Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78977 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78977 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
I knew it was her because no other call would make him leave a meeting like that.
Now, it was just Liam and me.
He turned his gaze to me, holding his third drink. “So, how long have you been seeing her?”
I didn’t want to talk about my personal life, but I had nothing else to talk about. Business had been handled. “A week.”
He nodded. “Nice. Can’t do much better, right?”
Annabella was better. “Happily married?” I asked, slightly sarcastic.
“Yeah.” The mention of Annabella changed his attitude instantly, making him softer. “It’s been great. We were apart for a long time, and it feels right now that she’s back. Things aren’t perfect, but…at least she’s mine again.”
“Why aren’t they perfect?”
He stared into his glass for a long time, and the only reason he answered was probably because it was empty. “She was hung up on her ex for a while… That’s been rough.”
I was shocked she’d told him that. “Then why do you want to be with her if she’s into someone else?”
He leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “I love her. And I’m the one who fucked everything up. It serves me right…”
If he spoke this way about her, then why the hell was he going back to death fighting? I knew I should keep my mouth shut, but I couldn’t. I would always care about her, and if she rejected me because she was committed to their marriage, then she deserved to have him just as committed. So, I did something really stupid…something that would bite me in the ass in a few minutes. “If you love her, you shouldn’t do this, Liam.”
He raised his head and looked at me, clearly surprised I would say something that contradicted my own self-interest.
“I was with her at the match. She hates it when you fight. Imagine how she’ll feel when she finds out about this.”
“She doesn’t have to know.”
I was about to lose my shit. “So, your plan is to lie to her?”
“I’ll tell her not to come to my matches. I know she hates it anyway.”
“So, you could die at any moment, and your wife has no idea?” I asked incredulously. “You realize how stupid that is?”
He must have been pretty buzzed because he didn’t scream at me. He just stared at me, like he didn’t know what to say.
“You would do that to her? After everything you did to get her back? Why would you gamble the most important thing in your life for this?”
He sighed. “I just wish I could have both.”
“Well, you can’t,” I snapped. “You need to either be honest with Annabella, or don’t do it at all.”
“I know she’ll just say no—”
I slammed my hand down on the table. “Then you have your answer.”
He turned back to me.
“Be the husband she deserves, Liam.”
Seconds passed as if he was seriously considering what I said. He grabbed his glass so he could have the last few drops. When there wasn’t a single splash left, he turned the glass over.
Hades came back to the table when his conversation was finished.
“Everything alright with Sofia?” I asked, my attention diverting to her well-being.
“She’s fine,” Hades answered. “She just wants me home.”
“Is she okay?” I repeated.
“Just had a nightmare.” He didn’t elaborate because he didn’t need to. I knew exactly what her nightmares were about. He turned back to Liam. “Everything is set up, so hit the gym. I’ll handle everything—”
“I’ve changed my mind.” Liam stared straight ahead, his eyes filled with regret for what he had to do. “I need to talk to my wife about all this…”
Hades snapped his neck so hard when he turned back to me. His eyes bored into mine, so satanic, he really looked like the devil. He fell back into the leather cushion of the booth, so furious that his tanned skin was turning red. He knew I was responsible—no doubt in his mind.
My decision was officially biting me in the ass.
“I should go.” Liam threw his cash on the table. “I’ll let you know what she says…” He disappeared from the table and walked out of the bar.
Hades didn’t say goodbye because he was too busy staring at me with two bullets for eyes. “What the fuck did I say?” His hand tightened into a fist like he was about to punch a hole through the solid wood table. “I told you to stay out of it—”
“You told me not to tell her. I didn’t.”
Both of his hands moved to his scalp, and he fisted his hair before he dropped his arms. “Do you realize how much money you lost us?”
“I don’t care.” I didn’t want to rock the boat with Hades when we’d only moved past our problems a few months ago, but I couldn’t control my impulses. Annabella deserved a man who would do anything for her, who would be honest with her. If she wanted Liam, then I would just have to turn him into the man she wanted.