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“I understand, lass. But I’m offering ye a place to make yer own home. We would love it if ye stayed with us forever.” His mouth creases into something resembling a smile. “And as for the second bit, just say the word. We’ll have ye married the same day. All you have to do is let us know.”
My neck heats. Marriage between me and Persephone is practically a given. But I haven’t even talked to Penny about it, much less ordered a ring and considered how I would propose to her.
Penny jumps in, coming to my rescue. “That’s not really on our radar, sir.”
“Uncle Will,” he corrects her gently. “Ye both love each other, do ye not?”
Penny looks up at me, her eyes narrowing on my face. I give her an encouraging smile.
“Of course. I have never loved anyone else, and I never will. We are stuck together, I think.”
She blushes a little and squeezes my hand. Uncle Will crosses his arms.
“So it’s settled, then. Ye just let me know the date and I’ll have a priest come for the ceremony.”
I open my mouth to respond, but Magda cuts in. “We can talk more about it later. Let William dote on Persephone for a little while, okay? Yer brothers are waiting to talk to ye.”
Giving her a hard glare, I look down at Penny. “Are ye okay?”
She pats my hand and smiles before releasing me. “Go on, find out what Jekyll and Hyde want.”
Smirking at that, I turn toward my brothers. “Ye heard the lass. What do ye want?”
Eros clears his throat and Ares rolls his eyes.
“Magda has made her expectations clear as crystal. We’re supposed to have a serious talk about splitting up the company.”
“And paying Hades his fair share,” Magda adds. “He started the business, after all.”
I glance at Penny, who is talking very earnestly with Uncle Will. He is couching down beside her chair and clasping her hand. She leans close and seems at ease with him. I judge that she’ll be safe here, especially if I station my mother at her side.
Giving Magda a hard look, I motion to my brothers. “Come on. Let’s give Magda and Will and Penny time to get comfortable. We should go for a walk.”
Ares and Eros clamber to their feet, making for the door. I stop and drop a kiss to Penny’s head on my way out. She gives me a knowing look and blows me a kiss.
In the hallway, the second the door is closed behind me, Eros speaks.
“Well, go ahead. Tell him,” he says, glancing at Ares.
Ares rolls his eyes. “Aye, aye. I’ve transferred all the funds back into your accounts, Hades.”
My expression tightens. I can feel a prickle of tension spread across my shoulder blades. I just keep moving down the hallway. “I’m going to need you to say more.”
I make it to the massive front door, stepping out into the salty air. The ocean makes its presence known, waves crashing distantly as I head toward the shore.
Ares clears his throat, following my footsteps.
“I was thinking that the two of us would take a smaller portion of the loot from our most recent adventure.”
Shaking my head, I feel rage simmering in my veins. Now that Penny is no longer in sight, I stop and pin Ares in place with my gaze. He stops mid-step, looking a bit surprised.
“What?”
The itch to punch him is pronounced. My fists clench.
“What do ye mean, what?” I hiss.
Eros steps between us, ever the peace maker.
