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“Thank you.” He replies, staring at her with his usual enigmatic stare.
“I understand you offered your services to Serena Vieri. Tell me about that.”
At the mention of her promise, every muscle on me tenses and even Apollo appears angry about that.
Melissa nods emphatically. “I want to help.” She smiles sweetly at Apollo.
“I didn’t know the circumstances before, but when Serena told me about your situation, I wanted to help.”
“Why?” I say roughly and she shrugs.
“Because Apollo was so lovely to me, and I want to repay the favor.”
Apollo grins and rests his arm lazily along the back of her chair, causing me to scowl, and my father rolls his eyes.
“Apollo.” He warns, causing him to drop his arm and smirk, raising his glass to Melissa and saying softly, “I love that you want to help but it will be too dangerous. Adonis will take you home.”
“No.” Her eyes widen in alarm.
“I gave Serena my word. I want to help, and I will.” Determination blazes from her eyes, which makes my father smile and as Apollo catches my eye I share his concern. This isn’t Melissa’s fight. She is too vulnerable.
“Please.” She addresses each one of us in turn.
“I can do this. I mean, how hard can it be? It’s only a party.”
We shake our heads collectively and my father says gently, “I doubt its anything like the parties you usually attend. It may shock you what goes on there and you may receive unwelcome attention.”
“I won’t be alone. Serena told me that Mikhail would protect me.”
I glance at Apollo, who sighs heavily.
“Mikhail Romanov is colder than most. This is a job for him, and he won’t care if you keep up with him or not. If you think we have no emotion, you haven’t met the god of it.”
“Have you met him?” Melissa’s eyes are wide, and I say gruffly, “Yes, several times. None of them end well for his victims. He is doing this as a favor for Alexei, his brother.”
“Serena’s boyfriend?” Melissa asks and I nod.
“This isn’t the kind of thing he usually gets involved in but is the perfect man for the job. He is a billionaire, has dubious sexual preferences and doesn’t consider anyone’s feelings, even his own.”
Apollo adds. “He is also grieving for his father and searching for his killer. He is in a violent state of mind most of the time, but right now he is at his most dangerous.”
Melissa looks fucking terrified, and her voice shakes as she whispers, “But Serena said I would be safe with him.”
“And you will.” My father adds with a smile. “We will make certain of that, if it’s decided you go at all.”
He casts a pointed look in my direction as he says it, and it’s obvious that even my father realizes Melissa is special. The idea of her heading to that fuck island with Mikhail Romanov will be a test of my obsession because the thought of it is currently ripping my heart to shreds.
We eat and the conversation turns away from Madeira Island and yet I can tell it’s all Apollo can think of. I would be the same in his position and would probably already be there trying to gain access.
He is brooding and yet disguising it well as he talks to Melissa and occasionally smirks in my direction.
My father is his usual contemplative self. I get that from him, I guess, whereas Apollo is more like our mother.
Just thinking of her reminds me of the pain I constantly live with and as we end the meal, my father says to Apollo, “We need to run over a few things.”
I know what he’s doing. His tactics aren’t lost on me because we operate as a team of three and he is giving me time with Melissa.
It’s obvious my father is hopeful I will finally admit I have some kind of feelings inside me. He is probably pinning all his hope on Melissa. I doubt it will come to anything. We are continents apart and yet as I drag my lazy gaze over her sweet face, I’m not ready to let her go just yet.
