Page 23 of Gilded Gods

Another nod. “I owe everything to Belen. He saved my life. Protecting you has given me purpose again.”

That was three years ago.

“Why haven’t you remarried? You don’t even date.”

He shrugs his broad shoulder against mine. “I haven’t found the right one, I guess.” I see a glimmer of something else in his blue eyes as he glances at me. “Or maybe it’s because the woman I want is unavailable.”

He means me.

I’m emotionally unavailable.

Mentally unavailable.

I take his hand in mine. “Connie, you know how I feel. It’s not going to change. I like what we have.”

He squeezes my hand and flashes a smile that looks forced. “Yeah. It’s better this way.”

A week after my mother died, I got drunk and begged Constantine to fuck me in the back of the limo. Well, I didn’t have to do too much convincing. He was down to fuck and a good distraction for the night. This wall of a man claimed my body like he wanted to imprint his giant dick inside me.

We haven’t fucked since.

My father would kill him.

Back to business as usual.

But it’s not like I haven’t thought about that night since. I rarely let men into my life, especially those who can hurt me. Feeling anything for Constantine would get him killed. So I act like that night never happened.

He does the same.

“What do I do about Athena?” I drop his hand. “She showed me a letter in my mom’s handwriting. I’m still having difficulty wrapping my head around the fact that she permitted them to marry. Why would Mom encourage them to be together after her death?”

“If I had died before my wife, I would have wanted her to be happy.” He turns his head away, biting his bottom lip. “I wouldn’t want her to suffer the way I did. The pain was unmanageable.”

“So what should I do? My dad threatened to disown me if I didn’t accept their marriage and welcome Athena and her sons into our family.”

“There’s nothing you can do. Your dad is marrying Athena. Just pretend you’re happy for them. Don’t rock the boat. You love Olympus too much to have it taken away from you over something you can’t change.”

He’s got a good point.

I can’t change this, just like I couldn’t save Mom. Some situations are out of your hands. You can’t control the outcome, no matter how much you wish and pray.

Constantine rises from the couch and extends his hand to me. “How about I take you to lunch at Cafe Lacroix? My treat.”

I smile at his offer and grab his hand. “That sounds perfect.”

ChapterFourteen

ATLAS

I love my bar.The River Styx is the only place I have ever walked into and said to myself, “I’m home.” I’m not even that big of a drinker, but I wanted someplace I could go to fill the void.

To get inspired.

So I sit behind the bar and glide the charcoal pencil across the page of my sketchbook. Observing people at their highs and lows assists in creating the art that lines the walls of my bar. Every face belongs to a patron. Some are regulars, but I never draw the same person more than once.

Not until Ophelia.

“Hey, boss.” Cheryl slides a glass of water in front of me. “Whatcha drawing tonight?”

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