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We turn and I’m greeted by Hector and Arcelia. I unwittingly tense.
“Lia,” Axel murmurs softly, his tone laced with fondness. Do I like it? No. Am I threatened by it? No. I just don’t have to love the idea that my husband is in business with the woman who played a part in my kidnapping, torture and assaults and looks at her like he doesn’t want to murder her. That’s how he looks at me, and I want it to be only me!
Okay. Maybe there is a little jealousy and feeling threatened there, which is ridiculous.
“Thank you for pulling all of this together at such short notice,” Axel tells her smoothly. “Especially when our wedding planner became suddenly unavailable.”
I almost choke when Axel casually drops Eowyn into the conversation, but I murmur my agreement, though I don’t really want to thank her for anything.
Arcelia’s smile is knowing as she replies that it’s no problem.
Hector smiles at me. “Hey, chica. So you’re a married woman now, huh?”
I turn to him leaving Axel and Arcelia to have their own whispered, urgent conversation, and give Hector my full attention.
“I guess so,” I reply with a rueful smile of my own and a shrug.
“It suits you.”
“How are you healing up?” I ask, nodding to the cane he’s using to support himself.
”Eh, not too bad. My knee is fucked, hence the cane, but I’m determined that I won’t need it for long. Not sure I’ll be playing ball again anytime soon.”
I grimace. “I’m sorry. Was it your dream?”
Hector laughs, but it sounds bitter to my ears. “No, chica. Gods don’t get to have dreams. Ask your husband about that some time. Sorry. That was out of line. Maybe in another life a boy like me would have grown up wanting to be a football player, but I was never that boy.”
I nod, because I do know what he means without asking Axel or the others. Growing up they never really talked about what they wanted to be when they were older; even from an early age they knew they were destined to follow in their fathers’ footsteps. Though I do remember Kaiden once saying the only thing he wanted to be was alive.
“It looks like Arcelia has been looking after you well and helping you recover then,” I say to change the topic.
Hector glances at his sister and smiles, his face immediately going soft with fondness and his eyes shining with love. “Tesoro has been amazing. Every single day. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
Sensing his eyes on her, Arcelia pauses her conversation and glances back at Hector, her expression mirroring his.
They do not look at each other like they’re brother and sister.
And given that my husband just fucked me while his best friends held me down for him and covered me in their cum, it’s fuck all to do with me.
“Stay safe, okay?” I tell him, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “Don’t be a stranger. And if you can findanyway to be happy in this life, it’s more important than ever to grab it with both hands and never let go, right?”
Hector nods. “Sí, chica. Gracias. Congratulations again.”
“Thank you. It really was good to see you again.”
I lean in and give Hector a quick hug, stiffening when Axel growls warningly under his breath. Hector just laughs and squeezes me tighter. Does he have a death wish? Why poke the bear?
“Thank you for keeping an eye on Odi for me since she arrived on campus,” Axel says, his tone smug. I jerk back slightly to look at Hector’s face, but stop short of anything more.Today is all about appearances.But inside I’m reeling.What did he say? Was any of it real?
His expression is pained and full of regret. “Chica?—”
“He may be a God, Odi, but let’s just call Heracles another of myallies.”
“You were never my friend?” I ask Hector. Despite the hurt, I’m unsurprised by this revelation.
“Sí, I’m your friend, Odi. I just?—”
“But you’re also on my payroll,” Axel finishes with an insufferable grin that makes me want to punch him.
