“Why did you agree to a truce?”
He stared at me coldly, like he wouldn’t answer.
He was more vicious than I remembered, which was odd considering he’d been retired for years.
“You want something to get done?” he whispered. “Do it yourself.”
“I would. But if I fail…he’ll kill everyone I care about.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t do this shit anymore.” His thick arms stretched the sleeves of his t-shirt, his biceps and triceps huge.
I thought I could change his mind, but seeing him in person made me realize it wasn’t possible. He wasn’t the same person I used to know. “Alright. I’m disappointed…but I get it.”
He still wore the same scowl.
“You were the best. You could fetch any price you wanted. Why did you get out of the game?”
He held up his left hand, where his tattooed wedding ring was noticeable. “I told you I got married.” He lowered his hand again. “I have a son. And I’m gonna have another kid soon. I’m not going to risk my life killing people, when I only risk my life to protect my family.” He rose from the stool. “You’re paying for my drink since you’ve wasted my time.” He turned to walk away.
“Why are you and Conway so loyal to each other?” The type of closeness reminded me of Hades and me, and we’d been friends for over a decade. We were business partners, worked together on a daily basis. But I didn’t see the connection between them.
Bones stopped and remained still a long time, his powerful back stretching the fabric of his t-shirt. He considered the question at his leisure, and when he thought it was worth a response, he turned around. “His sister is my wife.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “You’re married to a Barsetti?”
His eyes narrowed. “Yes.”
“She must be a handful.” I knew the Barsetti family pretty well. Crow and Cane were stubborn and difficult, and Conway was similar to his father in that regard. I could only imagine how Crow’s daughter had turned out.
“She is.” He turned around to walk out. “But that’s exactly how I like her.”
16
Annabella
Sofia stepped into my office. “How are you doing?”
“Good. Weddings are being booked for the spring, and our calendar is almost completely blocked off…” I had my wedding planner on the desk, and newly engaged couples were calling left and right.
“Hades and I got married here, actually,” she said. “But that’s not what I meant. I was referring to the dinner the other night…didn’t realize Damien was bringing his lady friend.”
It was like a rusty knife to the stomach. I bled until the wound closed, but then it became infected…so it never really healed. “It was no big deal.” I brushed it off and pretended not to care, because that was exactly how I should feel. I was married to Liam, and despite our problems, I should be thinking about him, not someone else. “I’m married…and he’s seeing someone else. It’s not like I didn’t already know that.”
Sofia watched me with suspicion, her arms crossed over her chest. “At least you have a good attitude about it.”
“What did you think of her?”
She shrugged. “She was fine. She was nice, participated in the conversation, but she was a little possessive of Damien. It was like she knew exactly who you were or something, but I doubt Damien told her. I mean, Hades usually touches me in public, but he’s not so over-the-top about it.”
“Yeah…she was definitely marking her territory.”
“Damien said it’s just a fling, so I think she’s trying to change his mind.”
I didn’t want to think about her anymore. Damien’s personal life was none of my business, and I didn’t want to spend another second thinking about that model groping him under the table. “Maybe.” I turned back to the binder. “I’ll let you know when I have the final schedule.”
She ignored what I said. “Damien and Hades are stopping by to pick me up for lunch. You wanna join?”
Now I knew why she’d bombarded me with questions. She wanted to see if I could handle being in the same room as Damien after that god-awful dinner. “Depends. Will that leech be there?” She’d kissed his neck multiple times throughout dinner, especially during dessert.
She chuckled. “No.”
I was hungry and didn’t bring lunch. Also, it was a nice day because the weather was starting to clear up. “Sure. Why not?” We left the office and stepped into the hallway.
Damien and Hades walked side by side down the hallway, both wearing suits with shiny watches on their wrists. Hades was in black, and Damien was in dark blue. They were both beautiful men, with dark hair and tanned skin that appeared above their collared shirts. Tall, muscular, and with an innate darkness to them both, they affected the air around them wherever they went. They were engaged in conversation, not noticing us at the end of the hallway.