Until Death Do Us Part

Twenty-Two

~Somebody's Fool~
Mergui

"Everybody is somebody's fool.
Lovers always ready to lose.
Sky diving no parachute."

Tom's hand was wrapped tightly around mine as he lead me towards a side exit of the museum. Our eyes were alert, searching every corner to make sure that we hadn't attracted any attention. So far, we were completely in the clear.

Our bodies were pressed against the walls, moving strategically closer towards the door. The exit sign flickered it's red light at us, taunting us and beckoning us to come closer and finish our escape.

It seemed like half an hour by the time we leapt into the chill night air. Cars sounded on the roads around us, and the usual sounds of a city at night flooded our ears. "Man, it was so stuffy in there," I said, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air.

All of a sudden, Tom had his arm around my waist and he was pulling me into him, his lips pressing against mine in an eager search. All he had to do was hold me, kiss me, and I was lost. My thoughts were empty, calm.

"What was that for?" I asked once we separated. Our breaths were hot against the night air, forming little white clouds in between us.

"I'd been waiting to do that all night," he replied. I couldn't get another word in as he suddenly took my hand and started leading me to where Anthony would be waiting for us.

My cheeks were still hot against the cool November air. I felt as if steam could have been fuming off of my skin as Tom opened the door to the dark vehicle that would take us to the airport. We both crawled inside, too jittery to even speak as Anthony drove us off towards our honeymoon.

Tom's knee continuously bounced, and I kept twisting the ring on my finger, my eyes locked on the flashing images that sped past us outside the window. We had no idea what to expect from this trip. There was a chance that we wouldn't come back from it, but we were willing to risk everything for our family. Even though I was terrified, I regretted nothing.

The next few minutes passed by without my even counting them. I was brought back to the land of time when Anthony tapped twice on the glass, letting us know that we were two minutes away from the airport. Tom and I remained silent, but I felt his hand search for mine. I wrapped my fingers around his without uttering a word. The tension in the air had a physical weight as if a boulder was being pressed against my chest.

So much unknown. So much to learn. So much to navigate. It made me uneasy, but I couldn't tell if the anxiety I felt was purely negative.

Tom and I could have the chance to really sit down and get to know each other, but at the same time, what if we couldn't? What if our parents had us training every minute of every day to be prepared for Raptis? What if we were sent to watch their family's every move? What if our honeymoon wasn't a honeymoon at all, but a mission?

I felt Tom's lips at my jaw, drawing my thoughts away from my worry. "I won't allow this trip to completely go to waste," he said against my ear, his breath warm against my skin. I took in a deep breath, allowing the smell of his cologne to consume me.

My muscles tightened as the car came to a stop, knowing what would come next, and not knowing exactly what to expect from it in return. Tom pulled away from me somewhat reluctantly. I could tell that his mind was reeling, that he was trying to numb his worries and quiet his mind by putting all of his focus on me. I had tried to do the same. But we both needed to admit that what we were, what we did, came with a price. We could never truly be at peace.

Anthony opened our door, but as Tom and I were getting ready to start moving for the gate to get to our jet, Anthony wrapped his fingers around my wrist, pulling me back. I looked up into his eyes, and I saw a look in them that I hadn't seen before: fear.

"I have been looking out for you for awhile now, Miss Y/n. I know it isn't really my job anymore to worry about you since you now have a husband to take over that task, but be careful in Greece. You're entering the lion's den. I want to see you come back out," he said, his voice low and serious.

I stared into his dark eyes, watching his eyebrows furrow together and his lips curve downwards. We had gone through a lot together, Anthony and I. I had made a fool of myself in front of him, but he still protected me against any danger that could come my way. We were more like a team than I had realized. After he requested a different job, I had just assumed he faded into the distance, but he was always there.

I put my hand over his, giving him a small smile. "Thank you for always being there for me, Anthony. You were more of a friend to me than most, even if I didn't recognize it," I replied before wrapping my arms around him. He tightened his grip on me before eventually releasing me back to Tom.

They gave each other a sharp nod and a strong handshake, an exchange that didn't need words. Their faces said it all: Keep her safe. Stay safe. Come back alive.

Tom wrapped his arm around my shoulders. His other arm held one of our suitcases, and I grabbed the other. Then, we walked off towards our plane that would take us to a land of beauty, and a land of danger.

"I'm so ready to take a nap on this flight," Tom said after letting out a large yawn. His hand rubbed against my arm, giving me some much-needed body warmth. I could feel my own eyelids drooping as we climbed up the stairs onto our jet. We said a quick hello to the crew members, making sure that everyone on this plane was a trusted member of our family's crew. One of them took our bags, putting them in a different compartment. Then, we laid out on the large, couch-like seats.

I snuggled up under Tom's arm, resting my head on his chest and feeling his breaths move his chest up and down. His lips pressed against my head, and then his breaths came slower. A sort of hum came from his lungs, letting me know that he had already slipped into unconsciousness. I didn't get that same luxury.

Something kept nagging at my brain that told me Alexi Raptis knew we were coming and that he wouldn't let our presence go unnoticed.

I kept seeing the faces of those that were out of place, that sent chills down my spine. I saw the youngest Raptis son in the Royals Club. I saw the strange man at the ball. I saw blurs of those that passed me in the street and gave me a knowing look.

Alexi Raptis would never let Tom and I live in a world that would continue to give us more power than him. He would never let us grow to be the strongest family in Europe.

But what Alexi Raptis didn't know was that by not following Tom's orders to stay out of London, he signed his own death certificate. He stepped onto our territory, and now we were going to take over his.

So, Mr. Raptis, get your men ready, because the Hollands are coming to town.

Let the games begin.

~ ~ ~

Another filler, I know. I'm sorry, but these chapters need to happen so we can get back to some action😭

I hope you all still enjoyed it anyway!

Thank you all so much for the support on this story, and also on my debut novel which is available on Amazon! If you haven't read it yet, it is called I Pledge My Loyalty by A. Quinn. If you have ordered and read it, please leave a review to help me out and share it with your friends!

Anyways, I'll catch y'all in the next chapter <3

~Aidan