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“I let him in, ma’am,” Leo offered, even though that wasn’t the truth.
I’d broken into Slone’s gate and opened it with a few handy tools that allowed me to do things like that without breaking them.
“Oh,” she frowned harder. “I thought you were off today?”
“I am,” Leo nodded. “Just wanted you to meet the big boss.”
Tony’s eyes, which were nothing like her sister’s, turned to survey me.
“Come in,” she said. “Are you wanting to meet with Slone?”
“Yes,” I answered. “Both of you, actually.”
She made a comment under her breath about ‘rudeness’ and held her door open wider for me to enter.
I came in and quickly took note of all exits, possible hazards, and anything else I might need to know to keep myself safe.
Leo stopped at my side, slightly behind me, letting the man that came into the room know who he was protecting if needed.
Slone didn’t miss it.
“I wasn’t aware of anyone coming to meet me today,” he said as he placed his shaker cup on the table next to the couch.
I shrugged. “I was in the area.”
I wasn’t in the area, technically.
It was funny, but what would Tony think when she found out that Hades had been living next to her, in the same town, for the last however long?
Funny enough, I hadn’t needed to make a flight to see them. I’d made a flight to come home.
How Leo had known I was coming there today probably had more to do with Hades, who had taken over the corner office at my building, than him reading the flight logs.
Slone crossed his arms and said, “Why do I feel like you have something to say?”
Because you are an astute man, I thought to myself.
“I want to share with you some news,” I said. “Your sister tasked me with finding out who your stalker was.”
Slone shifted, but it was Tony who had my attention.
“Okay,” she hesitated. “Did y’all find anything on him?”
“Yes,” I said. “It was who we suspected all along. Benjamin Braddock. Your sister’s ex-boyfriend.”
“And did you get him to stop giving them to me?” she asked. “The ‘presents?’”
I shrugged. “He’s dead.”
Tony’s eyes widened. “You killed him?”
I didn’t want to give them all the details.
If Hades wanted her to have them, then she would.
Eventually.
“I didn’t, no,” I said. “But you can guess that he won’t be giving you any more packages.”
Slone snorted. “Good riddance.”
I didn’t reply to that.
I did, however, say what I needed to say next.
“I’m going to leave you with something,” I said as I pulled Hades’ journal out of my inside pocket. “I want you to remember something, though.”
“Okay…” she said as she took it, her eyes narrowing as she realized the relevance of the notebook.
It wasn’t hard to guess.
From what Hades had told me, she’d carried it around with her everywhere. It would be noticeable to her twin sister.
“I want you to read this,” I said. “And no, Slone can’t read it.”
Slone’s mouth opened to say something, but I gave him a sharp look. “Would you want the details of your wife’s rape to go to any other man?”
Slone slammed his mouth shut.
No, he definitely wouldn’t want that.
He would be staying away from the journal. That I knew for sure.
Tony’s eyes were wide as she listened to me talk more about her sister.
The sister that it was likely she didn’t even know.
“But…” she said.
“The journal,” I said. “Read it. When you’re done, Hades wants you to burn it.”
Tony pulled it to her chest and hugged it, her eyes filled with tears.
“I will,” she promised.
I headed toward the door, but Tony’s words stopped me.
“Is she going to come to my wedding?” Tony asked.
I looked at her with blank eyes before saying, “She’s healing, Tony. I don’t know what she’s going to want to do when you get around to doing it.”
With that, I left, glad that I’d gotten everything over with.
They knew about Benji. They knew about Hades. And soon, they’d know why Hades was the way she was.
Hades had never asked for her journal back, but I had a feeling she never would.
That part of her life, needing to share things with the papers and nobody else, was gone.
If she needed a release, I would be able to offer it to her through my body.
I drove home. It took me three minutes.
She met me at the door and her smile was everything.
She threw herself into my arms, and I pulled her in tight, feeling like I could breathe again for the first time since I’d left two nights before.
“Welcome home,” she said quietly.
I smoothed her hair back and said, “I love you.”
Her eyes were all melty when she said, “I love you, too.”
• • •
4 ½ months later
It took them four and a half months to agree to see each other.
Well, it took Hades three and a half months to agree to see Tony, not Tony willing to see Hades.
