Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
Capri
Witnessing the man I’m obsessed with beat the shit out of my father wasn’t on my BINGO card. My dad did provoke Sebastian, but it was still disturbing to watch.
The anger that had been pent up in both of them all these years was bound to explode. Now that I knew the truth, their feud was more difficult to accept. If I hadn’t gone searching for Sebastian, this war would have stayed buried.
No matter how fast I walked the hectic streets of this turbulent city, I couldn’t erase the hatred that they had for each other out of my mind.
They fought with each other as if it were natural.
Like it was expected. How far would it have gone if I hadn’t pleaded with Sebastian to stop it?
That final blow was a reality check. When Sebastian’s fist shattered the floor, I understood what would happen if one of them had gotten the upper-hand.
If I wasn’t there to intervene, they would have used more than fists.
I could be mourning one of them.
How soon would it be before one of them retaliated to the point where none of us could recover? I could never accept one of them killing the other. Sebastian should have stayed in Greece. I was a complication he didn’t need.
I hauled out of there because I needed space to process the revelation that not only had my father framed Sebastian for killing Father Santiago, but he was the one who had murdered him. Why hadn’t Sebastian told me that?
It wasn’t until I was halfway down the block that I realized I had left without my phone or wristlet, leaving me with no way to communicate or without any cash. I couldn’t even grab a Frappuccino or a well-deserved adult beverage that I could obtain with my newly legal identification.
This wasn’t how I saw my twenty-first birthday ending up. Most girls my age were clubbing and doing shots with their friends. Not digging up old vendettas between their fathers and boyfriends. Oh, and I’m pretty sure most girls don’t date their…
Don’t go there.
Standing on the corner, a block away from my house, I decided this wasn’t where I wanted to be.
I belonged with Sebastian. Once we were in Greece, we could figure out how we could move forward with my family.
Nothing short of a miracle would bring my father and Sebastian together.
My mother would always take my father’s side.
I didn’t want to leave while things were so unsettled with my family, but what options did I have?
I needed a reset. Sebastian promised me a future that worked for me on my terms. A career that I had wanted from the time I was a little girl was on the table.
A chance to pursue a life with the man of my dreams was in my grasp. I wouldn’t let anything get in the way.
“Capri,” a male voice called to me.
Christopher stood on the steps of a brownstone that had been undergoing renovations for months. How long had my father been hatching this plan of his?
“This is your new place?” I asked.
“Do you like it?”
I guess I’m supposed to since my father probably planned for it to be where I lived after I got married.
“I didn’t realize how close it was to my parents’ house.”
“Your father found the place for me.”
Of course he did.
“Would you like to come inside?”
“I think I would.” I climbed the steps to the beautiful home. “I have a few questions that I’d like answered.”
“You sound like a detective.” He laughed as he opened the door.
“You have no idea.”
As soon as we entered, the scent of fresh paint and refinished hardwood floors smacked into me. I looked around the foyer, appreciating the thought that went into maintaining the original woodwork and staircase.
“This is stunning.”
“I’m glad you like it,” he said. “I haven’t picked out any furniture yet. I thought…”
“You thought wrong.” I shrugged. “I won’t be moving in.”
“You’re perceptive.” He leaned against the banister. “I like that.”
“Look,” I sighed. “You seem like a cool guy, but I’m not that girl.”
“The one who marries because her father tells her she has to?”
“There might be some of us out there, you know? Like in those arranged marriage romance novels, but I’m not one of them.”
“They have books like that?”
“Lots of them.” I smiled because I often enjoyed a dark and unrealistic romance novel.
Although, now that I seemed to be in the middle of one of those outrageous plots, those stories didn’t seem too far-fetched.
Insert eye roll. “But my point is, whatever my father promised on my behalf, he shouldn’t have. ”
“I understand where you’re coming from.”
“But you agreed to their plan anyway.” I sat on the bottom step of the staircase. “Why?”
“My father can be persuasive,” Christopher said.
“I told both him and Leo that I wouldn’t be entering into a marriage unless you and I were both on the same page.
I agreed to move here and get to know you this summer, but I didn’t agree to force you into anything.
I thought you were aware of what they were proposing.
I figured once you and I spent time together we could set our own terms and timelines. ”
“I appreciate that, and maybe if circumstances were different, you and I could have dated or something, but I’m not interested.”
“Because of Hades?”
“Sebastian has a lot to do with it, but I’m not comfortable with so many men making future plans for me.” What was my father thinking? He had always been controlling and got what he wanted, but to think I would marry Christopher because he told me to? That was beyond ridiculous.
“Your father had no idea Hades would resurface after all this time.”
“No, I guess from his point of view, the timing isn’t so perfect.”
“Well, I’d also have to guess that Hades is not the man your dad would have chosen for you,” Christopher said.
“That’s the whole point, isn’t it? Who I want to spend time with isn’t my father’s choice at all.”
“You have to admit the optics aren’t so great. Your father is very powerful, and the fact that you ended up with his enemy could make him appear weak.”
“That’s not my problem,” I said.
“Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into with Hades?” He ran his fingers along the smooth wood of the railing. “He has quite the reputation in some circles.”
“Like both of our fathers?”
“Fair point.”
“I also think it’s fair to tell you that we’re not happening,” I said. “It has nothing to do with you, but if you have other plans for your future that don’t include New York or marrying me, you should pursue them. My father had no right to offer me up in any deal.”
“I admire your honesty, and as much as I want to respect your wishes, I’m afraid our fathers want this alliance too much.” He moved away from the banister to stand in front of me. “If they want us to get married and Hades gets in the way of their plans, it won’t go well for him.”
“Is that a threat?” This conversation had taken a weird turn.
“No, I’m just saying that you should probably convince Hades to go back to Greece.”
“Do you know something I don’t?” I asked.
When the doorbell chimed through the foyer, I stared at the silhouette on the other side of the muted glass door. Tall, muscular, and a perfectly maintained head of thick, wavy hair.
“That might be for me.” I stood from the step.
Christopher swung open the heavy door to reveal Sebastian on the small porch under the archway of the entrance.
“Mr. Lazaro,” Sebastian said. “I believe you have someone that belongs to me.”
“For such a contemporary woman, I should be insulted.” I went to the door. “But somehow I find your constant need to possess me charming.”
“But you don’t believe in arranged marriages?” Christopher snickered. “You’re confusing.”
“This is different,” I said. “Sebastian is a choice I made on my own. You see how that works?”
“Capri.” Sebastian extended his hand. “We’re leaving.”
“What if she doesn’t want to leave with you?” Christopher asked. “Shouldn’t she decide?”
“Then she can tell me that herself.” Sebastian continued to hold his hand out for me. “What would you like to do?”
I didn’t believe for a second that Sebastian was giving me a choice.
His calm demeanor and polite charisma weren’t fooling me.
If I said I wanted to stay, which I didn’t, he would probably toss me over his shoulder and make me leave anyway.
If it hadn’t been such a taxing day for the both of us, I might have let that scenario play out.
But something told me I wouldn’t get the sexy result I hoped for.
I might get punished. And while his punishment might be fun, there was also a chance it could be harsh. Like not letting me climax. No thank you.
“Christopher,” I said. “Thank you for your hospitality, but I do have to go.”
Sebastian pressed his kissable lips together and tightened his chiseled jawline. He didn’t look amused. I might regret ever leaving his suite.
“Mr. Zikos.” Christopher widened the door. “You have to know what you’ve put yourself in the middle of by pursuing whatever this is between you and Capri.”
Oh no!
“Do you know who I am?” Sebastian took my hand and guided me onto the porch. “And what I do for a living?”
“Everyone knows who you are, Hades,” he said.
“Keep that in mind while you’re staying away from her.” Sebastian put his arm around me and led me down the steps of the brownstone that I would probably never see again.
I glanced over my shoulder just as Christopher shut the door.
“He didn’t cross any lines,” I said.
“I disagree.”
We continued to the corner of the street, stopping in front of a quaint neighborhood bakery. They had the best cranberry-walnut muffins, especially when they were warm from the oven.
“Some would say forcing a woman into marrying him crosses several lines,” Sebastian said.
You could force me to marry you and I wouldn’t protest.
“You could have gone anywhere when you ran off, but you chose here.” He reached into his pocket and took out my phone. “I find that interesting.”
“Thank you.” I grasped my phone in my palm, feeling a bit childish for leaving without it. “For the record, ending up here was an accident. I had no idea Christopher had recently moved in.”
“An accident like the universe putting you in his path for a reason?”
“Not like that at all.” Didn’t he know that only happened when I met him? “Fate is only meant for you and I.”
“I want to believe that.” He stroked my cheek. “Why did you run from me?”
“I wasn’t running from you.” I stretched up on my toes and kissed his cheek. “I wanted to get away from the situation. There were a lot of revelations exposed in your suite. Plenty to unpack.”
“I’m sorry you had to learn the truth that way.”
“I have questions.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” His smirk was enough to weaken my knees. “But this time, little minnow, I want the answer to my question first.”
“What’s your question?” I lost myself in his passionate stare. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“Did you mean it when you said you should have listened to my initial warning? Do you believe you should have run from me the first time I told you to?”
“Oh.” That was a tougher question than I had anticipated, but not for the reasons he might expect.
“Well?” The gentleness in his touch when he tucked my hair behind my ear warmed my soul. “Have I been wrong about us from the beginning?”
“No, but I might have been.”