by Penelope Sky
“It’s like you’re brainwashed or something.”
“I’m not brainwashed. I just don’t love her anymore. People fall out of love every day.”
“Not in a month,” he argued. “And not you. You’ve been infatuated with this woman since you met her. How can that just end? How can you be so committed to her throughout your divorce and then one day just stop? Do you really want to go home with that girl who only wants your wallet? Or would you want to go home with a real woman who killed your greatest enemy and gave birth to your son?”
When he described her that way, he made her sound like a saint. She was no saint. “Let’s not forget that she left me. Twice.”
“She was trying to protect your kid. And when was the other time?”
“When we first started seeing each other. I asked her to marry me. She said no.”
“The explanation for that is pretty simple…because you’d just started to see each other. That was way too soon, and you know it. You’re just making excuses, and I don’t understand why.”
I knew exactly why I felt the way I did. The gypsy cleansed my heart and made me feel nothing. It was freeing…not caring about anything. But I would never tell him what I did. It didn’t matter anyway. I didn’t love Sofia anymore, and that was the bottom line. “I just don’t love her anymore. It’s that simple.”
“And what about Andrew?”
“What about him? I’ll still be a father. Divorced couples do it all the time. I’m not reinventing the wheel here.”
Ash didn’t have any arguments left, but he was still surprised by my confession. “I could understand all of that if it hadn’t happened overnight. But one day, you were lovesick over Sofia, and now that you can have everything you’ve ever wanted, you don’t want her anymore.”
I shrugged. “That’s the way life is sometimes.”
“No, it’s not. Not for no reason.”
I did have a reason…but that reason didn’t matter anymore. “I appreciate you looking out for me and Sofia, but it will be fine. We’ll work it out for Andrew.”
“It won’t be fine. She’s heartbroken. She’s in love with you, Hades. She risked her neck to save the man she loves, only to find out he doesn’t give a damn about her.”
I shook my head. “It’s not that I don’t give a damn about her. I just don’t feel the way I used to. How many times do I have to say it?”
He stared at the surface of the table for a while and ran his fingers through his hair. “You loved her once. I think you could love her again if you wanted to. You wouldn’t even have to try.”
It was my turn to stare at the table. “But I don’t want to try.”
20
Sofia
It took a few weeks for us to move to Florence. I put the house on the market and left it up to the real estate agent to sell before fall. Thankfully, my inheritance was sizable enough that we had been able to hold on to our old place close to the hotel. It’d been vacant for a while now, and my mom didn’t have the heart to sell it.
I hadn’t spoken to Hades since our last painful conversation because I dreaded talking to him now. He was a heartless asshole, and I could only take rejection so many times. Before I officially made the move, I stopped by Ash’s place to say goodbye.
“Where’s the little stud?” He didn’t seem to care about me at all, just his nephew, whom he’d grown so fond of.
“He’s not a stud…at least not yet. I’d like to keep it that way for a long time.”
“If he’s anything like me and Hades, he’ll start young. I think I lost my virginity…”
“Anyway…did you talk to Hades?” Ash had never called me, so I assumed he only had bad news.
He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. “He said everything that you had already told me. It doesn’t make any sense…I don’t get any of it. But his story didn’t change. He’s just a different person. No idea why.”
Ash had been my last hope to get something out of Hades. Damien would probably have been more helpful, but since they weren’t friends anymore, he was useless. Now I felt even more devastated because I didn’t know what else to do besides give up.
Ash gave me a soft expression. “I’m sorry…”
“Yeah…me too.” If Hades was this cold to me, that meant he’d probably already moved on with his life. He had different women at his place, and my old wedding ring sat in the nightstand where it’d been forgotten. I didn’t want to let him go, but I didn’t know what choice I had. It wasn’t like I could change his mind. “I guess that’s it…” Tears burned behind my eyes, but I didn’t let them rise to the surface. I’d lost the love of my life, and now he acted like he hated me. Just woke up one day, and everything was different.
“I don’t think you’ll ever understand his decision. And you probably won’t change his mind. But maybe you could do something else.”
“Like what?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t recommend this. Personally, I wouldn’t do it because I have way too much pride. But if you still love him and want to keep fighting for him…”
“I do.”
“Then you can make him fall in love with you again.”
That seemed impossible right now. “I don’t even know how I would do that.”
“What did you do the first time?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. In the beginning, we were just hooking up…”
“Then try that again. Be the person in his bed…so no one can replace you.”
I used to feel sexy when I was with him, but now I didn’t feel sexy at all. My body was different after having a baby, so I wasn’t the size zero I used to be. It wasn’t the same as it was years ago. I doubted I was the kind of fantasy he had. “I don’t think he’ll want me.”
“Trust me, he will.”
“Why? I’m twenty pounds heavier than I used to be, and my boobs are different.”
“A guy doesn’t care about a woman looking perfect. He cares about a woman fucking perfect. Something tells me you have that down.” He winked at me. “If you really love him, I would at least try. Because if you don’t try…you’ll probably never get him back.”
My mother watched Andrew while I was at work at the hotel. She was a free babysitter, and she looked forward to spending time with her grandson every single day. I didn’t have to worry about him because I knew he was in safe hands.
It was nice to be back at the Tuscan Rose. There were other vacant offices, so I could have worked somewhere else and avoided the crime scene, but I actually felt safe while working in the place where Maddox died.
Where I shot him.
It made me feel like the victor, the solution to my own problem. I wished Hades were more thankful for the sacrifice I’d made, but he seemed ambivalent about it. Brainwashed was the best description to explain his behavior. But whatever the cause, it didn’t change the illness.
I thought about Hades often and tried to think of an excuse to see him, but my only reasonable move was to talk about the son we shared. But having the baby with us made it difficult for us to be ourselves. We couldn’t scream at each other because it’d make Andrew cry.
I called Damien as I sat at my desk.
He answered after a couple rings. “It’s been a long time…”
Damien and I had fallen out of touch when I’d moved to Rome. Now that he and Hades weren’t close anymore, he drifted to the outskirts of my thoughts. I’d always thought the two of them would make up, but it’d been so long that seemed impossible now. “I know. Life just got hectic… You know how it is.”
“Life is shitty, if that’s what you mean.”
Ain’t that the truth. “How are things with you?”
He had a soft heart under that hard body because he continued to talk to me even though he really had no reason to. “Hades is trying to push me out of the business, and he thinks I’m a liar…and I haven’t caught any good tail lately. So, things have been better.”
; “Why would he want to get rid of you?”
He sighed into the phone. “Because he’s an arrogant bastard who thinks he doesn’t need anyone anymore.” The venom in his voice was unmistakable. Even if Hades apologized, Damien probably wouldn’t give a shit. That bridge had been burned.
“Why does he think you’re a liar?”
“He assumes I collaborated with you to kill Maddox when I promised I wouldn’t get involved.”
My heart sank when I realized I’d caused a greater rift between the two men. “It was me and Ash…”
“Yeah, I figured that out a couple hours later. But he’s so stubborn, he can’t think straight.”
“Did you tell him that?”
His voice came out like ice. “No.”
“Well, you should.”
“Well, I don’t want to. His opinion of me means nothing. I don’t give a damn if he thinks I’m a liar and a cheat. I know I fucked up in the past, but I’ve always been a good friend to him. It’s not my fault he can’t see that.”
Now I wondered if Hades had really lost his mind. Maybe being stuck with Maddox for so long messed with his head. It changed him, traumatized him until he couldn’t handle it anymore. He responded the only way he knew how…by snapping to cope. “Yeah, he’s definitely lost touch.”
“When’s the wedding?”
The question made me feel dead inside. Getting my husband back would be nearly impossible, not to mention marrying him again. I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to seduce him anymore. “Hades is being…kind of an asshole.”
“What’s new?”
“He says he doesn’t want to get back together.”
This time, he took a long pause and stopped issuing smartass comments. “Why would he say that?”
“He’s angry with me for leaving. Says he doesn’t love me anymore.” It broke my heart to say those things out loud.
“Not possible.”
I smiled, but my tears also began.
“I’ve never seen a person love anyone the way he loves you.”
I’d taken Hades for granted for so long. He was so loyal and committed to me, showed me love was real. I was afraid of having a marriage like my mother’s, but he gave me so much more. Now that it was gone, I didn’t know how to go on. “I know…but that’s how he feels.”
He was quiet again. “I noticed he was different when we last spoke. Didn’t realize he was that different…”
“Something snapped inside his head. When he left me in Rome, he said he didn’t want to see me again. That it was too hard. Maybe that decision made him realize life would be easier without me.”
“Maybe for someone else…but not him.” The line turned silent as Damien thought to himself. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m so hurt that I don’t want to bother with him. But I love him so much that I can’t just walk away. I want my husband back. I want my family back. So, I’m going to try to change his mind.”
“Good luck with that. Maddox may be gone, but there’s a new villain in town.”
I didn’t follow his logic. “Who?”
He sighed into the phone. “Hades…god of the underworld.”
21
Hades
I produced the highest yield of crystal of my career. I handed it off to our distributors then told my cooks to get back to work. With Maddox out of the picture and my power unrivaled, I intended to eliminate all other competition and kill anyone that got in my way.
Life was good.
I wasn’t as relieved as I’d thought I would be that Maddox was gone. I hated to admit it, but I’d learned a lot from him. I understood how to delegate to my men, how to terrify my enemies, and how to get shit done with precision. His demise was great news because he couldn’t control me anymore, but in terms of great businessmen, he really had been one of the best.
Now I was the best.
I’d acquired all of his men and tripled my force. Now I sat in my office with my feet on the desk, an invisible crown on my head. Getting rid of Damien was the last thing on my list, and I considered how to kill him.
But I knew I couldn’t do it. Maddox could’ve…but not me.
My phone started to ring on the desk, and I glanced at the screen.
It was Sofia.
That name used to send vibrations into my heart, make my stomach tighten with both excitement and unease. But now, I felt nothing…except a sprinkle of annoyance. I’d made it clear I didn’t want her anymore. I hope she took that seriously. My days of being a pussy-whipped little bitch were over.
She could find some other asshole to torture.
But she was the mother of my son, and of course, I would always care about her. Even if I didn’t love her anymore, I would help her in whatever way I could. I took the call. “Yes?”
“Don’t talk to me that way unless you want to get slapped.” Her tone of voice was so different, I almost didn’t recognize it. She wasn’t the clingy, whiny woman she was the last time I saw her. Now, she was stern and hard, reminding me of the woman I’d originally met years ago.
“You don’t know where I am, so how will you accomplish that?”
In a dead serious tone, she said, “I’ll hunt you down.”
I was quiet because I was surprised by her response.
“I’ve had Andrew for two weeks. I think it’s time you took him for a while. There’re some things I have to take care of, and it’d be nice to have a break.”
I was curious about these plans she had, but I didn’t ask. I’d had Helena make up a room for Andrew down the hall from me because I knew I would be watching him on my own at some point. Having a kid interrupted my bachelor life, but he was so special to me that I didn’t mind. “That’s fine.”
“You want me to drop him off later? I’m going out anyway.”
I didn’t ask what she was up to. “Yeah. Any time after six.”
She didn’t even say goodbye before she hung up.
I listened to the line go dead, and I raised an eyebrow. “Did she just hang up on me?”
I’d just gotten out of the shower when there was a knock on the door. I left my towel on the bathroom counter and pulled on a pair of sweatpants before I opened it.
Sofia stood there holding a car seat with Andrew inside. He was so small that it was easy for her to carry him with one arm. On her shoulder was a blue baby bag with his favorite toys and blankets. “I packed enough bottles of milk to last you three days.” There was no desire in her eyes when she looked at me shirtless. There was no affection either, like she was taking our separation well. “I got his favorite stuffed animals and other stuff he might need.” She was dressed in a tight black dress with little straps over her shoulders. Her tits were bigger than they used to be, and they were proudly displayed in the sweetheart top. Her body wasn’t thin and hard like it once was, but she had a lot of extra curves to make up for it. With silky, shiny hair and painted lips, she looked like a hot piece of ass.
It didn’t look like she’d had a baby at all.
I thought I would want to stare only at my son, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Where was she going dressed like that? Did she have a date? Was it too soon for that? “Thanks.” I took the car seat from her and carried him into my bedroom. I placed him on the top of the bed so he could have a look around. It was the first time he’d been in my bedroom since he was born.
She set the bag beside him before she leaned down and kissed him. “I’m gonna miss you so much, baby. But I’ll be back in a couple of days.” She cupped his cheeks and rubbed his nose with hers. “I love you, sweetheart. Have fun with Daddy.” When she bent over like that, the curve in her back was more noticeable, her ass stuck out, and her tits were practically falling out of the front of her dress. She stood up straight. “I gotta go. I’m already late.”
Late for what?
She ran her fingers through her hair and walked past me. “Call me if you need anything. Even if it’s in the middle of the night, I’m happy
to help.” Immune to my muscular attractiveness, she headed to the door.
My eyes glanced down to her ass. “I know how to take care of my son.”
She turned around at the door. With one hand on her hip, she gave me a stare ripe with attitude. “But you don’t know how to talk to a woman.”
I took Andrew to the bank with me during the day. He sat in the car seat in one of the chairs facing my desk. As long as he had a toy or a bottle, he was usually fine. His cries were at a minimum. The only time he got upset was when I left the room. He hated being alone, so as long as I was nearby, he felt comfortable.
I would look up from my laptop from time to time just to stare at him. He was only six weeks old, but he’d grown so much in such a short amount of time. His face was more defined and less chubby, and his hair was starting to come in. I could see his distinct similarities to me, but I could also see so much of Sofia in his expression. He was a perfect combination of the two of us.
Damien stormed into my office. “That fucking prick Thomas is being a little bitch. He just gave us his money, and he wants to pull it out already. The guy expects results overnight, but he doesn’t have a fucking clue—”
“Watch your mouth.”
Damien straightened in front of my desk and gave me a quizzical expression.
I nodded to Andrew on the chair. “Don’t want him to be a potty mouth like his father.”
Damien glanced over his shoulder and stilled when he noticed my son. He hadn’t seen him before since we had no personal relationship at all. He stared for a while before he leaned down and looked at him. “Hey, little guy. Your daddy must be somebody else because you are way too cute.”
I let the insult slide.
Damien squeezed Andrew’s foot before he turned back to me. “Sofia did a good job.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I fucked her, didn’t I?”
“Whoa, watch the language.”