Page 88 of Hades’ Revenge

“Wouldn’t that have been the ultimate revenge?”

“Revenge doesn’t seem to be my motivation anymore.” I smiled at her. “I’ll be honest, being with you in the beginning triggered my thirst for vengeance. Part of me wanted to be with you because I knew it would infuriate your father, but hurting you was never my intention.”

“I’d be stupid to think you didn’t see me as an opportunity to get back at my dad, but my attraction to you was much stronger, so I believed your feelings for me were more important than revenge.”

“You were right.” I squeezed her hands. “Using you to get back at Leo seemed like the perfect plan, but every time I looked into your eyes, every time you trusted me, and all the moments in between convinced me that you were more important than any vendetta.”

“I’ve always trusted that’s who you are.” She pressed her soft lips to the corner of my mouth. “I have limited experience with relationships, but something told me you wouldn’t hurt me that way.”

“I’ll never hurt you. I want to take care of you.” I trailed my lips across hers, creating a radiance that only happened when I was with her. “I’m dark and sometimes heartless, but not with you. I want to be different when I’m with you, but there’s so much in my past that keeps me from letting anyone in.”

“It’s understandable.” She kissed me, tilting her head and surrendering to my mouth. Her soft heart and caring demeanor slowly but deliberately broke down my defenses. “You had a rough start,” she said. “But you found a way to succeed. You not only rebuilt yourself as a young adult after a traumatic childhood, but you started over after what had happened in that church.”

“I do what I have to do to survive.” I kissed her again. “I always will.”

“I have another question.”

“Go for it.”

“Wait?” She laughed. “You’re not going to ask for something in return?”

“I’m storing up for a big ask.”

“What is your big ask?” She placed her hand on her hip, looking sexy enough for me to want to take her against the wall. “Do I want to know?”

“I’ll tell you later.” I glanced around the dark street, knowing Atticus was about to lose his shit if we didn’t wrap this up soon. “What’s your question, Scooby?”

“Why did you take the fall for my dad?”

“I wasn’t expecting that one.” I thought for a moment. “That’s an easy question for me to answer.”

“Tell me.”

“I took the fall for you.” Maybe it wasn’t right to lay that on her shoulders, but that was the most honest answer I could give.

“What do you mean?”

“Leo had you, he had your mother. What kind of life would that have been for you if he took responsibility for what he had done?” That night in the church was a blur, because all the chaos had unfolded so fast, but I had years to dwell on the reasons that led to where we were today. “Your dad would have had to go on the run or he would have had a target on his back. It was easier for me to look over my shoulder than it would have been for Leo. He had a family to protect.”

“You sacrificed everything.”

“I’m not that noble,” I admitted. “When I left, I honestly thought Leo would find a way for me to get out of it, but that never happened.”

“I’m sorry he betrayed you.”

“Even if we had worked together and found a way out of what he had done and I could have stayed, the dynamic between you and I would have been a lot different.”

“I would have grown up with you in my life.” She bit her lip. “The universe would have had other plans for us.”

“We could never have been together.” If I had helped raise and protect her, I would never have crossed such a line. I’m so glad I left when I did.

“I might have had to marry Christopher.”

“I would never have allowed that to happen under any circumstances,” I said.

“You would have protected me even then.”

“I’ve always wondered what the reason was for me having to abandon my life and leave everything behind. I wasted years trying to make sense over what had happened.”