Theirs to Corrupt (Titans Captivated #5)

Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Tessa

Congrats on your wedding, little sis.

As I’m holding the device, another message arrives.

Now they’re going to kill me.

The phone slips from my nerveless fingers and clatters to the floor with a final thunk.

I knew he was in deep. But he thinks he’ll be murdered?

Link turns me to face him while Pax snatches up the device and looks at it.

Without a word, he hands it to Link, who releases one of my shoulders to accept.

A tiny pulse throbs in his temple as he scans the words.

I look from one to the other. “What does this mean?”

“Little dove?—”

“I asked for an explanation.” How my voice is so calm I have no idea because my stomach has turned inside out.

I don’t love my brother. In fact, I hate him for what he tried to do to me, but I don’t wish him dead. “This isn’t for real, right?”

The two men exchange glances.

“Right?” I demand again.

“We need to talk.”

I shrug off Link’s touch and wrap my hands around my middle. “Answer me.”

“There are things you need to understand.”

“Let’s sit down,” Pax says.

Since I’m shaking from confusion and hardly able to think straight, I reluctantly nod.

To fight off my sudden chill, I pick up the robe I’d been wearing earlier and knot the belt tightly around my waist.

Thankfully Link takes the opportunity to return to the bedroom to pull on some clothes.

My hand wavers as I reach for my drink. Then I stop. The chocolate liqueur with its milk seems suddenly unappealing. “I need something stronger,” I murmur, setting the glass down untouched.

“Whiskey?” Link offers.

That sounds worse. “Wine.”

Link nods, continuing across the room to pour me a glass.

Pax shifts on the couch, patting the space between them invitingly. But I shake my head. Instead I grab hold of one of the armchairs and drag it a few feet away. The physical distance mirrors my internal emotions.

Ever since the day I met them, they’ve kept things from me. Maybe that’s because they’re wanting to protect me. More likely, they trust no one.

But I won’t settle for that any longer.

Link returns, offering me a generous pour of red wine. Without a thank you, I accept it.

To steady myself, I take a long sip before cradling the glass in both hands. Once Link takes his seat, I look at them, frowning from my hurt and confusion. “Tell me everything. I’ve had enough of your half-truths.”

My harsh tone makes Link cringe and Pax wince.

The two men exchange a glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Finally Link leans forward, propping his elbows on his knees. “Axel’s debts go far deeper than you realize.”

That doesn’t surprise me.

“It’s not just gambling.”

“Go on.”

Link remains silent for a minute, as if contemplating what he wants to say. “He took over the business from your father.”

I nod.

“And he’s been working with criminal syndicates to help launder and hide money.”

My wine sloshes over the rim of the glass.

“And skimming,” Pax adds. “Each time he dug himself deeper, always believing the next big score would solve everything.”

I fight to steady my glass. This is impossible…

My phone pings again, but Link has possession of it. “I need to see that,” I insist.

Though he nods, first he reads the message. Then he shows Pax before sliding the device onto the coffee table and pushing it toward me.

You need to sign your inheritance over to me. That’s the only way to save my life.

Frowning, I stare at the screen. Inheritance? To my knowledge, there’s no such thing. I know my parents left the house to Axel, but that there’s any more money stuns me.

“You didn’t know about that?” Link asks.

I shake my head, and since my wine is in danger of spilling again, I slide the glass onto the coffee table. “Did you know about it?” I counter.

He remains silent.

Damningly so.

Anger floods me, drowning my hurt. “And the whole thing with Scandalicious? Giving them an exclusive. You hired Marcella and arranged for pictures to be published so that my brother and Emiliano would find out I was married.”

Again he says nothing.

“Everything you do serves a higher purpose, doesn’t it? Your own.”

“Little—”

“I’m nothing but a pawn to you.” In some stupid, high-stakes game between powerful men.

He shakes his head. “It’s not like that.” Abruptly Link stands and paces to the window.

The view that had been so soothing now unsettles me.

He stares out for a long time before turning back. His expression is raw, vulnerable in a way I’ve never seen before.

“Look, little dove…” He sighs. “I married you to keep you safe. There’s no fucking chance I would have ever let you fall into the clutches of Emiliano Sartori.”

Pax leans forward, his green eyes intense. “There’s something you need to understand about Link’s history with Emiliano.” Then he looks at Link “Boss?”

Dragging his hand through his hair, Link returns to his seat. “Sartori and I were business partners in a casino. The Casablanca.”

I’d heard of the resort, a once-legendary hotspot outside of Chicago that had closed when I was a teen, amid rumors of mob activity.

“It was successful beyond what I imagined when I invested.” Link’s voice is tight with old pain. “But Sartori got greedy, started embezzling.” He pauses, as if deciding to say something. But he shakes his head. “He ignored bills and was paying the mob for protection.”

Once more, I feel as if I’ve fallen into a fantastical story. That seems like something that would happen in a previous century rather than just a few years ago.

“By the time my accountant figured out what was happening, it was too late. The casino was drowning in debt, and the mob wanted what was due them.”

Pax picks up the story. “Link liquidated everything he owned to pay off the debts and keep the mob from coming after him. It nearly destroyed him.”

My anger doesn’t soften.

“And your brother owes money to Link.”

I look at him. “To you?”

“I invested in one of his schemes.”

My mind whirls.

“I called the debt. That’s when he tried to sell you.”

Shock leaves me numb.

“I didn’t know who you were when we first met.”

Desperately wanting to believe him, I search his face.

Our entire relationship—this whole situation—is so screwed up.

By marrying me, he stole me away from Emiliano. And that has made my brother even more desperate for money. And now there’s an inheritance I knew nothing about.

Standing quickly, I pick up my glass and head for the bedroom I had when we first checked in.

“Tessa…”

Link follows me, and he grabs hold of my wrist, stopping me.

My jaw tight, I meet the heated anger in his gaze. With fury of my own, I yank my hand away. “I’ll need the name of a lawyer. Text it to me.”