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)
“And I don’t get a say?” he asked quietly.
“No.” I hated talking to my father this way. When I was young, I used to look up to him as my strong hero. But age had taken its toll on his body and mind, and now he was alone and scared…and prideful. “I’m asking you to live with me because I love you. I want you under my roof so I can keep an eye on you. I’m a very successful man, just as you wanted, so let me share that success with you. We can also spend more time together. And when my family is here, my children will know their grandfather well.”
He finally stopped protesting. “I don’t want to burden you, son…”
I rested my hand on his. “You aren’t, Father. I worry about you here by yourself. By moving in with me, you’re easing my concerns. You’re helping me sleep at night. You’re giving me what I want.”
Catalina rubbed his arm. “This is what Mama would want.”
“You’re sure?” he asked, his voice weak.
“Yes.” I gripped his shoulder. “I’m sure, Father.”
I walked inside their bedroom. “How’s the little guy?”
“Better.” Hades poured me a drink and handed it over. “Sofia is putting him to sleep right now.”
“What was the problem?” I took the scotch and had a sip.
“Turns out it was an allergy.” It was too cold to sit outside, so he walked to the couch in front of the fire. He was in his sweatpants and slippers, right at home despite the fact that he had company.
“To what?” I sat on the other couch and felt the heat from the flames.
“Peanuts.”
“Oh, really?”
“Maria let him have a bite of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich…and that triggered it.”
“At least you know now.”
“Yeah. And his allergy is minor. His throat doesn’t close up or anything.”
“Good news.” I had been at the office alone because Hades hadn’t been in for a few days, staying home with Sofia and Andrew to make sure his family was okay. “I’m surprised neither one of you has the same allergy.”
“I’m not sure how it works.” He stared at the fire for a while before he turned back to me. “Sorry we ditched you. How’d that go?”
I stared into my glass as I remembered the uncomfortable conversation. “Fine.”
“That bad, huh?”
“It was going to happen at some point. At least we got it out of the way.”
“What did you talk about?”
“I asked her about Liam. She said a few things. But most of the time, we just sat in silence and finished our lunch. She asked if I wanted her to quit so I wouldn’t have to see her anymore.”
“And what did you say?”
I shook my head. “I told her I didn’t mind seeing her…because I don’t.”
“Really?” he asked, not believing that.
“I don’t.” I looked him in the eye. “It’ll probably always be weird, but I don’t want her to change her life because of me. She likes her job, and I know Sofia likes her too. Our past relationship shouldn’t haunt us forever.”
“But are you fine seeing her every day?”
I stared at him.
“That was the question.” He saw my reaction at her wedding, how I couldn’t suck it up and plaster on a fake smile. I couldn’t keep a straight face and be strong despite my pain.
“Yeah…I’m fine with it.”
He didn’t seem to buy my answer, but he let it go. “Liam has his first fight this weekend. She’ll probably be there.”
I thought I would only see Annabella every couple months, not be confronted with her presence on a regular basis. “What does that have to do with me?”
“Because we’re going.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s our client.”
“You said he was your client,” I snapped. “And what does that matter? We don’t get involved with our other clients.”
“We’re getting a big piece of the pie. And Liam is preparing to return to death fighting. We’ll be heavily involved in that.”
All the anger drained from my face when I heard what he said.
“I know the only reason you don’t want to go is because of her,” Hades said. “Because you’d be jumping at this opportunity in any other scenario.”
I didn’t hear what he said. “He said that?”
Hades cocked an eyebrow.
“About death fighting?”
He nodded.
“When?”
“A few weeks ago. Why?”
“Annabella told me he would give it up if she took him back. Now he’s trying to do it behind her back?” Would he really do something like that? The second she was his wife, he would throw her wishes out the window?
“Maybe she changed her mind about it.”
“No.” She never would.
He watched me for a long time. “Damien, whatever the case may be, you need to stay out of it.”
“Meaning?”
“Even if he is keeping this a secret from her, it’s not your place to tell her.”
I would watch his fights, knowing full well he risked his life every night, and say nothing to her?