It was Maddox.
It only took me seconds to figure out what had happened. He’d hacked into my phone and impersonated my husband to lure me down right into his car. If he tried to grab me at the hotel, it would’ve been far too complicated. Instead, he tricked me into leaving the fortress and stepping directly into his arms.
How could I be so stupid?
The car was speeding away, and there was no time to call Hades. If I tried, Maddox would just snatch my phone away. So I did something crazy.
I tried to kill him.
I launched myself across the car and banged both fists against his face. He was twice my size, twice my height, but I didn’t care. This was the fight of my life—and I wasn’t going to lose. My hands smashed into his face, beat into his chest, exploded into his stomach with all the strength I could muster. I had no idea I could move so quickly, but when everything was on the line, I could do extraordinary things.
He grabbed my arm and pinned it at my side before he wrapped his other arm around my neck. Despite the beating he took, he was calm about the whole ordeal, didn’t even seem mad about the bruises I’d just put on his face.
Made him terrifying.
He squeezed my neck just enough so I struggled to breathe. “Wasn’t expecting that.” His other hand moved to my scalp, and as if he were my lover, he ran his fingers through my hair, as if his touch would calm me rather than repulse me. “But don’t make me hurt you, sweetheart. I would hate to bruise that pretty face.”
He grabbed a syringe from his pocket, and with his teeth, popped off the cap.
“Please don’t.”
He pressed his thumb to the top, squirting just a little bit of liquid out.
“Don’t do this to me. I’ve done nothing to you.”
“The innocent pay for the crimes of the guilty. That’s how it’s always been…” He spoke in a dreamy voice, as if his mind were elsewhere. He even seemed a little bored, like capturing an innocent woman and sticking a syringe in her neck was just part of an average Tuesday afternoon. “I did tell you that you could do better than him. Don’t say you weren’t warned.”
“Why are you doing this?”
He fisted my hair then pressed my face hard against his knee, exposing my neck to the needle. “Because your husband doesn’t listen.” He stuck the needle in my neck, pressed the top with his thumb, and then I was gone.
20
Hades
After a twelve-hour day, I headed home. It seemed like Damien and I had resolved the problem his stupidity had caused. All the drugs were off the streets, distributors were put on hold in the meantime, and production had halted in the facilities. Our business was officially shut down. If this had been a few years ago, I’d be livid.
But it didn’t seem so bad.
I was ready to start a new life, to be a different man.
When I walked through the door, I ran into Maria. She was still youthful in her appearance, reminding me of Sofia in many ways. They had the same eyes, same full lips, and same dark hair. “I hope you started dinner without me.”
Maria leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, treating me like the son she’d never had. “Oh, I already ate. I assume you and your wife had plans since Sofia hasn’t returned my calls.”
We had no plans to my knowledge, but I hated these family dinners, so I looked forward to one-on-one time with my wife. Maria always hijacked the conversation and bored us out of our minds. And it wasn’t like I could fuck her daughter right in front of her. “Maybe she’s under the weather.”
“Maybe. Helena said she didn’t answer the door. Perhaps she’s in the bathtub.” Maria continued on her way toward the kitchen, probably to get another glass of wine.
I turned rigid on the spot, my gut clenching tightly with unease. There was probably a simple explanation for Sofia’s behavior, but my instincts told me otherwise. I was a paranoid man…and now I was even more alarmed.
As I headed to the stairs, I pulled out my phone and called her.
No answer.
My heart exploded with dread. Then I started to sprint up the stairs. I didn’t even breathe hard as I sped up three floors and darted down the hallway to our bedroom. I practically broke down the door when I got there. “Sofia?” I stood in the open doorway, scanning the room for signs of her presence.
There were none.
I moved into the room and headed to the bathroom. “Sofia?”
No answer.
I turned back around and looked through the room, even checking the patio. When I realized she wasn’t there, a huge bomb of panic and anxiety exploded right in my chest. I tried to breathe, but I couldn’t—tried to get ahold of my emotions, but they were too uncontrollable. I paced in the bedroom, dragging my hands down my face as my mind raced a million miles an hour.