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She faced off with me, her steely gaze daring me to stop her.
I reminded myself of my vow to trust her more and stepped aside, providing the three of them access to the door I was standing in front of.
“He’s drugged, but the effects are wearing off quickly. He’s restrained. He should pose no threat to any of you, but my men and the three of us will be close by, just in case.”
“As long as nobody gets in our way,” Cali said, her hand already on the doorknob.
The sisters walked into the room, and we followed, closely trailed by our men, who quickly surrounded Ozias. The women stood staring for a moment, taking in the sight of him. He lay on the surgical table, his arms and legs completely restrained by thick leather straps, his head entirely covered with a black hood.
“It’s really him,” Cali whispered, as if she couldn’t believe the day for her vengeance had arrived.
She deserved every second of this moment.
“It is,” I confirmed.
He inhaled heavy breaths, still drugged and docile.
We all drew closer, surrounding the table as we stared down at him. I watched Cali, looking for any signs of distress. I was ready to have her ushered from the room in an instant if I saw any indication that this was harming her.
She momentarily looked at my gun holstered at my hip, and I feared she might reach for it, intent on shooting the bastard.
But she didn’t. She took a deep breath, gazing back at him.
Avra reached forward and lifted the hood from Xenos’s head. He woke slowly, and once his lids opened, he registered the group of us surrounding him.
Instantly, he began struggling against his restraints, quickly learning that it was no use. He slumped back on the table, his eyes wild. Avra pulled the gag from his mouth, and a string of slurs fell from his mouth.
“You fucking bitches! I demand you let me go this instant!”
The women peered down at him, and he began to fight his restraints again.
“Who do you think you are? This is a fucking crime! I’m Ozias Xenos!”
“And we’re the Vitalis sisters, if you need reminding,” Laya said, her words steely and strong.
“This is against protocol! I’m a syndicate head! Do you know what will happen to you? What will the other families do to you once they learn of this?”
Laya brought her face closer to his, shaking her head.
“Do you think we give a fuck, you disgusting bastard?” she seethed.
“You’ll be destroyed.” He glared up at them. I’d never seen an angrier man in my life. Xenos’s swollen face was red, and a huge vein on his temple throbbed with blood as sweat poured down his face. His mouth twisted into an ugly sneer, making him look like some monster from a movie.
He shifted his focus to Avra and the man behind her, then as recognition clicked, fury reddened his face.
“Traitor! I’m ashamed you carry my blood, Elias!” He threw his words like daggers through the air, the only weapon he had at his disposal. Unfortunately, none of us were fazed as each word landed with the weight of a feather, rendering him completely useless.
“Nobody is more ashamed of the blood in my veins than I am, I assure you,” Elias replied.
“You have disgraced the Xenos family! You are no Xenos,” Ozias cried.
“You’re right.” Elias smirked. “I’m a Vitalis now. I’ve even changed my name. I’m still tainted with your dirty blood, yes, but I want absolutely nothing to do with you or your fucked-up legacy, Ozias.”
“Let me go! Now!” he shouted, thrashing his body around the table in a frantic attempt to escape.
It was pointless, but it was entertaining to watch him struggle. It excited me to know he was suffering, realizing the first touches of fear were finally reaching his heart. Soon, theterrifying awareness of his impending death would completely envelop that black heart, and I felt a deep satisfaction at the thought of watching life slip away from this evil man.
“We’re never letting you go,” Calista whispered from beside me. He fell silent, his gaze landing on her.