“I took—my brother took the fall for what you did.”
“Youwere supposed to take the fall,” I counter, my voice coming out screechy. “I turned you in. Not your brother. It’s not my fault you let Ares take the blame for killing that man.”
He doesn’t respond but seems to study every inch of my face. I feel as if he’s trying to read me, dive into my thoughts. His proximity and the way his eyes seem to devour every inch of my skin have me taking a few steps away from him.
Closer to the door.
Closer to my chance of making a run for it.
“Do you think I came here to kill you?” he growls as he takes slow, calculated steps toward me, closing the distance I just created between us.
He’s toying with me. He’s toying with me like a cat does with a mouse right before the kill.
“I don’t know why you’re here,” I say as I spin on my heels and bolt toward the door.
A sharp pain erupts in the back of my head.
Darkness.
ChapterEleven
Apollo
Never hit a woman. If my mother was still alive, she’d be livid with me for knocking Daphne out the way I did. Men do not abuse women. Not a pop to the face or anything that could mar a beautiful smile with bruises or blood. That’s not to say the men in my family didn’t discipline and punish when deserved, and we all have wicked ways of doing such acts. But we do not physically harm an innocent female in an act of uncontrolled violence. I don’t know all the ins and outs of the relationship my brother had with Daphne, but I can safely say he never beat her. The Godwin family has rules, and not beating a woman is one of them. My father has always been a ruthless son of a bitch. He goddamn tortured my mother at times…mentally. Not to mention what he did to his children. But never did he beat my mother. Never would he slap her face or punch her in a fit of rage. And yes… He was a man who raged.
I will have to ask for forgiveness later to the Godwin ancestors who still haunt us to this day. But I didn’t have a choice. I know Daphne would not go quietly. I saw her cagey eyes darting around as she tried to come up with an escape plan, and now was not the time to quiet her screams or deal with her nails clawing at my face. Though the Godwins are connected deep in the hotel world, we don’t own this one, and the less of a scene, the better. There is plenty of time for Daphne’s fear and acting out in the privacy of Olympus Manor.
Catching Daphne’s limp body in my arms, I cradle her close to my chest, trying to ignore the wafting aroma of lavender coming from her long chestnut hair. I also try not to pay attention to the smoothness of her bare legs I have scooped over my arm—flesh to flesh.
I want to be mad. I want to stay mad.
Anger will keep me focused. Remembering this woman laying in my arms tried to destroy my brother, and pulled me into it, and our family… Yes, I need to remain angry. I was going to spend the rest of my life behind bars because of her. She betrayed our family, and she nearly destroyed any chance I had of freedom. She wanted to bring Apollo down, and for that she must be punished.
Her small frame makes it easy for me to walk toward the door. As I exit the hotel room, my men are waiting outside in the hallway. I can hand Daphne off to any of them, but I like the warmth of her body against mine. I should never admit this, but I will not give up this small pleasure. I will handle my brother’s wife—now my wife—myself. Plus, it makes sense I would carry my wife and not want another man to touch her.
“Is the helicopter ready?” I ask as I walk down the emergency stairs, paying close attention that Daphne’s head or feet don’t hit the railing or wall.
“Yeah,” Johnny—a man who’s loyally worked for my family for over a decade—says as he follows close behind with his gun ready just in case. “We’re good. The car’s in the alley waiting to take you there.”
I pick up my pace when Daphne stirs. A soft groan escapes her pouty lips, and her long eyelashes flutter. I have a sleeping beauty in my arms who is about to become a screaming banshee if I don’t act quickly. I don’t want to knock her out again, but I also don’t want to deal with a hysterical woman fighting for her life. She needs to be in the car before she awakens.
When I reach the town car, I position Daphne’s lifeless body into the backseat as gently as I can. She’s already going to wake up with a nice size goose egg on the back of her head, and I have no intention of adding anymore bruises and cuts to her body if I can help it. I rush to the other side of the car and crawl into the backseat next to her. Without giving much thought, I lift her head and position it on my lap. Banging on the soundproof glass that separates me from the driver, I signal it’s time to leave.
Daphne groans again and moves her head from side to side. I instantly regret the placement of her head as the side of her face brushes up against the tip of my cock. I don’t want her to have any control over my mind or body. The last thing I need is to muddy the waters—
But fuck!
Her face touches it again, and my cock has a mind of its own as it hardens and tents my slacks like I’m some horny teenager.
I stare out the window and think of the task at hand.Focus, focus.I will not look down at her angelic face, her luscious lips, or the way her silken hair cascades around my thigh. I will not look at her black, lace panties that are on full display since her dress bunched up when I placed her in the back seat. I will not picture my cock plunged into that pussy of hers which only hides behind a thin piece of fabric.
Fuck it…
Yes, I will.
I can’t help but imagine how tight her tiny little hole will feel milking my—
Like a bolt of lightning, Daphne opens her eyes and sits up. Cowering to the door with wild eyes, she puts out her hands to block an attack that isn’t coming.