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He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. He clearly had no idea what he’d just said, didn’t even notice the error of his ways. It was so natural to him that nothing felt out of the ordinary.
“Goodnight, Damien…”
12
Annabella
I wore the same outfit I’d worn yesterday because I didn’t have a change of clothes. I couldn’t stand wearing makeup to bed, so I washed my face and went to work rocking the natural look.
Sofia came into my office, and since she noticed every little detail, she knew I was in my clothes from yesterday. “Never went home?”
I shook my head. “I came downstairs and went straight to work.”
“So, you and Liam haven’t made up yet?”
He still hadn’t texted me. If I didn’t go home after work tonight like I usually did, he would probably start chasing me down. “No. He gave me some space.”
She sat on the edge of my desk. “That’s good. We all need time to clear our head sometimes.” She didn’t ask what our fight was about, but she was obviously curious. “Hades and I don’t argue much anymore, but if he wanted to leave, I wouldn’t stop him…even though I’d want to.”
I couldn’t picture them fighting. Hades was the most dedicated man I’d ever met. He looked at his wife like she was sent from heaven. Even if she’d done something, he probably wouldn’t give a damn. “We were having dinner last night, and Liam asked if he could return to death fighting. The conversation turned sour, and I lost my temper…dishes broke…and I bailed.”
“Death fighting?”
I guess Hades didn’t talk about his work much. “Liam is a professional fighter. That’s how he made his fortune. Death fighting is when two fighters fight to the death. There’s a lot more money on the table, a lot more glory. He did it a couple of times until I asked him to stop. Now, he wants to go back…and I got upset.”
“That’s intense.”
“Yeah…” I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. “I just don’t get it. He finally has me back, so why would he want to gamble his life like that?”
She shook her head. “You’re asking the wrong person. When I first met Hades, I never understood his obsession with the underworld. Our hotel was overrun with the mob and gangsters, and it didn’t make him blink an eye. He was already rich, so why continue a life full of death and risk? But…it’s a man thing.”
“But he stopped.”
“Only because of our family. If it were just me, he would probably keep doing it.”
“Then maybe we need some kids…”
She chuckled. “It’ll definitely change him.”
“Yeah.” But I wasn’t sure if I could have children. After my miscarriage, I was too afraid to do further fertility tests.
“Liam agreed, right?”
“No…not technically.” The conversation never got that far. “But my answer is final, and he won’t talk me out of it. It’s hard enough for me to watch him fight normally. Adding his life on the line…I can’t live like that, like every day is his last.”
She nodded. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. He loves you, so he’ll do as you ask.”
“Yeah…” Sometimes I wondered if he enjoyed his single life more than he let on. Because he could do whatever he wanted, stay out as late as he wanted. Now, he was used to that but being forced into the confines of marriage. He forgot there were two of us now, not just one. He was probably used to the stupid bimbos who agreed with whatever he said, who were turned on by the scars and old broken bones. That wasn’t me. I wanted him healthy, even if that meant we were living in my old, shitty apartment. I could be just as vicious as him in the ring—just with my words.
Sofia slid off the desk. “Let me know how it goes.”
“I will.”
She walked out of my office, her hand on her stomach.
She didn’t ask about Damien, so I assumed she had no idea he spent most of the evening in my hotel room. We had deep conversations, watched a movie, and then hugged on the doorstep like it was the last time we would see each other. I was glad he came over and cheered me up, but his visit also bothered me. Our relationship was easy, natural. Why couldn’t Liam and I be that way? Why was it so hard for us to be what we used to be?
When I came home and hung up my coat, the house was dead quiet. There was no sound of Liam making dinner in the kitchen. His heavy footsteps weren’t loud against the hardwood floor as he walked around.
It didn’t seem like he was home.
I slipped off my boots and set my purse on the entry table before I stepped farther into the house. I stopped at the doorway that led to the kitchen and dining room. The kitchen island was empty, and there were no pans on the stove. Most of the lights were off, and it was getting dark because the sun was almost gone. When I turned to the dining table, I saw him sitting there, like a monster in the dark, rigid and quiet. He didn’t look at me, his head slightly down as he slouched in the chair.
