“That’s why I like you. Once your loyalty is earned, it’s never broken. Personally, I don’t think Damien deserves it, but I understand it. Maybe one day we’ll have that kind of loyalty to each other.”
Over my dead body.
“He can stay on. But he’s not getting an equal cut.”
I didn’t give a damn about money anymore. I’d lost the only thing that actually mattered…my family. Money would never make me happy. “That’s fine. I’ll split my cut with him.”
He placed the blade over his shoulder once again. “Generous.”
No, I just didn’t give a damn.
Before he walked away, he gave me an awkward clap on the shoulder. It was like he didn’t know how to embrace a friend or an ally. He was always a bit out of place, as if human interaction were impossible for him to understand. “I know things are shitty right now, but when we take over the world, you’re going to forget that things ever were less than perfect.”
2
Sofia
I was almost seven months along, and I was definitely showing. It didn’t matter how loose my dress was or if I wore all black, my baby bump was impossible to miss. I wasn’t ashamed of it, not in the least, but I was definitely getting uncomfortable.
I stepped inside the Tuscan Rose located in central Rome and greeted the staff at the front desk. After chitchat and a rundown of the latest at the hotel, I walked to my office, passing the flowers and paintings on the way. I lowered myself into my chair and looked at all the paperwork waiting for me.
This hotel was very different from the previous one. There were no shady characters having clandestine meetings in the bar and conference rooms. There were nothing but good people, honest people. It was much less stressful, and I never worried about seeing someone I didn’t want to see.
I felt like I could move on with my life.
Of course, I missed my husband…ex-husband.
But I got everything else I wanted. My mother and I bought a nice place in the city, and I had the baby’s room ready to go. I was close to a good school and walking distance from work. There was never any talk of drug dealers or crime.
It was normal.
Antonio, the hotel manager, came into my office. He was a young man to have been promoted to such a high level, but the more I got to know him, the more I understood why he deserved the position. He was meticulous about everything, just the way I was. He cared about the minor misalignment of the flowers in the lobby, if a painting on the wall was slightly crooked, if a tie wasn’t perfectly straight. All the little details were just as important as the big ones.
He walked up to my desk and set a folder in front of me. “Schools are starting to get out for Easter vacation. Our hotel is at full occupancy.”
“That’s great.” I hadn’t seen full occupancy in Florence, not once. But Rome was a bigger tourist destination.
“We have a couple big clients staying with us, and another wedding has just been booked. I collected payment. You should see it reflected in your records by the afternoon.” He wore a collared shirt tucked into his slacks with a tie, looking professional but not stuffy. He had classically olive skin and dark hair, and his nicest feature was his smile. He was always smiling.
“Thanks so much. I’ll take care of it when I see it.”
He glanced down to my stomach. “How are things with him?”
My hand immediately brushed over my stomach. “He’s doing well. He’s a bit feisty with his kicking, but he’s good.”
He nodded. “Maybe he’ll be a football player.”
I chuckled. As long as he wasn’t a drug dealer, I would be happy.
“I’ll see you later.” He left the office.
Once he was gone, the sorrow settled into my bones. I was happy in Rome, and more importantly, I was safe in Rome. I had a life I’d always wanted, to run my own hotel and have a family. But losing Hades was like losing a piece of myself. I loved that man and always would. I doubted I could ever love anyone else in the same way.
We hadn’t spoken much since I left. He didn’t try to get me to stay, and he didn’t try to halt the divorce filing. He let me go with resignation, and that told me he knew this was the best thing for me, that it was the only way I would be safe.
Even if it was the right thing to do, it didn’t make it easier for the two of us. But we knew we needed to give each other space because if we talked all the time, it would make the separation more difficult.