Aside from Antonio Rufus, Angel and Blaze, the other people left on the jet returning to Moscow were the new doctor, the two pilots and one male flight attendant.
Angel felt like the dead and knew he smelt like one. He wasn’t surprised when the doctor came out shortly after, wrinkled his nose and asked Blaze and him to go clean up and find a change of clothes.
Thankfully, the jet had a private bathroom and, since anyone with the authority to give them hell was dead or in Antonio Rufus' case, sleeping, the two took their time having a hot bath.
Angel grinned when he saw extra boots and clothes packed in a bag by the door to the bathroom. He picked the bag up and threw it at Blaze. The other Were caught it in mid-air and quickly rummaged through.
They found new pairs of shoes that were their sizes, but the cargo pants and tops were a tad small. Blaze groaned when he wore it and saw it was too fitted on him. It showed off his muscular frame and the cargo pants were a tad uncomfortable.
Angel shrugged and picked one to wear anyway. He was glad it was clean and dry. He took out the keys he kept in his old cargo pants and slot them in the smallest pocket of the new one, zipping it up securely. He felt Blaze's eyes on him but the other Were didn’t say a word.
When they got back to Moscow, an ambulance was waiting to carry Antonio Rufus back to the house. About five doctors joined the one they went with, and they all filed inside the back of the van with him.
When the house guards that came to pick them up at the airport tried to put Blaze and Angel back in chains, Antonio Rufus's doctor said, "Trust me, I doubt that is necessary at this point." When the guards looked befuddled, he added, "They brought the boss in, almost dead. They saved his life." The shock on the guards’ faces was comical.
They allowed them to climb up the van with no hassle. When they locked the doors, leaving the two by themselves, Blaze said, "Trust can be a weapon on its own sometimes." Angel tightened his fist and raised his hand. Blaze did the same and the two touched their fists together in a fist bump.
A few minutes later, the truck stopped and the guards unlocked the doors to let them out. Angel and Blaze hesitated as the familiar stench of the fucking ground assailed them.
"Come out, beast boys, we don't have all day!" one of the guards snapped. The two Weres got up and climbed down. Angel couldn't resist looking up the main house to Nadia's room. He may be wrong, but he thought he saw her drape move. He immediately lowered his gaze and they settled them on the van that brought Antonio Rufus in.
The truck that brought them moved out of the way as they carried him out on a stretcher. A minute later, he saw Nadia run out of the house and stopped on the porch. Her eyes sought and met his. Angel could feel her worrying about him. His heart constricted.
Her beautiful eyes darted as they watched him from afar, then she hurried to her uncle's side, reaching out to take his hand.
"Uncle Antonio!" she called in a gentle tone tinged with concern.
"I'm fine, Nadia, don’t fuss," Antonio Rufus grumbled. "Don't tell your father when he calls. These are just superficial wounds … I am fine."
"Okay, uncle," Nadia said.
"Where are your cousins?"
"I will go get them…" Nadia said and turned away, but Antonio Rufus stopped her.
"Don't bother yourself! A set of useless fools – the two of them,” Antonio Rufus ranted.
"They are probably just sleeping, uncle…" Nadia tried to make excuses for her cousins but Antonio Rufus rebuffed her.
And then Mathew interrupted, "Don't bother to defend us, Nadia. Father knows best … as always. Welcome home, Father," Mathew said making the word ‘father’ sound like an insult as he came to stand beside the stretcher. Antonio Rufus glared at him without uttering a word. "Please take him inside!" Mathew snapped at the guards and they quickly proceeded inside. And to Nadia, he said, "Go to your room, this isn't a scene for you, dear cousin." Raising his hand to stroke her cheek with the back of his index finger. Nadia sighed. Angel clenched his jaw.
"Don't be mad at him. He is grumpy because he is wounded, my father gets like that too," Nadia said to her cousin. The other man chuckled.
"How in God's name did such an innocent like you end up in this family, sweet Nadia? Alright, I hear you. You should go to your room though. Like he already told you. He is fine. No need to fuss,” he said with a lazy smile. Angel knew it was all a facade for her benefit. Nadia nodded, stretched up to give him a peck on the jaw and turned away. Angel saw Mathew raise a hand to brush gently at the spot, watching her as she walked away, following the guards carrying Antonio Rufus.
Angel felt his heart palpitating faster as he watched her leave. His beast whined.
"So, I heard you saved my father…" Mathew said, walking to stand in front of Angel and Blaze. The two Weres towered over him; Blaze by at least 4 inches, and Angel was much taller. He looked up into their faces in a calm disposition that didn't quite fool Angel. "And you left your own to die? Just what game are you playing here, Angel?"
"Just following orders, boss," Angel replied, lowering his gaze and avoiding meeting the other man's eyes so it didn’t look like he was being defiant and challenging.
"Orders, huh?" Mathew said and took one more step to stand closer, leaving about an inch in between him and Angel, peering up into his face, he brought out a gun, held it to Blaze's forehead and then added, "It would do well for you to know your place because if you think this would win you favours you are going to be grossly disappointed. One more of your shitty good deeds and I would have this Daniel's WHORE here...."
"Mathew?! Uncle Antonio is asking for you!" Nadia's voice rang from the porch, interrupting Mathew's rant just when he was pressing down the trigger, causing him to growl quietly. He then held the barrel up and fired. The sound was deafening. Neither Angel nor Blaze flinched or showed any emotion.