Lover (Betrothed 3)

“You haven’t seen anyone…”

“I said no.”

I continued to stare at my husband, seeing the rage in his eyes. He could convey such raw emotion with very little expression. Years ago, I couldn’t read him, but now I understood even the slightest movements. “What happened between you two?”

“All of this happened because of him.” He grabbed his left hand and massaged the knuckles of his fist, as if he fantasized about punching Damien in the face. “Tell him to leave me the fuck alone and not come back.”

“I understand you’re upset, but he didn’t mean for any of this to happen. He’s your best friend…”

“I don’t give a shit what he meant to happen. He’s no friend of mine.”

“Hades…”

“Tell him to leave, or I will.”

I knew he would make good on his threat, so I returned to the hallway. I closed the door behind me and crossed my arms over my chest. “He needs his space right now…”

Damien’s eyes fell with devastation. “I know that’s not what he said.”

“Give it time. I’ll talk to him.”

He ran his fingers through his hair nervously. “It won’t change anything. I fucked up.”

“He’s just angry right now. You know how he gets. If you give him enough time and space, he’ll come around.”

Damien shook his head slightly. “Not this time…”

11

Hades

My recovery was taking a lifetime.

I understood I needed to be patient…but I’d never been patient.

I took what I wanted, and if I couldn’t, I made it happen. But I was at the mercy of God’s design. This would take time, and there was a serious possibility that I would never be the same. My shoulder may always ache, my ribs may hiss with every breath, and I would never be quite as strong as I once was.

But it was worth it. I got my wife back… That was all that mattered.

Ash came to my bedroom for a visit. After Sofia let him inside, he approached the edge of my bed. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Thought we could catch up.”

My brother had been my enemy, and now he was my only friend in the world. Damien had been cut from my life with a butcher’s knife. I never wanted to see that son of a bitch ever again. He’d ruined my life. I nodded to one of the armchairs. “Take a seat.”

Sofia glanced back and forth at us before she slipped on her heels. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

I watched her grow four inches taller in the shoes. “You don’t need to leave, baby.”

“I should have dinner with my mom anyway.” She moved to the door. “I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

Ash grabbed a bottle of scotch and made himself a drink. “You want one?”

“I wish.”

“Oh, that’s right.” He took a seat next to me. “You’re on all those pain killers.” He tilted his head back and took a drink.

“Among other things…”

He licked his lips then stared at me for a long time. My brother wasn’t afraid of eye contact. In fact, he thrived on it. “How are you?”

“Fine.”

“That’s not what I’m asking about.” He set his glass on my nightstand, then settled into the chair. “You’ll get over this…in time. A couple broken bones won’t defeat you.”

He was asking about the one thing I didn’t want to talk about. “I’m not okay. I’ll never be okay.”

My brother’s eyes shone with sympathy. “She seems to be alright. She’s a strong girl.”

“She’s the strongest woman I know. But even if it didn’t hurt her at all, it’ll always kill me.” I looked away because I didn’t want this conversation to continue. I was angry with everyone, from Damien to Maddox. But I was angriest with myself.

What kind of man was I?

My one job was to protect my wife. I promised her I would. I promised that no one could ever touch her. Turned out, that was just a bunch of bullshit. I was a worthless human being, and I deserved to die in that field.

Ash took another drink then wiped his bottom lip with his thumb. “I’m sorry, man. I really am.”

“I know you are.”

“What’s your next move?”

“Get back on my feet. Kill Maddox. It’s pretty simple.”

Ash gave a slight nod. “May not be that simple. He’ll expect it.”

“Doesn’t make a difference. I’ll get him one way or another.”

“You got me and Damien behind you.”

I hated hearing that fucker’s name. If I didn’t want to kill Maddox so badly, I would exclude him from everything. But I needed all hands on deck. Once we were done, I wouldn’t need Damien for anything anymore. Then he could rot in hell. “You’ve stayed here long enough. I know you have a life to get back to.”

“Not really.” He shrugged. “I thought about what you said…”

“You want to be a partner?” That was perfect now that Damien wasn’t part of my life anymore. I needed someone I could trust, someone who wasn’t a complete idiot.