Page 163 of Corrupted Heart

“For what, engoni?” she says softly, stroking my hair. “Loving my grandson? Saving him?”

“I—” I choke back a sob. “I don’t know if I did.”

“You did,” she whispers fiercely. “Believe me, you?—”

“Mrs. Drakos?”

Dimitra releases me and turns at the sound of a man’s voice.

“Yes?”

His mouth twists awkwardly as he nods at me. “I, uh, I meant the other Mrs. Drakos.”

My face pales. “Yes?” I croak.

The hallway goes silent.

The man clears his throat.

“Could we, uh… Could we talk privately?”

My heart wrenches and my legs threaten to give out. Just as I’m about to fall, Dimitra is there, grabbing my hand and gripping it firmly, pouring all her strength into me.

“Right here is fine,” I choke.

The man’s brow furrows. “I’m sorry, but hospital policy is for immediate fam?—”

“We are his family,” Ares growls.

“In this case, sir, immediate means spouse?—”

The man gasps as Hades grabs him by the collar and slams him against the wall.

“Is my brother going to live or die, you fuck?!”

Wide-eyed and pale, the man looks at me. “Mr. Drakos is out of surgery and in recovery. He’s going to be fine.”

This time, as the hallway erupts into cheers, I do collapse to the ground. But the tears that fall down my face aren’t tears of sadness.

They’re tears of pure joy.

Gratitude.

Relief.

And love.

EPILOGUE

KRATOS

I was eight when I stole for the first time. It was a Snickers bar, from the gift shop of some ritzy hotel on the other side of Central Park.

I’m no Oliver Twist or Aladdin. This wasn’t stealing to eat and survive, or anything noble and poetic like that. I mean for fuck’s sake, I could see the damn hotel from the grounds of my family estate towering over Central Park South.

Even at that age, I knew how my family made money. I knew what we were, and what I’d probably become. I remember rationalizing the theft by telling myself the hotel charging two grand a night for a room didn’t need the Snickers bar. Especially when they were trying to sell the fucking thing for nine goddamn dollars.

I mean, fuck right off with that shit.

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