Page 25 of Sin and Deception

Taking a deep breath, I approached the door. A tingling sensation spread up my neck, causing me to pause. Then, I noticed that the air in the hallway was unusually still and silent.

My pulse quickened as my fingers hesitated on the lock. A cold chill ran down my spine, my throat went dry, and fear gripped me.

There was no point in looking through the peephole.

They had found me.

But instead of staying safe inside and using logic to protect myself, I turned the latch and swung open the door, freezing in my tracks.

They were here.

Xander stood in the doorway like a tempest, his imposing figure dominating the small space.

His dark eyes pierced through mine with an intensitythat sent shivers down my spine. He wore a sharp, predatory smile, making my heart race and my knees weaken.

Behind him, Theo stood like a menacing shadow, his steel-gray eyes penetrating me with chilling precision. The tension radiating from him struck me like a wave, suffocating and electrifying.

“Hello, Angel,” Xander growled, his voice deep and seething with malice. He lifted a bag with the food I’d ordered. “We brought you dinner.”

My throat tightened as unwelcome and overwhelming memories flooded back. The sound of their voices, the touch of their hands, the way they had consumed me, body and soul. The name Angel, carved into my heart by their lips, now cut through me like a sharp blade.

“You shouldn't be here,” I managed to say, though my words trembled as much as my knees.

Xander's smile widened, his dark eyes glinting with something unsettling. “Funny. I was just about to say the same thing.”

Before I could react, he pushed past me with enough force to make me stumble. Heat rolled off him in powerful waves, searing through the thin fabric of my robe and sending an unwelcome jolt straight through me. I turned, stunned, as he strode into my apartment as if he owned the place, his sharp gaze scanning every corner.

Theo walked behind him, quieter yet just as intimidating. He closed the door with a purposeful click and locked it, sending a shiver down my spine.

I was trapped. Completely trapped.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded, attempting to summon some semblance of strength in my voice. Yet, it came out thin and breathless, and I loathed myself for it.

“What do you think?” Xander snapped as he turned to face me.

Fury blazed in his eyes like a wildfire. Still, I could sense something else lurking beneath it—something darker and more unsettling. It twisted my stomach and quickened my pulse.

He dropped the takeout bag to the ground and gestured around the room, his lip curling in disgust. “This? This is where you’ve been? Living it up while we’ve been tearing the world apart for you?”

“I’m not living it up,” I shot back, though my voice lacked the intensity I desired. “And I didn’t ask you to?—”

“No.” Theo's voice sliced through the air like a sharp blade, cold and unyielding. “You didn’t ask us. You just vanished. You made us think—” He paused, his jaw tightening as he stepped closer to me. “You made us think you were dead.”

“I had no choice,” I whispered, instinctively retreating. But there was no escaping them.

Xander moved in on one side of me. At the same time, Theo positioned himself on the other, trapping me between their imposing figures.

“No choice?” Xander snarled, his voice dripping with venom. “Bullshit.”

Before I could respond, his hand shot out and gripped my jaw tightly enough to make me gasp. His callousedfingers pressed into my skin, holding me firm as his dark eyes penetrated mine.

“You think you can just vanish? Leave us to suffer while you play house?” His voice was low and menacing. He tightened his grip, and a sharp jolt of pain caused my breath to hitch. “Do you have any idea what we’ve been through? What I’ve done for you?”

I attempted to pull away, but his hold was intense. His thumb grazed the edge of my bottom lip, sending a rush of heat through my body. I loathed how my body betrayed me, responding to a touch I should have feared.

“I—” The words caught in my throat as Theo's hands came to rest heavily on my shoulders from behind.

His breath was warm against my ear, his voice low and threatening. “You don’t get to run, Nerine. Not from us.”

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