Like all women, she turned into a baby-loving freak. “Do you have a picture?”
Slightly annoyed, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone so he could show her pictures.
“Aww.” She swiped through a few, gradually more impressed with my nephew’s cuteness.
Hades turned his glare on me. “Damien, we’re here for business.”
I shrugged. “You’re the one who told me to move on.”
“Oh my god, he’s adorable!” Oblivious to our conversation, she kept swiping through the photo album.
Hades continued his look of annoyance. “I meant on your own time.”
“What are we here for?” I asked, bypassing the subject.
I got my answer a moment later when Liam walked into the bar. In a gray hoodie, he was noticeable because of his size. His arms stretched the cotton of the sweater, and he headed to the bar to grab a drink. A few girls glanced his way, and I was happy to see he didn’t look at them. I shifted my gaze back to Hades, miffed that I had to spend my evening with the man I despised.
Hades read my mind. “We’re moving on, remember?”
Liam approached the table and set down his drink. “Hades.” He shook his hand while standing up, then did the same to me. “Damien.”
I took his hand, but the touch still made my muscles tighten in dislike.
Charlotte put down the phone. “Hey, I’m Char.” She extended her hand to shake his.
Liam hesitated before he reciprocated. “Liam.” He scooted into the round booth.
“Hades was just showing me adorable pictures of his son.” Charlotte returned the phone. “What’s his name?”
“Andrew.” Hades slipped the phone back into his pocket. “And I’m expecting another.”
“How sweet,” she said. “What are you having?”
“Another boy,” he answered, his voice dark because he was irritated we were discussing pussy shit in front of a client. He gave me that look that told me I needed to get rid of her.
I took the hint. “Char, the men are gonna talk about a few things. Could you grab yourself a drink?”
Instead of being offended, she rolled with it. “Sure.” She rubbed my arm then leaned in and kissed me on the mouth like she was saying goodbye forever. To take it to a whole other level, she rubbed her palm across my crotch like she was saying goodbye to my dick before she scooted out of the booth and headed to the bar.
Hades didn’t say anything, but he shook his head slightly, even though he would have had a completely different reaction if he were single. When we were both bachelors, he would pull the same shit all the time. Guess his memory wasn’t that great.
Liam turned to me. “Is she that lingerie model?”
I was perturbed he recognized her. “Yeah.”
“Conway Barsetti is our client,” Hades interjected, like he was afraid I’d say something stupid. “He introduced them.”
“Wow,” Liam said with a chuckle. “That’s a nice perk.”
My eyes narrowed. “What the—”
“What do you think about starting the death matches?” Hades covered up my outburst with an entirely different question, masking my anger by taking the conversation in a new direction.
Liam turned to him and didn’t seem to notice my fury. “Let’s do it.”
Now, I was mad again—for a whole new reason.
Liam’s fingers rested on the rim of his glass, and he gave it a gentle swirl. “I’ve thought about it a lot, and I’m never going to make as much money unless I go back to that level. And regular matches are boring. My adrenaline doesn’t rise at all. There’s not that rush, not like when my life is on the line and I take someone else’s.”
I’d killed people because I had to, not because I wanted to. When he said it like that, he sounded like a psychopath, like Maddox or the Skull King. If Annabella heard him say that, would she be with him right now?
Hades didn’t blink an eye over it. “Great. What if we set up the first match two weeks from now? Will you be ready?”
Liam held his gaze for a long time as he considered it. His other hand rested on the table, and he was wearing his wedding ring. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
What?
“We’ll make the arrangements,” Hades said. “But we need to talk about money now. We need a strategic plan when this kind of cash starts rolling in.” He glanced at me to make sure I would keep my mouth shut about the whole thing.
I did…but it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
Did he intend to do this behind Annabella’s back? Keep it a fucking secret?
Shouldn’t I tell her?
But I couldn’t…not if I wanted to keep my neck and my relationship with Hades.
Hades pulled out his phone when it vibrated. He glanced at the screen, and his eyebrows immediately furrowed like the call was important. “It’s my wife. I have to take this.” He slid out of the booth and answered. “Baby, everything alright?”