He took his time turning around, and when he showed his face again, he was grinning like he enjoyed how this had played out. “It means what it means. You aren’t my only client. Everybody in this town is my fucking client.”
Annabella had mentioned the Skull King once before, that he did business with Liam. I never put too much thought into it until now. Heath was already a major enemy of mine, but if he was teamed up with Liam, I had a serious problem on my hands.
“All you had to do was pay me.” His smile faded away as his gaze became hostile once again. He’d never forgive me for using his own brother against him, for embarrassing him in front of his soldiers. This wasn’t about money. It was about so much more. And I was going to pay for it. “But you didn’t. You thought you were better than everybody else. But you’re the worst one.”
We usually took our lunch together in the office. We had the usual, protein shakes and salads, and our assistants ran out and picked them up for us. So, we sat together, Hades behind his desk while I sat in the leather armchair. We were both uncomfortable in our suits because of the summer heat. We usually had the AC running, but if it was too low, everyone else in the office froze, so we had to suffer instead.
Hades finished his smoothie and most of the salad was gone. He leaned back into the chair, both of his hands on the edge of the armrests. “What are you going to do, then?”
It was one of the rare times when I shrugged in response to a question like that. “No fucking idea.”
“Now that you’re with Anna, are you going to drop your war with the Skull King?”
“I’m not sure I can, even if I wanted to. He implied that he’d spoken to Liam about Annabella’s situation, and obviously, that’s concerning.”
Hades shook his head. “I told you to drop it.”
Now I wished I had listened when Hades had originally asked. But how was I supposed to know it would bite me in the ass like this? Over and over again?
Hades spoke again. “The good news is, he makes too much money off you. He’s not going to kill you.”
“And what about Annabella?”
“I don’t see how taking her would benefit him,” he said. “He wants to keep making money, not to piss you off and stop the gravy train.”
“But do you think he’d team up with Liam?”
Hades considered it as he tapped his fingers on the edge of the armrest. “I don’t see him actively working against you, but he wouldn’t hesitate to help one of your enemies.”
“And if I die, he doesn’t get paid.”
“Not necessarily. He could take over your business.”
“He could do that now too.”
Hades shrugged. “But that’s a lot of work for him. Why would he do the work himself when he can just have you do it?”
So far, this conversation hadn’t made me feel better. We’d just determined anything was possible. “Then maybe I should kill them both.”
“Well, if you try and don’t succeed, then he really will burn you to the ground. He’ll take your father, Anna, even your sister…”
“Then what the hell am I supposed to do?”
“I already said it. You should have paid him in the first place.”
“Asshole, that’s not advice.” He was just saying I told you so, but I’d already gotten that message. Loud and fucking clear.
He shrugged slightly. “I’m just saying…”
I relaxed into the chair and put my hands together on my lap. Heath had always been my enemy, but now I wasn’t sure what part he would play in this game. I could kill him first and then do Liam later, but that was very ambitious for one man. It was very ambitious for someone who had a woman at home. Hades’s domestic life had never looked so appealing until now.
Hades watched me with sympathy. “I’m here if you need anything, Damien.”
“I would never drag you into this.”
“But if you don’t, you might die.”
“I’d still rather die than you risk yourself and your family. You turned in the keys on this lifestyle and walked away. This is my problem, not yours.”
He massaged the knuckles on his left hand as he looked out the window, thinking about every word I’d just spoken. When enough silence had passed, he returned his focus to me. “You’re right. But I’m still your friend, so I’ll always be your ally.”
When I walked in the door, Annabella was in a dark blue summer dress, tight around her waist and flaring out along her hips. It showed off her beautiful tanned skin, her natural curves, and it was an all-around nice color on her. Her hair was in curls over her shoulders, and the mascara on her lashes made her eyes look so big. She seemed to be more stunning every time I saw her, so all my thoughts about Liam and Heath vanished the moment I looked at her.