Page 115 of Original Sins (Dark Odyssey 6)

“Thank you for everything.”

“Don’t mention it.”

I pull away from her, and she cups my face briefly before letting me go.

Georgiou takes my hand, and I realize this is the first time that he’s done so like this. As if we’re an actual couple.

We get into his car and drive away, never looking back.

Henry is home when we get back, which is odd for the daytime since he’s usually at work.

When he sees me walk in, he freezes, and all I want to do is run to him too.

He looks at Georgiou like he’s lost his mind, but when he sees my bag, his face softens.

“I’m keeping her. Are you in or not?” Georgiou says to him. “I won’t fault you if you’re not.”

But it would break my heart.

“Like fuck, of course, I’m in,” Henry replies, never taking his eyes off me.

“Then we keep our secret until I figure things out.”

“You?” Henry raises his brows.

“Yes, me, because I know what Donatello Ricci is like.”

I know, too, and for all the power Georgiou might have, I’m not sure what the hell he’s going to come up with to make this right.

31

Henry

“Hey, you got a minute?” Dad asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Of course.”

For the last three weeks, I’ve been nervous as fuck from one day to the next, always thinking something is going to happen.

Georgiou’s plan is this: he’s going to speak to Donny when he comes back to Chicago. That’s at the end of next month—September.

Georgiou is going to have a face-to-face conversion with Donny, and I have no idea what he’s going to say. Whatever it is, I’m not sure if he plans to tell Donny about me. I can’t imagine the man is going to like the idea of our threesome relationship with his daughter.

Knowing my friend, though, the way I know him, he probably would have thought of coming out with the truth and seeing how it goes. The problem with that is such a truth could jeopardize everything. This is why I’ve been inclined to tell Georgiou to leave me out of the explanation. Thinking that way feels like I’m taking myself out of the relationship.

But I’m not. I’m serious about Evie, and all I’m doing is thinking of whatever I can do to keep her.

I knew when I agreed to keep our secret that at some point, if we keep on as we are, or even if we pull through this, I was going to have to take the back seat sometimes. Or indefinitely. It’s a given and something I realized when Donny announced William Reviello would be marrying Evie.

Because I’ve also gotten so up close and personal with the company structure and traditional policies, I know it’s always been in the hands of someone of Italian descent. The French-Canadian blood flowing through my veins won’t qualify me.

I also realized it again when Georgiou put himself forward to speak to Donny. I knew he had more than one reason for the suggestion.

If this works out, I know the dominant in our relationship will be Georgiou, but I love Evie enough to accept that. What will matter is how we are in the end.

The end seems so far away, and I’m not the kind of guy to sit down and wait things out. The secret is killing me, and the longer we keep it, the worse everything feels.

Worse of all, I’m worried about my father.

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