Page 100 of Legacy

Two weeks of calling in every favor possible, and nothing. Not a damn thing.

Calista must have fallen off the face of the earth because of how well her kidnappers hid her.

Either that or?—

No.I shook my head. I refused to believe Calista was dead.

No matter what my pragmatic side said, I couldn’t stoplooking.

On top of everything, Ozias had escaped by nightfall on the same day I’d taken over the Xenos family. We lost several of my loyal guards, who told me someone from the inside worked against us. Then early the following day, we found those traitors with their throats slit.

Laya confirmed that they were some of the men from the bar. My father had killed them as a precaution, just in case I got my hands on them.

Vik and I combed through the Xenos men, searching for answers and any other rat, but none knew anything.

Ozias had disappeared, depriving us of a chance to get answers from him.

The Xenos and Vitalis men investigated every rumor and whisper linked to Ozias or Calista, but all we found were dead ends.

Then, there was Avra’s family in Boston. They blamed me for everything. I accepted their accusations. I hadn’t protected the sisters as was my duty. Now, their forces searched alongside ours.

I’d failed my wife.

The only positive in this fucking mess was the world understood the Xenos and Vitalis families were a united front, and our common enemy was Ozias Xenos.

I glanced at my mobile, willing it to ring. Why wouldn’t they call? I was tired of waiting.

My desperation reached such a high or low that I contacted the northern Italians. To my surprise, they welcomed my call. Now, I had to wait for them to extend whatever assistance they planned to offer.

The fucking politics of things never stopped. But if it meant finding Calista, I’d do it.

Her absence was tearing our lives apart. Avra and Laya were losing their minds, and the hope for a happy outcome diminished in their eyes with each passing hour.

I had to make it right.

I wasn’t the one who’d orchestrated this, but it was my father who caused them this heartache.

I would bear the guilt for not keeping a closer eye on Ozias for the rest of my life. I knew he was the worst of humanity, and I shouldn’t have allowed anything to shake my vigilance to know his every move.

My gaze locked on the picture I kept of Avra on my desk. It was a candid shot from our wedding day. She bore the type of beauty written about in mythology, natural, unapologetic, and in your face.

Shadows lay heavy under her eyes now from lack of sleep and days upon days of worry. Avra wasn’t one to show her emotions to others, except in this case, the woman I loved was so desperate to find her sister that anyone who looked her way saw the fear of the possible outcome.

My cell phone rang, and I grabbed it, answering, “Xenos.”

“Mia stigmí, kýrie.”

Did he say, “One moment, sir, in Greek?” I fucking asked for the Italians.

I waited on the phone, pacing faster, wanting to know what the fuck was going on.

Then it dawned on me. The Italians were related toNikolas Galanis. He ran a territory in the south rivaling the size of the territory Juno Vitalis once owned. Having his help as a Greek and an Italian was an offer I couldn’t turn down.

Nikolas Galanis was a hard man, according to the reports I’d found, but that didn’t matter. He could be a fucking asshole so long as he helped me find Avra’s sister. Manners were overrated.

“Xenos,” he answered as a greeting.

“Thank you for stepping in to assist us.” Okay, perhaps manners did matter at times. I wouldn’t kiss anyone’s ass, but I’d ensure he grasped how serious this situation was.

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