.
God, I missed her so much.
It had been nearly eight weeks since I last spoke to Mama. I was different now, stronger. Well, I was getting there. I trained in something every day: defense, business, finance. If it wasn’t one of the Squad, it was Theo or Xander administering the curriculum.
“It’s an encrypted line, just like the one phone I sent you. Only use that phone when you talk to anyone about me or want to have private conversations from now on. Tell the girls the same things about their phones.”
After my last conversation with Mama, I’d discovered Andraius had someone bug the phone from her side. And he’d come storming into the library demanding I never talk disparagingly about him to her again. I’d only referred to him as the imposter Angelos, nothing else.
From the beginning, we suspected Andraius monitored and reviewed our conversations, so we spoke in code to relay private information. Only this last time, I decided to test him, and he’d proven me right.
“I’m not stupid. I did notice that you didn’t answer any of my questions. Something is different about you.” Mama grew quiet for a moment and then sternly asked, “What have you done?”
Typical mom, thinking I’d done something terrible. Technically, I had, but it was for a good cause—our freedom, so there was that. And it wasn’t really terrible. I wasn’t planning to kill anyone. I only hoped someone else killed him.
“I have found some hobbies to keep me busy.” I smiled to myself. “And made friends.”
“Doing what?”
“So suspicious”
“Answer the question.”
“Mama, it’s not that bad. I’m learning to protect myself.”
She was quiet for a few seconds and then, in a soft voice, said, “Because of what he does to you.”
A sadness washed over me. I hated that Mama knew. I’d tried to hide it, but somehow she always knew.
“What do you mean?”
“I have eyes and ears in Boston. We true Angeloses still have eyes and ears everywhere. You need to remember this.”
“I’m sorry, Mama. I wish I’d been stronger.”
“From what I hear, you make his life hell. That’s very strong. Are you doing as I told you and using the oils and herbs in case one of his old sperm decides to work?”
I didn’t want to discuss this with an audience, especially the two men in the front seat. But hell, they already knew all of my secrets. So I might as well go all the way.
“He hasn’t touched me in a few months. He doesn’t like to fuck venom-filled whores.”
Xander’s head shifted slightly, but he kept his face forward.
“Language, Nerine.”
“I’m only repeating his words, Mama.”
“How will he get an Angelos’s child, then?”
“He demanded we start the IVF process.”
I could have sworn I heard one of the men growl at the mention of IVF.
“By the saints. No. I forbid it.”
“Mama. Nothing will happen until he can provide a healthy sperm sample and prove he isn’t sterile. I refused to let them fill me with any drugs to harvest my eggs.”
I could still see the rage on Andraius’s face when I’d made my declaration in the middle of the doctor’s office. He’d been ready to strangle me and probably would have gone through with it if several medical professionals weren’t sitting around us.
It also helped that the moron had called in three of the top fertility specialists in New England, and they’d all agreed with the initial findings of my perfect ovarian and uterine health. Which meant the problem definitely wasn’t me.
When the one sample Andraius gave the lab returned with a meager sperm count, he insisted it was due to sex the night before. He wanted to proceed with harvesting my eggs, and I told him to shove it until he proved his swimmers were strong enough to penetrate my eggs.
Yeah, totally bitchy thing to say, but I had no fucks left to give anymore.
“Where are you now?”
“In my car, going back to the compound. I had my lessons with my friends today.”
“You’re talking very freely. This isn’t like you. Nerine, what are you doing?” The concern in her voice had me sighing.
“Mama, stop worrying. Xander and Theo are with me. They manage my protection now.”
“I see. I don’t like this.”
“I can trust them. Stop worrying.”
Theo’s eyes connected with mine briefly in the rearview mirror. Theo’s mother, Theia Viola, along with Xander’s mother, Theia Brenna, were Mama’s best friends. When Theia Viola passed away, Mama and Theia Brenna took it upon themselves to make sure Theo knew he was wanted and loved.
“It’s my job to worry. I’m your mother. You can’t fall in love with them again. It can’t work. It won’t work. It’s too dangerous.”
“Wait. What? Say that again.”
“You heard me the first time.”
“But…we were careful ? —”
“Cara, I’m your mama. I have eyes. They loved you in a way that went beyond normal friendship, and I saw you with them.”
“Oh my God, did Papa know?” My raised voice got both Xander’s and Theo’s attention.
“No. Men are oblivious. They see what they want to see. He thought it was them being overprotective because of you being the heir. He thought it was brotherly.”
I resisted smirking at that.
Theo lifted a brow, waiting to see if I had an answer about Papa. I shook my head, and both men’s shoulders relaxed, which made me want to frown since I knew eventually, Papa would have found out.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Until you came to us or became pregnant, I wanted to wait.”
“Mama! I can’t believe you said that. I thought you were a virgin when you got married?”
“Who told you that nonsense? Why did I ask? Your Papa did—the liar. I swear. That man was an ‘always do as I say, not as I do’ man when it came to you girls. Do you believe he waited until we married?”
I tuned Mama out as she continued her nonsensical chatter about Papa and their sex life. This was the last thing I wanted to think about—Mama, Papa, and sex.
Yes, that’s how my sisters and I came about, but no child ever wanted those images in their mind.
“Do you know the old ladies still talk about your Papa and his reputation before he met me?”
“Oh, Mama. Please don’t tell me anymore. No more. I get it.”
“You’re one to talk. You had two men. I used to wonder how you walked half the time.”
I cringed. “Mama. No. Just no.”
“I got you to stop thinking about your stupid husband, didn’t I?”
Unable to help myself, I smiled. “Yes, you did. I love you, Mama. I miss you so much.”
“Soon, cara. Soon. Things are going to change.”
“I hope so. Did the people who brought you the phones teach you how to scan the house with the other equipment?”
Xander’s head whipped around, not caring that I knew he was eavesdropping.
“The girls know.”
“Mama, you need to learn it. Tina and Ariana are going to college soon. Then it’s just you and Fi. You can’t rely on them for everything. We talked about this.”
“You’ve become very bossy in the last few months. You remind me of my old Nerine.” I heard the tinge of happiness in her tone. “Don’t stop.”
“I’m trying to remember her, too.”
“That’s a good girl. I like that you have friends.”
“Me, too. Bye, Mama.”
“Bye, cara.”
I hung up and closed my eyes, dropping my head back as a lump formed in my throat. In the last few months, I’d come a long way.
I thought of all the training, the long hours of studying, and the multitude of debates and discussions on topics with four women who’d all had so many more life experiences than me.
They’d also made me realize that resenting Andraius for keeping me from achieving my degree was only hurting me. I had to let it go. Otherwise, he had something to hold over me, and the on-the-job skills the ladies were giving me were far superior to a degree.
Devani ran a multibillion-dollar conglomerate with only a high school education, and what Lilly had gone to school for had nothing to do with her real job as a hacker. She’d taught herself everything she’d ever learned.
This connection and unconditional support were what had been missing in my life, and this was what I planned to give my sisters.
“Okay, we need to talk, so stop pretending to sleep,” Theo commanded.
My eyes snapped open as the car came to an abrupt stop in the driveway of the compound, and I stared at two intense faces.
“Umm. What did I do now?”
“That conversation with your mother was fascinating. Did you forget our parents are Greek, and we are fluent in Greek?” The hardening of Xander’s lips almost had me laughing.
“No, I didn’t. You’re my security. You have to pretend everything I said didn’t happen. You protect me and my secrets. Isn’t that the job?”
“Angel, I swear I’m going to—” Theo clenched his jaw as he cut himself off.
“What? What are you going to say? Smack my ass red?” I lifted a brow. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I have a right to protect my family if I find a way to do it. That is none of your business.”
“Of course, it is our business.” Xander ran a frustrated hand through his hair and then cupped the back of his neck. “You are our business.”
“Devani took care of it. Case closed.”
He closed his eyes and lifted his face as if praying. “Promise me you aren’t doing anything stupid.”
“Nothing more than usual.”
Theo shook his head. “I swear to God, Angel. You could drive a man to drink.”
“Yeah, well, you didn’t have to fuck a man thirty years older than you for the last five years.”
“You’re never going to forgive us for that, are you?” Xander asked through gritted teeth.
“I already forgave you that night in the library when we came to our agreement. I forgave you for leaving me. I forgave you for staying away. I forgave you for so many things. But I refuse to let you sugarcoat what happened to me.”
“We couldn’t let you die. Fucking Andraius was better than you dying.” The rage on Theo’s face infuriated me.
“Is that right? It’s not called fucking. It’s called rape, over and over again. Don’t try to change the term for it. The first time it happened was in front of the damn priest who forced me to marry him.”
“Angel—”
“No, stop with the Angel,” I shouted. “Tell me, did you two continue after I was out of the picture?”
“You know damn well we didn’t,” Xander exclaimed. “It was all of us or nothing.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better? How many women you have slept with since me? Don’t you dare lie to me. I know all about Xander, the flirt, and Theo, the coveted gentleman.”
“They weren’t you.” Theo shook his head. “No one could replace you.”
“But it felt good. You enjoyed it, and you got off. No one forced it on you.”
“No one is you.”
“No.” I lifted my hand, not wanting to hear Xander’s plea. “I am tired of having these emotions, all of these feelings, with you two around. Please, I’m begging you. Assign someone else to watch me. It’s tearing me up inside. You represent everything I lost, everything I can’t have. If you love me the way you say you do, just set me free and let me move on. Fucking let me move on.” Tears streamed down my face. It was time to accept the truth. I still loved these men, and it broke my heart that we were always so close but nothing could ever come of it.
“I’m so sorry,” Xander whispered, dropping his head. “Please, forgive us. We won’t push you anymore. We’ll do what you said.”
I nodded, wiping my cheeks, and then opened the car door and rushed inside.
I had to calm down. Everything inside me churned. All of this was too much. I had no one that was mine.
Xander and Theo weren’t mine. They could never be mine. Mama and the girls were an ocean away. What I wouldn’t give to have someone to hold me, hug me, give me some warmth, some comfort.
The best option at this point was a shower.
I took the back staircase, then walked along the landing leading to my section of the house. Just as I turned the corner to my suite of rooms, I crashed into Robert Lavinos, Andraius’s head of security.
He steadied me. “I’m to direct you to work in your library.”
I really hated this guy. Outside of talking like a robot, he’d stood idly by and found it amusing every time Andraius treated me like shit in public. One of the betrayers, as I liked to call them.
“For Christ’s sake, get out of my way. I want a shower after my workout.”
“The boss wants you to go downstairs.”
“Andraius is here? I thought he had a meeting of importance or something?” I glared at Robert as he blocked my way when I tried to move around him.
“He decided to come home to take care of some business.”
“In the bedroom?” I frowned.
If he was covering for his boss, this attempt landed him in the piss-poor-job column. When we first married, Andraius had regularly snooped in my room for things. Luckily, I had all my little nooks and holes to hide something inside.
He hadn’t gone back to doing that shit again, had he?
I refused to put up with any more disrespect. That nineteen-year-old girl had long ago died, and now the twenty-three-year-old bitch wife he’d created was the only thing left.
“Get out of my way.” I pushed his shoulder, and he stepped in front of me, shoving me back.
Okay, he’d never laid a hand on me before. This was new.
“I’m under strict orders to keep you in your library. So let’s go.” He puffed out his chest as if his size intimidated me.
Umm. Xander was way bigger than him, and he’d taught me to take someone his size down.
Irritation coursed through me, and a throbbing pulsed in my head.
“If you don’t move, I will make you,” he said.
All of a sudden, my heartbeat accelerated, and my stomach churned.
Had Andraius learned what Nyx and I had been doing over the last few months?
Robert smirked and shook his head, moving toward me. “You’re no match for me. Don’t make me carry you downstairs.”
“I’m a lot stronger than you believe.” I lunged, pivoted in the opposite direction to what he expected, and slid past him, running toward my bedroom.
“You bitch. Why don’t you ever listen? This is why the boss has to discipline you,” he shouted as he chased after me, his hard footsteps echoing on the polished wood in the hallway.
When I reached the doorway of Andraius’s bedroom, I heard the sounds.
Bodies slapping against one another, sex, moans, pleasure.
My hands shook. That bastard thought I wouldn’t lose my shit knowing he’d brought one of his women into my house to fuck.
Robert reached me and said with a smirk, “Are you satisfied now?”
“I will be when I punch him in the fucking face.”
I reached for the doorknob, but Robert grabbed my hand. Just as I readied to break his hold, I felt the presence of a group of men. Two of them I’d know anywhere.
“Lavinos. Let her go, or the Caves are your next stop.” Xander gave his threat in an utterly emotionless way, but his meaning was plain and clear.
Imminent death.
“I have orders to keep her downstairs, sir.”
Robert’s grip tightened into a hold that may have hurt someone who hadn’t dealt with worse. I could handle way more than he could ever dish out. He should know since he’d been privy to countless incidences when Andraius manhandled me.
I’d taken it from Andraius. I refused to take it from this asshole. I hadn’t spent the last few months training for nothing. I twisted my wrists, jerked his arm to the side, and shoved him with my hip, breaking his hold.
Breathing heavily, I glared at him. “You will never touch me again. You work for me, not the other way around.”
First, shock flashed on his face, then his eyes narrowed. “I work for the boss.”
Just as he lunged at me, Xander grabbed him by his hair, hauling him back with a hard jerk. He flailed in Xander’s hold but couldn’t free himself.
“No, you work for me. I assigned you to Andraius. And I gave you a direct order. Did you forget she is the Angelos everyone protects above all else? If you touch her again, you won’t leave the Caves.”
He’d barely finished his statement when two men separated from the group that had come up with Xander and Theo. They grabbed Robert and, without a word, dragged him away.
“Did he hurt you?” Theo took my hand, inspected my wrist, noticed the light red marks, and frowned.
“I’m not going to bruise. This is nothing compared to the evidence his bastard boss leaves behind. Those marks last for days or even weeks.”
“Jesus, Angel.” Theo closed his eyes for a second. “Don’t tell me shit like that.”
I shrugged. “It’s my reality, Theo. Do you understand why I want to escape?”
That’s when I realized what he’d called me, and a chill ran down my spine. He couldn’t use my nickname around others. I glanced at the soldiers standing behind me. I counted eighteen men, with a good handful being the originals.
That was a lot of manpower for this situation.
“Did you expect a war or something? Why would you bring so many people up here?”
“We were following through on your request.” Xander paused. “I was coming up to show them the layout of your security.”
I nodded then I turned around to face the door. “Before we do introductions, I need to handle something right now.”
Theo set a hand on my forearm. “You don’t have to go in there. You already know the situation.”
“Oh, I need to go in there. Andraius wants to embarrass me. I’ll let him. But remember, everyone who’s loyal to him because he lines their pockets is as much a piece of shit as he is.”
I opened the door, and if Theo hadn’t kept me from taking his gun, I would have shot Andraius right then and there.
“You’re fucking her in my mother’s wedding dress?”