Page 80 of Betraying Family Vows

"Dimitri. We have the number for S. We can call it right now. Confront whoever picks up."

I turn to her sharply. "No." The word comes out harder than I intended.

She blinks.

"No, Athena." I soften my tone. "My brothers and I have been hunting this motherfucker for months. This isn't just my fight. They deserve to hear this. To see it for themselves. We'll finish this together."

I stand, closing the laptop, unplugging the phone, and sliding everything into a padded case. "We take this back to them in Kalamata."

"Wait, but what about me?"

I turn to look at her. This woman who once tried to destroy me is now the only person I'd want to come with me.

"You're coming with me."

I don't tell her the rest. That Kalamata means Ares and Theo. And that means rules, judgment, consequences. That bringing her into our inner circle is breaking every code I've lived by.

Athena nods slowly. "Okay," she says. "Kalamata it is."

I walk toward the door. "We leave in thirty."

She stands, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Do you think they'll be okay with me? To let me help?"

"You uncovered what we couldn't," I say simply. "They'll listen."

And what I really mean is that I'll make them listen. That somehow, in the midst of blood, bullets, and betrayal, Athena has become something I won't compromise on.

She walks toward me, and I stop her, placing my hand on her shoulder.

"You should know," I say firmly, "once we're there, it's not just about finding out who S is. It's about what happens after."

"I know." Her gaze doesn't waver. "I've already got blood on my hands, Dimitri. What's a little more?"

I lean down and kiss her.

"When whatever comes next is over, I'm taking you someplace far away and we'll never leave the bedroom for a week."

She smiles and kisses me. "Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go."

We turn and walk in silence down the hall together.

I check my watch. 9:04 a.m.

A few hours from now, we'd be standing in front of my brothers, laying out everything we'd found.

Theo would understand, eventually. Ares, less so. And I wasn't sure what I'd do if he put a hand on her.

In a few hours, I'd know if all this had been worth it. If any of us would survive it. Who I'd have to kill to get us through alive.

One thing I did know for sure, the note that was left on my father's body, the one that's kept all of my brothers and me up at night:the sons will follow the father.

I'm going to make fucking sure that doesn't happen.

26

ATHENA

Dimitri hasn't said a word since we pulled away from the house.