It did explain a few things. None of us had an ideal childhood. Except maybe Archer, who didn't seem to hate his parents.
I put my arms around Cass and held him as close as I could, given he was still looming in Boner's direction.
"We know how difficult this must be for you," I said gently. "If I had any idea he was your father, I would have broken the news differently."
I didn't know how. Ripping off the bandaid was usually the easiest way to say things like that. I wasn't one to beat around the bush most of the time, but the last thing I'd wanted to do was hurt someone I loved.
"You couldn't have known,” Cass said. "It's not like I said, 'Hey, my father is this rich judge guy. Maybe you know him.' I should have told you."
"You had perfectly good reasons for not telling us," I said. "He wasn't in your life."
He wasn't going to be in anyone's life for much longer if we had our way.
"He probably wasn't in your mind much either." I did the best I could to forget I even had a father. What sort of person offered his daughter to men like those anyway?
My father was the worst kind of monster, just like Zeus, Hypnos, and the rest of them. I hoped they were up to their eyeballs in lava, being poked by demons right now, or something equally nasty.
Dildo cacti came to mind.
"He wasn't," Cass admitted. "I tried to forget he existed. Since he did the same thing, it only seemed fair."
"Absolutely fair," Boner said. "When people let us down, they can fuckallthe way off." He punctuated his words with a nod.
"What Boner said," I said. "If you want to sit the rest of this out, no one's going to blame you. Facing your own father…"
I couldn't even finish that sentence. There were no words for how difficult this was going to be, even estranged from him. They were still blood.
For the smallest recorded moment in history, I wondered if Cass and Jules knew about Zeus all along, and if Cass was a really good actor. They might have sought me out to keep an eye on me. Hypnos said as much, didn't he? People were watching me. Could it possibly have been the Titmus brothers?
I looked Cass right in the eyes and knew that wasn't the case. He really was as surprised and horrified as the rest of us. Devastated. His own blood had let him down badly. Peeled back an old wound and tipped salt onto it. It must sting like a bitch.
It stung to look at him, knowing how much pain he was in. I was going to make Zeus' death nice and slow. Just for Cass. If he felt even a fraction of the pain Cass was feeling right now, it wouldn't be enough.
I wanted him to regret the day his ancestors were born. How did a man like that make two incredible men like Cass and Jules? I never met Auggie, but I know he was amazing too. They must take after their mother. They certainly didn't take after their father.
Jules was a grumpy prick, but he'd never walk out on his family. He'd never abuse anyone. He was rough with me, but I loved every minute of it. I fully gave my consent without hesitation. No, he was nothing like Forrest Cross.
"What do we do now?" Cass asked, wrapping his arms around me and holding me like he was scared I'd slip away and disappear forever.
"We wait for Jules and tell him, and then we figure out?—"
Boner jumped, pulling out his knife as the door opened.
Jules stepped inside. He stared around at all of us before his gaze settled on me and Cass. His eyes narrowed, looking suspicious as hell. "Tell me what?"
CHAPTER 7
HARLOW
Iwanted to play it cool. Try not to break the news to him the way I had to Cass. I had forewarning now. This should be slightly easier, right?
Okay, no way in the world was this going to be easy. The already pissed off expression on Jules' face told me that. He was a firecracker ready to go off with a spark. What had him on edge?
I lifted my chin.
"I should ask you the same thing. You look ready to take a hammer to somebody's left kneecap."
He glanced down at his leg.
