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TOB 56 ETHAN'S POV "If you want to play…" Hades shows me his fists, now dripping with my blood, splattered all over the ground. "I'll indulge." 'Where is she?" I murmur, staring at the door opposite me. 'Is she there? Or are there cameras through which she can watch the show?" He grabs me by the collar, nearly lifting me and the chair off the ground. 'You answer to me." 'I answer to no one." 'Then would you rather die?" 'Come out, Princess!" I call, my voice straining. 'Don't you think you've watched enough?" 'Shut the f-ck up." Hadesimir hits me again. 'I thought you wanted me to talk—now you want me to shut it? Make up your mind, you grumpy-arse f-cker. Come out, Princess. I thought we shared things," I say with humor, which is my usual way of deflecting reality, but the words stab me inside my bloody soul. I really thought we shared things, but she went ahead and stabbed me in the back. "You don't speak to her. You speak to me." Hades's strong voice booms in the room's silence, his accent getting thicker. "I won't talk unless I see my wife, so if you want to kill me, go right ahead. But as you know, you won't get anything out of my corpse." "You think I won't kill you?" Hades pulls his gun from his waistband and points it at my temple.  "You've always been a pest who didn't belong in the brotherhood. I don't care what Uncle Raven see in you or that you think you're all that just because you eliminated some targets like a fucking dog for hire. You have no loyalty, know no principles, and follow no morals, and because of that, you don't belong here." 'Finally. Your true f-cking colors, Hades. Aren't they nice and bloody shiny?" The reason he respected my presence was because the bosses were the ones who ordered it. He would have kicked me out a long time ago if it was up to him. So now that he's finally getting his chance to get back at me, he's using it to the fullest. I have no doubt he will pull the trigger. "Are you going to talk, or should I turn those f-cking eyes dead?" 'The only person I'll talk to is my wife." Why do I keep calling her my wife when she betrayed our vows? But I guess I betrayed those first when I turned our wedding into a bloodbath. No idea how it happened, but I was taken by surprise. Being blindsided by an aspect of my life has weakened me, and this doesn't even seem like a phase. The door opens, and I remain still as the sound of heels echoes on the ground. I raise my eyes up. They're swollen, and one is half open, blood dripping over the lid. And yet, I make out Rose standing in front of me. She put enough distance between us so I couldn't reach out for her even if I somehow had my hands free. She's still wearing the black dress from earlier, which means she must have come here as soon as I dropped her off. The traitor wanted to see her handiwork for herself. Well played, Rose. Well, fucking played. But instead of divulging my genuine emotions, I grin, showing her my bloody teeth.  "Hades here seems to have a misconception, Princess. Save me from his kinky games." 'Stop being a smartass," she says in a monotone voice, crossing her arms over her chest.  'That won't work on us." Wait a fucking second… 'Does this mean you never lost your memories?" 'No, but I fooled you, didn't I?" Bloody hell. She did. She really did, and I had no way of focusing enough to uncover the lie because I was worried about her safety. I let go of my logical side in favor of the f-cking thing beating inside my chest. 'Well played, Amber. Father must be so proud of his little devil creation." 'I don't care about your games." 'You don't care, huh? Figures, after you poisoned my drink." Her expression remains the same as if she abandoned her emotions somewhere and came here void of anything.  "Tell Hades what he wants to know, and maybe I'll have him spare your life." 'What makes you think I have something to say?" 'I heard you talking on the phone the day I fell down the stairs, Ethan. I know what you're planning." F-ck. Was I too loose? Usually, I wouldn't let my guard down, but I was still on painkillers at the time. Not that blaming the meds will solve the issue at hand. 'Did you think I would stand by as you destroy my family?" Her tone turns lethal.  'I'll protect them with everything in me." 'Go right ahead." 'You think I'm bluffing?" 'No." 'Then why the f-ck aren't you talking?" 'Because it's pointless." 'Don't test me, Ethan. I'll have you killed." 'Do it then. You already poisoned me, so killing me wouldn't make a difference." A blush covers her cheeks, but it's not out of embarrassment—it's anger or rage. Why the f-ck is she angry? I'm the one who's supposed to be boiling. And yet, all I feel is the cut of her betrayal in a place I thought was long dead with my parents. 'You're ready for death, aren't you?" "I was born ready for death. I had my resurrection in death, and to death, I shall return. Isn't that poetic?" 'You're sick." 'I think we've already established that." "Let me finish him off." Hades digs the gun's muzzle into my temple, causing my head to tilt back. I don't stare at him—he's not essential. My gaze stays locked on Rose's, caught by how her eyes darker than lighten, flitting around as if she's unsure whether to take the gun from Hadesimir and shoot me or if it'll be better if she kills me with her bare hands. A few seconds pass before she shakes her head. 'Leave me alone with him." Hades's shoulders snapback. 'No." 'I can take care of this. Just wait for me outside." When he doesn't make a move to go, she touches his arm, her voice lowering but not softening.  'Trust me." Hades punches me again, and I groan even though I smirk at the f-cker. He motions at his guards to follow him, then places the gun in Rose's hand.  "We'll be right outside." The door sliding shut traps me and my wife together. Our marriage started with blood, and with blood, it will end.