“It means we decided to hit him where it hurts…his business. That seems to be the only thing he cares about. We are going after his distributors, the guys on the ground that sell his drugs on the streets. He has bigger partners that ship his product to the rest of Europe. I’m taking those guys out too.”
That sounds like serious business. “That sounds like war…”
He wore a brooding gaze, like he could snap at any moment. During quiet moments, he seemed to be the angriest. He probably relived the terrible things we both endured, and it pissed him off all over again. His eyes returned to mine. “It is war.”
War meant there was a battle on two sides. Someone had to lose. I just hoped it wasn’t us. “Couldn’t you just track him down and kill him? He’s gotta live somewhere, right?”
He shook his head slightly. “The guy is never in the same place for long. And he doesn’t have allies…he doesn’t let anyone in. So I can’t torture anyone for answers.”
“Could I lure him out?” Of course, I didn’t want to be the bait. I never wanted to see that man again. Just looking at him would make me shake. But my desire to kill him outweighed my fear. I was willing to do anything to see him dead, even risk myself in the process. It wasn’t just vengeance for what he did to me. But for what he did to my husband.
Hades’s eyes narrowed on my face, and his eyebrows furrowed. There was a hint of rage in the look, like he was about to tell me off. But he wrested control of his emotions and let it go. “No.”
“It might be easier that way.”
“I said no.”
I didn’t press further because it was like poking an angry bear. If I pressed my stick into his side too many times, he would eventually turn on me and maul me to death. The quiet companionship we’d had minutes ago was long gone. The only thing left to do was the one thing I didn’t want to.
So I didn’t.
I couldn’t drag my feet any longer, so I took myself to the doctor. If I were going to keep this baby, I needed to make sure everything was okay, that I grabbed my prenatal vitamins and did everything I could to prepare for how my life would change.
I never had been afraid to do anything alone before Hades came into my life. But now it felt so strange to be by myself. He should be there with me, holding my hand and telling me everything would be okay.
But even if he knew the truth, would he say those things?
Maddox was a man he hated more than anyone. Could Hades realistically accept this child if it weren’t his? Would he be a supportive husband? Or would he turn me away for good? He said he would always be there…but he had no idea what was coming next.
The doctor gave me the news I’d been waiting for.
I was almost four months along. That meant it was possible the baby could belong to Hades. But it was equally possible that it didn’t. The doctor also said he could tell me the gender of the baby.
But I didn’t want to know. My husband didn’t even know I was pregnant. I didn’t want to get that far ahead. But at least the baby was healthy.
That was something to be thankful for.
I was in my office when Hades came by. Instead of waiting for me to stand and greet him, he lowered himself into the chair and rested one ankle on the opposite knee. His hands came together, and he stared at me with wide-open eyes.
My skin turned cold. I didn’t like that look. He never stared at me that way…like I was his enemy. I could tell he was angry, could feel it in the air around us. It made my heart race painfully, made my skin turn warm.
Hades kept up his stare and said nothing.
I shut my laptop and put my stuff away. “I’m ready to go.”
He continued to sit there. “Where were you?”
I froze on the spot.
His malicious eyes stayed glued to my face. “I came by, and you weren’t here. No one could tell me where you’d gone.”
“Why didn’t you just call?”
His eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you just answer my question?”
I grabbed my purse and tried to breathe through the suffocation. “I had a personal errand.”
“What kind of errand?”
I started to lose my temper. “You don’t tell me every little thing you do.”
He rose to his feet. “Because I can take care of myself. How can I protect you when I don’t know where you are?”
“You said I had nothing to worry about.”
He stared at me for a while, like he didn’t have a rebuttal.