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I sigh heavily, my mind still consumed by thoughts of my father's absence. "My father wasn't there to witness it," I confess at last.
"So that's what this is about. But you know what they say—every cloud has a silver lining."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She leans in, a sly glint in her eyes. "Well, isn't it obvious? That little ray of sunshine named Aurora. She's got you feeling all squishy inside."
My jaw tightens at the mention of the girl's name. "Don't be ridiculous."
Lyssa rolls over in her seat to look at me fully, enjoying my discomfort. "Oh, come on. You can't fool me. I saw the way you looked at her."
I tense up at her teasing, feeling the sting of truth behind her words. "She's just a pawn," I tell her with a dismissive shrug.
Lyssa raises an incredulous eyebrow. "A pretty little pawn that's got you pining, maybe."
"She is…pleasant to look at," I admit.
Lyssa cackles triumphantly as she rises from her seat. "See? I knew it! You be careful, Hades. Don't let her wrap you around that little finger of hers."
"Make yourself useful and go fetch,Wolf," I snarl back. She saunters out of the room with a wild laugh, leaving me to wrestle with my mood again, an unfamiliar sensation.
I close my eyes and rub my temples, trying to clear my head after Lyssa's teasing. But she's right about one thing—I have not been quite myself since Aurora came into the picture.
I'm not sure Lyssa realizes just how long ago that was, though.
I lean back in my chair, remembering again that first time I saw her—a fragile little bird caught up in her father's tangled web of debt. A very lovely young woman, with that dangerous kind of beauty that launches ships to war…but she was also more than that.
Those wide, curious eyes. Fearful, but fearless at the same time as she stared at me. I sense again now that there's something else inside her, under all that innocence.
Something…dark, like the darkness that lives in me.
It's a darkness that was cultivated in me from birth. Papa might have refused to give me the keys to the Imperioli kingdom, but he still made me into a force to be reckoned with. Weapons training started before I was of school age. And when I disappeared into the streets as a cold response to his preference for Nero, I found Lyssa…and then I really began to carve out my own legacy of blood and fear.
These days, Hades is a name whispered with reverence and awe in the Chicago underworld. I am the shadow people seek outwhen they have deeds too dark for even hardened mafiosi to commit. Deeds without honor. Dirty deeds that come at a steep price.
And so with dirty hands, I've found my own place. My own kingdom.
My own throne.
But all behind a mask, because I knew that the people I dealt with—just like my father—would not take a woman seriously. I invented a specter, Hades, a mysterious man whose identity was unknown outside the Syndicate, and I claimed to be working on his behalf, under his orders.
When all the time, IwasHades. My power and influence grew, along with the reputation of Hades. The Styx Syndicate is feared, hated, and regularly employed.
But it's not enough. It's not what I was born to, not what I have dreamed of all these years. I want mybirthright. Leading a group of mercenaries is not the same as leading a mafia Family. I want respect, not just fear.
And I want my father to recognize me. I want him to admit that he was wrong to prefer Nero over me. And to do that, I plan to show him, show the Imperioli Family, how easily I can take the things that Nero thinks are his due.
Aurora was just the first example.
Aurora.
My mind keeps returning to her. She's gorgeous and tempting, and there are so many things I would love to do to her…but I can't afford to get distracted. Not now.
My rivalry with Nero has reached a boiling point. Stealing his bride was a bold declaration of war, along with that revelation of my identity. Now I need to focus on consolidating my power, not fretting about the girl. I've set events in motion that cannot be undone.
Besides, she's mine, now.
I wanted her. I took her. I'll keep her, one priceless possession among countless others.
