Page 123 of Desperate Actions

Uncle Adrik speaks, his voice low and steady, but it’s enough to cut through the fire.

Both men step back a fraction, tension still thick in the air.

Nico Jr. looks pained, but his loyalty is clear.

“Uncle,” he says carefully, his voice tight, “I swear to you, Sammy wouldn’t do this.”

Angel doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t argue.

I lock my gaze on to his and hold it. “Mr. Fury, with all due respect, I swear to you I have nothing to do with those men. But I will reach out to my contacts in special ops.”

His jaw flexes. I can tell he’s still seething, but he finally exhales sharply and nods.

“Do that. Fast.”

Then, without another word, he turns and storms out.

“We’ll talk to him, Sammy. Don’t worry,” my father says, nodding once as he follows Angel out, my uncles close behind him.

The room stays silent for a beat before Balor lets out a low whistle.

“Well,” he mutters. “That could have gone worse.”

I roll my shoulders back, my muscles still tight.

“Oh, yeah?” I say dryly, already reaching for my phone.

“Yeah. He could have brought Buffy and tossed her in your lap,” Balor jokes, mentioning the black mamba I know for a fact Angel keeps as a pet.

“Well, give him a few hours, he might be back.” Connor snorts.

“Well, if you two fucks are done giving me shit. I have some calls to make.”

“Alright, we’ll leave you to it,” Connor says and stands. “We will check back with you in a few hours.”

I nod. I know they will.

Because this?

This is far from over.

Chapter 28-Aella

“Mrs. Ramirez?” Mrs. Marsden’s voice comes through the speaker, crisp and clear.

“Yes?”

“I’m going to lunch, do you need anything before I go?”

“No, thank you, Mrs. Marsden. I’ll be going myself in a few minutes. Enjoy!”

“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll see you shortly.”

“Ma’am?” I mouth to myself and shrug.

I suppose it’s respectful, but I only recently turned twenty-four, not forty, and it feels a little weird.

Honestly though, Mrs. Marsden is the sweetest woman. She is mid-fifties, very pleasant and is amazingly efficient at her work.

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