⚠️ Warning!!! Contains spoilers from EMB. I've urged people to read it many times and if you still haven't, I can't help if you're confused with the characters. And also, TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️

It's my birthday!!! And consider this chapter a gift from me to you and an apology for making you guys wait so long. ❤️ It's a long chapter! 8.5k + words

I'm dedicating this chapter to the wonderful samanbear ❤️ who has been nothing short of amazing and because of a particular scene with the Azallion brothers you'll witness in this chapter, all for this beauty!!!

Another one for theestallion48 who has started a book! Mafia, yes! A sassy, sarcastic, and feisty female lead, YES! So go check her out and shower this beauty with love!

And I also wanted to give a shout-out to disdatwap for recommending our books on tiktok ❤️❤️❤️ follow her on tiktok @wattpadcommentss.

Another one to @sareyesj 😍🥺 thank you, my love ❤️ her tiktok is @wattpad.tvd.1864 and she also made these amazing covers!!! My eyes are very pleased 😍😍😍

Then @ctotuka who is @charv.reads on tiktok who did a review on the books 🥺 THANK YOU! ❤️

Last but not the least, @watttpadbooks on tiktok ❤️ the first vid I saw on that app where this beauty recommended us 🥺

If you're see more of us on tiktok, pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee let me know so I can watch them and give those queens shoutouts on here and Instagram! Also, you can just tag me in the comments on there. My tiktok username is @alleira_elleon. 👑👑👑 you guys have been so amazing and I can't thank you enough because our family has been growing and many have come from tiktok ❤️❤️❤️

I'm curious, how many of you came from tiktok?

It's past 3 am now so I haven't properly gone over it!

Vote, comment, and share this story with your friends. ENJOY! ❤️

And point out any errors.

——————————————————

          Athena-motherfucking-Estle.

          The bane of my existence.

          Yet the woman whose name was immersed in every breath I dared to take.

          What the fuck was I going to do with this recklessly impulsive wife of mine who destroyed the peace of my nights constantly, but left me falling deeper into an abyss of love with her? I didn't even know what the fuck to do with myself when she clouded my mind so effortlessly.

After I lay Athena's satiated body on the bed, I quickly put on my pants and buttoned up the few buttons left on my dress shirt. My dick was still as hard as a fucking rock. One round was never enough for us. After all these years, it hadn't changed. She was still the only woman I longed for.

          With gunfire roaring outside, we shouldn't have fucked at all. I hadn't planned on it, but it was fucking Athena. My self-control always weakened around her no matter how hard I tried. Then I had promised myself that I wouldn't let her cum at the very least, but she always got what she wanted in the end without fail. A manipulative little minx she was. My minx.

          However, a fire still raged violently inside me. Fucking her wasn't going to rectify what had already been done. But when I saw the panic in her eyes, the one I hadn't seen in almost five years, anger escaped my vision and I had to back away.

          It was my Athena. The woman I married, my wife, the love of my fucking life. No matter what the circumstances led us to, the panic in her enchanting eyes would always be my downfall. But she wanted it, so I gave it to her. Fucking was our escape at that moment, and fucked we did.

          I rummaged through the wardrobe in the room and grabbed a shirt and a pair of pajamas with the hotel's logo printed over them. The dress was useless since I tore it in the back. There was no way I was letting anyone see her ass, and I wouldn't have her prancing around in some other dead fucker's clothes.

          She remained still on the bed, staring at the ceiling, her chest heaving to bring in more air for her to catch her breath. She firmly clutched the skirt of her dress over her thighs, not letting it move out of place.

I plopped the clothes on the bed and pulled her up to her feet by her wrists. Her stance wavered, but she used my body to steady herself whilst resting her head against my shoulder and silently breathing me in. I wanted to squeeze her to my chest and kiss her until I grew tired, which was impossible, but anger still wreaked havoc in me.

I let her rest her head and rubbed her sides slowly. I couldn't help it. It was a reaction too instinctive.

"You made me feel alive," she mumbled suddenly against my shirt.

"What?"

          Raising her head, she caressed my jaw with her finger and allowed the softest of smiles to grace her beautiful face, one of my fucking weaknesses. Many were accustomed to her pretend smiles that could even stir the hearts of dead men, but to witness the pure and genuine peace in her smile was a sight worth dying a million times for.

          "You made me feel alive. You helped me find my heart that I believed I had long lost." Her features dimmed with a hint of sadness not many were privy to. "I kept telling Arie that I'd get her home to Leo and her kids, but I wasn't sure I'd live long enough to make it back to you myself."

          I opened my mouth to utter something when she pressed a finger to my lips to silence me. She smiled again, but it was rather solemn. With a hard swallow, she placed her palm flat over my heart where it beat only for her.

          "There's good in your heart, Eros, something I don't have much of."

          For the world, she was a bitch, undoubtedly, but there was plenty good in her heart that many didn't see, or she didn't allow anyone to see. She refused to acknowledge it herself. Only a few got to witness it, and I was one of those lucky bastards.

          "I knew you would've gone to Arie's aid and forced me to stay at the hospital. I couldn't let it happen. The thought of losing you petrified me to my very core. So, I left without a word," she explained then paused, unable to find the right words, but I waited to let her speak. Emotions were a struggle for her, especially expressing them, but she didn't let it deter her.

          "I'd rather lose myself than lose you."

          "And you think losing you would be better for me?" I questioned.

          Her distressed brows flooded her forehead with worry lines as she peered into my eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if you never came back from the battlefield."

          My hands grabbed her face, thumbs stroking the highs of her soft cheeks. I sighed against her lips and closed my eyes to savor her scent, the feel of her in my hands once again, and her tantalizing presence.

"They kept telling me my search was in vain and that I was chasing a ghost who slipped from my grasp. How was I supposed to tell them that every breath I took was painful without you?" I bared my teeth and let them scrape against her jaw. "God, Athena. I'm so fucking angry with you and I don't know what the fuck to do."

          "I know," she whispered.

          "I can't forgive you for abandoning us so easily."

          "But you will very soon." She smiles softly and wrapped her arms around my torso. "Because you love me."

          "Too much for my own good."

          "As I love you with all the heart I have left and the remaining remnants of my very soul."

          My body awoke with her words that were a rare utterance from her mouth.

          "Are you trying to manipulate me into forgiving you?"

          She shrugged. "Is it working?"

          Those words would never leave her mouth just for the sake of it, so I knew it wasn't a play on her end, and she also knew her tricks rarely worked on me now. However, she was always careful saying it as though someone might hear it and tear me away from her, for admitting that she loved someone in this fucked up world.

          "As I said earlier, you have a lot of making up to do."

I brought myself back to the task at hand and reached for the zipper of her dress in the back. She suddenly jerked upright and firmly pressed her palms against my chest.

With slow breaths, she schooled her strained features into a mask of calm and stoic once she built up her wall. And just like that, my sweet Athena became Athena Estle, an emotionless bitch who cared for nothing in the world. I knew her better than the façade she upheld yet she decided to hide behind it from me. From me! Why me?

She cowered from my gaze and glanced at the clothes on the bed. "You may wait outside for this bit. I'm certainly capable enough to change my own clothes," she retorted, motioning toward the door.

I clasped her wrists and pulled her to me before I could lose her to the destructive thoughts of her mind. Her eyes narrowed with a glower, determined to break free from the shackles of my hands, and that mere fact pained me. Everything was sunshine and rainbows a second ago, but it was a foolish thing to hope for when I knew a Bulgarian warlord held her captive and did things I couldn't even fathom.

          Her monsters were infiltrating her mind again. After all this fucking time they were coming back to spit on my fucking face and mock all that Athena and I had accomplished. Fuck! If previous incidents were any indication, it was only time before she'd start to shut me out, and it was something I couldn't bear.

I wasn't going to let those fuckers win when it came to my wife. I stood my ground and raised Athena's chin to press a soft kiss to her plump lips that I always loved kissing.

          "Do you trust me?" I asked in a whisper.

          Her body was still stiff, so I deepened the kiss by prying her mouth open with my tongue and sucking on those luscious lips of hers. Big and perfect. Slipping an arm around her waist, I pulled her fiercely against me and kept kissing her until she returned the gesture and fell in sync with me perfectly. Her arms wrapped around my neck as the tension started to fade from her body.

          "Do you trust me?" I asked once again when she nuzzled her face in my neck, the bricks from her walls tumbling just as quickly. If it were someone else, she'd have their head at her feet. She nodded after a hesitant second. "I need you to look at me and say it. Use your words."

          With a deep sigh, she pulled back and caressed my stubbly cheeks longingly. "I do."

          "Then remember that."

          Our eyes were intensely locked when I reached for the zipper in the back once again. She tensed momentarily but didn't push me away this time as I slid the zipper down and let the dress glide off her shoulders and pool at her feet. I didn't let my eyes deviate from hers for even a split second.

          Like a man blinded, I let my fingers see for my eyes as the tips swept along her sides over her soft skin and the smooth edges of her old scars that sang the ballads of her survival throughout her life. The story behind each one garnered her my respect and admiration. By kissing them I always tried to crush any foul memory related to each one.

          Athena tried to keep her breaths calm, but when my fingers grazed against a rough patch, she sucked in a strained breath and her eyes grew gloomy. My brows pinched together as I moved my finger along the stitches under her ribs.

          By now, I knew her body better than mine. Not only how it reacted to a touch here and there, but the exquisite look of it too, from the smallest scar or beauty mark to the big markings of knives embedded in her soft skin. She was my fiercest survivor of unspeakable horrors. I always took my time kissing them one by one and worshiping her like a goddess to drown all the dread linked to them. So, even the slightest deviation from what my fingers were used to added fire to the already brewing chaos in my mind.

          A pained expression distorted her beautiful features the more my fingers explored. More stitches around her waist and thigh grated along my fingertips. Other bumpy lines of what I could only imagine were the result of whips stretched along her torso. More were sprawled across her back. She winced slightly when I gently ran my finger down a particularly rough one.

          "Fuck," I cussed, feeling my insides singe with a sense of rage that I had trouble containing. A fraction of it was for Athena who fucking ran, but the majority was for the motherfuckers who let their unworthy eyes wander over her body or dared to touch even a hair on her head. "What did they do?"

          Athena finally broke our all-consuming gaze and stared off to the side over my shoulder. She swallowed her pain as she had always done and set her face in stone. Hard and unforgiving. The infamous mask once again.

          "Nothing that hasn't already been done before," she uttered calmly, as if it was just another mundane thing in the world.

          "Athena," I pressed out her name whilst palming her cheeks to bring her eyes back to mine again. "What did they fucking do?"

          Her chest sunk with a stressed exhale. She gripped one of my hands that rested on her cheek and squeezed tightly. There was an unexpected quiver in her chin that rattled my own heart. When a sheen layer of moisture appeared before her beautiful eyes, a bomb of fury exploded inside me.

          "Nothing that hasn't already been done before," she repeated in a soft and brittle tone that didn't sound like my Athena in the slightest.

          Tears swam before her bewitching hazel-green eyes, but she still didn't allow them to run down her face and weaken her. She never did. Even when she lost our child, she had admittedly withdrawn from me, but she didn't shed a single tear. She never would. But seeing them now...

Oh, how I would fucking gut the ones responsible and display their mangled bodies for their families to see. That's if the good in me left their families breathing. There was no telling for my fury knew no limits anymore.

"Tell me you didn't kill them all," I demanded, barely able to control myself from bursting out there and wringing out the necks of everyone in my path.

"Some, not all." She closed her eyes then opened them to reflect destruction in her irises as a sinister smile slowly stretched her lips. "I have the best thing. Their leader."

          There's my Athena. Not only the goddess of wisdom and warfare, but my goddess of death and destruction.

          I grinned like a maniac thrilled. "Shall we go pay that fucker a visit?"

          "Gladly."

***

          After I let Eros dress me in the hotel's shirt and pajama bottoms—keeping his eyes solely fixated on mine—he propped his suit jacket on my shoulders last. It was raging cold outside and I had nothing else on. Besides, he was still burning up with anger, so I doubted he needed much to stay warm.

With my SCAR in my hand and his handgun in his, we left the room and trudged down hallways, shooting the goons of the dirty bastards who gathered to solicit girls and passing many of Leo's men who infiltrated the building. Arie will be fine now, I thought to myself.

Once outside, Eros busted into one of the few old cars in the lot that could be hotwired. Many of what I assumed were Leo's vehicles were parked haphazardly around the area and the front of the building. We could take one of those, but they were all locked and couldn't be easily hotwired.

          While he messed with the system of our chosen car, I stood outside by his side and watched him work. Every nerve ending in my body seemed to be dancing with elation to be with him once again when a part of me thought I wouldn't, or couldn't after Dimo and his men enjoyed violating me one by one. They tried their best to break me, but those imbeciles didn't know who I was. Now they'd fear my name.

          I couldn't let them foul my life with Eros. After all this time and what we'd been through, it wasn't fair to him or our relationship. I wasn't going to ruin the absolute best thing in my horrendous life.

          I had missed my husband terribly. He was my healer, the solution to every problem I ever encountered. I feared how much I had come to depend on this man when I walked this monstrous world on my own for ages before him. I still had those loner, impulsive tendencies that landed me in this pathetic predicament in the first place.

          Leaning an arm against the roof of the small sedan, I let my fingers of the other scrape across the bulging veins of Eros' exposed forearm. Then I let them rake over his heavily inked chest exposed with the lack of buttons holding it together. My fingertips traced the bullet wound on his shoulder where my name was etched.

"Keep that up and I'll fuck the life out of you on the hood of this shitty car," he warned, sending a glare my way, but it only amused me more. "And I won't care who the fuck watches me do that."

"You do care, Mr. Azallion. You're a terribly jealous husband, the marking-your-territory kind," I stated pleasingly. "That does remind me of how Arie and I almost fucked. We made out. I sucked on her perky little nipples. I was about to finger her, but we got interrupted."

His fingers stopped their ministrations with the wires as he turned his head to look up at me properly.

"You did what?" he spoke slowly, his teeth clenching.

          I shrugged then straightened my back as if moving to leave. "Why don't you wait here and get this started while I go check her out. To make sure she's all right, of course."

          "The fuck you are!" He jumped out of the car and pinned me against it, trapping me between his arms. "You're not choosing her over me again."

          "Is that—"

"I don't care what the fuck you think this is," he growled like an animal, something so primitive that enticed me. "I bet you didn't let her on top because I'm the only one you allow to be in that position over you." Correct. "You like the way I fuck you. Deep, hard, and fast in every fucking position that these minivan driving, vanilla loving assholes can't even begin to imagine with their tiny brains."

"Is that so?" I cocked a brow, trying to not give away my arousal.

"I'm pretty sure Arie's little fingers won't ever satisfy you like mine do. She can never make you beg like I do on your knees for my cock." He pressed his massive erection into me and groaned. "I'm the only one who can have you cumming within seconds when I eat your pussy. Say some other shit and piss me off, then watch me fuck you out here. I dare you to tempt me."

"Mr. Aza—"

          Before I could say more, he ate my words up with his mouth like a starving beast. He pushed his body into me, but he was still careful with the pressure because of my wounds. This was one of the reasons he had my heart. He was always subconsciously wary and careful with me.

          When I moved my lips to return his desperate kiss, we were interrupted as usual with Eros being ripped from me and a punch striking his jaw a second later.

          "Are you seriously kissing some motherfucking hoe out here, you dumb fuck?" Roland, Eros' older brother, bellowed and shoved my husband back further. "We're here for Athena, not to get our dicks wet."

          "Hello, Land. It's been a long time," I greeted the man with a smile and drew the his agitated attention to me. "I'm truly flattered to know you won't ever indulge your brother in infidelity and will hurt him on my account."

          "Ms. Estle?" Roland queried before Eros returned the favor with a punch of his own and knocked his brother off his feet. "What the fuck!"

          "That's for punching me," Eros spat then helped his brother up.

          "I didn't hit you that hard," Roland retorted. "And I was just trying to make sure you weren't getting it on with some other bitch."

          "Yeah, I came all the way to Mykonos to get some other bitch's pussy."

          "You can't blame me. I wasn't expecting a blonde," Roland countered then gave me an apologetic nod and straightened his back like a soldier. He was still wary of me. "Were you guys running off?"

"Not necessarily. Why don't you come along?" I offered and looked at Eros who continued glaring at his older brother as he found his place beside me where I rubbed his impacted cheek. "You'll get to witness something very beautiful."

"Athena!"

Before I could register the voice, I was swept off my feet and twirled around by my waist, right where the stitches were. I bit my tongue to stop a wince from escaping until I was finally put on my feet once again. I turned around to find Rome with the brightest grin I had ever seen on his face. He came forth with puckered lips to kiss me on the cheeks, but Eros grabbed him by his collar and jerked him back.

"I'll rip off your fucking lips," Eros threatened and shoved his younger brother away.

          "Bitch boy, don't ruin my reunion with the love of my life." Rome pushed Eros aside and opened his arms in my direction. "I've missed you so fucking much, and god damn, you look so fucking hot as a blonde."

          Once Rome was within arm's reach, I twisted his nipple through his shirt, causing him to yelp.

          "Touch me again and I'll turn your nipples into a pair of earrings," I threatened. "I'm certain Vincent will be more than willing to assist me with that."

          "If it means you'll touch my nipples again. Nothing better than a little pain to rouse you." He started to flail his arms around himself. "Ay, ay, step back and make room for this schlong. Athena 'bouta give me a boner the size of Mt. Everest."

Eros scoffed. "I'll snap your dick like a twig and give it to your dog as a chew toy."

"Or have the dog play fetch with it," Roland added.

"You mad 'cause I got a bigger dick than both of you combined. I've fucked both of your old bitches. Suck on that, bitch boys!"

Roland and Eros exchanged a heated look before they tried to reach for Rome who dodged their advances and sprinted away with his older brothers on his tail. While Eros and Roland had a bit bulkier muscles, Rome was on the leaner side which made it easier for him to escape their punches, but he was just as tall as Eros. Roland was an inch or two shorter than them.

          I watched them unamused by their antics as Rome took them on a goose chase between the parked cars. Rome always enjoyed riling people up and watching them lose it, especially Eros. He always seemed to get a thrill out of it. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy watching grown men run around like kids.

          "Athena, save me!" Rome yelled as he circled back and hid behind me as his shield.

          "Children, please." I rolled my eyes and placed my palm flat on Eros' chest when he came to put his hands on the man behind me. "If you're done playing around, I suggest we leave and not waste my precious time."

          "I agree with Athena," Rome chimed in like a cheeky bastard to save himself. "We should get going."

"What about your dog?" Roland huffed, trying to catch his breath.

"Dogzilla will be fine. He always finds daddy." Rome laughed uncomfortably. "Unless he gets eaten. He won't get eaten, right? Right. Right!"

"Right," Roland humored the man. "I have the keys to a car down there. "Let's go."

Eros smacked Rome upside the head as we all started to follow Roland toward a vehicle. I always had a good grip on my expressions and emotions, but I couldn't stop the meek smile from straining my lips.

"What's so amusing?" Eros asked as he intertwined his hand with mine.

I simply shook my head and released a pleased sigh. "I just missed my boys very much."

Once Eros and I settled in the back seat and the other two took the front, Roland began driving in the direction of the abandoned church as per my instructions. A sense of peace overcame me despite the banter of the two in the front. Everything would soon go back to normal. To blood, gore, New York, my husband, and to our children. Our children...

The sensation of tranquility scurried away just as quickly as fear clawed its way in mercilessly.

As if Eros sensed my thoughts, he squeezed my hand then fished out his phone from his pocket before placing it on my lap. A picture was displayed on the screen with Yana who had the brightest smile on her face. She had her arms around three babies who were sound asleep in a bed.

I found Eros' pained eyes for confirmation, and with a slight shake of his head, he did just that. "One of the girls," he informed me in a hushed tone.

          One of the babies didn't make it. We knew there were going to be complications when four embryos began growing in Lola's uterus. She had volunteered to be our surrogate, and I trusted her after all this time. She had taken Janet's place within my company and life, rightfully so.

Multiple births were a risk with transferring multiple embryos, but we had only hoped for one to stick, and even that had my heart racing for the worst. When we were told about four lifeforms inside Lola, I could swear I almost had a heart attack. Kids were never a part of my plan after Fabian did what he did, definitely not after I realized the savages this world bred. I had become a savage myself, and a savage couldn't be a mother, right?

Perhaps that's why I had gone to Arie's aid so easily because I was distancing my monstrous and heartless self from souls too new, innocent, and pure.

Then why was there a pang of pain surging through my chest at the sight of only three tiny humans instead of four? Why was my heart squeezing behind my ribs? Why were my breaths so heavy?

Eros' sudden hand on mine jerked me into reality and helped harden my features once again. When I met his eyes, I sensed agony swimming behind his blue irises, same as earlier. I guessed the loss of one of our children caused him such distress. Although terrified, he was excited for the arrival of our quadruplets, whereas I was entirely petrified, so I understood the reasoning for his sadness. We were parents to newly born triplets now; two girls and a boy.

To think that three tiny humans who couldn't do anything for themselves frightened me more than the monsters I had encountered in my lifetime was almost laughable.

Eros had changed my life drastically and he was still the best decision I ever made.

I returned his phone and then squeezed his hand silently as a form of comfort while Roland and Rome continued bickering in the front seat.

"They look just like you, you know," he whispered with a grimace. "A bunch of fucking aliens."

I flashed an overly sweet smile. "Your humor does amuse me, Mr. Azallion, but I do wonder what you did regarding the safety measures."

"They're safe, I promise you that."

"And Lola?"

"We almost lost her during the birth, but she made it. She's secure with the babies now," he informed in a hushed tone.

I gathered his brothers were still unaware of their nieces and nephew, and I liked it that way. The less people knew of our offsprings, the better were the chances of their survival. The number of enemies I had was astronomical at this point. Eros had made many of his own over the years working for Leo. Only the few good ones spared children, and there wasn't much good in my world to begin with.

"And the company is in good hands."

"It better be or else I'll be serving you the head of the one you left in charge," I threatened.

"We'll see about that."

"Is there some Sunday service shit going on or what?" Roland asked when the church came into view from a distance. The headlights from three parked cars illuminated the area.

          "Maybe they're not Christian," Rome stated. "Do the Greeks still worship the Olympians? 'Cause we got an Athena walking among us mortals right here."

"Shut up and backtrack a little," I ordered.

Roland parked off to the side, away from any attention we could garner. If I wasn't wrong, Dimo Yardanov's goons had caught up, some of whom were patrolling outside. Of course, nothing ever happened easily. And the girl was still there. Bloody hell!

"Who are they?" Eros queried.

"Dimo Yardanov's men," I replied. "Do we have any more ammunition in this car?"

"I don't know," Roland answered. "I'd check the trunk."

We all hopped out the car and moved toward the back. Among machetes and Bowie knives, I watched a couple of bottles of vodka rolling around. I was tempted to indulge in it, but I deduced now wouldn't be the most favorable time to do so.

"Why don't we have guns in this day and age?" I asked. "Are we in the sixteen hundreds?"

"The other soldiers took the guns. I think this is what's left of the weapons," Roland answered.

My assault rifle and their guns with limited ammo wouldn't do the trick. We had to be smart about it.

          "I'll distract them while you three take them out from behind," I stated, handing my rifle to Eros. "I'm fairly certain they'd want me alive for my supposed crimes against their leader."

          "The fuck you will," Eros spat, shoving the AR at Roland and coming toward me. "I'm not letting you do this."

          "Must I remind you who I am?" I rubbed Eros' heaving chest. "I trust you three to ensure my safety. If you're entirely incapable of doing that, do tell me now."

          "We always got your back, Athena," Rome piped up.

          "Like it or not, you're an Azallion," Roland chimed in. "We're family and we take care of our own."

          "Damn right!" Rome chirped excitedly, then pushed Roland toward us so we all stood in a circle. "Azallions." Rome's blue eyes raked over every single one of us with a grin plastered on his face. "Assemble!"

          I cocked a brow while Eros and Roland groaned and grimaced.

          "Shut the fuck up, man," Eros huffed.

          Roland shook his head. "For fuck's sake."

          "Yo, don't ruin it. 'Azallions Assemble' is a good motto," Rome argued. "And the reference clearly goes over Athena's head. I think she's a DC girl. What a shame!"

          "I often wonder if you'll ever outgrow yourself." I concealed a Bowie knife under my sleeve and looked back at the youngest Azallion. "I suppose we'll allow time to dictate your fate, whether it's death or something else that forces you to become a man who takes responsibility in this lifetime. And to be very honest, I can picture you as a drunkard dead in a ditch naked with rats feasting on the very schlong you seem to be very proud of. Now that's what I call shameful."

          "Damn, bruh. You didn't have to do me like that. Shit," Rome whined.

          We moved on and executed my quick plan. While I distracted the men with my sudden presence, the Azallion boys snuck up from behind and slit the throats of three men. Guns would cause noise that's alert all the men, so blades were a safer play.

       I lunged for the man closest to me and tackled him to the dirt ground. I unsheathed the knife and plunged it into his chest. The man gasped in horror, still holding onto life but unable to remove the blade with his arms that were pinned under my knees.

I smiled down at the man and caressed his cheeks. "You have really pretty green eyes. It's a shame I must destroy them."

          My thumbs applied firm pressure over his corneas as he began wailing in agony. The more my fingers went in, the louder his cries got. I would've silenced him immediately, but my ears craved the sound of those agonizing howls. The color of blood blinded me when it came to the men who willingly breathed the same air as Dimo Yardanov. He was going to suffer for the torture he inflicted on me and many that must've come before me. He'd learn what pain really stood for, the mind-numbing constant that remained and the extremes I'd drag him through. His goons would suffer, too.

I hadn't realized the man stopped whining until a pair of boots came into my vision. I looked up at Eros and then back at the dead man underneath me whose sockets were a blood-filled mess. I traced my thumbs down the man's cheeks, creating a messy yet nice trail.

"A masterpiece, wouldn't you say, Mr. Azallion?"

"We should definitely hang him in our home then. Made by the one and only Athena Estle."

"Wonderful idea! Could you hand me your machete?" I asked whilst scanning my eyes over Roland and Rome who were busy tackling the final two men standing outside.

After Eros handed me his machete, I got off the dead man beneath me and brought it down around the his neck, almost slicing his entire head off. Being on the ground made it a little difficult to sever it completely. Eros noticed my mild disappointment, so he grabbed the hair and severed the head from the body with a forceful yank.

The blood splattered on me and rained down from the head by us, pieces of flesh hanging down, nerves and veins among them. It was a beautifully gnarly sight indeed.

          "I would've preferred a cleaner cut across, but I suppose the hanging bits add to the ambiance of it," I mused, taking the head from Eros and inspecting the bloody and drooping features of the man that once was. "A fine piece, I must say. Where do you suggest we put this on display, Mr. Azallion?"

          "How about we start a collection?" He smirked. "A room dedicated to the severed heads of the motherfuckers who cross us."

          I smiled, stepping up to my handsome husband to press my lips to his. There was blood on both of our faces from the men we slaughtered here and I could taste it on his mouth. That crimson liquid was too familiar on my tongue, so disgust never came.

"Talk about an extreme kink," Rome's repulsed voice pulled us apart. "You both are sick as fuck."

Roland, unlike his younger brother, decided to keep his thoughts to himself and only cleaned the blood off his machete.

          Before we could all chat some more, noise from inside the small church pulled our attention. The boys quickly nabbed the guns off the dead bodies while I held onto the machete and retrieved my Bowie knife from the dead man's chest. Eros and I stood on one side of the entrance while Roland and Rome stood on the other.

          With bated breaths, we listened to the careful footsteps that approached the entrance. When close enough, I swung my machete into the man's abdomen while Rome shot the man's head. I quickly retreated back when bullets from inside began zipping through the air.

          "That was my kill," Rome claimed.

          "How about you save your bullets?" I snapped over the sound of blazing gunfire. "And I was on him first."

          "Nah, you were kill-stealing!"

          "This isn't Call of Duty, so shut the fuck up," Eros yapped, glaring at his younger brother.

          "If it were Call of Duty, I'd beat Athena's ass in it!"

          "How about I beat your ass in real life?" I cocked a brow.

          Rome donned one of his charming smirks like Eros. "Oh, babygirl, I'm kidding, you know that."

          "I'll knock your teeth out if you call her that again," Eros warned.

          When the gunfire ceased, a hoarse voice bellowed over the sobs of Robyn. "Let us go and and we'll spare the girl."

          "Dimo, my sweet darling." My tone sweetened. "Do you really think I care about a random girl more than you?" I clicked my tongue. "I only want you, you know that."

          Eros growled his disapproval by my ear and squeezed my waist on the uninjured side like a possessive man.

          "Sweetheart, you're hurt. How far do you think you'll get? And you're possibly outnumbered." Because of Rome's childish argument, the men on the other side knew I wasn't alone.  "It's me and my partner against you and your single hooligan. You can't do much. The odds are stacked against you."

          "You're the one outnumbered." Dimo croaky laugh echoed out through the worn-out church door. "Two are no match for my eight."

          "You don't say."

I smirked victoriously due to the idiot who gave us the answer I required. I looked at Roland and tipped my head toward his leg then the door. Roland's eyes narrowed before he shook his head defiantly.

"Now," I mouthed.

He shook his head again, refusing to follow my orders of taking one for the team by sticking his leg out. It was the least he could do. But before he could decide, Rome took it upon himself and pushed Roland's left leg out. Bullets tore through the leg, the trajectory of each one giving us the location of the enemies.

"Don't kill the bald, fat one. And Robyn, duck!" I shouted.

The Azallion men peeked and started shooting at the goons inside the church until the sounds of bodies plummeting to the floor stopped.

"You really just sacrificed my fucking leg!" Roland punched Rome's chest which sent the man into a coughing fit.

"Be glad it wasn't your real leg." I rolled my eyes. I wondered if their father passed down the dramatics that they all seemed to share. "For this so-called sacrifice of yours, I'll get you fitted for a better prosthetic. Possibly the best this world can offer."

"I'm counting on it."

I walked inside with my machete to look at all the dead men. "Robyn?" I called out, hoping the girl didn't get caught in the crossfire. Relief swarmed me when she popped her brown-maned head from behind the altar. The lit candles brightened her horrified face, tears soaking her eyes and pale face. "Are you okay?"

She rose up shakily and nodded hesitantly. "I-I killed." She swallowed hard. "I killed two people like Arie taught me to. I-I—"

One of the injured bastards groaned by my feet.

"Look away," I ordered the girl who turned away immediately. I brought down the machete on the man's skull to end him once and for all. The crackling sound of the skull made the girl shiver. It made an even worse sound when I yanked the long blade out. "Now look at me and just walk, sweetheart."

Robyn turned back around and kept her petrified eyes fixated on me until she was close enough to hug me. Her embrace put a ridiculously painful pressure on my wounds and aching muscles, but I let her be. She was just a traumatized little girl who lost everything.

I looked around for the vile human whom I found in between broken pews. He looked at me and my men in horror, losing all the confidence he had a minute ago.

"I'm certain my dead mother would've done a better job protecting you than these useless eunuchs you wasted your money on, my dearest Dimo."

"That's him?"

Before I could even answer him, Eros lunged for the frail man and pulled him up, only to throw him onto another weak pew that shattered under the man's weight. Eros rained down punch after punch on the man's face without a shred of remorse, and the sight was rather delightful. Eros only stopped when the man's jaw dislocated. He then reached for a broken piece of wood that was perfect to be stabbed into human flesh.

"Don't!" I grabbed Eros' assailing arm. "What are you doing?"

He yanked my hold off, his face reddened with fury unlike anything before. "I'm going to shove it up his ass and give him a taste of what rape is."

"He may bleed out here." I tried to reason with the man who had murder on his mind. "Don't let rage blind you, Mr. Azallion. He can't be granted an easy death, so breathe for me and think about his prolonged torture."

Eros fumed like an infuriated animal longing to rip into its prey, but he pushed past the fog of ire before his eyes and took a deep breath.

          "I gotta give him something though."

          He turned the mewling man on his stomach and pressed a knee to his lower back to keep him down as he ripped open his shirt. He pulled out a small jet lighter from his pocket and began burning Dimo's flesh whose screams serenaded me. I was proudly sick to enjoy the sight of human torture, especially for those who deserved every shred of pain that infested them. This is what the world had made me into and it was what they feared now.

          Eros had seared the first letters of our names into his back. E and A. So glaring with dark outlines and sizzling flesh, the stench of which wafted up my nostrils.

          Eros pulled the crying man up to his feet once again and glared fiercely at him. Blood oozed out of Dimo's mouth and dripped down his broken jaw.

          "You're going to be sorry for even looking at my Athena. You'll be begging for mercy when I skin you alive for touching her. And I'm pretty sure she'll be feeding you your dirty little chode pretty soon."

          Eros dragged the man by his neck and kicked him out of the church. Suddenly, Dimo was swept up by unknown men while Eros was ambushed. I immediately ripped away from Robyn and grabbed a gun from a dead body. Roland and Rome rushed out and began firing until I caught up and saw the swarm of men around us. By the looks of it, we were terribly outnumbered, but that had never deterred me before. They were just smart to sneak up on us.

          I shot a few until the ammo ran out. The boys were busy shooting and using their fists to the best of their abilities. I unsheathed my Bowie knife and flung it at the one of the four bastards who were carrying Dimo's body toward a car. With one down, they all turned to me. They dropped their boss' body like a piece of meat and charged in my direction with a warrior cry.

          I met them halfway and ripped the machete through the first one's stomach whose guts spilled out. I sliced through the second man's torso in the same motion then finally beheaded the last man. Now, that was a clean cut.

          However, the show still wasn't over. It seemed as though the number of enemies kept increasing. While the Azallion men kept numerous busy, many approached me. I counted eight until two more joined the group. Where the hell had they all come from?

          I breathed heavily and got into a defensive stance. If I were to go down, I'd take them all with me. But they pulled out their guns. I couldn't dodge all the bullets in the open with the closest thing to take cover behind more than a few feet away. I wouldn't escape the gunfire on my way there, so I was cornered.

          "We'd like to have the samodiva alive, but if we must, we will kill you," one of the men declared.

          "I don't fancy dying either, but you must be aware of what I did in captivity." I smirked at the men and twirled the machete in my hand. "Is it another bloodbath you wish your organization to be shamed for?"

          "We will decide that later. For now, you must kneel."

          I chuckled. "No gods or men can force me into submission. I'll bring you all to your knees before you find me on mine."

          "Death it is—"

          A big pickup truck suddenly plowed through all ten of the men who wished to end me. Their bodies were mangled to the side while some flew into the air and brutally collapsed on the ground. The truck screeched to a stop and out jumped a woman I thought I'd never see again.

          "They're like flies on my windshield now," she announced as she sucked on her cigarette. Rome's dog hopped out the driver's seat and sprinted toward his owner who was quarreling with another man. "You're very welcome, by the way."

          She strutted in my direction, her dark hair flowing with the wind. The light from the cars reflected off her leather attire which spoke to who she was. Her eyes scanned me up and down slowly.

          "The last time you saw me, I was the blonde. I must say, you look impressive as one." She pointed at my unorthodox outfit and chuckled like an idiot. "Your stylists would have a heart attack looking at that outfit of yours. But the heels and fighting in them, top tier Athena behavior."

"What are you doing here?" I finally willed myself to speak.

"Remember what I said all those years ago. When you're close to kicking the bucket, I'll be right there to pull you up from the grave and save you. So, here I am." She finally stood in front of me. Although she was the same height as me, my heels gave me a few inches on her easily. "I can't have my only sister dying now."

She finally wrapped her arms around me and held me close. "I know you missed me, Athena."

"Don't flatter yourself, Addy."

Although I said that, I couldn't help but embrace her myself. It had been four years now, give or take, and she hadn't been a part of my life since. Eros and the others filled my void, so Addy had just become someone I used to know.

She pulled back and placed a big kiss to my bloody cheek. She wiped her lips with a grimace. "Gross but whatever. Now's the time you say thank you for saving your life."

"I had it covered."

"Yeah, right. You were a second away from being shot dead. And as usual, I saved your ass because I'm just that good."

          My brows raised at her lie. "How vain and incorrect."

          "It's in the genes."

          I finally looked at the others who were finishing up the last kills. Among them were two men standing whom I hadn't seen ever since either. Maxen and Jackson. Both looked better, especially Jackson.

          I looked at Eros whose gaze settled on Jackson, and I knew it was about to go downhill. Eros charged toward our old acquaintance and began using his fists to talk.

          "Did you have to bring them?" I asked Addy as we began heading toward the brawling men.

          "What? They go where I go like my personal bodyguards. And Max is family."

          "He isn't mine," I stated.

          "It's been years, Athena. Get over it. He's great." She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and handed me her cigarette. "Besides, you know how much I love drama. You honestly think I'd miss out on Eros fucking Jackson up. I just forgot my bag of popcorns."

          As we approached the men, Eros was on top of Jackson, punching him relentlessly while Jackson tried to block the attack and fight him off. I enjoyed watching Jackson get beaten up after everything, but I wasn't going to witness his death by my husband's hands.

          "Get him off," I ordered Roland and Roman who were enjoying the brawl themselves.

          Once they pried Eros off the poor man, I stepped in front of him to put a stop to his raging madness.

          I rubbed his chest over his rapidly beating heart and whispered, "He doesn't matter. Let him go."

          "Athena," Jackson said my name, but I didn't give him the satisfaction of acknowledgement.

          "You don't get to speak with her after everything. She's the only reason you still breathe," Eros snarled.

          "Well, I enjoyed that show!" Addy exclaimed and pulled everyone's attention to her. "I don't remember you ever being angry, Eros."

          Eros let some of his anger go and scoffed. "Being married to Athena changes that." He spat out blood from his mouth. "I wasn't sure you'd actually come when I sent word."

          "How couldn't I come save all your asses?" She chuckled and embraced my husband, leaving him with a peck on his cheek. "I missed your pretty face. Too bad you chose my sister."

          "She made me choose her at gunpoint," he joked.

          "I knew it! This bitch!"

          They laughed at my expense until Addy looked at Rome who watched my sister stoically. I had almost forgotten about them. Now I was the one who needed popcorn for their drama.

"I found your dog licking blood off a severed arm. You should get him checked out." Out of all the things Addy could've said, she chose to say that. "He still doesn't have a definite name, does he?"

Rome continued to blankly stare at her. I knew a lot was cooking up in his head, but the ring of Eros' phone sullied my plans to listen to the two begin their banter.

He answered the call then hung up just as quickly. With a hand on the small of my back, Eros ushered me away from our siblings toward one of the cars.

       "Leo has Arie," Eros informed. "We're leaving now."

          "Dimo is lying over there. Get him and Robyn, then we can go home."

"Actually, we can't go home yet."

I halted his footsteps when I stopped in my tracks. "Why?"

"Let's get out of here and then I'll tell you."

"Eros," I breathed his name slowly, the gnawing in my chest growing with his silence. "I thought it was the loss of one of the babies that bothered you so much, but that isn't the case, is it? It's something else."

Eros shook his head reluctantly, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Then tell me what happened."

"You shouldn't have left."

I cupped his face, urging his eyes to look into mine and bare his soul naked and true to me. The solemnity in them sparked a fear I wasn't ready for. There was unhinged pain clawing at him and he was teetering on the edge of grief, and somehow I knew.

"Who?" I swallowed hard, feeling the rapid beats on my heart spread out through my body like wildfire. "Who's dead?"

———————————————————

Yay or nay?

What was your fav bit from this chapter?

Now you know about the children! Who expected Athena to be mother to triplets? What do you think the names will be?

Do you think the loss of one of her babies will weight on Athena?

What kind of a mother do you think she'll be?

Did you guys enjoy the bits between the Azallion brothers? I forgot how much I missed writing their banter that's why EMB was such a fun book to write with laughter and so much fun overall! 😫 I think I need another EMB

And Addy is back BABY!!!!! It's her first appearance in Arieo books! Did you guys miss her?

Who do you think died?

Arieo is up next!!! Are y'all excited or what?!

Thoughts on Leo?

Or Arie?

Luca?

Further comments and questions are always welcome ❤️

HIT ME WITH THE THEORIES!

Come join the fun and the family on Instagram @alleira_elleon.

Be kind to one another and yourself.

Stay safe and much love to everyone ❤️
~Reet