Page 2 of Gilded Gods

Wonderful.

My father brought another woman home instead of the dinner he promised me. He hasn’t been the same since my mother’s death six months ago. His grief has overshadowed mine. And some days, he forgets I live here.

Forgets I exist.

We used to be a team. But he’s chosen to heal his heartache for two months with one-night stands. I hear the familiar clicking of heels on the floor at night. And then again in the morning when they leave. Thankfully, I haven’t met any of them.

My dad is only forty-five, good-looking, and rich. So naturally, he has women throwing themselves at him.

“Oh, I see the four of you have gotten reacquainted.” I spin around to look at Athena Demetriou as she claps her hands together, smiling. “Good. I was hoping this wouldn’t be uncomfortable.”

Athena’s husband was gunned down on the street, right outside my father’s club, a month before my mother’s passing. Adrian Demetriou was my father’s best friend and business partner until they parted ways over a financial discrepancy. My dad and uncle accused Adrian of stealing, even though he swore it wasn’t him.

I haven’t seen much of the Demetriou brothers since then. They spent a lot of time at my house when we were kids. Back then, Atlas had braces. Apollo was tall but skinny and hadn’t completely grown into his height. And Ares was as perfect as the Greek god he was named after. Except he had a bad attitude and got into a lot of trouble.

Not much has changed with Ares.

“Uncomfortable?” Ares snorts with laughter, aiming his honey-brown eyes at his mother. “Ophelia almost shot off my dick. I think we’re past the awkward stage of this fucked up arrangement.”

“Language,” his mom hisses. “I hate when you speak like that. And don’t say the d-word.”

He rolls his eyes. “C’mon, Ma. Stop being such a prude. Would you rather I say penis?”

Athena cringes. “Ares, I would rather you not talk about your body parts in front of ladies. It’s rude and disrespectful.”

“I guess I should say vagina instead of pussy,” he says with a sly grin. “Duly noted.”

Athena angles her body and wraps one arm around me. “I’m so sorry about him, my dear. You have my sincerest apologies.” She brushes the hair out of my eyes and inspects my face. “How are you doing?”

“Okay, I guess.” I hug her, confused about why she’s here with her sons. “Still working through some things.”

Dad stands in the entryway, watching us with a rare smile. “I got your favorite. Moussaka from Mykonos.”

He only orders from my favorite Greek restaurant when he wants to butter me up. I haven’t eaten moussaka since Mom died, so this must be an apology dinner for whatever the hell is happening with the Demetrious.

Are they on the run and need someplace to live?

“What’s going on?” I ask my dad, then tip my head toward the couch. “Why aretheyhere?”

“I offered to let the boys stay with us.” He shrugs, clutching the bags from Mykonos that smell delicious. “They’re going to be family, after all.”

Family?

What the fuck?

ChapterTwo

OPHELIA

I blinka few times to clear the black spots from my eyes. For a moment, I think I’ll pass out as the room spins around me. But before I do, I regain my senses.

“Please tell me I’m hallucinating. Or losing my mind.” I narrow my eyes at my dad, confident he misspoke. “I could have sworn you just said they’re going to be our family.”

“I did,” Dad says with a smile that reaches his brown eyes. “I was going to tell you over dinner, but what the hell?” He puts the bags on the floor and lifts Athena’s hand. “I asked Athena to marry me.” He shows me the massive diamond ring that glitters when the fluorescent lights hit it just right. “The wedding is at the end of the month.”

My blood feels like it’s boiling in my veins. Athena smiles, but it looks forced. She can see this news upsets me, considering she was my mother’s friend.

Her best fucking friend!

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