Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Near-sister or not, I don’t trust that look on her face. “What do you know?”
“Nothing much.” She bypasses me and heads down the stairs to where the gym is located. “More than you.”
I wait a full three seconds and then stalk down the hallway to the door with the stylized six on it. I raise my hand and then reconsider. Something about this whole situation sends warning bells tolling through my mind. It doesn’t make any sense.
Surely I have nothing to be afraid of?
I knock briskly before I can stall longer. I listen to the heavy footsteps approach from the other side and find myself holding my breath. And then the door opens and the very last person I expect to see stands there, his blond hair a little messy like he’s been running his fingers through it, his blue eyes going wide at the sight of me, his mouth curving into a smile. “Meg.”
“I… Hercules?”
He barely seems to register my shock, grabbing my hands and towing me into the apartment. It’s decorated like all the unoccupied ones are—tasteful neutrals and welcoming furniture that’s just as comfortable as it looks. Hercules releases me almost instantly, but I can still feel the imprint of his hands on mine. More than that. I can still feel his tongue rolling over my clit. His cock filling me. His strong hold keeping me in place as he fucks me just like I commanded him to.
He looks at me like I’m the greatest gift he’s ever been given. “He followed through on his promise. I honestly wasn’t sure he would.”
Surely I’m misunderstanding this. Surely Hades didn’t do what I’m beginning to suspect he did. “His promise?”
“Your freedom.”
I stare. He looks so incredibly proud of himself, a golden retriever expecting to be praised for his good behavior. Did I really think this guy might be a good one? I really should know better by now. I take a careful step back and cross my arms over my chest. “Let me see if I have this straight. You decided to bargain yourself away for a woman you just met—”
“Yes—”
“—without talking to her first and figuring out what she wanted.”
He’s starting to realize he might have misjudged things. Hercules flushes. “I saw the way you were with him. You both admitted what he made you do with me. I had to do the right thing.”
The right thing.
The right thing.
I shake my head slowly. “You are an idiot.”
Hercules’s blue eyes go stormy. “Don’t talk to me like I’m a stupid teenager.”
“Then stop acting like one!” I have to turn away to regain control of my tone. Screaming at him might feel good for a few moments, but he truly doesn’t understand. In the end, it’s like kicking a puppy, and I’ll feel worse for doing it. I press the heels of my hands to my eyes. “How long?”
“What?”
“How long did you give him? A year? Three? Five? Seven?”
His silence gains weight. I turn back to find him staring at me as if he’s never seen me before. “I gave him forever, Meg. A full trade. Me for you.”
My breath leaves me in a whoosh. A lifetime. Who is this guy that Hades was willing to lay out those terms? I don’t know. There was a time when he would have told me his plans, would have sketched them out in all their intricacy and filled me with wonder at how devious his mind was. No longer. The distance between us is too great these days, both of us moving about our lives separately with deliciously painful clashes that hurt more than they help. Even with that, I thought we were still partners. Dysfunctional ones, yes, but equals in our own way. Silly me. I should know better than to trust anyone at this point. Even him. Especially him. “You should have talked to me first,” I say weakly. “You don’t understand.”
“Help me understand.” He cautiously takes my hand and tugs me toward the couch. As if he is going to comfort me. This man makes absolutely no sense. He’s the one in more trouble than he obviously understands. He’s the one Hades has just conned. I’m the one who should be comforting him.
But I didn’t beg for him to save me. He didn’t ask. He just took one look at us and assumed he knew a single damn thing about how our lives work. He’s a fool, and I don’t suffer fools, even when they’re pretty enough to make me temporarily lose myself.
“Oh, now you’re willing to slow down long enough to actually consider my opinion?” I jerk my hand out of his. “Does my damsel in distress roll allow for a speaking part?”
“I don’t get why you’re pissed. Shouldn’t you be happy? You wanted out from under Hades, and now you can be.”