Chapter Thirty-Six
Devious
T hree guards surround us as Roselyn and I stand in front of Seneca Falls. It’s nighttime, and the small town’s lights twinkle like Christmas lights. People are chatting, and dogs bark in the distance. Roselyn holds my hand as she licks her strawberry ice cream on a cone. Her hair is in a high ponytail, and she has on white leggings, a white Tokyo Ghoul shirt, and a pair of white sneakers.
My phone rings, and I recognize the tune. It’s Aiden. It must be important, otherwise, he wouldn’t be calling. I place my phone to my ear.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“Maya finally broke,” he tells me. I look at Roselyn, and she looks at me with concern.
“What did she say?” I ask Aiden.
“She says he’s in Philly. She’s not lying. I had our IT guy hack his cameras around his property, and I have been listening to his conversations. He doesn’t know she’s missing.”
Hope and relief assault my body. I’m finally going to put an end to this bastard.
“I’ll be home tomorrow, and we can speak about our next move.”
I want to hang up on my brother, mainly because there has been a lot of tension between us ever since he told me he married Maya, the enemy. I’ve been trying to keep my distance and right now, I don’t know if I want him around. He’s never betrayed me before, and I want to beat his ass. He married Maya for his own personal gain.
“Did Roselyn have a good birthday?”
Aiden must like Roselyn for him to ask about her. If he didn’t, he would be talking shit about her.
“Yeah.”
I move between two sets of trees, and she perches on the bench, her eyes glued to the river.
“Stay right here, nymph.”
She nods, and I stroll for a little bit, and two guards follow me.
“Everything is going pretty good.” I clear my throat. “And yeah. I haven’t liked someone as much as I like her, so I’m worried about her well-being.”
“I haven’t seen you this happy in years.”
I know my brother is trying to connect with me, and I see why he married Maya but it doesn’t stop the pain. And he’s putting me in a position of choosing him over the mafia. It makes me look weak when I’m not.
“Did you marry her to protect her?” His silence tells me everything I need to know. He didn’t want me to kill her because of how he felt about her. “I have to go. I’ll see you the day after tomorrow. Call for a meeting with the underbosses.” I hit the End button and stroll back to Roselyn. I sit next to her and prop her legs on my lap.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I tell her.
I kiss her forehead, then move her to my lap and rest my head on her titties.
“My happy place is on your tits.”
She laughs like a hyena. “Men are such horndogs.”
“You’re going to be the death of me,” I tell her.
“You should dump me, then. We can be friends as long as I can get the D. Be friends with benefits,” she jokes.
“Nah. When I see you date other men, then I’d have to gut them like a fish.”
“You can’t kill every guy I date.”
“I can and I will. Until I get tired of you going on dates, then I’ll kidnap you and take you home.”
She frowns. “You really would do that?”
“I would. You belong to me.”
“Okay, Hades.”
“What?”
Two elderly people stroll past us.
“I’ve been in your library reading all your mythology stories. You remind me of Hades. He was so dark, but he loves Persephone. Though she was his niece. How gross.”
“Very gross.”
She’s beautiful when she’s speaking, and I want to hold her and keep her with me forever. She gives me too much hope that we can make it work. I haven’t felt this alive in years.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I stroke her cheek with my knuckles. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. With want and need.”
“Does it bother you that I do?”
“Of course not.”
“Good.”
I completely tune her out. All I’m thinking about is how I’m going to make up for hurting her and how I want to take her back to the manor and make love to her.
“You never answered my question.”
“To what, nymph?”
She pouts. “You’re not even listening to me.”
“Because I’m distracted by your beauty.”
She snorts. “Whatever. You’re quite charming when you’re calm.” She shakes her head. “I’m starting to like you a little too much.”
“Of course you like me. Have you seen me?” I lift up my shirt, displaying my abs.
She tugs down my shirt, glancing around to see if anyone is looking. “And cocky.”
“It’s not cocky if it’s the truth, nymph.” I pat her thigh and tell her to get up, then I grab her hand. I have her against the rail between the river and sidewalk, and I stand behind her, caging her in, leaning against her.
Her smile is radiant. “Are you about to touch my pussy?”
“No. Look at the sky.”
She peers at the dark sky, and blue and red and yellow fireworks go off, spelling “Happy Birthday.” Her eyes beam with excitement, and a grin displays on her face. I twist a lock of her strawberry blonde hair around my finger.
“Happy Birthday, Roselyn.”
She twirls around and stands on her tippy-toes, kissing the bridge of my nose. “This has been the best birthday. Thank you.”