Page 88 of All for her Forgiveness

"So would I."

His face is serious. "You're not like your brothers."

"What does that mean?"

"I've been observing you all for some time. All of you are vengeful, but you're one step further, Hades. You don't want justice—you want Ryan's death."

"Legal justice will only be to satisfy my wife, who needs closure, and so that one day, when my son reads about what happened, he knows that no matter how long it takes, no one rises against a Kostanidis and gets away with it. But I want my time with Ryan. As soon as I'm sure Kennedy and King are safe in New York—because I intend to leave Louisiana with both of them tomorrow and convince her to marry me—I'm going after him. When I get hold of him, he'll beg me to hand him over to the law."

I approach where Amber and Ernest are, seeing King in his mother's arms. After quickly greeting the first two, I take King and kiss and hug him.

"Dude."

"Daddy,"I correct.

He smiles. "Duude."

"Jesus, at two years old, he's already showing Kostanidis stubbornness," I say, kissing his head.

"Daddy Dude."

"That's better, son." I press him against my chest and inhale his scent, knowing that only he and his mother can calm me.

I put an arm around Kennedy's shoulder, and I don't know if it's to avoid making a scene in front of strangers or because she's still too shaken to argue, but she doesn't push me away.

For a few seconds, I hold them like that.

"I want to take you to New York," I tell her. "I want both of you with me in my house. It’s the only way I can be sure you'll be safe."

Hades

CHAPTER FORTY

To my surprise,she doesn't protest. She just says, "And Ernest?"

"He can come along."

"I need to notify the judge if I leave the state. From what the lawyers told me, every time I move within the United States, a notice needs to be attached."

"Don't worry about that. The new team will take care of it."

"You're arrogant, Hades," she accuses, and despite using a neutral tone, King repeats, "Gaaaant!"

"Jesus! Just a moment," she says, kisses our son's forehead, and hands him over to Ernest. Then she comes back to me. "I didn't intend to say that in front of him."

"He has no idea what it means, Kennedy."

"I know, but kids understand the tone we speak in, read our body language, and I don't want us to argue in front of him."

"Then accept the lawyers."

"Fine. I'm not comfortable with this secret protector anyway."

"You prefer the devil you know?"

"Something like that. At least with you, I know what to expect."

"No, love, you don't. You have no idea what I'll do to prove to you that I deserve a second chance."

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