Truths and Lies Duet

“My beautiful girls,” I say before leaving them to play. I click my tongue and nod into the house, motioning for Phoenix to follow me. “Watch them,” I bark out to Fowler.

“Always, sir,” Fowler says back.

As soon as we’re in my office with Adrian, I close the door and pull out the ouzo. I’m not the lush I once was, but now that I have my family back, I can relax with a drink from time to time. I make the three of us a drink and then settle in my office chair. Phoenix is guarded but stoic. I study him for a long while and decide that both he and Talia have Melody’s strength. I tapped into her strength when Talia was missing, so I know this firsthand. With Niles gone, it’s easier to note the similarities between the siblings. He’s lucky. The fucker is growing on me. Talia sure as hell did.

“Your duties in Thessaloniki are over.” I sip my ouzo and watch for his reaction.

His jaw ticks, but he doesn’t show anger. “Is that so?”

“It is.” I reach into my drawer and pull out a set of keys. “The Land Rover in the garage is yours. Trade it in for what you want.”

He lifts a brow. “Okay. You going to elaborate?”

“Your father is dead. Your sister is here. What more do you want?”

“Not bullshit answers,” he grumbles, frowning just like my fucking wife.

I let out a heavy sigh. “My brother betrayed me. You’d die for your sister. I need someone like that on my team. Someone who would give up anything to protect my wife. Is that someone you?”

“You want a Nikolaides to come work for a Demetriou?” He scoffs, shaking his head. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

Adrian snorts out a laugh. We never saw this coming either. But here we are.

“Technically, you already did work for us in case you’ve forgotten,” I grit out. “Again, are you willing to trade your glorious life back in Thessaloniki for one on Crete Island? You’ll be paid handsomely.”

“Like I’ve ever given a fuck about the money,” he bites out. “All I care about is my family.”

“Then that will be your reward, Phoenix. You’ll have unlimited access to both my wife and my daughter. I’ll bring you into the fold—erase your fucking Nikolaides past, and give you a Demetriou future. But once you’re in, there’s no getting out.”

He leans back in his chair and gulps down his ouzo before setting the glass down hard. “What do you want me to do? Guard my sister?”

As much as I would love that added layer of protection, I need Phoenix for more.

“You’ve handled the taxes quite nicely. You have a flair for numbers, correct?”

He nods. “Dad sure as hell didn’t. I learned at an early age how to run numbers to help his ass out.”

“Good. I’ve just lost my numbers man.” My chair creaks when I lean forward, placing my elbows on my desk and steepling my fingers. “The moment you’re given the key to the castle, there is no turning back. If I even sniff one ounce of you turning coat, I will fucking destroy you, Phoenix. I will make Talia cut into you and remove each organ for me. Are we clear?”

Adrian laughs again, earning a scowl from Phoenix.

“You’re such a fucking psychopath,” he grumbles. “And, no, I’d never do that shit to my sister. You have my word.”

“Wonderful. Now run along and go trade that expensive ass car in for another stupid Jeep. We have to go over a mountain of shit. The sooner you get back, the sooner we can get to it.” I wave him off with a flick of my hand.

Phoenix rises and gives Adrian an incredulous look. “Does he talk to you like that?”

“He grows on you,” Adrian says with a snort.

“Right,” Phoenix grumbles. He stops mid stride and turns to glower at me, making me tense. “And Jeeps aren’t stupid. They’re practical.”

Adrian laughs. “Go on, boy, before you get bitch slapped.”

“You assholes can fucking try,” Phoenix says with a smirk that reminds me of Talia. Ornery fucker.

As soon as he’s gone, I pull up my laptop and dive back into business, both legit and nefarious. A villain’s work is never done.

I wake up in the dead of the night to my phone ringing off the hook.

“What?” I snarl into the line.

“Your father’s place,” Adrian barks out. “I’m on my way. Meet me there.”

He hangs up on me. What the fuck? I slide out of bed and start throwing on clothes.

“Where are you going?” Talia asks, her voice raspy from sleep.

I lean over the bed and kiss her mouth. “Business. Phoenix and the men will be here. Your gun is in your bedside table. Use it if you need to.”

As I start to pull away, she grabs my wrist. “I love you.”