Page 99 of Savior

Chapter Twenty

Celia

While Athena represented intelligence and military strategy for the Greeks, Ares represented the violent and physically untamed aspects of combat.

The god of war was not a favorite among his people because of his dangerous and uncontrollable tendencies on the battlefield. He was also known to react savagely to even the smallest of slights.

Ares.

The embodiment of violence and destruction.

A man governed by hedonism and bloodlust.

Just like the Sons.

The entire time I’d been laboring under the delusion that there was a motive, something they wanted from us. But they were no better than Ares, fighting just to fight.

Which meant we had to become Athena.

The fierce and ruthless warrior was trusted enough to wield the shield and thunderbolt of Zeus. She protected civilization from those who sought to destroy it.

Lauren’s hand tightened around mine, and I squeezed back, both of us fully aware that our salvation lay just beyond the locked doors of the surgical unit.

“We have one shot at getting the Sons,” I mumbled, retracing every step of the plan in my mind.

What was it Mikey had said?

War could either be approached with brutality or intelligence.

As we weren’t able to outnumber them, we had to outsmart them.

Lauren’s chin dropped to her chest, her arm resting against her belly as if reassuring her daughters that their daddy was going to be okay.

Comedian burst into the family room, his gaze darting from face to face, looking for answers. He crossed the room when his eyes landed on mine, dropping to his knees in front of me. “Is he?” His eyes pleaded for me to lie, to tell him there had been some mistake.

My shoulders curled forward as I shook my head. “We don’t know anything. He was—” I mashed my lips together. “He was hit five times.”

“Christ.” Comedian rocked back onto the heel of his boots before running a shaky hand over his eyes. “My boy.”

Lauren’s fingers twitched against mine, her teeth sinking into the flesh of her bottom lip until it turned white as if to keep herself from screaming.

Comedian reached out and placed his palm against her thigh. “He’s gonna be okay, sweetheart. I’m gonna handle this shit, you hear me?”

Her head bounced up and down like a bobblehead doll, but she continued staring right through him with glassy eyes.

“Good girl.” He squeezed her leg and stood up.

We jumped as the door opened suddenly, expecting the doctors, but it was Betsy. She mashed a fist to her mouth, moaning, “My baby boy.”

Comedian went to comfort her, but she brushed off his attempts before approaching me with rage in her eyes and venom in her words. “You did this to him!”

Lauren squeezed my hand until my fingers went numb while keeping her focus on the door.

“You took my baby and tried to make him a soldier! Did you think this was a game? Did you think he wouldn’t get hurt?” She all but screeched.

As much as I wanted to remind her that she hadn’t lifted one finger when her ‘baby’ relapsed, I kept my mouth shut. For better or worse, she was his mother. If blaming me eased her mind, I’d take it.

I curled my hand into a tight fist. This would be the last time I sat in a private room, waiting to hear the fate of my family.

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