Once he was settled into the driver’s seat and driving away from my house, he spoke. Just when I started hoping he’d be silent and let me wallow in my embarrassment.
This was Judas.
I should’ve known that wouldn’t be happening.
“Don’t let Evie’s words get to you.”
I quirked a brow. “Which ones?”
“None of them.”
I smiled briefly at his clipped tone. He’d just used her name so casually. “How do you know my mom?”
He shook his head. “I don’t, not beyond a few sepia and greyscale photographs. I only know of Evie.”
I pondered his words, carefully turning them over in my head. I was rapidly coming to understand that I had to listen to what he was saying and not just hear him say it.
He gave me an answer that contained within it a pebble of information. That small tidbit was enough to make my head hurt. It was unsettling to know Judas had firsthand knowledge of the woman that birthed me. At the same time, especially after what just occurred, it was nice having someone else confirm what anyone that knew simple human biology could see: Evie wasn’t my biological mom.
She and my father were as Caucasian as the originals that came from the Caucasus mountains. I always claimed I looked more like my dad because at least he had a tan that could potentially be responsible for my bronze complexion. However, I wasn’t a fucking idiot. The gene mathematics simply weren’t mathing. A and B did not liken to C.
It had never bothered me.
They were my parents, regardless as far as I’d always been concerned until very recently.
I assumed I was adopted or something and hadn’t had any desire to figure out where I truly came from or why. I still wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to learn what brought me to them. My intuition told me I wasn’t going to like the answers I found. Judas already knew them.
“What else do you know?”
He gave me a bright grin that had my stomach somersaulting. “That you’re absolutely beautiful.”
“I’m being serious.”
“So am I,” he insisted, “You’re a fucking goddess, principessa. No one holds a candle to you. I’m honored to call you mine.”
“Stop.” I shifted as my cheeks grew warm. “I could say the same thing about you.”
“Of course, you can. It’s fitting, isn’t it?”
“Uh…I guess?” I snorted, smothering a laugh. His confidence was out of this world. I loved that about him.
“You a goddess and me a god. Imagine the future we’ll create together.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and smiled. “Gods have power.”
“That they do. I plan to have plenty.”
My laughter abruptly fizzled. I was humoring him, and he was being dead ass serious. It made me…anxious and uncomfortable for too many reasons to list, starting with him being someone that could say something like that and mean it.
“I think we should slow down on talking about our future. I can’t wrap my head around one thing from the next let alone the future us.”
“You don’t need to do anything. I’ll take care of everything else, especially anyone who hurts you.”
“Outside of you, right?”
“I can heal what I damage. Can they?”
That was an admission if I’d ever heard one.
Him saying he would hurt me and then make it better wasn’t all that butterfly-inducing when I didn’t have the slightest idea what this would entail.
He reached beside him and grabbed a pamphlet out of the driver’s door while simultaneously switching lanes like a madman. A simple look at the clock displayed on his car’s center screen and I knew he was raging inside about how late we would be. “Here.”
With a bout of deJa’vu, I took the leaflet and studied the large brick building on the front of it. “Decesso University? I’ve never heard of this.”
“Google it.”
I shoved the colorful flyer into my bag. “No need because I’m not going there.”
“I’m legitimately beginning to think you want Audrey hurt.”
“Is that how it’s going to be? Using my best friend to threaten me every chance you get?”
“If that’s what it takes to make you obey and keeps you safe, yes.”
Keep me safe from what?
I clasped my hands together to keep myself from punching him in the nuts. “I’m not a dog, Judas. I won’t ever be your obedient bitch. Are you trying to take Evie’s place already?”
“Did you just compare me to the stupid cunt you’ve been calling mom?” He laughed coldly. “You can thank the devil himself that I want you alive more than I want you dead because I have the sudden urge to throw you out of my car and run you over.”
“Stop threatening me, asshole!”
The steering wheel protesting beneath his iron grip was the first indication I’d superbly pissed him off.
I expelled a heavy breath. I was frustrated and stressed but none of it came from him, not the gist of it anyway. Judas loathed Marcus and despised Evie. I shouldn’t have put them in the same category. I honestly wasn’t sure what I would do if Judas weren’t here right now.