Shackled (The Lord Series) by Amy T

2. Reunion

Angel

“Look, I can’t call Mr. Alekos except for an emergency. He doesn’t like to be disturbed while he is working. Besides, I might get in trouble.”3. Angel

“What is this bull s hit that I got you pregnant?” Alekos snarls.

I want to explain, but he keeps barking at me. “Did you tell anyone about this besides the receptionist?”

I shake my head.

“Good. Because if rumors of me getting a Duke’s daughter pregnant appear in the press, I will kill you!”

I have no doubt he will.

“And now I have to look for a new receptionist.”

I blink. “But why?”

“Because she saw your face. I don’t want to start a war with the Dukes.”

I groan. I should have thought about that.

“Look, I am not here to cause you any trouble.” Alekos doesn’t look convinced. “I only said that because it was the only way to make the receptionist tell you I was looking for you. And please don’t fire her.”

He relaxes but still keeps me caged with his b*dy. “What do you want?” His tone is cold and harsh.

I lower my gaze. Even if he is wearing a shirt, I can see the contour of his well defined muscles. Has he been hitting the gym? “I need your help.”

I wait for him to say something, but he is quiet. Then my gaze finds his, and he laughs. “You are asking for my help? I never thought I would live to see the day.”

I might have told him during our big fight that he is a narcissist that only thinks of himself and that I will never need anything from him.

“What makes you think I want to help you?” he sneers.

Why indeed?

But based on what I have read about him on the internet and the photos I have seen of him and of many women, I know what Alekos loves—S**. All Lords do.

The things I have to do to get out of the city. To get away from Carlos.

I straighten my back, and in a steady voice, I say, “Because I still have the one thing you wanted from me, and I never gave it to you.”

He narrows his eyes. “What thing?”

Is he serious?

I have never been a shy person, but saying it out loud makes me embarrassed.

Alekos is waiting, and I can tell he is one second away from throwing me out of the office.

“My virginity,” I mutter.

I was a freshman in high school when I met Alekos. He was a junior and one of the popular guys, while I was the shy nerd. But somehow, we clicked together. There had never been anything romantic between us. Not because we didn’t like each other in that way, but because the Lords and the Dukes don’t mingle together. And while the high school was a mixed one, and we could have dated each other in secret, I said no to him when he asked me out. I was afraid of what my father would do if he ever found out about Alekos. He barely let me attend that high school anyways. He only agreed because Salma, my ex best friend, also went to the same high school.

When I was in my sophomore year, Alekos told me he was in love with me and that not being with me was torture. I wanted to say yes, I wanted to be his girlfriend and be free to love him, but once again, I said no to him.

Alekos and I were supposed to be enemies, not love each other.

And by then, Carlos had already started to pay more attention to me, and I was scared something would happen to Alekos if anyone found out. So, I buried my feelings for him deep inside my heart.

Soon after my second rejection, Alekos stopped talking to me. It hurt. It hurt so much that I cried for weeks. Then he betrayed me in the worst way possible.

He lowers his eyes to my chest—his gaze unimpressed.

I am one of those girls that don’t have big boobs. It always made me self-conscious, especially in high school, when boys had eyes only for girls with great bodies. Alekos liked them too.

“You know, Angel, you are still the same bi tch I met in high school. What makes you think I am interested in f ucking you when I can have any woman I want?”

I should have guessed he is attracted only to women that actually have t its and an as s to grab onto. But I am not ready to give up. Not yet, at least. “Because I remember a time when you would have done anything to get me undressed.”

His eyes keep roaming my b*dy, inspecting me like I am up for sale, making me feel like I am not good enough for him. The women that usually appear with him in the photos are blond, tall, and beautiful. I am nothing like that. But he could at least try to hide his disgust a little more.

F ucking Alekos! I should have known better than to ask the help of a Lord.

“Sorry to break it to you, Angel, but I am not interested in f ucking you. Nor helping you.” He turns his back to me and heads over to his desk. “Close the door behind you.”

My shoulders drop. I had one chance, and I blew it. A lump forms in my throat. “I see.” I grip the strap of my purse hard. My nails dig into my palm. “I had hoped that you would help me. But I see now I was wrong.” I turn on my heels, my fingers wrapping around the doorknob. Before I turn it to the right, I let out a cry of defeat. “I hope Carlos de la Torre won’t torture me before killing me. Pain is not my thing.”

Alekos lets out a loud growl, startling me. In the blink of an eye, he is upon me, his chest glued to my back, his hand gripping my wrist, preventing me from leaving.

“What. Did. You. Say?” he cl*ps in my ear.

I almost forgot about Carlos killing Nikolas Raptou, Alekos’ father, about a year ago. Carlos claimed it was an accident, but the Lords did not buy it. Dead from one side and the other did not take long to appear in the city after Nikolas’ death. Alekos might claim he doesn’t want to start another war between the Dukes and the Lords, but it had been Carlos that did that ten months ago.

“None of your business. You said you are not interested in helping me.” When he doesn’t let go of me, I say, “I wish to leave.”

He spins me around, his hands grabbing my shoulders hard. My purse falls next to me. “What the f uck did you say about Carlos de la Torre?”

Why does he act like he suddenly cares?

His hate for Carlos is so palpable that it feels as though the temperature has dropped inside the office. For a moment, his eyes flash red. Probably some trick of the light or my imagination playing tricks on me.

“Tell me. Now!” he orders me when I fall silent.

I sigh. “My father has arranged a marriage between Carlos and me. But I can’t, I won’t marry him. You know what he does to women.”

Shock registers on his face, but he schools his features a second later. “So, you came to me and hoped that by letting me f uck you, I would protect you from that sadi st.” He sounds disgusted. Maybe I should have thought this through better.

Cherry might be frank with me, but if I don’t speak with Alekos…. A lump forms in my throat, and I swallow hard. “This is an emergency. Mr. Alekos is the only one who can help me!” My voice c racks, and my vision becomes blurry. I don’t usually cry in front of other people, but I might do it right now.

Cherry looks at me, and something flickers in her gaze—pity. “What did he do? Got you pregnant? If that is the case, it is best to talk to his lawyer.” She hands me a business card. Written in big, golden letters is the name of a law firm.

Staring at the card in my hands, I contemplate what will happen if I do say I am pregnant. Not that it was possible since Carlos never touched me, and the last time I saw Alekos was on his last day of high school—we didn’t speak that day since we were mad at each other. While I do have friends, I don’t dare to ask them to help me. But Alekos, if he is still the same as in high school, will be my ticket out of the city, or so I hope..

With tears still pooling in my eyes, I lie. “Yes. I am expecting his baby, and I am not going away until I speak with him.”

Cherry sighs dramatically before picking up the phone. “Mr. Alekos, a woman is looking for you. She says she is pregnant.”

“Who?” Alekos yells so loudly that even I can hear him.

Cherry winches. “She told me her name is Angelica Hernandez.”

“I don’t know any woman that goes by the name Angelica.” His cold, flat tone gives me the impression that he is not lying. The ba st ard forgot me. But I’ll be dam ned if I leave without talking to him.

“Whoever she is, get rid of her. Call security if you have to,” Alekos growls.

“Yes, Mr. Raptou.”

Cherry is about to put the phone on the receiver when I snat ch it away from her. Before she can stop me or Alekos can end the phone call, I say, “You might not remember me, but I am sure you know who my father is—Luis Hernandez.”

Alekos is silent for a moment but then says something that makes me want to scream. “Ah, it is you. Put the receptionist back on.”

Cherry takes the phone from me, and after giving me a death glare, she says, “Mr. Raptou?”

“Send her to my office,” he barks.

This man has always had an attitude.

Cherry gives me a visitor card. “With this, you can go to the top floor, where the CEO and the directors’ offices are. Florence is Mr. Raptou’s secretary. She will direct you to his office.”

“Thank you for the help!” I say as I take the card from her and make my way to an elevator.

I open it with the help of the card and push the button for the top floor. My heart starts to hammer inside my chest. Alekos and me—our friendship has always been strange.

Alekos sounded angry. What if he refuses to help me? What will I do then? I don’t have anyone else to turn to. I will do anything to make Alekos help me. And it so happens that I have something Alekos wants.

The elevator stops, and I get out. It takes me a few seconds to locate Florance’s desk.

“I am here to see Mr. Alekos.” I show her the visitor card. “He is waiting for me.”

After confirming with Alekos, she shows me where his office is.

Before I enter, I knock once on the door.

Alekos Raptou is sitting behind an opulent mahogany desk, his cold grey eyes watching me, studying me. I close the door and wait for him to say something. The last time we spoke, we had a huge fight. I shift my weight from one leg to another, unsure if I should be the one to break the ice and say something first. He keeps looking at me with an expression on his face that I can’t quite decipher.

Once, he used to be my best friend. But I should have known it would not last, not when he was a Lord. Dukes and Lords are not friends, they are enemies. And here I am, in the den of one of my father’s enemies. Will Alekos save me or condemn me to a life of suffering?

During his college years—the wild years—his photos were published in many tabloids next to a scandalous article about his S** life. And I might have stalked him on the internet. Until I forced myself to stop. The last time I saw a photo of him was one year ago. He has always been handsome, but the man in front of me is… mouth-watering. And this is coming from a woman that had never been phased by men.

Minutes pass without either of us saying a word, and I am starting to think that I made a huge mistake by coming here when he finally speaks.

“Angel Hernandez,” he spits my name.

Does he still hate me? I mean, I know that our fight was huge, and we both said hurtful things, but I had hoped that he was over it. Not that he didn’t deserve the things I accused him off. He was a total jerk that day.

In a calm tone, I say, “Alekos, nice seeing you again.”

He stands. My heart almost leaps from my chest. “I can’t tell the same thing.”

When did he get so tall? And handsome?

He walks slowly, like he is giving me time to get away from the office before he gets to me. And I want to do just that because seeing him after so long only reminds me of how badly he broke my heart. Not that I ever let him know how much he hurt me.

If I were wiser, I would leave his office.

But I need him.

He finally reaches me, and he traps me between his hard b*dy and the door, placing his hands on either side of my head. Heat radiates from him.

When I see the anger in his eyes, I gulp loudly. He is not the same Alekos I used to know. This Alekos is… cold. Ruthless. What have I gotten myself into?