Second (Betrothed 6)

“Does Hades know?”

“Yeah, but he’s my partner.”

“Is it hard running things without him?” When we were together, we didn’t have honest conversations like this. He kept his life a secret from me, and I didn’t share details about mine either. But now that we were friends, we could say whatever we wanted.

He took a drink. “It was a lot easier having him around because it was two sets of hands rather than one. But I can manage by myself. I miss the company sometimes, but I see him every day at the bank so it’s fine.”

“You ever talk to him about the other business?”

“No. He wants no part of it. The Skull King came to my office the other day to demand his payment, which crossed a line. I got him out of there, but Hades was definitely pissed. I promised it wouldn’t happen again.”

“Why would he come to your office?”

“Piss me off.”

“Is it smart to piss someone off before asking for money?” I asked, genuinely confused by the protocol.

He turned quiet as his eyes filled with his thoughts. “No. And he’ll pay for it later.”

The threat was undeniable, and I could feel how much he meant his words. The air around him hummed with life, packed with rage that was audible without him uttering a sound. “Are you going to kill him?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are you paying him?”

“Stalling until it’s the right time.”

I got more of an insight into his life, the kind of stuff he had to deal with. He moved his father into his home to keep him safe, and he made risky moves against his enemies. And his enemies didn’t hesitate to show up unannounced at his place of business. It was dangerous…but it still wouldn’t have changed my mind.

He finished his drink and pushed the empty cup away. Talking about the Skull King clearly made him angry because he changed the subject. “What did you order?”

I stared at him blankly.

He glanced at the plates scattered on the bed.

“Oh…” My cheeks filled with embarrassment. “Burger, fries, and a sundae.”

“Nice.” His smile returned.

“Don’t judge me.”

“I’m not,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve seen you destroy a pizza.”

“But I split that with you. With this, I demolished it all by myself.”

“So?”

“So,” I said. “I’ll never have the figure of a model if I eat like that.” I didn’t realize how jealous I was of Charlotte until I’d brought her up three different times.

“A woman at any size can have the figure of a model. And you definitely do.”

I rolled my eyes to be sarcastic, but his words did mean a lot to me. His lady friend was probably a double zero with perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect everything, but he still made me feel like I could somehow compare. “Thanks…”

His phone vibrated in his pocket, so he pulled it out and glanced at the screen. He quickly typed a message and returned it to his jeans.

I wanted to ask who it was, but I knew it wouldn’t be appropriate.

As if nothing had happened, he changed the subject. “Want to watch a movie?”

“You don’t have work or something?” Or a sex appointment with a model?

“No. Quiet night.” He pushed out of the chair and moved to the couch that hugged the wall. He took a seat and grabbed the remote.

Still in my robe, I sat beside him, keeping several feet between us. This was the last thing I’d expected to do tonight. Liam and I had screamed at each other, and I stormed out. But now, I was in a good mood…a really good mood.

He turned on the TV. “My favorite movie is on.”

“Scarface?” I asked. “Really?”

“What?” he asked, turning to me.

“It’s just so on the nose.”

He shrugged. “Hades and I have watched this movie so many times. It’s so good.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“Fuck, we gotta watch it now.” He turned off the lamp beside him and put his feet on the table.

I grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and pulled it over my legs. The light from the TV cloaked us both, the flashing lights dancing across our faces. It reminded me of the nights we would sit in front of the fire together. We would talk about anything…or say nothing at all. It felt right, and I wished it felt wrong. I wished it were tense and awkward, that it would be so uncomfortable that he would leave. After our last conversation, I’d assumed it would take a long time for us to bounce back from that. Guess not.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” His frustrated voice shattered me from sleep.

My head was against the couch, and my eyes were closed. When they opened, I saw the credits playing over the screen and could hear the climactic music.

“You fell asleep?” he asked incredulously. “During the greatest motion picture of all time?”