And then there was the small fact that it was obvious Lykos was surprised to see me, meaning he wasn’t the one who summoned me or my services. Maybe it was his friend? He insinuated something about an intervention. Did it have something to do with Lykos’s wife?
Dammit, I hated complications and being blindsided in my personal life, and that’s exactly what had happened. Granted, I was going to seek out Lykos and his family, but I wanted it done on my terms, when I was mentally prepared. Not like this.
I should have turned around and walked right out of this house, but it was too late. And while I could maybe walk away from Lykos, I couldn’t walk away from his family. From his daughter.Mydaughter.
The memory of our second encounter filtered in. The day he found me on campus, back at Harvard. I wasn’t sure how he’d found me; although now that I knew he was a Greek mobster who dealt in illegal business, it made sense.
The frigid air bit through my coat as I rushed through campus, my book bag slipping off my shoulder in my haste. I held it against my chest, hoping to add some heat, my gaze locked on the door to the building where my next class was.
Three feet. Two. One.
I pushed through the door and entered a vestibule with an exhale, stomping the snow off.
“Violet.”
I froze, my foot still hovering above the rubber mat.
I recognized that voice. Although it’d only been a week, I knew it was one I’d never forget, a memory I’d be unable to scrub away.
Slowly, I turned my head and found Lykos standing there.
Tall. Dark. Foreboding.
He stood out among the sea of students rushing in and out, ignoring two people staring at each other in this small space. I didn’t know how long we remained like that, but suddenly the traffic ceased, signaling class had started.
His hands were tucked into his black wool coat, the intensity in his eyes threatening to upend my world.
I swallowed and said quietly, “You shouldn’t be here.”
“It’s the only way I was able to find you.”
My chest tightened. “You weren’t supposed to come looking for me.”
His jaw flexed. “Why did you sneak out?”
I winced, wanting nothing more than to feign ignorance, but it wouldn’t do me any good. This man would call me out on it, and honestly, I wanted to call him out on his deceit too.
“Because you failed to disclose that you’re married,” I hissed. “If I knew… I would have never… What happened between us shouldn’t have happened.”
“How did you find out?” he asked, curling his hands into fists.
“Your wedding ring fell out of our pile of clothes when I was getting dressed.” I lifted my chin, squaring my shoulders as I held his gaze. “Listen, it’s obvious you’re a…” The right word escaped me, or maybe I didn’t want to say it. He had to be aplayer, a cheater, and definitely a heartbreaker. I didn’t need any of that in my life. “Whatever you are, I want no part of it. Go sleep with some other willing woman. I won’t be the one.”
A flicker of guilt crossed his face before it hardened again.
“I never intended to sleep with you—or anyone—that night,” he said through clenched teeth.
I let out a sharp laugh, folding my arms across my chest.
“Of course not.” I scoffed. “That must be why you carry a condom in your wallet, right? Just in case… What? You trip and fall between a woman’s legs?”
Frustration bled into his expression.
“Those condoms have been in there for years,” he said, his voice earnest. “Since before I got married.”
I clicked my tongue. Great. Probably expired.
“Please,” he continued. “Just let me explain. I owe you the truth.”
