Page 156 of Vicious Hearts

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UNA

“Um, yes, hi.”

Callie is waiting for us when the elevator doors open onto the glamorous front entryway to the Drakos estate. I’ve seen some wealth in this city. I mean Cillian’s clock-tower penthouse has to be in the realm of mid eight figures. Not to mention the stunning five-story brownstone on the Upper East Side, or Neve and Ares’ gorgeous all-glass penthouse on the west side.

But they all pale against this place: an actual, honest-to-God Georgian-style English Manor, movedbrick-by-fucking-brickfrom the English countryside to the top of a forty-floor building on Central Park South. Twelve bedrooms, twice as many bathrooms, evengrounds, complete with two pools, manicured gardens, and a tennis court.

It’d be obscene if it wasn’t so damn tastefully and gorgeously done.

As we get out of the elevator, Callie’s grinning at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, Calliope?” Cillian mutters, his arm around my waist. “What is it?”

“Well, it’s just that dinner started ten minutes ago.”

“There was traffic.”

Callie’s eyes drop to the scarf around my neck.

“Greatscarf, Una.”

I blush deeply. She grins. “Well then,” Callie giggles. “Dinner is this way.”

We head through the opulent home until we approach the sounds of laughter and conversation coming from the formal dining room. Just before we step in after Callie, though, Hades slips out. He clears his throat and shuts the door behind him.

“Could I, uh,” he frowns, glancing at Cillian. “Could I borrow Una for a second? Alone?”

“No.”

I bite back a grin at the ferociously snarling possessive note in Cillian’s voice.

Hades smirks. “C’mon, Cill, it’s not like that. I just need to tell her—”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

I giggle as Hades sighs. “Fuck it, fine. Stay, for all I care.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

Hades rolls his eyes and turns to me. “I just wanted to say, I’ve been a little prickly to you.”

I mean, he has, yes. But it’s fine. I’m an outsider, and yeah, my father almost killed his brother. I get it.

“Hades,” I reassure him. “It’s all good.”

“No. I mean, I can be a dick. Okay, Iamkind of a dick.”

“Kind of…?” Cillian mutters.

Hades ignores him, shoving his dark hair back from his piecing blue eyes. “I was angry before, when that fucking thing went off almost in Neve’s face at the reception. And because of that, I spoke out of turn.” He smiles wryly. “You’re not your father, Una.”

I reach out and squeeze his hand, ignoring the tight-jawed growl from Cillian when I do.

“Let’s start fresh, yeah?”

Hades grins. “Perfect. I swear, I’m not a dickallthe time.”

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