Page 57 of Sin and Deception

"I broke our family," I whispered, tears pricking at my eyes. "And now you want me to lead the organization?"

"Who said we have a broken family?" he asked. "In fact, it has only grown stronger."

"I kept you from our boys," I choked out. "How can any of you trust me again?"

Theo moved beside us, gently placing my feet on his lap. "Angel, how many times have you said everything was for ourprotection since we walked through your apartment door? You put your life on the line for us. That's what a leader does."

The weight of the situation pressed down on me, but I couldn't push it away.

"Can we please table this for now? We have bigger concerns at the moment. I promise we can address it once we've secured our boys, mama, and the girls."

Xander wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly against him, and I closed my eyes, hoping to find some relief from the chaos surrounding us.

Unfortunately, Theo wasn't as willing to let it go.

"There is no avoiding it," he declared, his tone firm. "You are the Angelos. It's only a matter of time before you reclaim your rightful place."

Before I could respond, Xander stepped in. "For God's sake, she asked us to stop. Can we drop it?"

My encrypted cellphone buzzed, interrupting the tense conversation. A cold shiver ran down my spine. Only one person used that device, Devani.

Which meant she’d activated a Solon operation.

"What's wrong?" Xander asked, sensing my unease.

"I don't know yet," I replied, quickly grabbing my bag and pulling out my phone to read the message.

"Oh, shit," I muttered, looking up at them with wide eyes.

Immediately, Theo got to his feet. "What does it say?"

"Solon… They’re waiting for us," I whispered, pointing out the window toward the hangar below.

"Damn it," Xander cursed under his breath. "That can't be good."

"Did they say anything else?" Theo prodded.

"No, just that," I said, showing him the message on my phone.

Dread settled heavily in my stomach as I raced through all the possible scenarios. Fear clutched at my heart as I considered the worst-case scenarios.

I met Xander and Theo's worried gazes. "Something's not right here. What if it involves the boys?"

"First, let's not jump to conclusions," Theo reasoned.

Xander got up and began to pace back and forth in the small cabin.

I also stood up, but my legs felt like jelly. Slowly, I sank back into my seat, gripping the armrests tightly as my heart pounded with anxiety.

"Don't do that thing," Xander scolded, shaking his head.

"What thing?" I asked, furrowing my brow in confusion.

"The thing where you immediately think the most horrendous thing possible happened and panic."

"I'm not panicking," I protested, even though I knew my voice gave away the terror I felt inside.

He raised an eyebrow and pulled out his mobile.

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