Theirs to Corrupt (Titans Captivated #5)

Chapter 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Tessa

Axel shoves the pizza box forcefully at Natalie, pushing her off balance.

Time slows, each second stretching into an eternity as my brain struggles to understand what’s happening.

Our dinner crashes to the floor as his lips curl into a sneer. “I’m here to collect what’s mine.”

“Tess,” Natalie whispers, gripping my arm hard enough to leave bruises.

But the pain is distant, secondary to the rising panic that threatens to choke me. I don’t have to protect just myself; I have to protect my friend who doesn’t deserve to be trapped in my mess.

With trembling fingers, I reach into my purse, praying I can reach my phone without Axel noticing. Just one button. That’s all I need to press.

I look into Axel’s eyes. The brother I used to know has vanished completely, leaving nothing but a desperate stranger corrupted by greed. “You need to leave.”

He lunges, closing his arm around my wrist, yanking me toward him with brute force. I cry out, more in shock than pain, and Natalie screams.

“Let her go!” Natalie yells, trying to pry Axel’s fingers from my skin.

But he’s too strong. With a vicious shove, he sends Natalie stumbling back. Her head hits the wall with a sickening thud.

“Nat!” Frantically I twist around to see if she’s okay.

The momentary distraction is all I need to grab my phone, and I manage to jam my finger against the number two.

“You’re going to sign over that trust fund, and then maybe—just maybe—I’ll have a chance of getting out of this mess alive.” He yanks a gun from his waistband.

My blood turns to ice.

“Do as you’re fucking told for once, and no one has to get hurt.”

Frantic, I dig my heels into the carpet.

I can’t—won’t—go without a fight.

“Drop your weapon.”

Arielle.

Her voice is cold and steady.

Axel’s grip tightens as he spins us both around, using me as a human shield. His sour stench burns my nostrils.

“Back off,” he warns, his voice shaking. “Or I swear to God, I’ll?—”

“You’ll what?” Pax’s calm, measured tone knifes through the tension.

My eyes lock onto him as he steps into view, his presence filling the small entryway. Relief floods through me, even as fear for his safety twists my stomach into knots.

“Pax.” I whimper, hating how weak I sound.

His eyes meet mine. Silently he reassures me that everything will be okay.

Then his attention shifts back to Axel, his expression hardening.

“You’ll want to let her go.” Pax is calm, his voice deceptively gentle. There’s coiled, lethal power in his stance. “This isn’t going to end well for you if you don’t.”

Axel’s laugh is hollow, tinged with hysteria. “End well? Don’t you fucking get it? If I don’t get that money, I’m dead anyway.”

“And you think taking Tessa is going to solve that?” Pax takes a single step closer, his hands raised in a placating gesture. “You won’t get far. Link will tear the world apart to get her back. Is that what you want? To spend the rest of your life—however short it might be—looking over your shoulder?”

“You have no fucking idea what it’s already like.”

“I understand better than you think,” Pax counters. “But this? This isn’t the answer. Let Tessa go, and we can talk. We’ll figure this out.”

Axel tightens his grip, and he shoves the gun against my temple. I hold my breath, scared out of my mind that the slightest movement might set him off.

“You don’t want to hurt her,” Pax says. “She’s the only hope of getting the money.”

My brother’s grip wavers.

“That’s what you want, isn’t it? The money?” Pax is calm and measured. “Link has plenty. Maybe he can forgive your debt to him. Take care of Sartori for you. That’s what family is for. Right?”

Axel pulls the gun away, but I’m still in front of him, and his arm is tightening on my throat.

In that moment, Pax’s gaze finds mine.

His eyes are dark and intense, like they had been in our Vegas suite. Deliberately he flicks his glance to the floor.

Terrified, I blink.

He wants me on my knees.

Calling on all my courage, I give him the tiniest hint of a nod, telling him I understand his order.

“Now.”

In one fluid motion, I bring my foot down hard on Axel’s instep. He howls in pain, and I go limp. The full force of my weight makes him lose his grip.

What happens next is a blur.

Arielle and Pax move with lightning speed, disarming Axel.

In seconds, they have him face down on the floor, and Arielle is zip-tying his hands behind his back while Pax keeps him pinned.

“You both okay?” Pax calls out.

In an instant, Natalie is next to me, helping me to my feet and guiding me toward the kitchen.

When we’re there, we fall into each other’s arms, gulping in massive amounts of oxygen.

“Oh my God, Tess.”

“I’m so sorry this happened to you,” I tell her.

She steps back but holds my shoulders. “Jesus, Tess. The hell? You were the one with a gun to your head.”

Maybe the adrenaline has completely worn off because I start to shake.

“I think we need wine.”

The bottle is on the counter, and I glance at it, but then I can’t help but look into the living room.

Along with Inamorata, a swarm of police officers have arrived. Right behind them is a man in a suit who takes charge.

The unknown person shakes hands with Inamorata. “We’ve got it from here.”

“Thank you, Detective.”

The man hooks his thumb toward one of the cops and nods at Axel. “Get him the hell out of here.”

Moments later, heavy metal handcuffs are clamped around Axel’s wrists, and he’s pulled to his feet and hustled toward the door.

“Tessa!” His eyes are wild as he looks over his shoulder at me. “Don’t let them do this to me!”

My emotions are a tangled web of relief, anger, and grief, and I feel as if I’m in a nightmare I can’t wake up from.

“Mom and Dad wouldn’t want this!”

Because he won’t go willingly, two cops have to drag him away.

Even when he’s been gone for long seconds, he is still screaming my name.

The wails echo in my head, and I squeeze my eyes shut against them.

Minutes later—or maybe hours, I’ve lost all sense of time—Pax appears in the kitchen doorway. Without a word, he crosses the room and pulls me into his arms. I melt against him, inhaling his familiar scent as tears tumble down my cheeks.

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs, his lips pressed against my hair. “You’re safe now. I promise.”

I cling to him, letting his strength anchor me as the full weight of what just happened crashes over me. My own brother held a gun to my head.

Moments later, Pax checks on Natalie. “Can I call David for you?”

She shakes her head. “I’ll do it. He’s out of town on business. I hate to bother him.”

“He’d want to know,” Pax assures her. “Let him know that Arielle will be spending the night with you.”

“I—”

“Not optional,” Pax interrupts. “I want to be sure you get some rest.”

She looks at me, and I shrug helplessly. How well I know what it’s like to try to argue with either of my men once they’ve made a decision.

An EMT, apparently on Hawkeye’s payroll, arrives to check Natalie and me over. We both say we’re fine, but Pax insists we both be examined. “David will want to be sure you’re okay.”

Natalie wrinkles her nose, then nods.

“As for you…” Pax looks at me. “If you don’t get checked out, Link will take you to the hospital.”

I sigh. Even though he’s not here, I’m swept into the storm that is Link Merritt.

Natalie and I sit next to each other on the couch.

The EMT perches on the edge of the coffee table in front of Natalie. Someone—a Hawkeye person, I guess—removes our wineglasses and cleans up the mess left by the pizza box.

“You hit your head?” the EMT asks.

“Back here.” She winces as she touches it. “It’s a little sore.”

He presses lightly around the area, then says, “I’m going to touch a little harder. Let me know if you feel any sharp pain.”

After a moment, she tells him, “It’s not too bad. Just sore.”

“Good. That’s what I want to hear.” Then he shines a small flashlight in her eyes. “Now look straight ahead and follow the light with your eyes.”

After a few moments, he switches off the light. “Your pupils are reacting normally, which is a good sign. How are you feeling otherwise? Dizziness, nausea, or blurred vision?”

“No.” Natalie shakes her head. “Just a little…rattled, I guess.”

“Totally normal after what you’ve been through. I’m going to check your vitals now, just to make sure everything else is where it should be.” He pulls out his stethoscope to listen to her heart. Then he wraps the blood pressure cuff around her arm.

As the cuff inflates, Natalie glances at me. “I really do feel fine.”

I have no idea what I’d do if she’d been seriously hurt.

A few moments later, he’s done. “Everything looks good. I’m not seeing any signs of a concussion, but I want you to take it easy for the next twenty-four hours. No heavy lifting, no strenuous activity.”

“Wine?” she asks. “I could drink a gallon.”

He grins. “That’s never advised. But a glass should be okay. I recommend some ice for the bump. Frozen bag of peas, if nothing else.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Even though there’s no concussion right now, I want you to monitor for delayed symptoms…a sudden headache, dizziness, changes in your vision, that kind of thing. If that happens, you need to get checked out.”

“Got it,” Arielle assures the man.

The EMT turns to me.

“I really am fine,” I tell him.

Pax’s gaze locks on mine. “Check her out.”

“Any dizziness, headaches, or nausea?”

The same thing Nat just went through. “No. Nothing like that.”

After checking my pulse, he pulls out his stethoscope.

Pax is right next to me, arms crossed.

A few minutes later, the EMT confirms everything I knew. “Heart rate and blood pressure are normal. No signs of anything concerning, but Agent Gallagher is right to be cautious. Stress can have an effect on the body.”

Even though I didn’t hit my head, he pulls out his flashlight again.

I blink as the light passes over my eyes, but it’s over in a second. “Pupils are reacting normally,” he confirms, standing up and offering his hand to help me up. “Everything checks out.”

I stand, feeling relieved that it’s over. “See, Pax? I’m fine.”

The EMT turns to Pax. “Same caution I gave your friend: if you feel any dizziness or notice anything unusual over the next few hours, call us.”

Pax finally unfolds his arms. Despite the reassurance, his eyes still hold concern.

As he leaves, Link rushes in, accompanied by Torin and Mira.

I see him before he sees me, and I take in the tense set of his shoulders, the barely contained fury in his eyes as he speaks in low, urgent tones with Pax and Inamorata. When his gaze finally lands on me, his face changes entirely.

“I’ll go call David.” Nat gives me a quick hug and leaves the room.

In three long strides, Link is sitting next to me, and he cups my face between his strong hands. “Are you hurt?” he demands, his voice rough with emotion.

“I’m fine.” Despite myself, I stay where I am, inhaling the scent of his confidence and drawing comfort from his strength.

He places his forehead against mine. For a moment, the anger and tension between us vanishes, leaving me with the undeniable connection that drew me to him in the beginning.

“Let’s go home.” His words are soft, and so is the way he strokes my cheeks, tracing the tracks of my earlier tears.

“I need to make sure Nat is okay.”

He sighs his impatience but to his credit, says nothing.

I go in search of Nat and find her in the bedroom. “David changed his flight. He’ll be on the first flight tomorrow morning.”

“If he’s ready to leave now, I’ll send a private plane,” Link says.

I whirl, and Nat glances over my shoulder at him. I had no idea he followed me.

“You will?” she echoes.

“Pretty luxurious,” I tell her.

“You’re serious right now?”

“I am.” He places his hands on my shoulders. “If I were traveling, I’d need to get home as soon as I could.”

“Honestly I don’t know what to say.”

“Yes,” I urge, turning to face her. “Let him.” I mean, after all, the man seems to have more money than he knows what to do with.

“In that case, thank you.”

“Where is he?” Link asks.

“Los Angeles.”

I stand next to my friend as Link releases me to pull his phone from his pocket. He hits a number, then speaks in a clipped, no-nonsense tone. “I need a plane. Los Angeles.” He glances at Nat again. “Give me his name and the time he can be ready to depart.”

Within minutes, David’s on his way to the airport in a car Link has also provided.

Now that it’s time to leave, I don’t want to walk away from Nat. “I’m so sorry,” I start, but she cuts me off with a fierce hug.

“We’re both okay. It’s over.”

I’m not sure why, but I glance to Link for confirmation. “Is it?” Really? Truly?

With Torin in front of us and Mira bringing up the rear, we make our way outside and into the SUV. Even though the evening is mild, the moment I’m in the seat with the door closed, I begin to shake.

Delayed shock?

Moving to sit next to me, Link shrugs out of his jacket and tucks it around me. Then he drapes his arm over my shoulders, holding me tight.

“You’re safe.”

“Am I?” What about Emiliano? And what will happen to my brother?

I shiver. Axel’s cries will haunt me forever.

When we arrive at the house, my energy has gone. Part of me wants to head upstairs to take a bath, but my legs won’t cooperate. Instead I slide onto one of the bar stools while Link says goodnight to our bodyguards. I’m guessing Hawkeye agents never truly get a day off.

“Sparkling water?” Link offers, the emeralds in his cufflinks glinting in the overhead lights, reminding me once more of who he is.

“Wine,” I respond.

“I’m not sure that’s recommended.”

“The medic said that Nat could have one. And she bumped her head.”

With a tight nod, he uncorks a bottle of red.

“Just stick a straw in it and hand it over.”

Of course, he ignores me and instead pours two glasses of wine and slides one across to me.

“Axel’s been arrested. Do you know the charges?”

The roar of a motorcycle and the flash of the headlight through the windows distracts me.

Pax.

Less than a minute later, he’s inside, the alarm set again, and he tosses his jacket over the back of the chair next to mine.

“Wine?” Link offers.

Pax shakes his head and heads to the refrigerator. He grabs a bottle of beer. After using a metal tool to remove the cap, he sends it spinning onto the countertop.

As if trying to make sure I really am okay, he sweeps his gaze over me. “I’m sure you have questions.”

About a million of them.

“They can wait for the morning.”

I shake my head. If I go upstairs now, there’s no way I’ll be able to sleep.

“Then let’s get comfortable.

Still wrapped in Link’s jacket, glass in hand, I follow them into the living room where I curl up onto the couch. Since I’m ready to start shaking again, I grab a small blanket from the back of the couch and pull it over my legs.

Link places his glass on the mantel, then lights the gas fireplace.

Mesmerized, I stare at the flickering flames, trying to lose myself in them.

Both men take seats across from me, and I’m grateful they’re giving me space.

Pax takes a long, well-earned drink from his bottle. “Your brother is going away for a very, very long time.”

I have no reaction to the news. He’s the only remaining member of my family, yet he’s betrayed me over and over again.

After placing his bottle on an end table, Pax leans forward and props his elbows on his knees. “When we found out that he was trying to sell you, we read Hawkeye and Inamorata in on the information. They’ve been working with law enforcement, building a case. We believed an arrest was imminent, but tonight accelerated the time frame.”

“You said he’s going away for a very long time.”

He nods.

“What does that mean?”

“With everything we’ve uncovered so far, he’ll be facing a lot of charges. He’ll also be prosecuted under the federal racketeering statute.”

After taking a sip to settle my nerves, I breath out. “Emiliano is still out there.”

“He was just taken away by the FBI. RICO charges of his own.”

Since my hand is trembling, I set down my wine.

“If he is smart, he’ll plead guilty. If he gives up anyone else in the organization, he’ll need witness protection to survive more than twenty-four hours.”

I shudder.

So it really is over.

All of it.

Including my reason to stay married.