Enough.
For now.
thirty
Pierce
Pierce is helpless as he simply clutches Xenia to him. His own pains and aches arenothingcompared to the knowledge that has been dropped. He knew she had been submitted to evil, but he never truly thought howbadit had been. Never thought she might be suppressing more than her own abuse. How horrible it must have become for the timid omega tokillsomeone.
A flash of pride fills him at the thought, that even in her darkest and most difficult hours,she kept herself safe.
If the man were still alive, he knew withcertaintyhe would have ended his life himself.
Consequences be fucking damned.
Vinny opens his mouth again and Pierce narrows his eyes at the man. His emotions have changed, but he still doesn’t trust him. Wants him to leave and never return.
“Serena and I were going to get you away from him. We were close to executing the plan and then we showed up at thatapartment. Saw you covered in his blood. We cleaned it up. I took Tony’s place as head of the family. If only to keep you both safe.” Vinny heaves a bitter sigh. “I always loved you, even if we never officially met. Serena told me about you for years after she found you in that facility. It is my fault that Tony set his sight on you, that he went after you there, and for that I am sorry.” He breaks his gaze with Xenia, his attention shifting to Pierce and his pack mates. “I can see that Xenia has made her choice. That she is safe with your pack,and wantsto be your omega. I will leave on the condition that she is toneverendure hardship, abuse, fear, or hungereveragain. In exchange for her care, I will cease any hunt for Charles. But should anything happen to Xenia or if Charles says anything about what he saw, this promise is null and void.” Vinny jerks his thumb across his neck, the threat crystal clear. “Do we have an understanding?”
Pierce is the first to react, to break free of the shock. “My family will not become involved. But you must leave us alone.Allof us, and we will not involve ourselves in youraffairs.”
He isn’t sure if he can truly trust Vinny. The man seems to be guided by his obsession with Xenia.
So there’s no possibility he will let her go.
“Good.” Vinny cracks a sad smile, holstering his gun. “Even I know there is a point of no return. She’s pregnant. You are a family, and it is evident just by watching that she cares deeply about you three. You are the ones keeping her together. I can’t help. I never could. All I can do is promise to leave you all in peace and to be here if ever anything goes awry.”
Pregnant?
Luther chokes on his next breath. Wren physically falls back a few steps. Pierce simply mulls the word, thehowbehind them.
That’s why she held Luther’s scent even before they reunited. Why his is the strongest on her.
Vinny continues as if he has not just dropped a live bomb into the room, as if it hasn’t already detonated. “The clinics are corrupt, omegas are leaving pregnant more often than not.”
“She just had her heat again.” Pierce settles on the words, squaring his shoulders and leveling a glare at Vinny.
Vinny’s eyes widen in shock, but then realization flashes across his face. “Apologies, Xenia. If you took the heat-blockers from your apartment any time recently…” He groans, pushing his fingers through his hair. “They might have caused it. They were to kick-start your heat. I wanted you to make it through. To not let Tony’s death destroy you.”
Luther growls and jumps forward, but Xenia catches him. She seems to have finally come out of the trance that Vinny’s words threw her into.
“Don’t.” She reaches out squeezing Pierce’s hand reassuringly as he takes a step forward. “You promise to let me go? To leave Charles be? To not go after Serena for her part in this?”
There is visible sadness etched in Vinny’s eyes, in the manner in which he slumps. “Yes.”
“Thank you for taking care of everything with Tony.” She chokes on the words. “I forgive you.Pleaseleave.”
Vinny’s eyes turn glassy. “I loved you, Xenia. I would have done anything for you, but I failed you. Every single step of the way. I don’t deserve you. I can only keep my promise.” Vinny acknowledges the alphas. “I regret the part I played here. The injuries and the misunderstandings.”
And then Vinny, without any further hesitation, leaves, shutting the door behind him.
Pierce doesn’t move until he hears the vehicles outside leave.
Not waiting a single extra second, he turns to Xenia, gathering her into his arms as she sobs into him. He doesn’t question her, he simply does what he can to comfort her.
His heart breaks as she comes apart again. He doesn’t even feel the injuries left by Vinny, doesn’t care about the holes in the ground, that he and Luther were nearly killed over the misunderstanding.
Vinny had shot at the floor and then sent his goons to force them down on the chairs to tie them there. Luther and Pierce had fought back, but they were overpowered.
