“What?” Honey exclaimed, looking baffled. And Nikos could not blame her. He had a feeling that everyone was confused by Raelyn’s relationship with Leonidas, even Raelyn herself.
“I was just as shocked as you, but I didn’t feel the kind of pain or heartbreak that I thought I would feel,” Nikos said. “I felt close with her, a special kinship because she was someone who understood what it was like to be forced to be someone that you aren’t, but when I saw her doing all those things that I hated while growing up and actually enjoying it, those feelings I had for her just disappeared like that.”
All of his life, he hated the things his father and brothers did. He never wanted to be a part of that lifestyle and hated it when his father tried to force it on him. So when he realized Raelyn was a part of that lifestyle, not because Leonidas forced her to be or because of the circumstance, but because she truly enjoyed it, he couldn’t look past it. It changed how he felt about her.
Ever since the beginning, Leonidas would tell him that his relationship with Raelyn wouldn’t last because he wouldn’t be able to love her for who she truly was. At the time, he thought Leonidas had been playing mind games with him to break his relationship with Raelyn, but now, looking back on it, Nikos realized that from the very beginning, Leonidas saw Raelyn for who she truly was, knew her flaws, and could accept all of that.
But unfortunately, Nikos couldn’t.
“The dreams I had for our future, I can’t even imagine them anymore,” Nikos admitted. “Everyone has a line that can’t be crossed, and when I had sex with Rheagan, I knew I would neverbe able to be with Raelyn again because I knew she wouldn’t forgive me.”
That night, he had used his ultimate card against Raelyn, hurting her in the worst possible way.
“You want to know what’s funny, though?” Nikos said, laughing as he thought about the irony of it all. Honey said nothing but continued to watch him. “I’m doing the same things I judged Raelyn for, and I’m actually good at it, and sometimes, I even like it.”
He remembered the things that he said to Raelyn, how he would judge her for the things she had been doing at the casino, the shady business practices with the Albanians and the Petrakis family, and the corrupt ministers who would visit her casino. But now, he was doing the same thing, and he couldn’t just say he was doing it because his father forced him to.
“I have more power than ever before. People respect my name, and I run my uncle’s group,” Nikos said. A few years ago, he could have never imagined himself saying these things. But now he was. “Now I feel like shit for judging Raelyn for not wanting to let go of everything she had built and the power she had. It’s powerful and feels like a drug, and now, I’m no different from my father. Hell, I’m no different from Anto-”
“Stop,” Honey said, and Nikos looked at her surprised. “You’re no Antonis. I’ve met powerful men before, but you aren’t like them.”
Nikos could only stare at her because he hadn’t expected her to say something like that to him. Surprisingly, it made him feel good that she saw him that way because he didn’t want to be like those men and had been trying his hardest not to let power get to his head.
“You don’t hurt people for pleasure and exert power over them to feed your own ego, which is why everyone at the club loves you,” she said, and Nikos found himself staring into her brown eyes.
“I do it for my loved ones,” Nikos said, remembering the words Honey had told him, remembering what had given him the strength to do what he was doing now. It seemed that Honey remembered the same because she looked at him with surprise. But he didn’t know why. He remembered everything Honey had ever told him, down to the first words she said to him when they first met.
“I need to let go of it all soon, though,” Nikos said. “My place is in the sky.”
He wouldn’t stay in this position forever. No matter how alluring it could be, this was not his destiny. Eventually, he would return to his place in the sky, and if his uncle were lucky, he would return to the land of the living and reclaim his power.
“I can’t believe you didn’t believe I was a pilot,” Nikos said absentmindedly, and Honey sighed, exasperated.
“No wonder you took revenge. You’re definitely a petty person if you even keep holding on to stuff like this,” Honey said, and Nikos smirked.
“One of these days, I’m going to take you on a personal flight,” Nikos said as he grabbed her hand and kissed it. Honey stared into his eyes, and he stared into hers. The spell cast earlier almost felt like it was returning to the room again, but then Honey pulled her hand back.
“I’m going back home now so I can have everything ready for tomorrow,” she said as she stood. Nikos nodded and helped her take all the dessert boxes downstairs and put them in her car. Before she could get in her car, though, he stopped her.
“I hope you don’t stop talking to me now,” Nikos said, still worried their relationship would change because of what happened earlier. He liked Honey and didn’t want to lose her company. Honey stared into his eyes momentarily, and Nikos wondered what she was thinking, but he didn’t have to wonder for long because she gave him a reply.
“Lucky for you, I need the money,” she said, and Nikos smiled because he knew it couldn’t only be that. If Honey really were disgusted by him, even a million dollars wouldn’t get her to stay around him. She would have been with his uncle by now if that were the case.
“See you tomorrow,” Honey said as she got into her car. As Honey started her ignition, a thought came to him.
“Are you available for Sunday dinner?” Nikos asked.
Honey lifted a brow, and Nikos smirked.
C H A P T E R
28
IT WAS SUNDAY NIGHT, AND NIKOS STOOD OUTSIDE AVA’S DOOR WITH HONEY AT HIS SIDE. She was dressed in a beautiful light gold dress with her hair curled and pinned. Her eyes looked around the neighborhood with wonderment as Nikos knocked on the door, and he couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t as if he had told her where they would be going tonight.
“Who are we going to see?” Honey asked, cutting him with a suspicious look.
Nikos shrugged. “Family, maybe?”
