Page 255 of Kissing the Villain

“I had him rushed to the nearest hospital. He was in a coma for two weeks before I visited him. Your brother screwed up with The Serpents. I smoothed things over for him, and because of that, he owed me.”

“Why did you keep him from me?”

“Your brother is one of us now.”

My eyes widened at his confession. “He’s a Knight?”

He nodded. “Becoming a Knight is a nine-month initiation process that requires no contact with the outside world. He didn’t want to be a Knight. Aiden fought me every step of the way. His insistence on working with The Serpents led him to me. Do you remember the night you found me at The River Styx, and I introduced your brother to Hades and Morpheus?”

“Yes.”

“He wanted to work with The Serpents, even though your grandfather forced him to become a Knight. I had convinced Hades to give your brother a shot. I figured he would end up getting you killed if I didn’t make the introductions. I wanted him to fail on his own, forcing him to crawl back to me for help. And he did.”

“He jumped from the cliff because The Serpents told him to do it?”

Luca nodded in confirmation. “Aiden had to show The Serpents he could go the distance. Your brother knew them for street art, but they consider their work more than art.”

“They’re killers. That’s why I tried to stop my brother from making a horrible mistake.”

“No, baby. You don’t even know half of it. There’s so much more to The Serpents your brother didn’t tell you.”

“What am I missing?”

“The Serpents make statements. Their pieces are for impact, not for show or admiration. They only spray-paint a mural when there’s a message behind it. Your brother understood that.”

“I still don’t understand.”

Luca sat up. “Do you remember when the stock market nearly collapsed a few years ago? People panicked and started selling stocks like crazy because of the Inviro scandal.”

“Yeah, I remember the scandal. A group of hackers stole the data from a tech company and used it for profit.”

“The Serpents orchestrated the data breach.”

My jaw dropped, shocked by his admission. “What does this have to do with Aiden and his art?”

“Their art symbolizes the fall of governments, companies, and the corruptness of the world. If you look closely at their pieces, they reflect the real world but with a Greek mythology influence. You, of all people, should see the true meaning. They’re engaged in economic and industrial espionage. People hire them to take down companies, create scandals, influence the price of stocks, and the list goes on.”

I lifted a curious eyebrow. “Have you?”

He bobbed his head. “I do what’s necessary to survive in this world.”

“Why would Aiden want to be a part of their group?”

“For such a smart woman, you miss so many things.” He kissed my cheek and smirked. “When did your brother get into street art?”

“Our last year of high school.”

“Do you remember the first piece he created to gain the attention of The Serpents?”

“Yeah. Pops had to use every connection to get him out of trouble.”

“He’s always been an activist. That’s why your brother chose street art over contemporary. It’s the reason he paints walls in public places instead of canvases. He wants people to see what they are doing to the world.”

A chill rolled down my arms. “How did I miss this? He was always outspoken and a rule-breaker, and he never thought twice about getting into trouble to get a message across. But I never thought he would want to be a part of something like…”

“Like my world?”

“Yes, exactly. He was so insistent that I did not get involved with you. And yet, he had no problem following me to Devil’s Creek. Aiden wouldn’t stop pursuing The Serpents.”

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