Chapter 9 Katerina
KATERINA
Last night, when we arrived back at the house after my Chicago outing, I could barely keep my eyes open. Ares didn't say much to me. He walked me to the bedroom and left me there.
I lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Our confrontation in the alley replaying over and over in my mind.
When I got caught sneaking out at my uncle's, he'd scream at me, even get a little physical at times for disobeying him. Honestly, I didn't mind it since it gave me the ammo to just do it again.
But Ares? The big bad mobster I'd heard so many talk about leading up to our wedding—he didn't do any of that.
Trying to understand what that meant, I must have lost track of time and fallen asleep still in my clothes.
When I woke this morning, Ares wasn't in the room, but someone had put a blanket over me.
Well, I'm up now. I put on a new pair of clothes, freshen up, and make my way downstairs.
Each step down Ares's stairs reminds me I'm trapped in another day of this strange captivity they call marriage.
When I get to the bottom, I'm not even sure where to go or where to find him. I listen for a moment and hear voices coming from down one of the halls—multiple voices, some arguing, others speaking quietly. Following the sound, I approach a set of double doors left slightly ajar.
Through the crack, I see Ares seated behind a large desk. Five men stand around him. Theo is leaning over the desk, pointing to papers spread across the surface. Another man stands by the window, observing.
As if he can sense me, Ares looks up and catches my eye through the doorway. Without breaking eye contact with me, he raises his hand, silencing one of the men mid-sentence.
"Leave us," he commands the people surrounding him.
The men turn to look at me, their expressions ranging from curiosity to thinly veiled contempt.
"Not you, Theo," Ares adds when his brother begins to follow the others.
The room clears out except for Theo, who picks up the papers and leans against the wall, arms crossed. He gives me a nod—not friendly exactly, but not hostile either.
I hesitate in the doorway. "Am I interrupting something?" I ask without moving.
Ares gestures for me to enter. "I was just dealing with finding a replacement for the man who manned the gate last night," he says, his voice calm.
I walk into the room. "You really fired him because I snuck out?" I scoff, crossing my arms. "That seems a bit excessive."
Ares's hands curl into fists on the desk and he stares at me for a moment, studying.
"I didn't say I fired him," he says evenly. "Please, sit. I want to talk to you."
Wait. If he didn't fire the guard, he...
"Did you kill him?" I ask, the question coming out before I could even reconsider.
Ares leans back in his chair and doesn't answer. I glance at Theo, whose expression remains carefully neutral. My stomach twists as I realize what they're saying without words.
"Jesus, Ares. That's disgusting. You can't just—"
"Katerina," he says, cutting me off. "In my world, actions have consequences. Keep that in mind next time you try to fool someone. Your success could mean their end."
I sink into the chair opposite his desk, suddenly feeling sick. I know who these men are—what they do—but the casual way Ares just ends someone's life for such a simple failure makes my blood run cold.
After a few moments of silence, as if he's allowing what he said to sink in, he leans forward, resting his forearms on the desk. "I'm a bit annoyed by your actions."
The words shouldn't sting, but they do. I've spent years not caring what anyone thinks of me. Why should his annoyance matter?
"Because I went out?" I ask. "Or because I didn't ask permission first?"
"Because you put yourself in danger," he says. "And because you lied to my staff."
"Is that why you killed him? Because I lied to him?"
Theo shifts uncomfortably against the wall, but Ares's expression doesn't change.
"I killed him because he failed at his job," Ares says. "He was meant to protect this family, and instead, he let my wife walk right out the front gate."
"Your wife." I repeat. "Really? Or just a possession to be guarded?"
Ares laughs. "Speaking of guarded." He looks past me, raising his voice slightly. "Christos, come in here."
I glance over my shoulder to see a man enter the room. He's tall—not as tall as Ares, but big in his own right. His suit jacket is off, revealing a crisp white shirt stretched across broad shoulders and, more noticeably, two guns sitting in holsters on each side of him.
I turn back to Ares, my eyebrows raised.
"This is Chris," Ares says with a wave of his hand. "He'll be your personal bodyguard."
"My what?" I ask.
I look back at Chris, who nods at me politely, his face expressionless. I assess him quickly: mid-thirties, military-straight posture, eyes that miss nothing. You know, the quiet, deadly type.
"Hi, Chris," I say and turn back to Ares. "No offense to him. I'm sure he's great at his job, but I don't need a babysitter. I'm 27, not 10." I say, tapping my fingers on the armchair.
Ares smiles. "After last night's adventure, I think you've proven otherwise."
"I went for a drive to see downtown, not to rob a store." I turn to look at Chris again, who stands there like a statue, pretending not to hear our conversation. "Really, no offense, but I don't want you following me around."
"None taken, Mrs. Kastaris," he replies, his voice deep and detached.
I switch my glare back to Ares. "You can't be serious."
"I am." His tone makes it clear the matter isn't up for discussion. "Chris is one of my most trusted men. He'll keep you safe."
"Safe from what, exactly? The dangers of exploring a city like a normal human being?"
Theo clears his throat. "Perhaps I should leave you two to discuss—"
"No," Ares and I say in unison, then glare at each other.
My eyes drop to his lips for a moment as he clenches his jaw, highlighting the annoyingly perfect definition of his face.
"I've never needed protection before," I say.
"You weren't my wife before." Ares leans forward. "Things have changed."
"Clearly." I cross my arms. "So what, he follows me to the bathroom too?"
"If necessary."
"That's insane."
"That's security," Ares counters. "Chris will maintain a respectful distance when appropriate, but he goes where you go. End of discussion."
I shift forward in my chair. "Are you trying to protect me or keep me from running away?"
His eyes squint. "Where would you run to? Back to your uncle? To the people who sold you to me without a second thought?"
His words sting because they're true. I have nowhere to go. No one waiting for me. The realization sits like a cold stone in my stomach.
"Chris stays," Ares says. "Unless you'd prefer I escort you everywhere myself?"
The thought of being constantly in Ares's orbit makes my skin flush hot. I glance at Chris again, who stands at attention, his face still carefully blank.
"Fine," I spit out. "But he keeps his distance."
Ares nods. "You tell me if he doesn't."
I feel like I'm suffocating. "I need some air."
Without waiting for a response, I walk out of the office, leaving Chris with Ares. The hallway is blessedly empty, but I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around and see him.
My new shadow.
I quicken my pace, heading for the back of the house where I'd spotted doors leading to a garden. Behind me, Chris matches my stride effortlessly. Not too close, not too far.
I push through the glass doors and step onto a stone patio. The morning air is cool against my flushed skin.
The garden is beautiful—meticulously landscaped with stone pathways winding through beds of flowers and ornamental shrubs. In the distance, at a table reading, is Calli.
I walk over to her.
"Morning," I call out as I take a seat.
"Oh, morning trouble maker. How are you feeling today?" Calli asks.
"I've been better," I say and nod toward Chris. Calli follows my gaze.
"Well, at least you now know Ares's way of dealing with things," she says.
"A bit excessive don't you think? It's like he's out to get me."
"Well, don't take it personal. My brother, he's been on edge since our dad's death. He roams the house, checks security cameras, can't sleep. He's just paranoid. He's not normally like this."
"What is he normally like?" I ask.
"Believe it or not, easygoing and fun," Calli says and leans forward.
"Like, he loves parties and always made a big deal of celebrating all of our birthdays.
Now? Mine and Theo's just passed and nothing—he's too paranoid for any of it.
It's a shame to see his spark kind of get dimmed.
We're all sad and suffering, but I think with him, it's been taken to a whole new level.
He has so much responsibility now, seemingly out of nowhere," she says with a sigh and leans back in her chair. "My poor bro."
Just when I'm about to respond, Ares approaches us.
His face is unreadable. "I need to head out for a while. Chris will stay with you."
I don't say anything.
Ares steps closer, close enough that I can smell his cologne. "This isn't a punishment, Katerina."
Again, I don't speak. Mainly because I don't really know what to say.
"It's necessary." His voice softens, just slightly, as he continues. "I need to know you're safe when I'm not around."
There's something in his tone—a hint of genuine concern—that catches me off guard. For a moment, I almost believe him. Almost think he might actually care about my well-being beyond his own interests.
"I understand. Have a good day, Ares," I say, looking up at him.
He doesn't respond immediately. He just glances at his sister and then back at me.
"Try not to make Chris shoot anyone today," he says and walks away.
I stare at his back as he leaves and think, I was a ghost in my uncle's house. Invisible. Forgettable.
I thought Ares would do the same—marry me, own me, and ignore me—but for whatever reason, he's refusing to let me be a ghost.