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I rear back and punch him across the face, knocking out several of his teeth. He spits out blood and then turns to stare me in the eye.

“I don’t know how long he’s known. You’ll have to ask him.”

“I plan to. What did you mean that you came here for the first time three years ago?”

“We take turns,” Nico says with a shrug.

“Who’s we?” Julian demands.

He doesn’t reply.

“Is it the other men who retired at the same time as you?” Julian asks.

Still no answer.

And I’ve had it.

“We have enough to go to Leonidas,” I growl to Julian, who nods, and I grip Nico’s throat again.

“Wait,” he wheezes out. “I’m not the only one here, and we’ve already reported back that you’ve found her. Her house will be swarming with men by lunchtime.”

“Why?” I ask, letting up enough to let him speak.

“Because you weren’t ever supposed to find her,” he replies. “Her father has plans for them⁠—”

I pull his trachea out of his throat before he can finish that sentence, and then Julian and I are on the move.

“We need to get them back to Vegas,” Julian says, voicing exactly what I’m thinking.

I check the time and see that Charlie is about to leave for school, so I call Rina.

“Hey, handsome,” she says, and it immediately smooths out my rough edges.

“Hey, baby. Do me a favor and keep Charlie home from school. I’ll explain everything in a little bit, I promise.”

She’s quiet for a heartbeat. “Okay. I’ll keep him here.”

“Thank you. You might want to call Mildred over to sit with him while you and I talk.”

“Carson, are you okay?”

“I’ll explain everything in a little bit. I’ll see you soon.”

I hang up and Julian eyes me.

“You need a shower before you let your wife and kid see you.”

Glancing down, I see that I’m covered in Nico’s blood.

Shower first, then I have to talk my wife into moving to Vegas with me.

Fourteen

RINA

“Is everything okay?” Mildred asks, a frown on her face, as she walks through the door. “Is Charlie sick?”

“No, he’s not sick,” I assure her. “But⁠—”