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Eighteen

L EON

The time had finally come.

As the boat docked under the cloak of night, I felt the cool breeze on my skin and caught a glimpse of the island of Crete glistening beneath the glowing moon.

My heart raced as I stepped onto solid ground and grasped the hands of my cousins, their grips firm and familiar.

They had been waiting at the shipping port, and my men and the Boscos soldiers positioned in the area formed a dozen strong, focused men, ready to embark on our daunting mission: to abduct Ozias Xenos.

The success of our operation hinged on the element of surprise. Only the men directly involved had been filled in on the plan. Each of us had vowed silence to protect our cause.

Elias remained unaware, a conscious decision I made for the sake of our mission. I couldn’t risk him inadvertently revealing our intentions to one of his men, someone who might still hold allegiance to his father.

Not even Cali had been informed--at least, not yet.

If everything played out as I envisioned, soon Ozias Xenos would rest at my bride’s feet. It was my deepest desire to offer her the closure she deserved.

Her sister’s vengeance had taken care of some of her tormentors, but Ozias was the architect behind it all, the one who had orchestrated their cruel actions.

The others were mere pawns, following his orders.

Without his influence, the burden of trauma and stress that Cali bore would never have existed.

It was time for him to face the consequences of his actions.

I had always thought of Elias as a smart man, yet I couldn’t help but think that his father was not as astute. Who in their right mind would believe they could harm one of Juno Vitalis’s daughters so gravely and escape unscathed?

If I were him, I would have left the country.

But men like him were trapped in their arrogance, convinced they were always in the right, always untouchable. They believed no one would dare challenge them.

Tonight, however, Ozias Xenos would find out differently. I envisioned peeling away his power as if removing his very skin. When I was through with him, all that remained would be a trembling shell of a man, stripped of strength and dignity.

And then, I would finish him under the vengeful eye of my soon-to-be bride.

As our team transferred to a fleet of waiting SUVs, my thoughts turned to Cali for a quick moment. The wedding was coming up, and soon, we’d spend every night together. We were to be wed at Avra and Elias’s estate, looking out over the sea, just as her parents had been married.

My heart raced at the thought of it. The idea of holding my bride in my arms, Cali’s beautiful eyes turned up toward me as we were declared man and wife, was overwhelming.

Something had changed between us in the last few days.

She’d managed to pull me out of my head and into my body. She’d tapped into the raw sexuality that she’d been begging me to unleash on her.

It had been rough.

It had been tempestuous.

It had been fucking delicious.

Since we’d connected in such a primal way, it was impossible to keep my hands off her body. We’d made love every single night, well into the morning hours, our bodies tangled together, breathless and panting and insatiable.

I’d sunk my cock into her sweet pussy over and over, fucking her harder than I’d ever fucked anyone.

And she begged for more.

She wanted it harder. Longer. Fiercer.

No matter what I did, she wanted more.

It was a dangerous line we’d crossed, but the feeling of wanton, sensual freedom was addictive. It wasn’t just Cali who wanted more.

It was me too. The beast that I had tamed for so long had suddenly become feral, wild, and unstoppable. I needed her. The hunger I felt for her surprised me daily, growing and expanding until I was convinced it would never cease to increase.

I was starving for her body now, as if I’d locked my sexuality away and now that I’d finally let it blossom, my thirst for Cali was unquenchable.

I knew, of course, that I’d never purposefully hurt her. As we continued to increase the ferocity of our delicious fucking, I’d insisted she come up with a safe word and made her promise that she’d use it at the slightest discomfort.

It was the only way I could give her what she wanted, what we wanted, what we needed, and not worry.

After we’d set those boundaries in place, I’d found myself opening up in ways I never expected with her. We’d experimented with spanking and restraints and role-playing, and with each passing day, we grew closer and closer.

The bond of intimacy forming between us was profound.

Every day, I found myself caught between deep gratitude and awe-filled disbelief. I’d never expected to fall in love with Cali. I’d never expected to open my heart, body, and soul. Not to anyone, ever again.

The loss of my family had wrecked me, and I’d locked up my very soul to go on without them. Somehow, Cali held the key, and she hadn’t hesitated to use it. And I was so grateful that she had.

I tried to refocus my energy on the matter at hand, reluctantly pushing Calista to the back of my mind as best I could.

However, it proved to be impossible. Each thought that ran through my head was laced with her.

Her beauty consumed me, the sweet smell of her perfume, and the deep delight her moans elicited in me.

The mission loomed ahead of us, heavy with complications, each detail crucial for success. My focus, however, slipped through my fingers like sand. I turned to Iason, nodding, hoping for a tether to reality.

“You good?” I asked, trying to pull us both out of our thoughts.

“Fuck yeah,” he replied, his expression serious, lips compressed into a line. “We’re getting close.”

“Yeah, my contact promised it’d be easy to spot.”

Iason shrugged. “Not surprised. A fucking egomaniac like Xenos? He’s bound to make a spectacle of himself.”

I pointed down the block, barely containing my excitement. “Look, I bet that’s it.”

“I’m sure it is,” he said, a smirk breaking through. “It’s as ugly and gaudy as he is, isn’t it?”

“Fuck this guy,” I muttered, my annoyance bubbling up. “I can’t wait to get my hands on him.”

A surge of anticipation coursed through me, tightening my chest, though the danger lurking beneath the surface was undeniable. I clenched my fists, the thought of revenge igniting a fire in my gut.

As I approached Xenos’s mansion, it loomed ahead like an ominous giant, overshadowing the cramped street and daring us to move closer.

Its gaudy, golden gate shimmered in the moonlight, starkly contrasting with the modest homes surrounding it, each painted in traditional white limestone. Xenos’s house, however, stood bare.

Its raw stone exterior was a rebellious statement that made me wonder if he felt unique or, perhaps, superior to the townspeople he looked down upon.

Pathetic.

Whatever his motives, they only highlighted his presence. Even with his despicable acts, he paraded through life either oblivious or impossibly naive. But tonight, we were going to expose his naivety.

The mansion sprawled before us, a snake coiled tightly around its ground, full of hidden dangers. A significant distance lay between us and the inner sanctum where Ozias likely slept, oblivious to the layers of security that guarded him.

We parked our cars around the block and piled out, adrenaline coursing as we prepared ourselves.

The sounds of our footsteps echoed, punctuated by the clicks of guns being locked and the rustle of armor slipping into place.

Once settled, we gathered in a small circle, my heart pounding as I went over the plan.

I searched each man’s gaze, ensuring they were focused and ready, before signaling our move.

We paired off into teams of three, each crew ready to tackle a different entrance and exit of the house.

The air was thick with tension as I felt the weight of the moment settle over us.

Iason, Alex, and I stood at the front door, the chill of the night creeping in as I fumbled for the two-way radio in my pocket, my pulse racing with anticipation.

“Team one in place,” I whispered, the words almost lost in the silence that enveloped us.

“Team two, ready.”

“Team three, all set.”

“Team four—let’s fucking do this,” came the fierce reply, igniting a spark of determination in the pit of my stomach.

Iason shot me a hard look, but a cold smile broke on his face, a promise of what was to come. I returned it with a nod, swallowing my nerves.

“Count it down,” I murmured, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside.

“One…”

My throat tightened as adrenaline coursed through my veins.

“Two…”

Every fiber of my being buzzed in readiness.

Iason planted his boot against the doorframe, his body coiled tight like a spring.

“Three!”

In that heartbeat, four teams exploded into action.

Quiet as shadows, we moved to execute our plan. Iason knelt before the first door, his hands steady as he picked the lock.

When it clicked open, we were met with two men who weren’t expecting us, judging by the surprised expressions on their faces. But before they could react, Iason and Alex were already in motion.

They moved like whispers, the silencers on their pistols ensuring no sound escaped to alert others. Xenos’s men were dealt with in a heartbeat, their bodies crumpling silently to the ground. We had claimed our first victory, inching closer to our ultimate goal.

We advanced through the mansion, the stillness disrupted only by the footsteps muffled against the opulent marble.

The once pristine floor was now marred, soaking up the crimson stains of Xenos’s fallen soldiers.

Each step was a reminder of the chaos we left in our wake, fueling the fire within me as we neared the main living room.

As we reached the grand stairs nearby, I raised my finger, pointing toward the looming upper levels, preparing for whatever lay ahead.