I wish Keira was here. Someone to tell me it's all going to be alright. I mean, there was always the risk my brothers would find out, and if that happened, there'd be a part of me that wouldn't be shocked.
But what Dimitri told me, that was never in my deck of cards. Never in a million years would I have thought that. And Niko? Could he have been involved?
No. The thought alone makes my stomach turn. He couldn't. There's more to this, there has to be. He doesn't seem like… But neither do my brothers, and I know what they're capable of.
Dammit. What am I going to do? I don't know what to think. But one thing I know for sure, keeping Niko away from me is the best thing for him. I did the right thing.
Now I just need to get back to Chicago and figure out how to make my brothers not kill the man I love.
Even if I have to stand between him and my brothers, I will.
Because they will not take him from me.
Not while I'm breathing.
Not while his child is inside me.
22
CALLI
The seatbelt sign dings and I stand. The first-class cabin is pretty empty, only three others with me.
I'm a little disoriented as I walk off the plane. I guess a ten-hour flight where I didn't eat or sleep will do that to you. I did finally throw up though, so there's that.
I walk down the hall and come out into the main airport area. I'm not even past the arrivals gate when a man approaches.
"Welcome home, Miss Kastaris," he says. His voice jolts me from my sleep-deprived state. He takes my suitcase. "Please follow me," he continues and starts walking. I don't know his name, but I recognize him.
We don't talk on our way home. I stare down at my phone. I haven't turned it back on since they had me turn it off for takeoff.
I'm scared.
I'm scared that there will be texts from Niko, angry, hurt ones, or worse, there won't be any at all. Either way, I can't deal with it right now.
When we pull through the main Kastaris compound gate, I expect him to veer left, to my home on the property, but he doesn't. He passes the turn and continues straight.
"Are you taking me to the main house?" I ask, my voice still rough from not speaking for so long.
"Dimitri's instructions. Sorry, ma'am. He was very specific."
A sour taste creeps into my mouth. My mind jumps straight to the worst. Do they know? Could Dimitri somehow have found out I'm pregnant while I was in the air? Maybe a doctor's office leak or... No. That's ridiculous. Nobody knows except Keira and Dr. Vina, and neither would betray me.
Still, my pulse pounds against my throat as I step out of the car in front of the main house. This wasn't how I thought it would go. I thought I'd go to my place, gather my thoughts, not walk right into it.
I take a shaky breath and start walking up the stairs.
The front door opens before I reach it. One of our security team nods and takes my bag from the driver who somehow appears behind me.
Inside, the foyer is quiet, too quiet for a house this size. I continue walking and pause, scanning the room.
And that's when I see her.
A woman I've never seen before is sitting on the sofa, her long legs crossed, her face framed by dark waves of hair. There's a shadow of a bruise on her cheekbone, and she looks like she's been through something rough.
She's not family, and she's not staff.
"Calli."
