Page 19 of Guarding The Phoenix: Vol. 2

“But we’re going to make sure you eat, too. Come on, Angel, grab a plate and eat with us.” Axel jerked his chin toward the food.

“I will. I’m starving.” He really was too good to me. Axel always ensured he took care of me. It made me feel special. Once they had their plates, I made mine with a little of everything and snagged a sports drink.

We sat together, chowing down. It might not be a five-star meal, but we were famished and thrilled to fill our bellies.

“Man, you can make fleeing for our lives damn tasty,” Chase stated, and shoveled another massive bite into his mouth.

“I’m glad you approve. Although, if we’re going to be at sea for a long time, we’ll need more food supplies. Like fresh fruits and veggies. I could do with some milk and creamer. Do you know how long before we return to the house?”

“Angel,” Axel sighed solemnly, shaking his head.

Trepidation filled me. I glanced around the table at their pained expressions. “What are you not telling me?”

They looked at each other and had a wordless conversation. Then Axel cast a tentative glance in my direction. “We won’t be returning to the house.”

My anxiety increased. Why weren’t we heading back to the house? Had Luka Santos moved in and taken over the mansion? I licked my dry lips, trying to dispel my anxiety. “Why not?”

“Because it’s not there anymore. We’re so sorry, Angel.”

My home was gone. Was he serious? Another glance around the table confirmed it for me with their solemn gazes full of concern. The house had been destroyed. “How?”

“It caught fire and burned to the ground. By the time the fire department reached it, everything was a total loss,” Axel explained with a concerned frown.

“Huh.” I dropped my gaze. But I wasn’t sad or angry. Relief settled over me. It wasn’t until recently that I started enjoying that house and putting my stamp on it. But there wasn’t anything I was attached to there. I’d retrieved all the account stuff out of the safe.

And I didn’t care about the jewelry from my husband. I was glad that crap had been destroyed. It had only been a grim reminder of the torture I endured at his hands.

“Are you okay?” Chase asked, squeezing my thigh gently.

My shoulders relaxed, and I finally looked at them. “Yeah. I’m glad it’s gone. I hadn’t realized how much I hated that place. And I don’t know why I hadn’t gotten rid of it. I guess after Carlos died, I just figured I could make it my home. But it never really felt like it was mine. I always expected him to walk out of his office with that grim expression because I’d done something he didn’t like. It’s good that it’s gone.”

“Will you rebuild?” Mateo asked before taking a bite of sloppy joes.

Did I want to continue living on that property? I had the funds to rebuild if I wanted. But when I considered all the terrible memories, living there was the last thing I wanted. “Um. No. I think I’m going to sell the property.”

“Where will you live then with the house gone?” Axel frowned with concern. He studied me like he expected me to lose it any minute. And while I might need to shed a few cleansing tears over everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours—hell, the past four years—I knew I would be okay.

Mainly because when Carlos died, I inherited his estate. It made me an extremely wealthy woman. I could live anywhere. I might move out of California. Or I would travel the world and find the placeIwanted to call home. Nothing was off limits. I could go anywhere I wanted once Luka Santos was no longer a threat. The house had been the last thing anchoring me to my past, and I was finally free. The shackles slid off with relative ease. I felt lighter than I had for an age.

“Well, for now, I guess the yacht is my home. After that, I’ll figure it out.” I shrugged and rose, carrying my plate over to the sink.

“Once we take care of Santos and you’re free, what will you do then? Where will you go?” Axel asked while I made a plate for Gideon.

“To be honest, I don’t have a clue, but will figure it out. I mean, I inherited my husband’s estate. I have the account numbers for all the holdings I inherited upon his death. And I had the foresight to grab the account information from the safe before the attack began. Money won’t be a problem.”

“But?” Chase quirked a brow with a pensive look in his eyes.

These guys knew me effortlessly. Instead of being creepy, it was nice. They got me. There was something to be said about being around people who saw the real you and accepted you as you are instead of how they want you to be.

“I don’t know where I want to live. If I survive Santos, I will figure it out. Maybe I’ll travel for a bit until I find the place meant for me.” But I was realistic enough to understand that Luka Santos was coming after me with both barrels. My odds of surviving, even with their impressive skills, were fifty-fifty.

Why plan for something that might never happen?

All it would do was disappoint me. And I had more than enough disappointment for one lifetime. What I wanted most was to enjoy my time with these guys, for however long it might last, and for as long as they wanted to keep me.

“You’ll figure it out,” Chase said, leaning back in his seat.

“We have full faith in you,” Mateo said and brought his plate to the sink. “If that plate is ready for Gideon, I’ll take it up with me.”

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