I continue on. “She won’t leave him. She told me that if she ever did, he’d hunt her down and kill her and kill me too, as payback.”
Apollo sits up quickly. Rage washed over his face. “The fuck he will. The fact that he even threatened your life is reason enough for me to kill him with my bare hands. How dare he threaten you.”
“He’s threatened me multiple times. But…” I don’t understand why the sudden change of heart. A complete about face. “That’s just it, Apollo. I asked you to kill him. I begged you to. And when you refused, I even asked if I could have your brother do it. You refused that too. I know your brother was the family hitman, and for some reason I didn’t understand, you forbid it. I wanted her husband dead and came to you for help. You turned me down, over and over again.” I stop speaking as I try to process the clear anger I see on Apollo’s face.
“Did I ever give you a reason?”
“You said that the Godwins don’t get in the mud with pigs. You said that you and your brother are busy with genuine problems. You said that my sister made her bed and can easily get out of it. You said—”
“I was a fucking asshole,” Apollo interrupts, clearly pissed. “That fucker deserves to die. The only reason I haven’t gotten out of this bed to hunt him down right now is because for the life of me, I can’t remember this shit.”
“I just want my sister to be safe,” I say, more to myself than to Apollo.
I sit back and pull my legs to my chest, feeling the overwhelming need to cry.
“I’m assuming they live on Heathens Hollow?”
“The Eastside.”
“I’ll take care of it today.”
My heart skips. “Wait… Just like that?” I move closer to the door of the cage.
“Yes. Just like that. Give me the address.”
An odd sense of panic mixed with excitement sizzles through my veins. “No plan, no— you can’t just walk into the house and kill him.”
“Why not?”
“Apollo, you act like it’s no big deal to kill a man.”
“I think we both know this isn’t going to be my first rodeo.” He smirks, but I can see he’s uncomfortable with this discussion. His body is tense, and his face even more so.
“You make it seem so…simple,” I say softly.
“I shouldn’t have refused you when you first asked. And if I didn’t want to do it, then I should have asked Ares. Because he wouldn’t have hesitated for a second. Not only would he have killed him, but he would also have made him suffer.”
I’m confused by the change of heart. Why now? Why, after all this time?
“I hated you for saying no. I hated you for not helping me. Not helping the only family I have,” I confess.
“You should have,” he says. “It’s warranted.”
“I hated you so much, but I couldn’t just divorce you. I knew when I married a Godwin that divorce was out of the question. Troy, Ares, Athena… Everyone truly believes the vowuntil death do you part. And I knew death was inevitable for breaking the vow. But I was miserable. I couldn’t look at you. I had lost all respect for a man who I had thought would save me and keep me safe. So, when I walked in on you killing that man in the boardroom, I recorded it. I saw it as my chance to destroy you. I wanted out and knew this was a chance to be free of you forever. It was the pain in my heart that made me do what I did. You were willing to kill a man for business in the Medusa boardroom, just not willing to kill for me.”
“And your sister?” he asks. “Is she okay right now?”
“For now,” I answer.
“Does she want him dead?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m sure she doesn’t. But it’s either him or her. I know this in my gut. I have to protect her. I have to.” I release a deep breath. “She’s pregnant. Which means that now a baby is in danger too.”
“Then we will. I’ll take care of it.” He lays down on his back and stares at the ceiling. “I should have done this before, but I will handle it. I promise.”
“You’ll kill him?” I’m not sure I’m hearing him correctly. What does taking care of it mean?
He turns his head. “Yes. I’ll do whatever you ask. Besides, he fucked with the wrong Godwin by threatening your life.”