Page 88 of Hell Hath No Fury

Everyone boos, then they all start arguing at once, laughing and carrying on as if we didn’t just learn a fucked-up secret from Antonio. As if we hadn’t just come from a warehouse where we had to leave a trail of bodies in our wake to survive. As if we’re not on the cusp of the biggest battle of our lives.

Antonio’s hand on top of mine draws my attention, and I meet his eyes, sighing at the worry I see there, so I ask, “Are you going to apologize?”

He frowns slightly, then shakes his head. “I’m not a liar.”

I give him a skeptical look, and his smile, though small, is pretty smug. “I suppose you didn’t actually lie, but that sounds like a super shitty excuse for being a sneaky douchebag.”

He tips his head, unable to deny the truth behind my words. But then he stands and holds his hand out to me. “How about you allow me the opportunity to make it up to you.”

“Any more secrets I need to know about?”

He looks away, making out like he’s racking his brain for possible answers. Then he looks back at me and says, “Maybe you better interrogate me properly, just to be sure.”

Smiling broadly, I place my hand in his, allowing him to help me up, and then lead me out of the room.

38

And One Never Learns

Antonio

Ithasbeenanodd 24 hours.

First, with the fiasco in the warehouse, and then, with the unscripted bedroom scene Lilith sprung on me, sending me feral but still cognizant of her needs. Her wants. Her every damn desire.

And top all that off with my shocking confession that even I’m still shocked by, and I was fucking there when it all went down. The day I lost my damn mind and sent a medical facility a lot of cash and a lot of sperm to make sure no one would ever be able to conceive a child with her.

All in all, she took it well, but I have a feeling if she was younger, if we were younger, she would be livid, and I’d be watching my back 24/7.

I look over at her, sleeping peacefully beside me. I’m a lucky fucking bastard that she didn’t take it badly because, frankly, I’m getting too old to keep up our games.

We managed to laze an entire day away, before enjoying a late family dinner and then going to our separate corners to rest up before the big event. Because we all could feel the clock winding down.

My phone lights up on the table next to me. Picking it up, I glance at the screen to see Matt has sent me a message.

Matt: Got a 20 on Irina.

Antonio: Surely it can wait until after breakfast

Matt: You can eat in the car

Antonio: I don’t eat in the car

Matt: JFC, are you afraid of some fucking crumbs?

Antonio: They do attract rodents and all sorts of vermin

Matt: …I can’t decide if you’re being serious or taking the piss out of me…

Antonio: You should know by now I take vermin very seriously

Matt: FFS, Antonio. Get your snobby ass out of bed and come kill some bad guys with us

Matt: And don’t tell Lilith

Frowning at my screen, I glance at Lilith, still sleeping soundly next to me. After all of our confessions and what-not, maybe it’s a bit soon to be going all clandestine.

Antonio: That feels like a huge mistake

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