Page 51 of Hades’ Revenge

“Do you hate my father too?”

“I’ve never met your father,” he said. “I met Hades after their falling out.”

“How come you came all this way?”

“Hades asked me to.” He nodded when the elevator doors opened, indicating he wanted me to step out first. “He’s a loyal friend and someone I can trust. That’s rare these days.”

“Well, I hope we can be friends too, Zeus.”

He smiled as my mother came rushing toward us.

“I’m going to let you handle this,” he said.

“Capri.” She hugged me. “I wanted to go up but your father wouldn’t let me.”

Zeus made himself scarce, but he stayed in the lobby. His presence didn’t bother me, but I would feel better if he was upstairs helping to diffuse any physical altercations between my dad and Sebastian. I hoped neither one of them came crashing out of the penthouse window and splattering onto the sidewalk.

“What are you thinking?” My mother put her arm around my waist and hurried us over to a sitting area by the front windows of the lobby. “How did Hades even find you?”

“I found him.”

“How?” She sat on the couch by the window, facing the hectic Manhattan street.

“I saw a video of him at his club and noticed he had the same tattoo as Dad.” Seeing that video changed my life. “I wanted to know why.”

“It didn’t occur to you that you should have asked me before you went off looking for him?”

“Why would that occur to me?” I sat down next to her. “I went to his club and met him. I was curious.”

“He should have turned you away,” she said. I had never seen her appear so anxious. “He was the adult.”

“I’m an adult too,” I reminded her. “I have been for a few years.”

“You know what I mean.”

“He did try to send me away, but I didn’t listen.” I traced my finger along the hearts on the hem of my sundress. “I pursued him.”

“Hades had an agenda when he met you. He only let you believe that being with him was your idea.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he always has an agenda.” She set her hand over mine. “You have no idea who he is.”

“He’s not the man you think he is,” I said. “He’s good to me.”

“Capri.” She shook her head. “Even if you did pursue him, he saw you as a way to get back at your father. We haven’t heard from him in almost twenty years. Why would he come back to provoke your father now? He’s using you.”

“He wouldn’t do that.” No matter what had happened between Sebastian and my dad, that was between them. “Sebastian wouldn’t even be here if it wasn't for me.”

“I get it,” she said. “He’s charming, sexy, and dangerous. You’re young, and you were in another country and fell for an attractive, older man. You should have left all of that behind the moment you landed in New York.”

“I didn’t bring him back with me.”

“That’s my point.” She ran her hand through her black, silky hair. “He knew what he would unleash if he taunted your father with your relationship. You are a means to an end for Hades.”

“I don’t believe that.” I couldn’t let her words come between Sebastian and me. “I realize you have history with Sebastian. I don’t know what happened all those years ago, but I do know there are two sides to every story.”

“Three.” She gazed out the window, taking in the crowded street. “It’s in all of our best interests to never revisit what happened back then. It was a very unstable time.”