Relief shuttles through me. This explains it, easing the anxiety I was feeling at the thought we’d been purposely misled.
“They tried to move Lili from the compound,” Bree continues. “Dad’s guys on the ground were keeping tabs on her, and the guy in charge made the decision to move in. And then there was a massive shootout—”
A strangled sound erupts from Ares’s mouth.
“She’s fine! Lili is safe, and she wasn’t hurt during the rescue.” Bree gently holds Ares’s arm. “Sorry, I should have said that first. She’s okay, Ares. She’s even spoken to your mom.” Bree pats his arm before removing her hand from his body. “My dad arranged it while she was on the plane, and he’s arranging for Hera to come back. He’s proposing to move Hera and Lili into the safe house where Carole and Tess are staying, if you agree.”
Ares stares blankly into space, and I curl into him, wrapping my arms tight around his torso and squeezing him. His arms band around me, and he drops his head into my hair. His entire body is shaking, and then I hear it.
The sound of him crying.
The others quietly leave, and Ares sinks to the floor, taking me with him.
I wrap myself around him and hold him as he falls apart, clinging to me, crying and shaking, and releasing years of anguish he kept locked up inside.
“Is it really happening?” he asks when his tears have dried up. “Tell me I’m not dreaming. Lili is rescued. She’s safe, and I’m going to see her soon?” He lifts his head, peering at me through bloodshot, red-rimmed eyes. His skin is blotchy, and his voice is hoarse from crying.
“Yes, babe. It’s real.”
“Thank fuck.” He holds me tight, and then he starts to laugh. Fresh tears fill his eyes, but these are happy ones. “I’m so relieved, Ash. I’m so fucking relieved.”
“I know, honey.” I brush messy strands of dark hair out of his eyes. “I’m relieved too and so happy for you and Hera.” I don’t know how traumatized Lili will be, but I know her presence will be a huge comfort to Ares and his mom, and this will help Hera to overcome her grief over my father’s loss. She will have a daughter to support and focus on.
Ares pulls my face to his and kisses me. It’s intense and emotional, and I feel his powerful need for me in every stroke of his tongue and every sweep of his lips. I mount no protest when he removes my pajamas and his boxers, sets me down flat on the carpet, and drives inside me in one fluid move.
We don’t speak, letting our bodies do all the talking.
We kiss and caress as Ares makes love to me in a way he never has before. His touch is still possessive and demanding but lacking his trademark roughness. He is worshiping me with his hands, his lips, and his cock, and I am awash in bliss, reveling in the riot of sensations he's coaxing from my pliable body.
Someone walks in, sees us moving against one another on the floor and walks back out. I am guessing it was Chad or Jase because there’s no way Bree would have been able to walk off without watching for a bit or making some sound or comment.
After we take a quick shower, we get dressed and head downstairs to hear the latest from the others.
Chad pulls me into a hug and pecks my lips when I enter the kitchen with Ares at my side. “Bree made pancakes if you’re hungry.”
“I’m ravenous,” I say, pecking his lips again before I move toward the coffee pot.
“I’ll bet.” Jase grins, his gaze bouncing between me and Ares as he hands me a mug of coffee, just how I like it. At least I know who walked in on us now.
“Is there any update?” Ares asks as Jase fixes him a coffee.
“They are still in the air, and all is good.”
“Carter is AWOL,” Baz says, striding into the kitchen dressed all in black. We gave him a key last night, and I see he’s already putting it to good use. “We all need to be on high alert. He’s making his move, and we need to be ready to act at a second’s notice.”
“I want to go to the airport,” Ares says, nodding thanks at Jase when he hands him a coffee.
“Out of the question.” Baz snatches a pancake from the plate and stuffs it in his mouth.
“Lili is my sister, and I should be there to greet her. She is probably terrified.”
“We need to keep a low profile until someone gets eyes on Carter,” Jase says, handing his brother a coffee. “We don’t know what Carter has planned, only that it involves us. We can’t give him an opening to get to us, so we need to stay out of public places. He must know we have Lili, and he’d be expecting us to show at the airport. We can’t make it easy for him.”
“What if he tries to retake Lili when she lands?” I ask, articulating what I’m sure Ares is thinking.
“He won’t get to Lili. Dad has a cavalcade of armored vehicles and highly trained men escorting her to our house,” Baz explains.
“It was never about Lili anyway,” Chad says, leaning back against the counter and sipping from his mug. “She was bait to hold over Ares. Now that game is up, he’s moved on to the next level. Lili isn’t the one at risk now. We are.”
