I wanted this too much to give up.
Gustavo considered my request. “I thought you wanted to go in a different direction.”
“Well, I changed my mind. One day, this hotel will be mine…and I’m willing to do anything to make that happen.”
Gustavo had a much weaker resistance than my own mother, so he couldn’t say no even if he wanted to. “Alright. It can’t hurt to let you learn…especially now that you know the truth.” He grabbed a pile of paperwork off his desk. “I want you to cook these books. We’ll go over it later.”
“Cook the books?” I asked, perplexed.
“Change the numbers to fit our real revenue.”
Basically, hide all the blood money. “Got it…” I carried everything and headed into the hallway.
I had the worst luck in the world, so I ran into Hades, practically bumped into his chest and dropped all the documents in the process.
The look he gave me was terrifying. With wide-open eyes, he looked down into my face with the gaze of a killer. It was the same expression he’d given Lance in the alleyway, like he wanted to grab my throat and choke me to death. His shoulders stiffened in his gray suit, and his jaw clenched like he couldn’t digest just how livid he was. There was so much hatred boiling in his blood that he couldn’t handle it.
I froze in place, paralyzed by the spiteful energy coming from his body. He used to slide his hand into my hair and kiss me like I was the only thing that mattered to him. That stark contrast made this interaction even worse. Now I was witnessing the version his enemies experienced, the man everyone feared.
He was scary.
He didn’t bend down and help me with the papers I’d scattered across the floor. His brown eyes were dark with rage as he stepped around me, disgusted with my presence.
“We’re going to see each other often, so we should—”
“Don’t speak to me. Ever.” He moved closer to me, threatening me with his immense frame. He promised he would never hurt me, but he didn’t need to touch me to accomplish that. This potent rage was damaging enough. After holding my gaze for another second, he walked past me and entered Gustavo’s office.
I was left alone in the hallway, standing in a pile of papers…and my own isolation.
I was still shaken up about my interaction with Hades.
He was a scary man.
But I reminded myself that this was his doing. He’d put me in a position I didn’t want to be in, forced me into a corner with no escape. If I were the man and he were the woman, I never would have asked him to marry me. When a man didn’t want commitment, no one batted an eye over it.
But Hades ignored everything I said, as if he got to decide what I wanted.
I stood alone in the lobby because the other receptionist was taking her lunch. That left me to think about Hades…to think about my life. Now, I wished I’d never met him, wished we’d never had that kiss on the balcony. Getting involved with him was my biggest regret. I’d have to see him for work on a regular basis…and it would always be a painful interaction.
Maybe in time, things would get better, but I suspected they would get worse. I’d grown frustrated by his coldness, so I would turn resentful. I’d mirror his rage, fueling the fire of his own anger. The situation would escalate, the fire would rise.
And we would hate each other more.
When he tried to push me for something more, I should have walked away…and stayed away. It was everything I hated about relationships, when a man tried to control a woman. Hades never respected my wishes, and he pushed for his own agenda. It was controlling and inappropriate.
Why would I want to marry someone like that?
Let alone a fucking drug dealer.
Asshole.
One of the Barsetti models stepped into the lobby, gliding across the floor in her five-inch heels. She wore a dress with a slit high up her thigh, skintight and perfect on her lovely curves. She had shoulder-length brown hair, styled in light curls. A black clutch was in her hand. She smiled as she looked out the main double doors.
Hades stepped inside a second later, his hands in his pockets. He was dressed casually, dark jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt. His jaw was cleanly shaven, and he looked at her with an appreciative gaze, his eyes taking in the sight of her lovely figure.
She moved into him anxiously, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him right in the lobby. Hades tensed like he hadn’t been expecting that level of affection. She cupped his face and kissed him like she’d already fallen madly in love with him, like she understood how lucky she was to spend the evening with him.