by Penelope Sky
I sat in the leather chair and opened my laptop even though I had no work to do. I just played the part and did my time until Maddox appeared. I could only linger for a couple hours. Any longer than that would be suspicious.
If he didn’t show up, I would be relieved. But I would also be devastated.
But if he did come…I would be terrified. I’d never killed anyone before, never took a shot at anyone. I didn’t have any reservations about putting Maddox in a grave; I was just sick knowing I had to do it. It wasn’t just revenge for Hades and me.
It was freedom.
Two hours passed, and I resisted the urge to call Ash to check on my baby. I also thought about calling Hades, but the second I got him on the phone, I wouldn’t be able to lie about what I was doing. He would march down there and sabotage the whole thing. So I had to sit there…and wait.
This plan probably wasn’t going to work. Maddox was an asshole, but he had bigger fish to fry. I didn’t matter to him. He used me and tortured me… I was old news. The only person he really wanted was Hades, and now he had him.
He didn’t care about me.
I was about to throw in the towel when heavy footsteps sounded outside my door. They reminded me of Hades because the distinct thud sounded like it could come from his substantial size. It was like an animal coming around the corner.
I slowly rose to my feet and slid my hand into my right pocket. My heart was beating so frantically, at the speed of a hummingbird’s heartbeat. I perspired immediately, beads of sweat forming on my forehead and the back of my neck. My fingers found the handle of the gun and wrapped around the trigger. The metal felt hot in my hand, and I could hear the distant click as I let off the safety.
I was ready…but terrified.
I saw the shadow before the man. Then he stepped into the doorway, tall, muscular, and looking smitten with himself. His blue eyes locked on to mine, and he stepped into my office with a slight smile on his face. With his arms resting by his sides, he seemed pleased by the look of horror on my face.
I didn’t have to act scared or surprised. I’d hoped this would happen, but I was still sick to my stomach. I would never forget the way he held me down and forced himself between my legs. I would never forget those painful nights when I wished I were dead. It was so easy to portray myself as a terrified victim…because that was exactly what I was.
He stopped in front of my desk and tilted his head slightly. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? How are you?”
I despised his ego, despised everything about him. He assumed he’d cornered me like a brilliant villain, and he didn’t have the humility to wonder if he was wrong. Maybe he was playing me and he knew this was all a setup. But I suspected he had no idea…and he was about to pay for everything he’d done. “Things have been rough. But they’re about to get better.”
His eyebrows furrowed, and he barely had the chance to tense at my ominous threat before I squeezed that trigger as hard as I could.
The sound of the gunfire was piercing in the small room. It echoed off the walls and reverberated throughout the hotel. I could feel the gun lurch back as the bullet left the barrel. I couldn’t see my gun, so I couldn’t aim. I just had to hope I was pointing in the right direction.
And I was.
The bullet hit him right in the gut, making his body jolt when the momentum struck him in the center. He staggered back slightly, and as if he didn’t know what had just transpired, he moved his hand over his stomach and let the blood drench his skin. He looked down at his palm and rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, feeling the blood against his fingertips. He slowly looked up again, his reaction sluggish because he couldn’t process his own demise, the realization that death was slowly creeping in.
I didn’t pull the trigger again because I wanted to relish this moment. I wanted revenge for what he had done to me, but what I wanted most of all was revenge for what he had done to Hades. He’d been controlling him for months now, making him miserable. That was the inspiration for my blood lust and violence. I cared more about Hades than I cared about myself.
I pulled the trigger again.
Like last time, he staggered with the hit, moving back slightly, growing weaker by the second. When he couldn’t keep himself upright any longer, he moved to his knees on the floor and pressed his hand into his abdomen to stop the bleeding. He was in such shock, he didn’t know what to say. His sick and witty comebacks were no more.
I walked around the desk as I pulled the gun from my pocket. With a strong arm, I raised the weapon and looked down the barrel as I pointed right between his eyes. I watched with satisfaction as the fear crept into his features, as he wrestled with the painful finality of death.
He dropped his hand from his stomach and bowed his head as he gave up. He’d already lost so much blood that he couldn’t think straight any longer. His heart was beating fast, beating hard. The pulse was quickening in his ears, and the devil had begun to knock on his front door.
“This is for Hades.” I squeezed the trigger and watched his brain splatter against the opposite wall. His body fell a millisecond later, lurching backward until he was a corpse on the floor. The blood made a puddle under his body, and his skin started to turn white as death settled in. My office had been demolished by the corpse bleeding out in front of me. It was almost poetic, the way he died where he’d first cornered me years ago.
I lowered the gun and stared at him for a long time, treasuring the sight of his dead body. I was supposed to unload every bullet into his body, but I just wanted to stare…to treasure this moment as long as I could. His regime was over, and now I could get my life back.
I could get my husband back.
Other employees of the hotel came by to see the commotion, and when they saw the body, they immediately turned away, some of them throwing up because it was such a disgusting sight. People offered to call the police, but I told them I already had it taken care of.
I called Hades.
He answered after several rings, and he was in a cold mood. “What?”
He said he never wanted to talk to me again, never see me again. Only if it was important was I allowed to reach out to him. Judging by his response, he assumed this call was not important at all. “Come to the Tuscan Rose in Florence. I killed Maddox, and now I need to get rid of the body.”
There was such a pregnant pause over the line, like the calm before a storm. My words were so incredible that he probably didn’t know how to respond. And rightfully so. “Repeat what you said.”
“I killed Maddox. Meet me at the Tuscan Rose.” I couldn’t stop the smile from coming into my voice the second time I said those words. It was true… Maddox was dead. The thing keeping us apart was no longer a threat. We could finally have what we’d always wanted.
Instead of asking a million questions like he wanted to, he just obeyed my orders. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Make sure he’s really dead.”
“Trust me. He’s gone.”
Hades burst through my office door in a t-shirt and jeans. Instead of looking at me and rushing to my side, he tilted his head down and stared at the body. He clearly needed more definitive evidence that it was really Maddox, because he grabbed a piece of paper and placed it over his hand so he could reposition Maddox’s body and get a look at what was left of his face.
He stared for a long time.
Seconds trickled by until a full minute had passed. Hades took in Maddox’s expression; his bright blue eyes were unmistakable. When he had the evidence he needed, Hades released his body and let him fall back to the floor.
He slowly rose to his feet and ran his fingers through his short hair, like he couldn’t believe that this moment was true. His greatest adversary was dead, and now he was a free man. He finally turned to me, his eyes open wide and his expression incredulous. “What the fuck happened?”
“I killed him.”
“Obviously. But how did this happen?”
I understood he was
in shock, but I’d expected a different reaction. Once he’d confirmed Maddox was no more, I’d expected him to move into my arms and hug me tightly. I’d expected a deep kiss that celebrated our reunion. “I came to the hotel because I assumed he would follow me. When he walked in the door, I shot him.”
He placed his hands on his hips as he continued to stare at me in disbelief. “Just like that?”
“Yeah…just like that.”
His eyes widened. “I don’t understand…”
“I assumed if I came into the city, he would confront me…because he’s an asshole like that. He enjoyed hurting me, enjoyed scaring me. I moved to another city because I couldn’t stand being anywhere near him. I assumed he would take advantage of the fact that I was alone here. So, I had my gun in my pocket, and when he walked in, I shot him.” I pulled the gun out of my jacket pocket and clicked on the safety. I set it on top of the desk and looked at him again.
“There’s no way you thought of this on your own.”
I didn’t want to throw Ash under the bus. “Doesn’t matter. He’s dead. End of story.”
He ran his fingers through his hair again. Even though the threat had been eliminated, he still seemed stressed. He looked down at the body again before he stared at the wall, thinking a million things at once.
I slowly moved toward him then made my way into his chest. One hand cupped his cheek while the other wrapped around his neck, and I pulled his face to mine as I kissed him. I felt our bodies and souls reunite, felt our connection explode with affection and joy. All the suffering was over. We could be us again. My lips slowly moved against his, feeling a kiss I hadn’t felt in weeks.
He kissed me back hesitantly, his mouth automatically moving with mine, but that fire didn’t burn from his core. He seemed confused, like he didn’t know what was happening. He grabbed my hands and pulled them from his body as he ended our kiss.
I stilled at the rejection, hoping for a reasonable explanation for his coldness. Maybe he was disgusted by the blood and brains still on the wall. Maybe he was so relieved to be free that he didn’t know what to do.
He stepped away from me and gave me no apology. Now there were several feet between us, and it felt like miles. “I’ve got to take care of this. The police won’t do anything to you, but our relationship is a lot better if they don’t have to pretend they don’t notice anything.”
I let him walk away and get to work as I nursed my wounds. He had never pushed away from me like that before, and something felt wrong. But I reminded myself that he had been subjected to this man’s cruelty for a long time. He probably felt so many things, and he just needed time. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No.” He pulled out his phone and made a call. “Just stay out of my way.”
17
Hades
It was hard to believe.
Just a few days ago, I was having dinner in his home, worried I would end up in his bed.
Now, he was dead.
I pulled his body out of the truck, and with the help of my men, we carried it into the lab where the furnace was located. I never used it to burn bodies, only to dispose of evidence and chemicals. But it was the perfect place to get rid of someone I despised.
Together, we heaved his body inside and watched the flames lick his skin. It only took seconds before his body caught fire. I wanted to watch him burn until he was ash, but the smell was acid in my nose. I closed the stone door and locked it.
Then I stood there and listened to the body burn.
The furnace connected to the ceiling of the building, so pieces of him were escaping into the atmosphere. His organs were turning to dust, his brain was evaporating with every passing second. Death was already so final, but cremation truly made it irreversible.
I was glad this was really the end.
This monster couldn’t torture me anymore.
He didn’t own me anymore.
I stood there until the heat dissipated and there was nothing left to burn. The weight was off my shoulders and the shackles removed from my wrists. I could sleep easy at night and know I was the victor in this fight.
Even if Sofia did the dirty work.
Maddox was at the top of the food chain, and now that I’d defeated him, I took his place. Everyone would fear me more than they already did. It was a good feeling.
Damien walked up behind me. “Fucker’s really dead?”
The high I felt was quickly extinguished when he drew near. I slowly turned around and faced him, feeling the adrenaline and rage in my blood. I could barely look at the guy without breaking his nose. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
His blank stare was so convincing. “I got here as quick as I could…”
“Don’t play dumb with me. I know you’re stupid, but not that stupid.”
His eyes narrowed, and his shoulders squared. “I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You expect me to believe Sofia planned this whole thing on her own?” I was already on thin ice with Damien, could barely tolerate him at work, but now I felt more betrayed than I ever had. “There’s no way she could’ve come up with that plan on her own. It’s so simple that it’s brilliant, and no offense to her, but she’s nowhere near brilliant.”
His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked into mine, his brain trying to catch up with my thoughts. “All I know is that Maddox is dead. That’s it. I came the second I heard, and I had no part in the whole thing. So, Sofia killed him?”
I couldn’t control my temper, so I walked off. “Fine, be an asshole.”
Damien walked after me. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m just as shocked as you are. Why would I lie?”
I snapped back around. “Because you’re a coward. Because you’re worthless.”
The confusion slowly drained from his face, and then a red tint started to flush into his cheeks. His anger heated up the air surrounding him. “You know what? Believe me. Don’t believe me. Your opinion means nothing to me, so I don’t give a shit.” He shoved me hard in the chest before he turned around and left.
I almost pulled out my gun and shot him in the back, but that would be a cowardly thing to do, and I wouldn’t sink to that level.
After everything was said and done, I scrubbed my hands until they were nearly raw so I could get every piece of Maddox off me. I’d burned his body, and I didn’t want a trace of his corpse to stay with me.
I returned home and walked into my bedroom on the top floor.
Sofia was there.
After all the commotion of the afternoon, I’d forgotten about her. All I cared about was disposing of Maddox’s body and getting that office cleaned as if a murder hadn’t just taken place. It was the first time since I’d met her that she wasn’t the biggest priority in my life.
She wasn’t on the list at all.
I’d hoped to come home to have a drink in solitude. I wasn’t in the mood for conversation. I wasn’t even in the mood to listen to her talk. I stopped and stared at her, seeing her in just a dark blue dress, now that her black leather jacket was gone. “Where’s Andrew?”
“I left him with Ash.” Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her guard was up a bit.
“Ash?”
“He’s great with him.” She offered an explanation to a question I never asked. “I thought he would be the best protector if something happened to me and you. My mother would be a good nurturer, but I needed someone stronger than that.”
I couldn’t believe my brother was the caretaker of my son. He wasn’t a fan of children or responsibility. But I knew he would take care of Andrew until Sofia could return home. “What you did was stupid and reckless.”
“Doesn’t matter if it was. He’s gone.”
My eyes narrowed. “It does matter. You have no idea what you risked.”
“I risked my own life, which I was willing to do to save you. I couldn’t let you live like that any longer. I couldn’t sleep…I couldn’t eat
. I had to do something.”
All I did was stare because I didn’t know what else to do. I was angry with her for not doing something sooner, and I was also grateful she’d gotten me out of the situation. It had only been a matter of time until Maddox turned me into his fuckboy. She’d spared me from all of that, but I couldn’t bring myself to thank her. “It was really dangerous…and you got really lucky.”
“I didn’t get lucky. I aimed the damn gun and pulled the trigger. That’s not luck, that’s guts.”
I dismissed her last statement by walking to the bar and pouring myself a drink. I tilted my head back and let the liquid wash down my throat before I turned back to her. “You want one?”
“I’m breastfeeding.”
I was never around Andrew, so I didn’t know shit like that. I took another drink. “Then I guess you should leave.” There was nothing for us to say. Maddox was gone, and that was the final thing keeping us together. We accomplished what we’d set out to do. Now it was time to move on.
She stepped toward me as her arms dropped to her sides. “What?”
I turned so I could face her directly. “There’s nothing left to say, so you can leave.”
She threw up her arms. “And that’s it?”
I forced myself to say the words that I wanted to keep bottled inside. “Thank you.” I was grateful she’d saved me, but I was resentful she didn’t do this sooner. I was resentful that she’d saved me when I should’ve saved myself.
She came closer to me until we were within arm’s reach. “I don’t understand. It’s like you’re mad at me. You should be happy. Andrew and I can move back to Florence, and we can have what we’ve always wanted. We can get remarried…be happy. You’re acting like everything is going to go back to the way it was.”
