Page 89 of Hades’ Revenge

“Do you know what the reason is?” she asked.

“I do.”

“Can I have the answer to that question?” Her hearty giggle brought me back to the first night we met in the club. When I lost myself without any warning. “Please,” she added.

“The reason is simple,” I said. “It all happened the way it was supposed to so that eighteen years later, a sassy little stalker could walk into my club and steal my dark, battered heart.”

“For such a brutal assassin, you can be quite romantic.” When she gazed into my eyes, concerned filled hers. “But you’re still a hit man.”

“I can’t change that.”

“I know,” she whispered.

“Do you have something else you need to ask me?”

“How do I know the two of you won’t try to kill the other?”

“You don’t.”

“Sebastian?” She leaned against the brick wall. “I know my father screwed you over big time but…”

“He’s still your father.”

She nodded.

“I respect that.” Leo would never accept my relationship with Capri, and there was still a good chance he might come for me, but that was a problem for another day. “I give you my word that I won’t go after your father unprovoked, but if he comes after me, I’ll have to protect myself.”

“That’s fair.”

“I’m not going to pursue this vendetta. I don’t have to.” What would be the point? I had what I wanted and I wouldn’t risk losing her.

“Because of me?”

“Yes, but it’s more than that,” I said. “You believed from the moment I told you about what happened in the church that I didn’t kill Emilio.”

“I’m a good judge of character.”

“Says the girl who found her way into my club with the help of a rapist.”

“Nikolas was on your VIP list. That wasn’t all on me.”

“No, it wasn’t.” I gently kissed her. “We’ve had an explosive start.”

I glanced around the street, noting it was quieter than a few minutes ago. There wasn’t a flow of traffic. Atticus must have sensed it too. When his stoic gaze connected with mine, I nodded toward him.

“We should go,” I said. “I’ve tested Atticus’ patience far too long.”

“Okay.” She took my hand. “But I need to say thank you.”

“For what?”

“For sacrificing so much for my family.” She touched my cheek. “You could have retaliated a long time ago. You could have come back for revenge, but you didn’t.”

“I thought about it plenty of times, but as the years moved on, so did I.” I was never really sure why I hadn’t made Leo pay for all the pain he had caused me until I met Capri. “There was nothing I could have done about the past. I’m focused on the future now.”

“Do you think we can finally head to Greece?” She tilted her head and pressed her tempting lips together. “Maybe we could focus on the future together?”

“I think that’s…” I trailed off when a car sped down the street, slowing as it came closer. When it stopped in front of us, I blocked her with my body. My instincts screamed at me to protect her.