Chapter 22


    Shackled (The Lord Series)


    22. Stefan


    Alekos keeps talking. “Besides, since my father died, Zak has been the one to take over the shady


    business my family was involved in. If Luis or Carlos wanted to spy an my family, they would have sent


    someone to watch Zak”


    As the child of Niks, Alekos was the one to be the new patriarch of the family, his uncle, Zak,


    stole away the title. Alekos has imed he is fine with it, but i know he is plotting something to exact


    revenge on Zak. Though, he is yet to tell Reyes or me what is going through his mind.


    “She is the one that suggested a contract. I guess as a way to prove her loyalty to me,” Alekos adds.


    “Ah, the famous contract. Now, I am intrigued.”


    “It was just a ruse. She tried negotiating the terms of our rtionship. Let’s say: it went poorly on her


    end.”


    Alekos is an excellent negotiator. When I am back in my office, I will have to take a look at the cameras


    and see how that discussion went on


    no contract then?


    s his b*dy forward and rests his hands on his desk, “I was thinking”


    “I might make one, just to see how Angel reacts to it.” He leans his


    “About?” I want to know.


    “About how the Lair is distributed.”


    It had been Niks who designed it. But he didn’t have any blood-brothers, and the space was more


    than enough for him and Julianna, Alekos mother. When Emily was alive, we slept in the same room in


    Alekos’ home. I had nned to talk to Alekos about renovating the Lair, after the wedding and piercing


    ceremony, as I had already put a lot of thought into it.


    In transform it into the


    He rubs his chin with his left hand. “We will need more space, once Angel starts having babies. My


    room is the biggest, so it makes sense to i master bedroom. That will leave us with two rooms that will


    be turned into nurseries. I want to keep the living room as it is.”


    How many kids does he n to have?


    “Sounds good, only that I want to keep my room. Reyes and Angel can sleep with you,


    th you, but I prefer to have my own space.”


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    up


    Alchos doesn’t seem happy that I don’t want to turn my room into a nursery. It is one thing to ept


    Angel as my bonded, but another to see her children Slow in the ce that holds so many memories of


    the days when I was happy with Emily. I never told anyone this, as I wanted it to be a wedding surprise,


    but I made a few sketches of how to renovate the Lair for arge family. I had ns for the future, but


    now they sit forgotten in a folder on myptop


    “We will talk about this at another time. For now, just order the new bed. You know how fragile the bond


    is in the beginning. And I want Angel to feel safe and loved by us.”


    I clear my throat.


    clear to Alekos


    t. “I will protect and make sure she is safe. Even hang out with her, if she wants that. Be her friend or


    whatever, but I won’t love her,” I make this


    “The band will require the three of us to love her. Although I doubt Reyes is capable of loving her the


    way she needs. But you could.”


    No, I can’t love Angel the way she needs.


    “Just like you and Reyes would have loved Emily?” I point out.


    “Reyes and 1 did love Emily. But we are not talking about her right now,”


    I know Reyes and Alekos cared for Emily, but she was more like a sister to them so he can’t ask me to


    love Angel


    “Look, between you and Reyes, Angel will be more than adored. The bond won’t be affected by me not


    being in love with her.”


    “You need to get over Emily’s death, at some point. And let yourself love again. Besides, Reyes is


    unpredictable. Seeing his brother being killed in front of him f ucked him up really bad.”.


    22. Stefan


    Like I am not f ucked up? But I don’t say that out loud.


    I try not to get


    et angry at Alekos, because we talked about this many times.


    “My heart died the same day I lost Emily,” I remind him.


    Alekos sighs, annoyed. When I think he will keep insisting, he changes the subject. “Keep an eye on


    Carlos. If he knows we have Angel, all hell will break loose.”


    If Carlos tries to take Angel away from us, Alekos will kill him. Though, I am still not sure of Angel’s


    intentions. A future D uche ss asking for help from a Lord. That’s unheard of. Alekos obviously trusts


    her. As for Reyes, I am not sure about what he feels for her. He had acted…strange around her.


    “I will send Cirro a message and let him know what’s going on.”


    Alekos takes a look at his watch. “Good. Tell him I want to know what Carlos and Luis do all the time:


    who they talk to; when they eat; when they sneeze; when they take a shi t; you name it. Until we have


    the piercing ceremony, and Angel is officially ours, we have to keep a low profile.”


    I stand. “Consider it done.”


    I leave Alekos’ office and go to my own.


    I send a message to Cirro to meet up sometimeter, not wanting to tell him confidential information


    over the phone, in case someone is Estening in on our conversation. Once the meeting with Cirro is


    confirmed, I am about to go over my work, when I decide to see what Reyes is up to. Knowing him the


    way I do, he is probably tormenting Angel with his knives.


    I connect to the cameras from the Lair and search for Reyes. It doesn’t take me long to spot him. Then,


    I stare at the screen for a long time..


    Alekos


    wrong. And so was


    L. Beyes it ea


    is capable of love. In fact, I think he is in love with Angel. It is the first time I’


    I’ve seen him sleeping with a woman in his arms


    -a smile on his face.


    Tell! He is f ucking smiling in his sleep


    Angel has done what no other woman has before-she ensnared Rejey heart.


    Chapter Comments


    9


    POST COMMENT NOW