Page 191 of Nemesync
He chuckles darkly and punches him again in the chest. “Shut up and take it, Niko, like a man.”
I smile and lean comfortably on the bench in front of them, admiring them. “I guess I should be glad I’m not in there with you two.”
Niko winks at me, with a devilish smile. “You wouldn’t last a minute, you little brat.”
He’s absolutely right. If I were in that ring with them right now, they would have wiped the floor with me. I don’t have an ounce of energy left, but I playfully feign offense and retort, “Excuse me? I could take you down, Nikolai Moretti. Don’t underestimate me.”
He laughs and shakes his head while Elijah affirms, “She’s right, she could stab you before you even see the blade. And if you touch her, I’m going to beat your ass again.”
A laugh escapes me as his green eyes lock onto mine from across the room, crinkling with a proud smile.
I never imagined that a powerful man like him could be so proud of his woman’s darkness, admiring her lethal nature, and savoring her deadly prowess instead of hiding it. He’s my biggest supporter, and my favorite one.
My Elijah is full of surprises.
They continue their sparring session, or rather, their murder attempts. Their movements are so precise yet so powerful. I watch them amused and full of admiration. Niko is really good; he’s strong and fast, and Elijah is another person when he’s fighting. It’s pure fury, violence, and perfection. And the anger in him is calm; that’s the scariest version of him I’ve ever seen.
After that we decided to stop by Miranda’s café. I told Niko about her involvement with the organization so he insists that she should go somewhere else for the mission. We want herto be safe with June somewhere else. We don’t know what the organization is capable of and I don’t want her to be here if anything goes wrong.
Entering the place, she spotted us, wiped her hands on her apron, and smiled. “Hey, what brings you here?” she asked, her warm smile turning into concern when she caught the serious expressions on my face.
I spoke up first, “Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?”
We were alone, away from the guys. “Listen, I need you to stay somewhere safe this week. Can you leave Vesper for a few days? The mission is coming soon, and if something goes wrong, I can’t risk having you around with June,” I said urgently.
“Of course,” she said, nodding and moving closer to me to hug me. “Be careful, Zee. Promise me you won’t get yourself into any trouble.”
I smiled reassuringly. “I promise. I’ll keep you updated.”
Returning my smile, she waved goodbye as we parted ways. We stepped outside, and I caught a car parked in front of us.
Through the tinted windows, the face of Elias Dellé, my father, could be seen smirking. My breath caught, and my eyes widened with shock.
Instinctively, Elijah and Nikolai positioned themselves between me and him. It had been so long since I had heard from him; he hadn’t called or texted me. He never tried to talk to me since my kidnapping months ago.
Stepping out of the car, his eyes filled with disdain.
He hates me so much, and no matter how hard I try to shake off the hurt, it never goes away, and it stings so painful.
“Look who we have here,” he sneered, his gaze fixed on me. “My shame of a daughter, accompanied by her protectors, the Venom Reapers. How charming is this.”
Elijah’s jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed, Nikolai’s hand rested on my arm, stroking my skin, offering so much reassurance.
I struggled to catch my breath, repeating in my head, ‘Breathe, Z, breathe.’
“Zanae, you left for my enemies. You’re as stupid as I thought. It’s surprising you don’t even try to hide it. Did they promise you protection from your own father?” He laughed harshly. “You believed them and let them parade you around like a fucking trophy?Habibti, you’re such a disgrace.”
Elijah’s voice dripped with cold anger, a dark smirk playing on his lips. “You’ve got to be the most foolish person, stepping out of your hiding place just to pay us a visit when you’re well aware of how eager I am to end you with my own hands. And all this, on top of threatening your own daughter.”
Nikolai chimed in, his smile equally cold. “You’re testing us, Elias. Aren’t you?”
My father chuckled. “Protecting her won’t change the fact that she disappointed her whole family.. She’s going to pay for it one way or another. Kah’inah.”
My own father...
Traitor.
I was a traitor and I left my family to avenge myself.
