Page 22 of Found In Destruction

Ares

PS: I hope I’ll get to see you wear this dress. It’s the perfect dress for the perfect goddess.

I sat on the bed, willing myself not to burst into tears. His romantic words cut right through my defenses, and before I could take a deep breath, the floodgates opened wide.

“Hey, princess what’s wrong,” Mal said after he faded into the room.

“Huh, what are you talking about,” I asked between sniffles, confused as to how he knew there was anything wrong in the first place.

“I’m not sure, but I felt…I felt you get sad. What happened?”

I handed him the note, and after he read it he sat next to me on the bed. “I got one from him too, but it was a message bubble.”

“What did it say?” He handed me a tissue and I blew my nose. I hated crying, but Mal had already seen me at my worst. It didn’t matter.

“Basically that he loves me and he’s glad I was there for you. He promised to be a better person, and he won’t rest until you love him again.” Mal’s hand squeezed my thigh, and I rested my hand on top of his.

The issue was that I still loved him, despite how majorly fucked up his actions were. Not loving someone who was so dedicated to you was almost impossible, but history showed us that not every love story ended in happily ever after. You could love someone and fate could keep you apart. Life wasn’t one of my romance novels.

I folded the note and put it in the box where I kept Mal’s. He smiled when he saw them, and seeing his joy was a sole ray of light on a dark day. Given how much I had cried during my time away, Michael had taught me a spell to fix a red, puffy face. I did a quick updo, added light makeup, and was on my way to the living room. As soon as Ares saw the dress, his face lit up. I couldn’t help but give him a small smile, even if it was a sad one.

“The perfect dress for the perfect goddess,” he cooed at me.

Thankfully I was saved from responding when my fathers, brother, Judas, and Angela walked in. I still missed my aunt, even after having lunch with her and Nonna before I was discharged. She sat next to me at our kitchen table, and Oisín sat on my other side, giving me a good distance from the guys.

They all look like shit. The Penis Parade is flaccid!Oisín cackled through our mindlink. He glared at Desmond, making a slicing motion across his throat. I almost forgot that my brother hated him…for multiple reasons, but mostly because they shared the same red hair.So ridiculous.

I had to stifle my laughter, because Lucifer’s stone cold face meant he wanted to get down to business.

“If everyone can pay attention. We got new intel as to how Red was able to invade the compound. Someone from the Costa Coven was turned. We’ll detain the culprit and torture them accordingly.”

“Wait, when did that happen?” I asked, obviously missing some key details.

“A couple of weeks after you left,” Bash explained. “Red’s forces attacked the compound, and we fought them off. Then, when he realized you weren’t here, he returned with more backup a few days later.”

His expressionless face didn’t give me any insight as to how he felt about the attack, but I couldn’t help but feel it was my fault. Had I been here, he wouldn’t have been able to wreck so much havoc. Judas smiled at me, as if he was reading my mind. Sometimes I wondered if his vampire powers meant he could…

“Don’t feel bad, it was safer for you to be away. You were in no shape to fight, and we held him off well enough.” Judas side eyed the guys, who all sat together on the couch and the floor near it.

Everyone in the room knew what Judas was referring to—I wouldn’t have been useful because my heart was curb stomped. They all frowned or looked at the floor, except for Mal and Desmond. They locked eyes with each other, as if they were having some secret conversation.

“But the location of your compound is compromised now, which is an issue,” Michael stated. “We need to know exactlywhat information was passed on, and see if Red turned him into a sleeper agent like he did to Desmond.”

“We’ll find out exactly what your traitor told Red. Give the fucker a few days without blood to squirm, then we’ll have him screaming for mercy,” Ares growled. His fists caught fire, which he promptly put out.

Hearing his protective, gravelly voice sent shivers down my spine. I shook them off, then accidentally met his eyes across the room. His head tilted like a predator observing its prey. I hated the effect he had on me, even after everything…and he knew exactly how he made me feel.

Lucifer’s commanding tone broke through my consuming thoughts. “Word got out that Diana spent time in the infirmary after hermission, and gossip is spreading across the compound, the kind that tanks morale. We need everyone on board if we’re going to defeat Red. Judas is going to host a welcome home ball this weekend. Diana, you need to attend and make sure everyone knows you’re okay.”

“I’m definitely okay,” I lied.

There was no doubt in my mind that I was not okay. Anger, pain, and wanting overwhelmed me, and I could feel my carefully constructed walls cracking. The longer I was around my men, the more I wanted them. And I couldn’t let myself fall back into old ways with them because I’d just get hurt again.

“How about you, me, Angie, and Mal go dress shopping tomorrow?” Judas asked me. His smile was downright mischievous and his sharp, pointed canine teeth gave him a sinister edge.

“I’m inviting myself along,” Charlie piped in. “As her best friend, I need to approve of her fashion choices. Girl, where did you get this dress? I love how classically chic it is.”

“I picked it out for her, actually,” Ares admitted, his rumbling accent thick.

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