Chapter 39
THIRTY-NINE
VIOLET
Iwoke slowly, wrapped in warmth and languid post-coital bliss after a night of multiple orgasms to find Lykos in the walk-in closet with a dim light on. He moved around the room, his steps silent and movements fluid as he gathered different articles of clothing.
The man moved like a panther, his muscles flexing with each motion and I couldn’t help but admire his form as I silently observed him getting dressed into his signature three-piece suit.
“Hey,” I called out, reaching for a set of Lykos’s pajamas that lay discarded.
He didn’t seem startled as he slowly turned around and his dark gaze locked on me.
“I wondered how long it would take you to say something,” he remarked, making his way toward the bed as he put his cufflinks on. “Little voyeur.”
I quickly put the pj’s on and asked, “How did you know I was watching you?”
“I know the exact moment you woke up,” he retorted.
“How?”
He smiled. “Your breathing changed. You stopped stirring as much. You’re quite the restless sleeper.”
“I’m sorry,” I muttered.
The truth was I forgot that little fact. Lily was the only one who ever slept in the same room as me and she used to say the same thing.
“Don’t be. Is something worrying you that we should talk about?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s just something I can’t shake off.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Is it stress?” I shrugged. “Anything I can do?”
“No, but it’ll get better,” I said, reaching for the pendant and twisting it. “It’s tied to my father, and although I haven’t seen him in years, forgetting about him in my sleep is a lot harder.”
He nodded with understanding. “You think if he’s dead, that’ll go away?”
I let out a strangled laugh. “Are you offering to kill him?”
“Maybe.” Lykos’s expression was somber and my fingers twitched around the symbol. “That symbol… do you know what it means?”
“No.” I swallowed. “Honestly, I was never fond of it since it was the only gift my father gave me. But Lily loved it, and since I gave it to her the night I…” I trailed off, remembering that night. “Anyhow, now it reminds me of Lily, and I just can’t part with it.”
Lykos tilted his head pensively.
“I see.”
“Do you know what it means?” I asked curiously, letting my necklace fall against my chest. “I always thought it was a traitorous and evil snake, and that Father gifted it to me to remind me of his poisonous bite, but one of my patients mentioned there’s more to it than just that.”
“Your father will never come near you or Aria,” Lykos growled, his eyes flashing angrily.
I might have not known this man inside out, but I trusted him and I believed his words.
My father was cruel and narcissistic, going after those weaker than him.
Lykos was the opposite. He protected his family and innocents.
“Violet?”
“Hmmm.”
“What do you know about the Obsidian Society?”
I shot him a surprised look. “Not much, but how do you know about that?”
“You’ve heard of it?” he questioned.
My shoulders slumped. “Yes, I heard of it. One of my clients told me Lily’s disappearance is tied to the Obsidian Society and the Marabella arrangements, but I could never find out anything more about it.”
“I see.”
“You do?” My brows furrowed. “Because I don’t.”
He cupped my face and pressed his forehead against mine. “You will, but first I need to get all the information about it and learn how your sister got connected to it.”
“But—”
“Give me a few days,” he murmured. “I promise you’ll have the answer.”
“Okay.” My chest trembled. Would I finally learn what happened to my sister and why? I wanted—needed—to know everything now, but I knew it would do no good to push Lykos. I’d waited for ten years; I could wait a few more days.
“Where are you going so early?” I asked instead.
“Work.”
“Ahhh,” I murmured. “You know, we never talked about whether I should pretend I know or don’t know what you do? I mean, I know you’re a real estate mogul, but I also know there’s another side to your business.”
“It’s best you know as little as possible about my illegal business. I don’t want to keep any secrets from you, but also don’t think it’s wise to make you an accomplice to any of it by exposing you to it.”
“That makes sense,” I admitted.
“Okay, I’m going to go.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
“No, stay in bed and rest,” he murmured, kissing me hard and deep. “When I get back home tonight, be ready to be fucked to oblivion because I can’t get enough of you, and I have ten years to make up for.”
My whole body had heated at the idea.
“Can’t wait,” I rasped, and with one last deep kiss, he turned and left the bedroom, and I listened as the front door of the penthouse closed.
I lay back onto the pillows, my mind wandering. From the conversation we just had to everything we’d done last night.
My fingers curled against the sheets at the memory, and my eyes remained closed a moment longer, replaying all the images from the night before. The heat of Lykos’s hands, the look in his eyes, and the way he said my name when he came.
A soft smile tugged at my lips.
The man blew my mind with his stamina, but I was fairly sure I blew his too.
I love you.
The words were new and fragile in my chest, but they were true and I meant them. Not because he kept my daughter safe. Not because he had been celibate for the past ten years. But because I could feel how deeply he cherished me. He loved me too. I felt it in every touch and every kiss.
With those thoughts, I slowly drifted off to sleep.
“Violet.”
I woke up, blinking hard and looking around. I thought I heard my name, but there was nobody around. I slowly closed my eyes.
“Violet?”
The quiet voice called out again, and I sat up, blinking my eyes open again.
Aria stood in the doorway, her hair a tangled halo around her face, still half asleep. Dimitros peeked from behind her, in no better shape, but with a big smile on his face.
“Well,” I murmured, pushing myself up onto my elbows, “my two favorite people.”
Aria ran to me, climbing onto the bed without hesitation.
Dimitros trailed slowly behind her, playing it cool in comparison.
It was understandable; he was a teenager, almost a legal adult.
Last night was a rare moment of vulnerability and honesty, but I would be delusional to expect that of him all the time.
When he needed me, I hoped he’d seek me out.
“Good morning, you two.”
I wrapped my arms around Aria and extended my hand to Dimitros and squeezed it, before letting go and pressing my cheek against Aria’s hair. She reminded me so much of my sister that it hurt sometimes. But it was a good kind of ache—the healing kind—if that made any sense at all.
“Did you sleep okay?”
Aria nodded against me. “There are tears in your eyes.”
I froze for half a second, then let out a breath. “There are?”
“Mm-hmm,” Dimitros said, peeking up at me.
“They must be happy tears,” I said, waving them off.
“What do you mean?” Aria demanded. “Why would you have happy tears?”
“I guess today feels like a special day,” I said, brushing her hair back gently. “A new beginning. And with you guys around, I feel like I have a part of my sister with me again.”
“Why?” Aria asked.
I hesitated, my free hand reaching for my necklace and twisting the pendant.
“Because you remind me of her,” I said finally, kissing her forehead. “And I have you two and your papa in my life.”
She didn’t need more than that; children rarely needed more detailed explanations. Still, it made me wonder how I would eventually share with Aria that I was her biological mother, and more importantly, how she would accept that news.
We stayed like that for a while—just tangled together under the blankets, sometimes silent and sometimes whispering. It was so ordinary and perfect.
Then Dimitros’s stomach grumbled and we all laughed.
“I think he’s trying to tell us we need to get our butts moving,” I teased, jumping out of bed. “Okay, kids. Breakfast time.”
The scent of eggs and bacon was thick thanks to Dimitros’s excellent cooking skills. I managed to burn the first batch, but then he took over and tasked me with cutting fruit.
We ended up seated at the round table in the kitchen and stuffing ourselves with the best food I’d ever tasted. Aria agreed, although she didn’t seem quite as surprised as I was with her brother’s cooking skills.
The sound of the front door opening had us on alert and it wasn’t long before a familiar, steady presence filled the doorway.
My heart leaped with excitement at seeing Lykos, and my cheeks flushed remembering how we parted.
“Good morning, children,” he greeted warmly, stepping into the kitchen and then pecking Aria’s forehead before turning to Dimitros to pat him on the back.
“I thought you wouldn’t be home until later in the evening,” I sputtered, caught off guard to see him so soon.
“The business wrapped up quickly and I couldn’t wait to see you all.” His gaze found mine and his expression softened, making my heart tremble. “Morning, golden one,” he murmured, lowering his head and kissing the corner of my mouth.
Then we remembered the audience. We hadn’t talked to the kids about us, and honestly, it was too soon, so I pulled away and replied with a sheepish smile, “Morning.”
“Whoa… why are you kissing Violet?” Aria questioned, eyes widening while her head bounced between us. Dimitros folded his arms in front of him, keeping his expression guarded, and I feared we might have rushed into this one.
“Your father was just…” I searched for the right word and failed to find it. Damn it, I was a therapist. I should have all the words. “After the fire and what had happened,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose, “we just got a bit closer, you know. It’s something that brings people together.”
Aria’s brows furrowed and an awkward silence followed.
Lykos took a step toward the children and pulled them into a hug. “I think we need to talk.”
“Okaaay.” Aria’s tone was uncertain, her gaze flickering to her brother before returning to her father.