by Penelope Sky
So, we had to come up with a plan.
Ash came over after dinner and sat in the nursery with me. Andrew had just had dinner so he was still awake, but he would drift off to sleep quickly. I gave Ash an opportunity to spend time with him, to hold him in the rocking chair until he went to sleep.
“So, you’ll help me?”
He stared at Andrew for a while before he met my look. “I’ve thought a lot about it.”
“I’d hoped you would. Otherwise, I’ll have to figure it out on my own.”
He rocked the chair for a long time before he stopped. “You’ll never be able to hunt him down and take him out. Hades and Damien have tried that many times to no success. Your only chance is to get him to come to you.”
“And how will I do that? Call him and tell him I’m in town?”
“No. He has to think he’s catching you off guard. That’s your only chance, your only leverage.”
“And how am I gonna do that? I could visit Hades at his office…I guess.”
“No. You can’t involve Hades at all.” He looked down at Andrew and noticed he was asleep. He lowered his voice as he kept talking. “I’m certain Maddox has people who keep tabs on you. He knows where you are and what you’re doing. Since he’s using you against Hades, that’s the only way for him to keep his word.”
“I’ve never noticed anyone following me.”
“That’s the point.”
“So, when I go to Florence, he’ll know?”
He nodded. “Exactly. Hades told him you aren’t together anymore. So, Maddox will probably assume you’re in town for personal reasons. Go straight to the hotel. Knowing him, he won’t be able to resist stopping by.”
That did seem like something he would do. He wouldn’t touch me or threaten me, but he’d want to watch me squirm in his presence. I’d left my husband and moved all the way to Rome because I was afraid of Maddox. He would probably get off to the sight of my fear. “And then what?”
“Wait in your office. When he walks in…shoot him.”
“I’m not quick with guns. He might shoot me before I could even draw.”
“That’s why you have your gun hidden. Wear a jacket and leave it in your pocket. That way, he’ll have no idea.”
“You don’t think he’ll figure that out?”
He shrugged. “He might figure it all out. Like I said, I don’t condone this. But I think it’s your best option. The fact that you’re letting him come to you gives you the upper hand. He’ll think he outsmarted you…when in reality, you outsmarted him.”
My heart started to pound with adrenaline. I was exhilarated but also terrified. Squeezing that trigger would give me so much satisfaction. Watching his body go limp on the ground while his blood stained my floor would be the best retribution. But it could also go the other way…and I could be the one on the ground.
Ash watched the emotions dance across my face. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I knew Hades wouldn’t want me to. If he knew what we were plotting, he would scream in my face and tell me I was stupid. But I didn’t want Hades to be a prisoner any longer, to live under the thumb of that horrible man. I wanted us to be together…like we should’ve been this entire time. “Yes…I’m sure.”
15
Hades
Now that Maddox had taken over my facility, he’d also taken over my office. He was never in one place very long because he moved around constantly. Sometimes he used my office; sometimes he worked somewhere else. I still had no idea where he lived and where he kept all his other assets.
The guy was a nomad.
I collected the money from our distributors and carried one large bag into the office that used to be mine. Maddox was sitting behind his desk with his feet up when I walked inside and placed the black duffle bag on the corner of the surface. “It’s all there. I counted.”
He eyed the bag before his eyes turned to me. “Congratulations. You did your job.”
Even when I was in charge, I never spoke to anyone that way. A good leader was someone who inspired people, not shit on people. “Congratulations. You’re a fucking asshole.” I turned around to walk out.
“Hades.”
I turned back around and didn’t look the least bit pleased about it.
He lowered his feet from the desk and righted himself in the chair. “Let’s have dinner tonight.”
The last time we’d had any serious interaction, I’d almost killed him. So this request was a bit off-putting. “You got something to say to me, say it now.”
“I don’t have anything to say to you. I just want to have dinner.”
I hated this motherfucker. He was evil and weird…strange combination.
“Be at my place at seven.”
Now, I was just confused. “I have no idea where you live.”
“I know. I think it’s time we got to know each other better.” He smiled at me, a sick, twisted smile.
He had a place out in the Tuscan countryside. It was a modest house, but he had lots of land. It was so remote and private that it was easy for him to hide from all the major roads. He had at least three dozen men guarding the perimeter, so no one could cross him in his sleep.
The place left a bad taste in my mouth.
Was this where he took Sofia?
I sat across from him at the dining table and watched him pour me a glass of wine. There was no chef in the kitchen and no maid to help with the dishes.
“Cooking is a hobby of mine.” He filled his own glass before he set it off to the side. He held the glass, brought it close to his face, and smelled it. Then he returned it to the table without taking a drink.
“Are you gonna drink that?”
He scooped the pasta onto his plate and grabbed a piece of chicken. “You know I don’t drink, Hades. I just like the smell.”
Fucking weird.
After he filled his plate, he pushed the utensils toward me. “I took a couple culinary classes on the French Riviera. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve been cooking ever since. It’s a great way to wind down after a long day.”
A long day of raping and murdering people?
“Do you like to cook?” He handled his utensils with perfect manners and even spun his pasta against his spoon. He practiced a refinement he didn’t display on a daily basis.
“No.” I served myself and took a bite. It was good, but I refused to say that.
“I could always teach you.”
“No.”
Maddox didn’t acknowledge my rudeness. He continued to eat like this was a pleasant experience for us both. Our silverware tapped against the plates, and the sound was so loud because there was no conversation to muffle it.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“Who said I wanted to talk about anything?”
I had a million things to do, and I didn’t want to waste precious time looking at someone I hated. “Then what’s the point of this?”
“The point is for us to have dinner and enjoy each other’s company. I don’t understand why that’s so difficult for you to comprehend.” He chewed his food slowly as he stared at me across the table. Then he picked up his glass and smelled it again.
“I don’t enjoy your company.”
He chewed his last bite and didn’t cut into his food again. He stared at me with lifeless eyes, like he didn’t know how to respond to my cold statement. “I don’t see why you feel that way. We work well together. We’re good partners. We’re good friends.”
“Good friends don’t lick each other’s spit.”
He turned his attention back to his food and cut another piece before he placed it in his mouth. After a long time chewing, he spoke again. “But good lovers do.”
I heard his words and also the message underneath. It gave me a sense of dread I’d never felt before. I’d been faced with killers and thieves, but I’d never been faced with this kind of threat. He didn’t want my money or my connections. The only thing he wanted was me.
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I set my fork and knife on the plate and ignored the dinner I had been forcing myself to eat. Now I was too nauseated to choke the garbage down my throat. My eyes focused on his, feeling the urge to run but also to kill.
Maddox took another bite and chewed slowly, his eyes taking me in with a mesmerized gaze. His mouth moved slowly, and his eyes remained so intense, they were like two suns. He put his truth on the table and watched me react.
I didn’t know what my next move would be. I wasn’t entirely sure of what was happening. This man had been focused on me for years, and then he invited me over for dinner…like we were more than friends. “Is this a date?”
Maddox finished chewing then shrugged. “Do you want it to be?”
My eyes narrowed. “I like women.”
“I like women enough…doesn’t mean anything.”
I’d never felt so targeted before. I’d had a gun pointed at my head and a knife to my throat, but being the source of infatuation for another man was creepy. In that moment, it made me understand the fear all women had every time they walked down a street at night. It was disturbing, disgusting. I’d had women corner me and make their best move, but that was totally different. I always had the right to say no…even though I never said no. Maddox had me under his thumb, and he clearly had no issue with raping someone.
For the first time in my life, I actually felt weak. “Why have you been obsessed with me all these years?”
He clearly had a lot to say because he pushed away his plate and utensils. His arms rested on the surface, and he leaned forward. “We are the same. I told you that.” His eyes moved down to my plate before he looked at me again. “I noticed it a long time ago when you killed your father. Made me feel less alone…that someone else would do something so heinous. I watched you progress in your career. You’re a self-made man. I admire that.”
I listened to every word and hated myself for the attention I gave him. It was the first time I’d wanted to understand him fully because he was the kind of opponent I had never faced before.
“My respect and admiration only grew through the years. You were just a pawn in a game, but then you became the knight. I’ve watched you cut down everyone around you, and the pride grew inside me like a balloon…even though I didn’t know you. Once you became my primary adversary, I’d never been so impressed by anyone in my life. You’re a special man, Hades. I can never kill you because that would be a crime against humanity.”
I’d never been fearful of someone’s respect. I was afraid of people’s murderous intent, but not their praise. “So, you’ve always wanted me as a partner. You’ve plotted all of this to keep me tethered to your side.” Realization dawned on me that Maddox was far more intelligent than I’d ever given him credit for. He was patient and calculating, seeing the big picture when everyone else could only see the immediate event before them. He maliciously removed Sofia from my life so he could have me all to himself. It was so harsh, I almost stopped breathing.
“In so many words…” He grabbed his glass of wine and took another sniff, like the fumes from the alcohol could affect him through his lungs. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone…never wanted anyone so much.”
I was actually scared of this man. He had me by the balls, could get me to do anything he wanted. All he had to do was threaten Sofia and Andrew, and I’d be bent over and ready to be fucked like a whore. It made me so sick, I nearly threw up everything I’d just eaten. I felt even worse for what happened to Sofia…that she’d had to endure this for weeks. “You’ve forced a partnership, so it’s not based on loyalty or respect. It’s empty because you know I despise you. If you forced any other kind of relationship, the results would be the same…empty.” I refused to beg for my freedom, but I also refused to lie down and give in. Suicide returned to my thoughts because I’d rather be dead than have to live like this.
Maddox set down his wineglass and looked at me with disappointment. The silence continued for a long time, as if he was considering the perfect thing to say. Both of his arms rested across the table, and he leaned forward again to regard me. “If we solidified our partnership, we’d be unstoppable. Our reign wouldn’t only be in Italy. It would stretch all over the world, and it would be so much sweeter if we were more.”
I’d never been hit on by a dude, and it wouldn’t bother me so much if the request were optional. But I knew it was only a matter of time before Maddox pressured me to give him what he wanted. He wouldn’t have been this obsessed with me for so long if I’d really had a choice. I would be spared tonight, but not spared forever. “We’ll never be more, Maddox. Let’s not forget what you did to my wife. Maybe you’ve forgotten, but I never will.”
“It wasn’t personal. And she’s your ex-wife.”
My right hand tightened into a fist. “It doesn’t matter if I hate her. She was still my wife, and you did something you can’t take back. I will always despise you for what you did to my family. You’ve threatened my son many times, and I’m not going to pretend that didn’t happen. I will never reciprocate your feelings, not just because I’m straight, but I absolutely loathe you. If you want me, you’re going to have to force me.”
His gaze was impassive, and his eyes were wide open like he didn’t need to blink. His body tensed in the subtlest way, like he was channeling his rage to every part of his body. He could express so much with so little, and that’s what made him innately creepy. Both of his hands formed fists on the table. “You know I have no problem doing that.”
16
Sofia
Handing over my son was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.
I looked into his brown eyes and saw the man I loved. I saw Andrew’s perfect skin, his little fingers and toes, and I felt like I was leaving behind a piece of myself. I hadn’t had much time with my son, and this might be the last time I got to see him.
I kissed him on the forehead before I made the transfer into Ash’s arms.
For a man with no experience with children, he handled Andrew like a pro. He held him in his arms like he was a father himself. He looked at him with affection, but then he looked at me with sadness. “I’ll take care of him.”
I would have left Andrew with my mother, but she didn’t have the resources to protect anyone. The best thing she could do was run away and save herself. As far as I knew, Maddox had never threatened or mentioned my mother, so she was probably safe. Ash was the strongest man I knew besides Hades, and if something happened to me, he was the best protector I could find. “I know you will.” I felt the tears start deep in my throat. It was so painful that I reconsidered leaving at all. Hades would want me to stay with our son and abandon him.
But I had to save them both.
Ash put him in the crib in his bedroom and turned back to me. “Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not too late to change your mind.”
“Yes…I’m sure.”
Ash opened one of the drawers and pulled out a pistol. “You know how to use this, right?”
“Well enough to kill someone.” I took the gun from his hand and put it in my pocket.
He continued to stand there as if he didn’t want me to leave. When we’d first met, he was a cold jackass, innately distrustful. But now he was warm and thoughtful, becoming soft like his brother but retaining his masculinity. “If he doesn’t meet you at the hotel, just come home and forget it.”
I couldn’t believe I wanted Maddox to hunt me down. I couldn’t believe I wanted him to follow me and provoke me in my own office. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me or touch me, but he’d want to terrify me. If that didn’t happen, I would have no other way of killing him. I certainly couldn’t hunt him down. “Alright.”
Ash pulled me into his arms and hugged me. One hand rested between my shoulder blades while the other wrapped around my waist. His build was similar to his brother’s, but his affection felt familial. He gave me a gentle squeeze before he let me go. “Be safe. And if you don’t come back…at least Andrew can
help me pick up more women.”
I appreciated the joke to shatter the sorrow in the room, but I was too depressed to issue a chuckle. “Wouldn’t he make it more difficult?”
“Have you seen how cute he is?” he asked incredulously. “That kid is gonna be a babe magnet.”
A slight smile broke through on my lips. “I guess that’s true…”
He gave me a last gentle pat on the back before he walked me out. “I know you can do this. Just stay calm and squeeze that trigger. And don’t shoot him once. Shoot him until the barrel is empty.”
I knew I would never stop shooting him. I’d shoot him in my dreams…shoot him in my nightmares. His death wouldn’t erase my hatred. That would continue into his grave. “I will.”
The driver pulled up to the hotel and let me out.
It’d been six months since I’d last seen the Tuscan Rose with my own eyes. It was the place I used to work every day. My passion for it got me up every morning. It was a place where Hades and I had our clandestine meetings in a luxurious suite, the place where I married the man I loved. It held so much significance for me, especially since both my father and stepfather had bled for this place.
It was home.
I walked inside wearing a blue dress with a black leather jacket. It was almost summer, so it was warm and a jacket was conspicuous, but it went with my outfit, so hopefully it wasn’t that odd.
I entered the lobby and immediately noticed subtle changes I didn’t like. The flowers on the table were wilted, and there was dust on the surface. The crystals on the chandelier hadn’t been cleaned in months. The tile on the floor was scuffed because they’d stopped waxing. Those details weren’t important to anyone else, but they gave a sense of pride to me.
A few people recognized me and said hello, so after I made small talk, I went down the hallway into my office. It was abandoned and cold. A stack of papers was on the surface of my desk, and my laptop hadn’t been touched. There were no flowers to admire, no pictures on the desk to look at.