Page 67 of Raising Hell
“I hated my life,” I said as I held her. “I hated living in that town and always feeling trapped and afraid. And I was so lonely after my uncle died. Tell Eliana thank you for taking me shopping and being my friend. What happened with the druids isn’t her fault, okay?”
I pulled back and looked at Megan.
“Did she at least get rid of her mom?” I asked.
Megan cringed and shook her head.
A second later, I was torn away from Megan and saw the way fire lit her gaze. I didn’t struggle against Hades as he retreated, putting space between his daughters and us.
“Does she look hurt to you?” I asked him.
“Enough of your games. Who gave you the poison? Who threw the knife?”
He gave me a little shake as he turned me to face him.
“You are not meant for pain and suffering,” he snarled. “That is my role.”
He released me and materialized a knife.
“Make me bleed.”
“Father,” one of the older furies said in a panicked voice. He waved his hand. They were already gone when I glanced their way.
Sighing, I faced Hades.
He surrendered the knife when I plucked it from his hold and growled when I tossed it to the floor.
“I’m emotionally and mentally exhausted and would like to sit in your lap again,” I said.
“To appease me? To continue your game?”
“Because I need a damn hug, and you got rid of the only other person willing to give me one,” I said angrily. “Now, are you going to sit or what?”
His hard, rage-filled expression didn’t ease one bit as he stalked to his throne. The white-knuckled grip on the armrests worried me a little, but the ground had stopped shaking the moment I’d hugged him, so there was at least that.
He remained stiff and tense as I settled onto his lap, but he didn’t fight me when I tugged one of his arms free and wrapped it around my waist.
“I hate you,” he whispered after a shuddering breath.
“I hope it’s not me that you hate but Persephone. She was cruel to you and everyone else in Hell. That’s what I’m not trying to be. I’m trying to make things better for you while I’m here, and I’m sorry if you’re feeling betrayed by what you overheard.
“Yes, I’ve been more willing to touch you to keep you from causing earthquakes above. But I also told you I was worried about them and asked you not to shake things up. I didn’t hide that from you.”
I tipped my head back to look up at him. His expression was torn between anguish and anger.
“What can I do to make this better?” I asked.
“Nothing. I can no longer trust that anything you do is willing and not part of your game.”
I snorted. “You’ve been saying nothing I do is real and is part of a game long before you overheard me with Megan.”
His look hardened again, and he removed his arm from my waist to point at his neck.
“I thought these were given willingly without any bribe or contract. No purpose but pleasure.”
I swallowed hard, unsure what to say to make things right between us.
If I admitted that making out with him had been one hundred percent pleasure on my part, it would be like waving a red flag in front of a bull. He wouldn’t let up until he had everything he wanted. Everything I was starting to want too. Yet, if I said nothing, would I be able to calm him when he was angry?
