I give them a look to stay put.
I’ve got this under control.
Ophelia’s eyes follow mine, and then she cries even harder.“What the fuck is wrong with you three?Just let me fucking go!Haven’t you taken enough from me?”
I don’t know if she’s crying like this because of the will or because her father is dead.We didn’t set the fire.That was the work of The Serpents.
Atlas signed over his bar to the street gang for their help—a small price for what we will get.And once Ophelia knows the truth about her father and what he did to her mother, she will wish she had put a bullet in his head.
I finally see an opportunity to grab the gun from her hand.She lowers it toward the ground, ready to collapse onto the pavement from sobbing so hard.
I tip my head at my brothers.They understand without words and cross the space between us.As I take the gun, Atlas moves behind Ophelia.
He wraps his arm around her, cradling her head against his chest.“We didn’t mean for this to happen, goddess.None of us wanted this for you.I’m sorry.”
“You killed my dad,” she chokes out, yanking on his hands to get free.“You fucking killed him and took my inheritance.”
“No,” our mother says from the front step.“I did.Blame me.My boys followed my orders.”
Mom knows I have feelings for Ophelia.I even asked her to back off when I knew things between us were getting serious.After the second night she slept in my bed, I knew she was it for me.I didn’t care if I had to share her with my brothers as long as she was mine.
“Oh, I do,” Ophelia hisses, struggling to break free from Atlas’s arms, but he holds her against his chest in a death grip.“I blame you most of all.You’re a fucking snake, Athena.I knew you were full of shit.”
“You’ve got it all wrong, little dragon.”
Her head turns to me.“Fuck you, Ares.Fuck all of you.”She elbows Atlas in the stomach, and he groans but doesn’t relinquish his hold on her.“Get off me, Atlas.Jesus!What the fuck is your problem?Are you assholes going to kidnap me, too?”
“We won’t hurt you,” Apollo says, inching toward her.“Just give us a few minutes to explain everything.”
She shakes her head, snot dripping from her nose.I hate seeing her like this, so I wipe her face with my shirt.
“Get away from me, Ares!”
“No.”
I continue dabbing at the tears and snot until she looks like my Ophelia again.Then, I steal her from Atlas and hug her.I want to kiss her.The feel of her against my bare skin brings back memories of better times.
I missed her so fucking much.
Two weeks without her.
It’s been too long.
She looks like she hasn’t showered in days.Smells like it, too.But I couldn't care less because she’s here with me.
“Have you eaten today?”Apollo asks her.“You don’t look well, Mistress.”
Mom’s eyebrow raises at his nickname.
“Don’t call me that,” Ophelia shouts.“You took my club from me, you stupid fucking piece of shit.”
Ophelia curses a lot when she’s angry.But tonight, she’s rabid and looks like a feral animal.
“Shhh.”I cup her face, stroking her cheek with my thumb.“I got you, little dragon.It’s going to be okay.”
She relaxes in my arms.My nickname must do it for her because she stops struggling when I repeat it.
“I hate you,” she mutters.
