Ares and I get ready for bed in silence, but it’s comfortable. Maybe I should be mad at him too, but the truth is, I have always known he was keeping secrets. He hated me upon sight. That pointed to an agenda from the outset. Discovering it’s something to do with his sister makes me understand him a little better. I don’t have the facts yet, but I don’t need them to know whatever he was doing was for her.
Plus, Ares was lied to as well. There is no denying he had no clue who he really was. He isn’t that good of an actor to have faked such a genuine reaction. We have both been lied to and then thrust into this world without any preparation. I need him as much as I hope he needs me.
Ares turns off the light as I crawl under the covers. He climbs in beside me, in just his boxers, instantly pulling me back against his warm, hard body. “Sleep, Ash.” His arms band around my waist.
I want to ask him how he’s doing with all of the revelations, but his comforting arms and body heat instantly lull me into a deep sleep.
Ares wakes me after a few hours, insisting I take some more pain pills, and I fall back asleep in seconds. When I wake the next time, the space beside me is empty. The sheets are still warm, so it must not have been long since Ares got up.
“Hey.” A warm hand lands on my arm as Jase claims my attention. Turning my head, I find him seated in a chair by my bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay,” I say over a yawn, pulling myself upright against the headboard. One strap of my silk sleep top falls down my arm, and Jase’s eyes are like heat-seeking missiles as they follow the trajectory. I fix my top as he clears his throat. “What time is it?” I ask. “And where is Ares?”
“It’s just after nine, and he went to his room to call in sick to work.”
“Did you sleep?” I ask, noting the bruising shadows under his eyes.
He scrubs a hand along his prickly jawline. “Not much. I couldn’t switch my brain off.”
I’m sure I only slept because of my injuries and the medication. “I’m terrified for Chad.”
“Yeah, me too.” Resting his elbows on his knees, he buries his head in his hands for a few seconds. When he looks up, pain is written all over his face. “I am aware of Cleo Carter’s BDSM kinks, and I knew she was a domme, but I had no idea she was abusing men and keeping them prisoner. I haven’t even heard any rumors. She has gone to great lengths to hide this.”
“Which means she must kill them,” I surmise. My lips tremble. “We need to get him out of there, Jase.” I whip the covers back, exposing my small sleep shorts and my bare legs. “We need to get him out of there now.”
“I have a few ideas,” he says, offering me his hand.
“Where’s my mom?” I ask, taking his hand and letting him help me to my feet.
“In the kitchen with Bree.”
“She can’t be a part of this. I don’t trust her.” It pains me to say that about my own mother, but she has proven over and over she can’t be trusted. “She told me there’d be no more secrets, but she concealed his identity from me. How could she do that? She had to know he had figured it out when he was the one pushing for my initiation, but she still said nothing. I can’t forgive her for that.”
“I don’t blame you, and I don’t trust her either. She has a lot to answer for.”
Darts of pain shoot across my chest, tightening it to the point where I can scarcely breathe. A strangled sob rips from my lips. “My dad is dead,” I whisper as tears automatically stream down my face.
Jase reels me into his arms, wrapping his muscular arms around me. “I’m so sorry, Ash. Doug didn’t deserve that.”
Sobs burst from my mouth as I let myself feel. “He sacrificed his life for me. He married a woman he didn’t love to protect her and her unborn baby, and he loved me as if I was his own.” I know Dad felt guilty for the years they left me to largely fend for myself, and he was trying to make it up to me. I wish I had known the truth. I would not have been so flippant or fought him so much when he tried to make amends. I wish I had told him I loved him more often. I wish I had spent more time with him. Now all of that is lost to me.
I fall apart, giving in to everything I am feeling. Pining the loss of a man who gave everything to me. I cling to Jase as I sob against his neck. He holds me close, smoothing a hand up and down my back and pressing kisses into my hair, as I expunge my grief.
The door opens, and I look over as Ares slips into my room. His hair is damp, and little beads of water cling to his brow, confirming he’s not long out of the shower.
Without a word, Jase passes me over to Ares, and I sink into his arms, inhaling his masculine scent and the warmth of his strong body as it envelops me. His arms wrap around me as he bundles me into his body.
Eventually, my tears die out. Sniffling, I pull out of his arms, scrubbing at my swollen eyes. Jase hands me a tissue as his arm slides around my shoulders. “We’re going to get justice for Doug, Ash.”
“And we’re going to make that motherfucking asshole pay,” Ares adds in a growly tone. “This will devastate my mom. She was alone for years, grieving my father, until she met Doug. He brought her back to life. Reminded her what it was like to love. I will always be grateful to him for that.”
“Was it real, Ares? Does she really love him?” I couldn’t bear it if Dad died with memories of a love that was fake because I know it was real for him.
“It’s real, Ash. She loves him. He made her so happy. This is going to destroy her.”
“It was the first time I saw him in love,” I softly admit. “The first time he was really truly happy. I hate that bastard robbed him of a lifetime of love with Hera.”
“He will regret it,” Jase promises, gently cupping one cheek. “Go freshen up. Then let’s get rid of Pamela and start making plans.”
