Page 16 of Unleash Hades
Richard didn’t stop at all but walked straight to the town car, with me running to catch up.
He was one ofthosemen… the kind who walked with no regard for others and assumed that everyone would hop out of his way. And for the most part, they did. My little girl heart had once thought that was masculine, and strong. Now I saw it for what it was… he was just an arsehole.
I dodged pedestrians as they crossed the sidewalk and slipped into the open car door, closing it behind me.
“We should talk about consolidating our voting shares,” Richard said, coolly. “We should get Chloe to sign hers over.”
I stiffened.
“Oh?” I asked, feeling dread pit in my stomach.
Remember the cold water. Remember Adelia. Remember what he can do…
“If your sister does not wish to take part in the Media Company, then she should give up her shares. It won't affect her income. It just allows us more freedom to make decisions with the company.”
Allowsusto make more decisions. Was that a joke?
Hewanted to make decisions withmyshares. If he got control of Chloe’s then there’d be no way to keep the company out of his filthy hands. My family legacy would collapse. And it would be all my fault.
No,hisfault.
No…myfault.
“Well, that might be a little difficult,” I said, looking out the window, trying to look calm as the world passed by. All the while, my pulse beat in my ears, threatening to drown out the sound of traffic and engines, and Richard. “After all, Chloe hates me. She always has.”
She had loved me when she was young. She had been my little gift.
The stinging in my eyes threatened to blow my cover. I choked the feelings back with a cough.
“She didn’t seem to hate you at Philippa Fox’s wedding.” He pursed his lips and looked at his watch. It wasn’t so much about looking at the time, but bringing attention to the extravagant, expensive item.
He was prying for information. He wanted to know what we talked about, if anything. What had he missed while I was waiting in the hall, with my sister and…him.
“She was being polite,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You know her, she’s all about appearances, and acting like Mother Theresa.”
My sister was the best person I knew. She always had been.
“Hmm.” Richard turned his eyes toward me. I felt the heat of his stare on the side of my cheek. “Try anyway,” he finally said, his voice taking on that tone. A tone I had heard twice before. The first time was after Marseille, when he spoke of Adelia. A second time in London, when he spoke to me. “I’m sure you can figure a way… if you really wanted to. And shouldn’t those shares belong to us, anyway? Then we can truly take control of our company.”
Over my dead body.
My cold, dead, pale body.
Ice. Pain. Blood.
Screams.
I swear by Hades, I will put a knife in this man.
I smiled, turning my head towards my husband.
“Of course, my love,” I said, reaching out to graze the back of his hand with my fingertips. “Anything for you.”
He smiled then, reaching out his long tendril fingers, and pinching my chin between his index finger and thumb. I tried not to grimace.
He said, with a crooked smile. “I hope nothing ever happens to you.”
He placed a cold kiss on my forehead. Paternal. Strange. Condescending. There was no love in it.
