by Penelope Sky
He smiled slightly. “So…are things good with Anna?”
The mention of her name immediately destroyed my mood. I slipped the card back into my pocket. “We talked…and we’re friends.”
“Friends with benefits?” he teased.
“No.” I leaned against the desk and crossed my ankles. “I apologized for the situation I put her in…and told her why I broke it off with her.”
With his hands resting in his pockets, Hades stared at me with his brown eyes, absorbing everything I said while giving nothing away. Whenever he listened, he exuded such a focused level of concentration that he reminded me of a wild animal about to kill its prey. “What did she say?”
“That she wished I told her the truth…because she doesn’t care about the risk.”
“Then you were right.”
I nodded. “Yeah…”
“And you parted on good terms?”
“She said she wants to be friends. I told her I would try.”
“Good. She and Sofia have become good friends, so I don’t think she’s going to disappear from our lives.”
“Yeah…” My existence would be much easier if I never had to see her again, but the idea of her really being gone…was unsettling. I guess I always wanted to have eyes on her, to make sure she didn’t need help because her piece-of-shit husband was too oblivious to notice.
“You gonna call her?”
My thoughts drifted far away, to that dark balcony when it was just the two of us and I forgot she wasn’t mine anymore. If she wanted to have an affair with me, would I say yes? I could have her, and no one would ever know…including my enemies. Maybe it was better that she had stronger morals than I did because I would get myself in a world of trouble. “What?” I didn’t register what he’d just said.
He nodded to my pocket. “Are you going to call the model?”
“Oh…I guess.”
“You were a lot more excited about her a moment ago.”
That was before I started thinking about Annabella. Women had come and gone since she’d been in my bed, but my thoughts were solely on her. She was the only person who kept my attention after the sex was over, the only woman I ditched a condom for. “Just got a lot on my mind.”
Hades knew what I was thinking before I did. “Forget about Anna, alright?”
“I have.”
“No, you haven’t.” He called me out on my bullshit all the time, whether it was about my personal life or my numbers. “And you need to. That model seems like exactly your type, so call her, fuck her, and move on.”
I’d already made my peace with my decision, and Annabella seemed to as well. It was time to stop living in the past, to stop looking at her like I had every right to fist that hair like a leash. “Got it.”
He pressed his hand against the stack of papers on my desk. “And get this shit done within an hour.”
“I’m about to take lunch.”
He pulled his hand away and gave me a vicious look, like a gargoyle haunting an old cathedral.
“Or I’ll take my lunch in here…”
I lay in bed and read the text on my phone. Meet me at the bar in fifteen. It was from Hades.
The sound of the running shower came from the bathroom, and the fire burned in the hearth. There were a couple of empty bottles of wine scattered around, and I’d had enough to drink that I really didn’t need more booze. Why?
He never texted back…in typical Hades fashion.
Charlotte stepped out of the shower with a white towel around her lithe body. Her dry brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she instantly dropped the towel next to my bed and pulled on her panties that had been left on the floor. She arched her back as she moved, as if she was on the runway.
I watched her because…you know, how could I not?
She sauntered to the bed, her eyes focused on me like she wasn’t satisfied with my performance for that evening. “Has anyone told you that you have the prettiest eyes?” She straddled my hips on top of the sheets, her tits in my face.
More times than I could count. “No.”
“Well, you do.” Her palms planted against my stomach, and she started to pull the sheets down. It’d been a week since I’d called her, and she ended up in my bed several times throughout that time. She was the one who texted me for more, unapologetic about using me. But she was so greedy with my body that I wondered if she wanted more.
I steadied the sheets. “I have to go.”
She pouted her lips. “Right now?”
“Unfortunately.” I knew her panties were on, so she had probably intended to suck my dick, which she was very good at.
“And where are you running off to?”
“A bar. I have a business meeting—best way to describe it.”
“Then I can come along.”
I glanced at the time on my phone. “It’s almost eleven.”
“So?” She wiggled her body on my lap. “If I’m with you, then you can’t go home with someone else.” She was confident about her desirability, knowing she was one of the sexiest women in the country. So, if she was on my arm, I wouldn’t notice anyone else.
“Why do you care if I go home with someone else? You can have any man you want.”
She moved on top of me, crawling like a kitten. Then she pressed her full lips against mine and gave me a soft kiss, a gentle moan coming from her lips. “I know. And you’re the man I want.”
Charlotte had her hand on my thigh, and when a drop of scotch caught in the corner of my mouth, she wiped it away with her finger and placed it into her mouth for a taste. She was all over me, cuddled into my side like we hadn’t even slept together yet.
Hades slid into the spot in the booth across from me, a glass in his hand. He glanced at both of us but didn’t comment on the ridiculous PDA. When he and Sofia first got together, I had been subjected to their make-out sessions and ass-grabs. He glanced at Charlotte before he gave me a pointed stare.
“She wanted to come along,” I explained without actually hearing his question.
Hades addressed her. “Hades. Nice to meet you.”
“Hi.” She waved with her fingers. “Are you guys friends?”
“Yes,” I said. “And business partners. He owns the other half of the bank.”
“Interesting.” She glanced at his left hand. “You’re married.”
Hades nodded. “And I have a son.”
“Aww,” she said. “How old is he?”
“His first birthday is on Saturday.”
Like all women, she turned into a baby-loving freak. “Do you have a picture?”
Slightly annoyed, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone so he could show her pictures.
“Aww.” She swiped through a few, gradually more impressed with my nephew’s cuteness.
Hades turned his glare on me. “Damien, we’re here for business.”
I shrugged. “You’re the one who told me to move on.”
“Oh my god, he’s adorable!” Oblivious to our conversation, she kept swiping through the photo album.
Hades continued his look of annoyance. “I meant on your own time.”
“What are we here for?” I asked, bypassing the subject.
I got my answer a moment later when Liam walked into the bar. In a gray hoodie, he was noticeable because of his size. His arms stretched the cotton of the sweater, and he headed to the bar to grab a drink. A few girls glanced his way, and I was happy to see he didn’t look at them. I shifted my gaze back to Hades, miffed that I had to spend my evening with the man I despised.
Hades read my mind. “We’re moving on, remember?”
Liam approached the table and set down his drink. “Hades.” He shook his hand while standing up, then did the same to me. “Damien.”
I took his hand, but the touch still made my muscles tighten in dislike.
Charlotte put down the phone. “Hey, I’m Char.” She extended her hand to shake his.
Liam hesitated
before he reciprocated. “Liam.” He scooted into the round booth.
“Hades was just showing me adorable pictures of his son.” Charlotte returned the phone. “What’s his name?”
“Andrew.” Hades slipped the phone back into his pocket. “And I’m expecting another.”
“How sweet,” she said. “What are you having?”
“Another boy,” he answered, his voice dark because he was irritated we were discussing pussy shit in front of a client. He gave me that look that told me I needed to get rid of her.
I took the hint. “Char, the men are gonna talk about a few things. Could you grab yourself a drink?”
Instead of being offended, she rolled with it. “Sure.” She rubbed my arm then leaned in and kissed me on the mouth like she was saying goodbye forever. To take it to a whole other level, she rubbed her palm across my crotch like she was saying goodbye to my dick before she scooted out of the booth and headed to the bar.
Hades didn’t say anything, but he shook his head slightly, even though he would have had a completely different reaction if he were single. When we were both bachelors, he would pull the same shit all the time. Guess his memory wasn’t that great.
Liam turned to me. “Is she that lingerie model?”
I was perturbed he recognized her. “Yeah.”
“Conway Barsetti is our client,” Hades interjected, like he was afraid I’d say something stupid. “He introduced them.”
“Wow,” Liam said with a chuckle. “That’s a nice perk.”
My eyes narrowed. “What the—”
“What do you think about starting the death matches?” Hades covered up my outburst with an entirely different question, masking my anger by taking the conversation in a new direction.
Liam turned to him and didn’t seem to notice my fury. “Let’s do it.”
Now, I was mad again—for a whole new reason.
Liam’s fingers rested on the rim of his glass, and he gave it a gentle swirl. “I’ve thought about it a lot, and I’m never going to make as much money unless I go back to that level. And regular matches are boring. My adrenaline doesn’t rise at all. There’s not that rush, not like when my life is on the line and I take someone else’s.”
I’d killed people because I had to, not because I wanted to. When he said it like that, he sounded like a psychopath, like Maddox or the Skull King. If Annabella heard him say that, would she be with him right now?
Hades didn’t blink an eye over it. “Great. What if we set up the first match two weeks from now? Will you be ready?”
Liam held his gaze for a long time as he considered it. His other hand rested on the table, and he was wearing his wedding ring. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
What?
“We’ll make the arrangements,” Hades said. “But we need to talk about money now. We need a strategic plan when this kind of cash starts rolling in.” He glanced at me to make sure I would keep my mouth shut about the whole thing.
I did…but it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
Did he intend to do this behind Annabella’s back? Keep it a fucking secret?
Shouldn’t I tell her?
But I couldn’t…not if I wanted to keep my neck and my relationship with Hades.
Hades pulled out his phone when it vibrated. He glanced at the screen, and his eyebrows immediately furrowed like the call was important. “It’s my wife. I have to take this.” He slid out of the booth and answered. “Baby, everything alright?”
I knew it was her because no other call would make him leave a meeting like that.
Now, it was just Liam and me.
He turned his gaze to me, holding his third drink. “So, how long have you been seeing her?”
I didn’t want to talk about my personal life, but I had nothing else to talk about. Business had been handled. “A week.”
He nodded. “Nice. Can’t do much better, right?”
Annabella was better. “Happily married?” I asked, slightly sarcastic.
“Yeah.” The mention of Annabella changed his attitude instantly, making him softer. “It’s been great. We were apart for a long time, and it feels right now that she’s back. Things aren’t perfect, but…at least she’s mine again.”
“Why aren’t they perfect?”
He stared into his glass for a long time, and the only reason he answered was probably because it was empty. “She was hung up on her ex for a while… That’s been rough.”
I was shocked she’d told him that. “Then why do you want to be with her if she’s into someone else?”
He leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “I love her. And I’m the one who fucked everything up. It serves me right…”
If he spoke this way about her, then why the hell was he going back to death fighting? I knew I should keep my mouth shut, but I couldn’t. I would always care about her, and if she rejected me because she was committed to their marriage, then she deserved to have him just as committed. So, I did something really stupid…something that would bite me in the ass in a few minutes. “If you love her, you shouldn’t do this, Liam.”
He raised his head and looked at me, clearly surprised I would say something that contradicted my own self-interest.
“I was with her at the match. She hates it when you fight. Imagine how she’ll feel when she finds out about this.”
“She doesn’t have to know.”
I was about to lose my shit. “So, your plan is to lie to her?”
“I’ll tell her not to come to my matches. I know she hates it anyway.”
“So, you could die at any moment, and your wife has no idea?” I asked incredulously. “You realize how stupid that is?”
He must have been pretty buzzed because he didn’t scream at me. He just stared at me, like he didn’t know what to say.
“You would do that to her? After everything you did to get her back? Why would you gamble the most important thing in your life for this?”
He sighed. “I just wish I could have both.”
“Well, you can’t,” I snapped. “You need to either be honest with Annabella, or don’t do it at all.”
“I know she’ll just say no—”
I slammed my hand down on the table. “Then you have your answer.”
He turned back to me.
“Be the husband she deserves, Liam.”
Seconds passed as if he was seriously considering what I said. He didn’t say anything, and he grabbed his glass so he could have the last few drops. When there wasn’t a single splash left, he turned the glass over.
Hades came back to the table when his conversation was finished.
“Everything alright with Sofia?” I asked, my attention diverting to her well-being.
“She’s fine,” Hades answered. “She just wants me home.”
“Is she okay?” I repeated.
“Just had a nightmare.” He didn’t elaborate because he didn’t need to. I knew exactly what her nightmares were about. He turned back to Liam. “Everything is set up, so hit the gym. I’ll handle everything—”
“I’ve changed my mind.” Liam stared straight ahead, his eyes filled with regret for what he had to do. “I need to talk to my wife about all this…”
Hades snapped his neck so hard when he turned back to me. His eyes bored into mine, so satanic, he really looked like the devil. He fell back into the leather cushion of the booth, so furious that his tanned skin was turning red. He knew I was responsible—no doubt in his mind.
My decision was officially biting me in the ass.
“I should go.” Liam threw his cash on the table. “I’ll let you know what she says…” He disappeared from the table and walked out of the bar.
Hades didn’t say goodbye because he was too busy staring at me with two bullets for eyes. “What the fuck did I say?” His hand tightened into a fist like he was about to punch a hole through the solid wood table. “I told you to stay out of it—”
“You told me not to tell
her. I didn’t.”
Both of his hands moved to his scalp, and he fisted his hair before he dropped his arms. “Do you realize how much money you lost us?”
“I don’t care.” I didn’t want to rock the boat with Hades when we’d only moved past our problems a few months ago, but I couldn’t control my impulses. Annabella deserved a man who would do anything for her, who would be honest with her. If she wanted Liam, then I would just have to turn him into the man she wanted.
“She’s. Not. Yours.”
“I know, but—”
“No but,” he snapped. “It’s not our place to interfere in their marriage. If she finds out and wants to leave, then she can leave. It’s not like Liam beats her or keeps her hostage.”
“But if he dies in a match, do you have any idea what that will do to her?”
He sighed so loud, it was a quiet scream. “I don’t give a shit what it will do to her. She means nothing to me—as she should mean nothing to you.”
“We’re friends, and friends look out for one another.”
“You aren’t looking out for her. You’re manipulating her husband like a puppet.”
I didn’t have an argument that he would understand. What I did was stupid and illogical, but I didn’t care. “Maybe she’ll agree when he talks to her.”
He shook his head slightly. “Come on, Damien. We both know that’s not going to happen.”
“Then we’ll find another client. We’ll make money some other way—”
“He’s the best fighter in this fucking city.” He slammed his forefinger into the wood.
“And we’ll still represent him for the regular fights—”
“No one gives a shit about those fights. And don’t you want Liam to be dead? Think about it. With him out of the way, you could have another fling, or whatever the fuck you had. All your problems are solved.”
I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind. “But it would hurt her…and I don’t want her to get hurt.”
When Hades officially gave up, he leaned back into the booth and stared across the room. His drink was untouched because a smooth glass of scotch couldn’t wash away his rage. “I don’t know what to do with you…”