Page 57 of Brutal Mercy

“But Hades mentioned clearing some space out of his.”

“Which will be good for the clothes you wear on a daily basis. But with the events my brother attends and the formal gowns, the cocktail dresses, and the business casual dresses on down the line, you’ll need an entire closet to hold all those items. I bet we could have the bedroom next to this one converted into a closet for you.”

“A whole room? For just a closet?” Was she kidding? When would I ever wear that many clothes?

“You’ll get used to it. Now, let’s take a look at some stuff I think you’re going to need.”

Athena and I spent the next two hours picking out toiletry items, makeup—the high-end stuff—jewelry, an ereader, laptop, and even more lingerie.

She glances at her watch and sighs. “I have to go put in an appearance downstairs. But this has been a hoot. We need to have a girl’s night out. Or even a girl’s night in. We can talk about boys and life, watch some cheesy romcoms, and drink.”

“I would love that.” It’s been a long time since I had any girlfriends. All my high school friends went off to college, and we grew apart. I get it. They were going to school, joining sororities, and dating. I was raising my sister and running a business. We literally had nothing in common any longer. So it was only natural that we drifted apart. And once I became a parental figure to Lyla, it created a divide between us too.

And I’ve been achingly lonely.

“Good. We’ll do it soon.”

At the knock on the door, Athena says, “Don’t get up. I bet it’s Rosa with lunch for you.”

She’s right. Rosa is a plump woman with black hair liberally doused with strands of gray. But looking at her face, she could be fifty or eighty. She has this cherubic face that makes her seem younger than she really is. And the moment she spies me, she smiles wide. “Ah, I’m so glad you’re awake. I have a real treat for you today.”

“Rosa, your food is magical. I’m sure whatever you made for lunch will be fantastic.”

She carts it over to the table and starts putting it all out. My nose twitches at the delicious aromas. I stand using the crutches and hobble over to the table.

“Oh my goodness, my favorite.”

“Si. When you mentioned you love lasagna, I just had to make it for you. This is an old family recipe my grandmother brought over from Italy.”

“It smells amazing. Thank you so much.”

“I’ll have Gabriella come up in an hour, once you’re finished with your lunch, and help you put away all your new clothes.”

“Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you.”

“And just wait until you see what I have for dinner tonight. The most tender brisket you’ve ever tasted.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Because while I am not a horrible cook, I’m nowhere near as capable as Rosa. And I feel like I’m eating food from a Michelin-star restaurant.

When I think about the massive changes in my life over the past week, I know I have Hades to thank for it. I realize he’s the head of the Italian Mafia in Denver. What concerns me is that something might happen to him.

Everyone I’ve ever cared about has been taken from me. And his life is one surrounded by danger.

And I realize as Gabriella and I put my new clothes away that it would crush me to lose him. He matters to me. It’s good because heismy husband. But I also know there will be times and situations where I do nothing but worry about his safety.

And because he’s done so much for me, I decide to do something for him.

He doesn’t join me for dinner. But he told me this morning that he would likely need to work late. And while I miss him, it gives me extra time to prepare. I take a bath after dinner and shave. Then I take time to lotion my skin, making it as soft as silk. I style my hair. He enjoys it down, but I toss some loose curls in it to give it a beachy waves vibe. And I go for sultry with my makeup before putting on this sexy, fire-engine-red negligee and matching panties. As much as I would love to wear a pair of sexy stilettos with this getup, I fear my ankle is not up for it quite yet.

I give myself a pedicure with the nail supplies I found in the makeup Athena gave me.

Once I finish with all my seduction preparations, I sit with my back propped against the headboard with pillows behind me, reading the paperback while I wait for my husband. When Hades enters our bedroom, his gaze lands on me and heats to the surface temperature of the sun. Dark, greedy lust shrouds his features as he shuts and locks the bedroom door.

“What are you doing, wife?” He removes his sport coat on the way to the bed.

“Reading.” I hold up the book. But over the last thirty minutes, I read the same page a dozen times, more concerned with Hades’s return than I was with the story.

“Did you enjoy yourself today?” His eyes caress my body, and my nipples bead into hard points.

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