Late at night was the worst. When I was alone in my bed, memories of my parents laughing and smiling ran through my mind. I’d hear my father’s voice tell me everything would be okay even when I wouldn’t ask, even when I wouldn’t be worried.
But somehow, those words eased me, made me know that, yes, everything would be okay because he said so.
I’d cry nightly, soft tears over the things I didn’t have anymore, but as the days passed, those tears became less frequent until I’d drift off to sleep without a stuffy nose or swollen eyes.
And every night I dreamt about Hades, ones where he sat on a throne, flames lashing all around him as if he were the king of the underworld, as if he were the devil himself.
I hardly saw him except the occasional time we shared dinner together. He was cold and aloof. Distant.
I didn’t understand why he changed so drastically, and I should’ve been happy that I didn’t have to see him as often, but I felt this weird ache deep within my chest that made no sense.
And I even became anxious and excited when I knew I’d have dinner with him. But tonight wasn’t one of those nights.
Hades was no longer taking me or picking me up from school. It had surprised me to see a hulking beast of a man waiting to drive me that first morning without Hades. He’d grunted his name like a caveman, his accent thick. Russian maybe?
Bruno.
He sat in the front seat, brooding and silent, only giving harsh answers when I asked him something directly.
“No speaking with Wilcox boy,” he’d remind me every morning before I climbed out of the car. I just glared and went about my day. His harsh accent made his words seem angry when he would stare at me impassively.
Although I was still friendly with Trevor at school, I’d been so busy and preoccupied with everything else that there hadn’t been time for me to do anything more than say hello to him in passing.
It was probably for the best, anyway. This was my last year, and I wanted to focus on getting good grades. Not only that, I had enough drama in my life that I didn’t need to add to by causing the raging bull that was Hades detonating like a damn bomb because I wasn’t “obeying his commands.”
I made a few friends, and one of them had even talked me into going to a party tonight. With Hades hardly around, I didn’t feel the need to ask him for his permission. Not that I would have, even if he was here. He couldn’t expect me to just stay cooped up in this house and not socialize.
But a part of me wanted to ask him because it would give me some interaction with the man who was slowly consuming my thoughts over the last few weeks.
I couldn’t stop picturing him working out in his basement gym, his tattooed body sweaty and bulging with muscles. I imagined those enormous hands sliding over my skin. It would be such a stark contrast. His tanned, ink flesh against my unmarred, pale skin.
I even slipped my fingers between my thighs and touched myself as I envisioned that before quickly realizing it was sick and twisted and stopped myself.
My phone beeped with an incoming text. I picked it up off my vanity and looked at the screen. It was from Sophia, one of the girls I had classes with. She’d befriended me shortly after I started school, and over the last few weeks we’d become closer.
She told me her parents were Italian immigrants and that her father was in the import and export business.
Sophia: Be there in five.
I grabbed my clutch off the vanity and walked downstairs. Although Hades wasn’t here, there was always staff around.
I could see Bruno sitting on a chair in the cigar room. As soon as he saw me, he set the newspaper down and stood, strutting over to me with a scowl on his face.
I rolled my eyes as he looked me up and down. I could see the judgment on his face, even though I was fully clothed. A pair of skinny jeans and a formfitting shirt wasn’t me trying to proposition people for sex, but the look on his face said otherwise.
“Mr. Cronus has instructed that you stay inside unless with a chaperone.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked my eyebrow. Bruno was an intimidating man at six-foot-five and built like a tank. But I noticed he always stayed five feet from me, as if sharing the same airspace would somehow offend his boss.
“Well, Mr. Cronus isn’t here, and I am an adult. I can come and go as I please, Bruno.” I emphasized his name, and turned, gripping the handle and opening the door just as I saw Sophia’s headlights pulling up the driveway.
“He won’t like this,” Bruno said from behind me, and I looked over my shoulder.
“No, I suspect he won’t.” And then I shut the door and climbed into Sophia’s car, feeling a surge of pleasure at the fact that I was pissing Hades off.
Why did getting under his skin make me feel so good?
Chapter13