Page 114 of Original Sins (Dark Odyssey 6)

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “I do love you. I never stopped. I’m so sorry I lied to you.”

“I don’t care about the lie or any of that. I care about now, and I can’t let you go and marry someone else. Not when I want you. I want you, and Henry wants you. I always have to be mindful of him, but I’m speaking for myself here.”

“And I want you too, both of you. What… are we going to do?” I honestly don’t know.

Dad will never be okay with us being together. My plans were still to run away, but that was when I thought I’d lost everything. Now I can’t leave Georgiou and Henry.

But if I stay and stay with them, then that means fighting my father.

I can’t fight him, and it’s not fair to ask anybody else to either.

Now I ask myself, what is the price of love?

Georgiou breaks eye contact with me for a moment, then levels his stare.

“Are you supposed to be here with Cordelia while your father is away?” he asks, and I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding on to

“Yes. That’s the drill. I always stay with her. He doesn’t know what she gets up to, Georgiou. To him, we wake with the sun, and we’re in bed by sundown.”

Instead of questioning how my father could believe such a thing about Cordelia, I thank my good graces my cousin covers her tracks so well enough that she can fool him. It’s definitely to her credit that she can.

“Pack a bag. You’re going back with me,” he answers, and my eyes fly open.

“Pack a bag?”

“Just do it, baby.”

“O…kay.”

When he glances away from me, I’m not sure if that’s because he’s doesn’t know what we’ll do either to get around this.

I don’t think he does, but I’m going. I’m going wherever he wants me to go.

I rise and start getting dressed.

Grabbing my clothes from last night, I drag them on while he puts on his pants. I reach for one of my overnight bags and throw what clothes I can inside it. I’ll have to come back for the rest of my things because I can’t think right now about what I need.

When he reaches for his shirt, the door flies open, and a bewildered-looking Cordelia rushes in.

“There’s a car parked on the….” The words die in her mouth when her eyes land on Georgiou.

Her mouth falls open, and I can’t blame her when her eyes are glued to his muscular torso, and she does a full sweep of his body before meeting his daring eyes.

That’s when she schools herself and looks from me to him, knowing exactly what we did in here.

“Georgiou Giordano,” she mutters.

He holds up one finger, and for the first time ever, she looks cautious. “Don’t you breathe a word—”

“I would never. My lips are sealed,” she promises him, and he drops his hand.

Her gaze shifts to my bag on the bed, and understanding comes into her eyes.

“Duchess, let's go,” Georgiou says to me, pulling on his shirt and jacket.

I pick up the bag and rush into Cordelia’s arms.

“Be safe,” she whispers into my ear.

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