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When he got to his home, he threw up right away.
The sound of retching coming from the office’s private bathroom had Yuri, Kellion, and Andreus exchanging grim looks. When Helios emerged, freshly showered but white-faced with strain, Yuri said flatly, “You cannot continue this for much longer, President.”
Helios threw himself on the couch. Even after the longest fucking shower, he still felt dirty, his skin crawling at the mere memory of having another woman touch what should have only belonged to his MJ. “Unless one of you can come up with someone who can pass as my twin, this is the only thing I can do for her.”
No one spoke then, Helios’ words being the inarguable truth. All four of them had studied Manolito Chavez’s every move ever since he had risen to prominence as one of the world’s most successful human traffickers. He was a man who was careful to a fault, leaving nothing to chance. The only way Chavez would make a mistake was if he believed that Helios no longer cared about MJ.
Helios glanced at Kellion. “The photographer got some good shots?”
Kellion’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “The best.”
Helios nodded. “Make sure it shows up on the front page of as many tabloids as possible.” He glanced at Yuri. “Any news about James?”
“I’m on the last of the journals Ioniko Vlahos’ father wrote. It appears he and James Cartwright were once good friends, Vlahos being one of James’ regular sponsors. He speaks of the many clubs they used to haunt all around the world when James used to race. It’s possible James may drop by one of them. People like him usually do. They want to remember their glory days and are bitter when no one actually remembers it but them.”
“Can you really keep doing this?” Andreus demanded, no longer able to contain himself. Helios was so damn close to his breaking point. He was fucking sorry that MJ had been taken away, but he did not hold much hope that she was still alive. Manolito Chavez was a monster, and it had been two months since he had taken Helios’ woman. Unfortunately, it had also been said that no woman lasted more than a few weeks in the trafficker’s care.
“I’ll do what I have to do,” Helios said in a hard voice, “and for as fucking long as it takes until I get her back.”
“But what if she’s—”
“Don’t say it,” Helios snarled. “Don’t you fucking say it. MJ is alive.”
In his mind, MJ was looking at him and smiling, and he tried not to think about how she appeared more and more luminous with each passing day, more ghost than human.
Afxisi.
Rise.
Rise against everything that went against them.
His jaw clenched. “She’s alive, all right? I can feel it here.” He thumped his chest. “This one will keep beating as long as she’s alive. So trust me. She’s waiting for me.”
“Say she’s alive then.” Andreus ignored the warning look that the others shot at him. Maybe they were content to let their brother do something foolhardy, respecting his decision as President, but he had always liked to live his life dangerously. Even if Helios ended up kicking him out of Afxisi, no fucking way was he just going to stand by and let one of the few men he cared about risk his life so recklessly.
“Can you fucking say you’re taking every precaution to stay alive and actuallybethere to rescue MJ when the opportunity comes?”
Helios didn’t say anything.
“You’re risking too much. You’re using your heart, not your head, and that’s not what you fucking taught us to do to survive. You’re playing a dangerous game with that bitch Gracie. If she finds out you’ve been leading her on all along, she’s going to make you pay – and MJ, too.”
“What the hell do you want me to do then?” Helios shouted. “Just sit here and do nothing—”
“Fuck no,” Andreus shouted back, also shooting to his feet. “I’m saying let us goddamn help you. You can’t fucking expect us to bear seeing you kill yourself like this and do nothing.”
Helios tiredly ran a hand over his face, feeling like every second without MJ by his side was sucking the life out of him. “I can’t have any of you more involved than you already are. This is my fight—”
“This isAfxisi’sfight. And like it or not, we are as much a part of it as you are.” Andreus looked at Kellion and Yuri.
“We would lay down our lives for you without being asked,” Kellion said.
“Like fuck I’ll ask that.”
“Let us at least help with the costs,” Yuri said quietly. “You’re down to – what? Two, three hundred mil? That’s not going to last you forever, Helios, not with the rate you’re buying just about every politician in the world searching for MJ. We’ve got more money than we have a need for. Let us use our resources, too.”
Helios wanted to argue, but he could see on his friends’ faces it wouldn’t do him any good. “Do whatever you want then.”
A smile cracked Kellion’s face. “Gracious as ever, President. You’re welcome, too, by the way.” The light-hearted taunt served to somewhat ease the tension in the atmosphere. and they all relaxed.
