He kissed me back hesitantly, his mouth automatically moving with mine, but that fire didn’t burn from his core. He seemed confused, like he didn’t know what was happening. He grabbed my hands and pulled them from his body as he ended our kiss.
I stilled at the rejection, hoping for a reasonable explanation for his coldness. Maybe he was disgusted by the blood and brains still on the wall. Maybe he was so relieved to be free that he didn’t know what to do.
He stepped away from me and gave me no apology. Now there were several feet between us, and it felt like miles. “I’ve got to take care of this. The police won’t do anything to you, but our relationship is a lot better if they don’t have to pretend they don’t notice anything.”
I let him walk away and get to work as I nursed my wounds. He had never pushed away from me like that before, and something felt wrong. But I reminded myself that he had been subjected to this man’s cruelty for a long time. He probably felt so many things, and he just needed time. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No.” He pulled out his phone and made a call. “Just stay out of my way.”
17
Hades
It was hard to believe.
Just a few days ago, I was having dinner in his home, worried I would end up in his bed.
Now, he was dead.
I pulled his body out of the truck, and with the help of my men, we carried it into the lab where the furnace was located. I never used it to burn bodies, only to dispose of evidence and chemicals. But it was the perfect place to get rid of someone I despised.
Together, we heaved his body inside and watched the flames lick his skin. It only took seconds before his body caught fire. I wanted to watch him burn until he was ash, but the smell was acid in my nose. I closed the stone door and locked it.
Then I stood there and listened to the body burn.
The furnace connected to the ceiling of the building, so pieces of him were escaping into the atmosphere. His organs were turning to dust, his brain was evaporating with every passing second. Death was already so final, but cremation truly made it irreversible.
I was glad this was really the end.
This monster couldn’t torture me anymore.
He didn’t own me anymore.
I stood there until the heat dissipated and there was nothing left to burn. The weight was off my shoulders and the shackles removed from my wrists. I could sleep easy at night and know I was the victor in this fight.
Even if Sofia did the dirty work.
Maddox was at the top of the food chain, and now that I’d defeated him, I took his place. Everyone would fear me more than they already did. It was a good feeling.
Damien walked up behind me. “Fucker’s really dead?”
The high I felt was quickly extinguished when he drew near. I slowly turned around and faced him, feeling the adrenaline and rage in my blood. I could barely look at the guy without breaking his nose. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
His blank stare was so convincing. “I got here as quick as I could…”
“Don’t play dumb with me. I know you’re stupid, but not that stupid.”
His eyes narrowed, and his shoulders squared. “I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You expect me to believe Sofia planned this whole thing on her own?” I was already on thin ice with Damien, could barely tolerate him at work, but now I felt more betrayed than I ever had. “There’s no way she could’ve come up with that plan on her own. It’s so simple that it’s brilliant, and no offense to her, but she’s nowhere near brilliant.”
His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked into mine, his brain trying to catch up with my thoughts. “All I know is that Maddox is dead. That’s it. I came the second I heard, and I had no part in the whole thing. So, Sofia killed him?”
I couldn’t control my temper, so I walked off. “Fine, be an asshole.”
Damien walked after me. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m just as shocked as you are. Why would I lie?”
I snapped back around. “Because you’re a coward. Because you’re worthless.”
The confusion slowly drained from his face, and then a red tint started to flush into his cheeks. His anger heated up the air surrounding him. “You know what? Believe me. Don’t believe me. Your opinion means nothing to me, so I don’t give a shit.” He shoved me hard in the chest before he turned around and left.
I almost pulled out my gun and shot him in the back, but that would be a cowardly thing to do, and I wouldn’t sink to that level.
After everything was said and done, I scrubbed my hands until they were nearly raw so I could get every piece of Maddox off me. I’d burned his body, and I didn’t want a trace of his corpse to stay with me.
I returned home and walked into my bedroom on the top floor.
Sofia was there.
After all the commotion of the afternoon, I’d forgotten about her. All I cared about was disposing of Maddox’s body and getting that office cleaned as if a murder hadn’t just taken place. It was the first time since I’d met her that she wasn’t the biggest priority in my life.
She wasn’t on the list at all.
I’d hoped to come home to have a drink in solitude. I wasn’t in the mood for conversation. I wasn’t even in the mood to listen to her talk. I stopped and stared at her, seeing her in just a dark blue dress, now that her black leather jacket was gone. “Where’s Andrew?”
“I left him with Ash.” Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her guard was up a bit.
“Ash?”
“He’s great with him.” She offered an explanation to a question I never asked. “I thought he would be the best protector if something happened to me and you. My mother would be a good nurturer, but I needed someone stronger than that.”
I couldn’t believe my brother was the caretaker of my son. He wasn’t a fan of children or responsibility. But I knew he would take care of Andrew until Sofia could return home. “What you did was stupid and reckless.”
“Doesn’t matter if it was. He’s gone.”
My eyes narrowed. “It does matter. You have no idea what you risked.”
“I risked my own life, which I was willing to do to save you. I couldn’t let you live like that any longer. I couldn’t sleep…I couldn’t eat. I had to do something.”
All I did was stare because I didn’t know what else to do. I was angry with her for not doing something sooner, and I was also grateful she’d gotten me out of the situation. It had only been a matter of time until Maddox turned me into his fuckboy. She’d spared me from all of that, but I couldn’t bring myself to thank her. “It was really dangerous…and you got really lucky.”
“I didn’t get lucky. I aimed the damn gun and pulled the trigger. That’s not luck, that’s guts.”
I dismissed her last statement by walking to the bar and pouring myself a drink. I tilted my head back and let the liquid wash down my throat before I turned back to her. “You want one?”
“I’m breastfeeding.”
I was never around Andrew, so I didn’t know shit like that. I took another drink. “Then I guess you should leave.” There was nothing for us to say. Maddox was gone, and that was the final thing keeping us together. We accomplished what we’d set out to do. Now it was time to move on.