Page 100 of Corrupted Heart

Well, not as fucked up. But at least we’re playing in the same league.

“Kratos.”

Once again, I drag myself from the thoughts swirling in my mind.

“Sorry. What?”

Ares and I are sitting by the massive wall of windows in his gorgeous corner office at Thermopylae Holdings. Thermopylae, a nod to Ya-ya and her obsession with the Spartans, is our legitimate business venture. A hedge fund, to turn our dirty money into a LOT more money. Lots cleaner, too.

I never went to business school like Ares. But I’m a quick learner, and I’ve been absorbing this stuff by his side for years. But today, I’m distracted.

I’m thinking of that first kiss, and the ones that came after.

And how I want more.

It’s sort of tough to pay attention to a goddamn P&L sheet when I’m trying to process the idea that I might be far more emotionally invested in my fake fiancée than I should be.

“Welcome back,” Ares says dryly.

“You were saying…?”

My brother sighs, leaning back in his chair. “You want to talk about it?”

“About what?”

“Kratos. I do know a thing or two about marrying to stop a war.”

I shake my head. “I’m fine,” I shrug. “It is what it is.”

Ares’ brows furrow. “But I’m sorry you weren’t given a choice. And that this was the way this shook out to avoid?—”

“You don’t have to apologize. This is what we do. What you give for family.”

His mouth thins. “Look, I know you keep a lot that goes on inside that big head of yours from us…”

I smile wryly. “Nah, I’m an open book.”

“And I’m the queen of fucking France. I’m not asking you to let me in, man. You have your reasons you don’t want to, and that’s cool. But I know you had it rougher than most of them realize when we were kids.”

I say nothing, staring at the floor, my jaw clenched.

“Obviously I don’t know the details, and again, you never have to tell me, although you know you always can. But I caught…glimpses.” His brow furrows as he leans forward, steepling his hands. “I saw how brutal Atlas and Dad were to you. I saw the way Dad paraded you around to his buddies like some sort of heavyweight champ. Like a weapon. And?—”

“Let’s focus on the numbers and not the monsters under my bed, okay?”

Ares is silent for a moment. Then he reaches out and puts a hand on my knee. “I’m here for you, that’s all.”

“I know,” I growl quietly.

He nods. “Good. Oh, before I forget.” His brow furrows. “I got a weird call here at the office the other day.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, a Ms. Mircari’s assistant called?”

I freeze.

I know now that me getting busted in that sting was deliberate. It’s why Amaya or anyone else in the CIA never let my family know what happened and quieted all the paperwork.

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