by Penelope Sky
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “You’re married to a Barsetti?”
His eyes narrowed. “Yes.”
“She must be a handful.” I knew the Barsetti family pretty well. Crow and Cane were stubborn and difficult, and Conway was similar to his father in that regard. I could only imagine how Crow’s daughter had turned out.
“She is.” He turned around to walk out. “But that’s exactly how I like her.”
16
Annabella
Sofia stepped into my office. “How are you doing?”
“Good. Weddings are being booked for the spring, and our calendar is almost completely blocked off…” I had my wedding planner on the desk, and newly engaged couples were calling left and right.
“Hades and I got married here, actually,” she said. “But that’s not what I meant. I was referring to the dinner the other night…didn’t realize Damien was bringing his lady friend.”
It was like a rusty knife to the stomach. I bled until the wound closed, but then it became infected…so it never really healed. “It was no big deal.” I brushed it off and pretended not to care, because that was exactly how I should feel. I was married to Liam, and despite our problems, I should be thinking about him, not someone else. “I’m married…and he’s seeing someone else. It’s not like I didn’t already know that.”
Sofia watched me with suspicion, her arms crossed over her chest. “At least you have a good attitude about it.”
“What did you think of her?”
She shrugged. “She was fine. She was nice, participated in the conversation, but she was a little possessive of Damien. It was like she knew exactly who you were or something, but I doubt Damien told her. I mean, Hades usually touches me in public, but he’s not so over-the-top about it.”
“Yeah…she was definitely marking her territory.”
“Damien said it’s just a fling, so I think she’s trying to change his mind.”
I didn’t want to think about her anymore. Damien’s personal life was none of my business, and I didn’t want to spend another second thinking about that model groping him under the table. “Maybe.” I turned back to the binder. “I’ll let you know when I have the final schedule.”
She ignored what I said. “Damien and Hades are stopping by to pick me up for lunch. You wanna join?”
Now I knew why she’d bombarded me with questions. She wanted to see if I could handle being in the same room as Damien after that god-awful dinner. “Depends. Will that leech be there?” She’d kissed his neck multiple times throughout dinner, especially during dessert.
She chuckled. “No.”
I was hungry and didn’t bring lunch. Also, it was a nice day because the weather was starting to clear up. “Sure. Why not?” We left the office and stepped into the hallway.
Damien and Hades walked side by side down the hallway, both wearing suits with shiny watches on their wrists. Hades was in black, and Damien was in dark blue. They were both beautiful men, with dark hair and tanned skin that appeared above their collared shirts. Tall, muscular, and with an innate darkness to them both, they affected the air around them wherever they went. They were engaged in conversation, not noticing us at the end of the hallway.
“He’s married to Crow’s daughter?” Hades asked. “That’s pretty unbelievable.”
“I don’t understand why Conway kept it a secret,” Damien replied. “He could have just told me.”
“It’s probably to protect his family,” Hades said. “The country’s best assassin mixed his blood with Barsetti blood? Someone could use that against them. Conway was being loyal by protecting his sister.”
“I guess.”
“If Bones it out of the question, what are you going to do?”
Damien never answered the question because his eyes settled on me, and it was as if nothing else mattered. He took me in without blinking, looking into my eyes as if he were searching for something only he could see. He continued walking until he was right in front of me, his hands in his pockets.
I assumed they were discussing the thing Damien had mentioned to me the other night, that Charlotte got him a meeting with someone in exchange for bringing her to dinner with us. I didn’t get the feeling he was going to say anything, so I spoke. “Hey.”
He responded. “Hey.” It didn’t seem like he’d expected to see me even though my office was just a few feet away. He probably assumed I declined the lunch invitation because I couldn’t stand to be in the same room as him.
Hades wrapped his arms around Sofia and kissed her, oblivious to the two of us. His hand moved to her stomach, and they shared a few quiet whispers, a pair of lovers who had a connection only they got to enjoy.
Damien kept his eyes on me and didn’t even greet Sofia. “Joining us?”
I nodded. “Forgot my lunch today.”
“I’m sure whatever we’re having is better than the leftover pizza you brought,” he teased.
“I haven’t had pizza since…” I let the words trail off and disappear into the air. Liam was committed to a healthy diet to stay in shape, so we always cooked all our meals. I noticed I’d dropped the pounds I’d gained living alone very quickly. Now I fit into my old clothes without issue.
Damien knew what I was going to say, and for just an instant, his gaze dropped. “Then let’s go to a pizzeria. I know it’s your favorite.”
“I shouldn’t eat that, but I can’t resist.”
Damien turned to Hades and Sofia when they broke apart. “Pizza okay?”
“I’m not eating that garbage,” Hades said.
“Ooh…pizza sounds good.” Now Sofia rubbed her stomach like she was hungry.
Hades changed his tune immediately. “Alright, pizza it is.” He took his wife by the hand and guided her down the hallway.
I watched them go, unable to resist their cuteness. “He’s a pushover, isn’t it?”
Damien started to walk with me. “The biggest one I’ve ever met.”
We left the hotel and walked to the restaurant. It was still cold outside, but not as freezing as it used to be. “So, did you get that meeting you wanted?”
He was close to my side as he walked beside me, his hands in the pockets of his suit. “Yes.”
“And how did that go?”
“Not the way I wanted, unfortunately.”
I didn’t ask specifics because I knew he would tell me on his own.
“I tried to hire the best hit man to take care of my problem. He said no…so I asked for a favor to get into a room with him. That conversation went nowhere…and he still said no. So, I have to find another solution.”
“Why don’t you kill the guy yourself?”
“Because I’d have to deal with all his cronies afterward. If it remains anonymous, they won’t be able to identify the culprit. If I make the wrong move, he’ll go after my father again…my sister…maybe even Hades. It’s just too risky.”
“I’m surprised Charlotte has those connections.”
“She doesn’t,” he said, tensing at the mention of her name. “Her boss knows the hit man. She brought me to dinner with him.”
That was why she wanted to come to dinner with us. It made sense. “Now what?”
He shrugged. “Not sure. Hades and I used to be at the top of the food chain, but our enemies are growing stronger. Our last foe nearly destroyed us, and the Skull King is more complicated. He has his hands in every aspect of the city…it’s frustrating.”
I wondered if Liam had a similar relationship to him. “I could ask Liam to help you…”
He turned to me, surprised. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure what business Liam has with him, but I know they have a relationship.”
“Probably collects his royalties from fighting.”
Liam didn’t share the details with me. “If Liam does something, the Skull King will never see him coming. Just an idea…”
Damien considered it for a long time, staring at me as he considere
d it, but then he faced forward again. “No. But thank you for the offer.” His jawline was covered with a thick shadow, but the sharpness of his jaw was still impressive. Cords of veins ran up his neck, and his handsome face was beautiful at this angle.
I didn’t push it because I really didn’t understand the underworld. I only brushed the surface. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah…maybe.” When we arrived at the restaurant, he opened the door for me before he walked in behind me.
Hades and Sofia already had a table, and they shared a single menu.
When Damien reached the table, he pulled out the chair for me.
I hesitated before I sat down, enjoying the way he treated me even though Liam did the exact same thing. When Charlotte had come to the table, he didn’t do it for her…and I distinctly remembered that. He only did it for me.
“We’re splitting a pizza,” Hades said. “Or should we get a bigger size and split it four ways?”
Damien sat down and smoothed his tie. “I thought you didn’t eat garbage?”
Hades shot him a glare. “Just answer the question.”
“I’ll eat anything, so that’s fine with me,” I said.
Damien shrugged. “I’m not picky either. Let the pregnant woman decide.”
“Alright,” Sofia said. “Let’s get a super large Margherita pizza.”
“Super large?” Hades asked playfully. “You mean extra-large?”
“Whatever.” She tossed the menu aside. “Just feed me.”
Hades chuckled. “Alright, baby.”
At the end of the meal, Hades’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and took the call. “Yes?” He listened to the line for a while before he hung up. “I’ve got to head back to the office. One of my big clients needs my help.”
“Who?” Damien asked.
“Caruso.”
Damien nodded. “I’ll walk the girls back.”
“I’ll take Sofia.” He rose from the chair. “You can pay the bill.”
Damien gave a slight grin. “Jackass.”
“Take the leftovers to the office, please.” Sofia grabbed her coat and put it over her shoulders. “We’ll leave it in the fridge and eat it tomorrow.”
“Good idea,” I said. “I’ll ask for a box.”
They said goodbye and left.
Now Damien and I were alone together…for the millionth time. There were other people in the restaurant, but we still felt completely alone, unsupervised. It was tense again, and my thoughts went to places they shouldn’t.
I cleared my throat and waved down the waiter. “Could I have a box? And the bill too?” He nodded and walked away.
My legs were crossed under the table and Damien was directly beside me, so I didn’t have to stare at his face. I could force a meaningless conversation, but I was tired of doing that. It never masked reality.
He stared straight ahead for a while. “How are you?”
“Good. You?”
“Miserable,” he said quietly.
I turned my face in his direction so I could see the side of his face. “Why is that?”
He shrugged. “I just am.”
“Well, Liam thinks you’re a lucky bastard having a woman like Charlotte all over you…” Her beauty made me insecure. So did her paycheck. She was one of the highest-paid models in the world. I brought home a mediocre salary. Those things never mattered before…but now that I was jealous, they bothered me.
He turned to me, his green eyes focused intently on mine. “He’s the lucky bastard, Annabella.” He held my gaze for a long time, his body so rigid, it seemed like he wasn’t breathing.
I couldn’t handle his intensity for a moment longer, so I turned away.
The waiter brought the pizza box and the tab. Just so I had something to do, I grabbed the box and prepared to put the leftover slices away.
But Damien grabbed my hand under the table, his fingers interlocking with mine before they rested on my thigh. He gave me a gentle squeeze, but instead of pulling away afterward, he continued to hold me in place.
I didn’t fight him. I felt the warmth from his skin, felt the calluses on his fingertips and palm. Touching him reminded me of the way those fingertips felt against my cheek, reminded me of the way they felt on my tits when he squeezed them. We would sit together on the couch, and he would do the same thing, hold my hand like we were young people in love. Now, the touch meant more than it ever did when we were together. It was hotter, stronger, and more beautiful.
He pulled my hand to his thigh and held it there, his thumb gently stroking my skin. His head was tilted down, and he stared at our joined hands. “When I’m with her, I think about you. I see the way men stare at her, and it’s the way I stare at you. She chases away the loneliness because I can’t have the woman I actually want. She makes you insecure, but you’re the one who makes her furious. When we came home from dinner, she said, without preamble, that you’re still in love with me…and I’m not over you. She could see it even though I never mentioned you. I don’t understand how she can see so much, but Liam doesn’t notice what’s right in front of his face. Instead of watching other people, he should be watching you…and only you.” His thumb stopped brushing mine, and he pulled away. “Liam is the luckiest motherfucker in the world…and I hate that he has no idea that he is.”
17
Damien
Hades and I walked side by side into the casino. Suits meant nothing in a place like this, full of demonic billionaires who didn’t need fancy clothes to show off the cash in their wallets. I was in a long-sleeved shirt, while Hades wore a gray blazer.
Hades passed a topless woman as she tried to take his drink order. He ignored her as if she didn’t exist.
Annabella and I hadn’t spoken since that moment in the pizza parlor. I lost my mind and did something stupid…holding her hand and saying a bunch of romantic bullshit. I never told Hades because I knew he would give me a black eye for being a dumbass. I knew I would see her tonight because Liam was fighting, and I dreaded that interaction.
It was the first time I didn’t want to see her.
We headed into the industrial elevator and descended to the basement where the underground arena was located. It was far away from everything else, so the sound of moving chips and flipping cards wouldn’t be overpowered by the loud screams from the audience.
Hades glanced at me. “What’s with the bad mood?”
“What bad mood?”
He turned to me, his eyebrow cocked.
“I’m always in a bad mood.”
He let the conversation die.
We stepped into the room, surrounded by hungry men who wanted to see blood spilled. The crowd would double in size once the death fights began. The earlier fights were basically the opening act.
“You see Liam?” Hades glanced around the room, searching for our client.
I didn’t bother to look. “No.”
When we didn’t see him, we entered his changing room.
He sat at the desk and took a shot of booze. He swallowed it then wiped his mouth with the back of his forearm. “About time you showed up.”
My eyes immediately searched for Annabella—but she wasn’t there.
“Should you be drinking like that before a match?” Hades grabbed the bottle and tightened the cap before he returned it to the cabinet.
“Takes the edge off.” He got to his feet and pulled his shirt over his head. “Helps with the pain too.”
My curiosity got the best of me. “Where’s Annabella?” She wasn’t sitting in the stands alone, right?
He turned to me, his eyebrow slightly raised, probably because I used her full name when no one else ever did. But he was too stupid to be suspicious, to notice that another man stared at his wife the way he did. “She didn’t want to come.”
That explained his foul mood. But I was glad she wasn’t here because it was no place for a woman. She was gorgeous, so most of the men there fantasized about pinnin
g her to the mattress, choking her around the neck, and fucking her like they bought her. But he was too stupid to see the world around him.
The door opened, and the ring announcer poked his head in. “You’re up, Liam.”
“Alright.” He hopped in place and shook out his wrists to warm up. “Wish me luck, boys.”
Hades clapped him on the shoulder. “You don’t need any luck.”
I didn’t say a word to him.
We followed him to the ring and took our seats. The buzzer went off, and the fighters began the battle.
Hades looked straight ahead as he spoke to me. “You could at least pretend you like the guy.”
I shook my head. “Not possible.”
“What happened?”
I decided not to tell him the full story. “Annabella told me Liam thinks I’m a lucky bastard for having Charlotte…”
“And?” Hades watched the blows come from left and right, even though he knew how this fight was gonna end.
“Why does he care about the woman in my bed when Anna is in his?”
He leaned forward, and his arms rested on his thighs. “I guess I should never leave the two of you alone…”
“Probably not.” Anytime we were alone together, it just got worse and worse.
He gave me an incredulous look when I answered honestly.
I didn’t apologize for it.
We stopped talking and watched the rest of the match. It was over in twenty minutes, with Liam emerging as the victor. The crowd cheered, money changed hands, and he stepped out of the arena.
We met him at the perimeter. Hades clapped him on the back. “Good fight.”
I was quiet.
Liam wiped the sweat from his face with the towel that was handed to him. “Too easy.” The sound of the next match was loud, the buzzer going off before the fighters lunged at each other.
“Easy, huh?” A large man blocked our path, shirtless and in his black shorts. He was muscular, matching Liam’s size. The grimace on his face showed his hatred for Liam, like he already knew him. “Maybe it wouldn’t be so easy if you didn’t take pussy matches.”