Ash stared at his nephew for a couple minutes, and naturally, his eyes softened a little bit as Andrew worked his magic. He moved to one of the rocking chairs against the wall and took a seat. Like a mother, he grabbed the blanket to make sure Andrew was comfortable.
I took the seat beside him and watched him fall in love with my son.
After Ash stared for at least ten minutes, he turned back to me. “He’s pretty cool.”
“I know.”
“And he’s super cute.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“What? He is.”
“I’ve just never heard you talk like that before.”
He shrugged and returned his focus to Andrew. “There’s a first time for everything.” He gently rocked the chair back and forth as he supported Andrew with one large, powerful arm. Like his brother, he had a watch on his wrist.
Since he was here and he knew Hades wasn’t, that must mean he knew Hades had left us. He hadn’t mentioned it, and I suspected he wouldn’t. “Since Hades is gone now, I guess you and I can get together…”
He slowly turned his head back to me, his eyes wide as if he couldn’t believe what I’d just said. “Yeah, that’d be pretty hot. You and I make more sense than you guys ever did. But…I can’t. I couldn’t do that to my brother.”
Maybe he didn’t realize I was joking. “Why? He doesn’t want me anymore.”
He looked at my son for a little while before he glanced at me again. “We both know that isn’t why. It’s because of the exact opposite.”
Tears welled up in my eyes because the sadness was too much. I would never forget the way Hades had walked out of here with no intention of coming back. It was so cold, so harsh. “Whatever the reason, he’s a coward. He can treat me however he wants, but it’s not right to abandon Andrew.”
Ash continued to rock Andrew as he let the silence snuff out the conversation. He probably didn’t want to get involved, but he also felt obligated to defend his brother. “You abandoned him, Sofia. Let’s not forget that.”
An invisible knife went into my gut, and I felt so betrayed. All I could do was stare because I couldn’t believe he’d said that to me. “I didn’t abandon him. I told him to kill Maddox.”
“And you know he couldn’t do that. He doesn’t give a damn about his life, only yours.”
“He still didn’t leave me a choice.” I felt my voice rise as the rage started to get to me. “I had to protect my child. I had to protect myself. If I continued to live there under that asshole’s reign, I never would be able to sleep at night.”
He held up his hand to calm me down. “I get that. But you still left him, and that wasn’t easy on him. He got the short stick of this whole thing, and you know it. He still suffers every day, living as his fucking puppet. He’s a goddamn prisoner. Seeing you and Andrew once in a while is just torture for him. You really don’t get that?”
“I do, but…”
“No, you don’t.” His eyes suddenly turned harsh. “He’s trying to do the right thing for everybody. He loved you so much and sacrificed everything to have you. When Maddox had you, he made the ultimate sacrifice by forfeiting his life. My brother and I have had our differences, but he is not a coward. That guy would slit his own throat just to make you happy. He’s trying to do the right thing for everybody…and of course, he’s the bad guy for doing it. I promise you he feels a million times worse right now than you ever could.”
The tears swelled to an enormous size, and I couldn’t keep them in place. Their weight was too much, and they cascaded down my cheeks to my chin. I sniffled loudly then wiped away the moisture with my fingertips.
“You know he’s not a coward, so don’t ever say that again.”
13
Hades
I was sitting at my desk, staring blankly at my screen saver when someone walked into my office. He helped himself inside without knocking, being both intrusive and annoying. He scanned my shelves as he strode to the armchair facing my desk. His fingers brushed up against the leather before he fell back and got comfortable in the chair.
My eyes followed his movements as my hand shut my laptop.
With both arms on the armrests and his legs crossed, he looked practically giddy to see me. “Have a good holiday?” His blue eyes were deep like the ocean. But instead of being full of life and intrigue, they were full of unpredictable mystery.
“Wasn’t a holiday.”
“You weren’t working. So I’d say so.” He cocked his head slightly, displaying the movements of a dog considering turning on its foe. “So, the wife and baby are healthy? What a blessing.”
I didn’t want him to mention my family ever again. “I went to see the birth of my son, but that is the extent of my relationship with both of them.” If he knew I was no longer attached to them, he would lose interest.
“Oh no. Not getting along with the baby momma?”
My eyes narrowed. “Our relationship is over, so I never want to talk about her ever again. Or my son.”
He raised both hands and surrendered. “Alright, alright. Just trying to be a friend.”
“I don’t have any friends. And I’m not looking either.”
He lowered his hands. “Well, I suspect that’s gonna change. You and I are the same man.”
I’d never been more insulted. “We are not the same.”
He started to count on his fingers. “We both killed a parent.” He held up a second finger. “We’re both drug dealers.” He held up a third finger. “We both fucked the same girl…”
I was out of my desk so fast that some of my shit went flying to the floor. I jumped over the wood and rushed him like a player in the Super Bowl. I lunged at him and got both of my hands on his neck. I squeezed hard and slammed him down onto the coffee table. His back hit the surface before it collapsed underneath him.
I was out of control. I wanted this man dead more than anything else. I couldn’t see straight…I couldn’t think. I wanted to rip his eyes out of his head and shove them down his throat.
Maddox was so calm. He didn’t fight me at all…like he enjoyed it. His hands rested at his sides, and he didn’t fight the constriction around his throat. He looked deep into my eyes just the way a lover looked at their partner.
Fucking psychopath.
The door opened, and Damien walked inside. “What the hell is going on?”
He must’ve heard me launch into Maddox and destroy the furniture in my office. I continued to choke him and wait for him to pass on to hell. My knuckles ached because I was squeezing so hard. Regardless of the consequences, I needed this. I needed to unlock these shackles that bound my wrists and my ankles.
Damien kneeled on the floor at my side. “Hades, stop.” He tried to grab my hands and pull them off Maddox.
I shoved him hard in the chest. “Fuck off.” I watched Maddox’s face turn red as the strangulation began to affect his entire body. Only one more minute and he would be gone forever.
Damien came back. “Hades, you don’t want to do this. This is what he wants.”