Forever Read online

  Forever

  Betrothed #7

  Penelope Sky

  Hartwick Publishing

  Forever

  Copyright © 2020 by Penelope Sky

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  1. Annabella

  2. Damien

  3. Annabella

  4. Annabella

  5. Damien

  6. Annabella

  7. Damien

  8. Annabella

  9. Damien

  10. Annabella

  11. Damien

  12. Annabella

  13. Damien

  14. Annabella

  15. Damien

  16. Annabella

  17. Damien

  18. Annabella

  19. Heath

  20. Catalina

  21. Heath

  22. Catalina

  23. Damien

  24. Annabella

  25. Damien

  26. Annabella

  27. Damien

  Also by Penelope Sky

  One

  Annabella

  I was asleep in bed when my phone vibrated on the nightstand. It kept making an obnoxious sound against the wooden surface with every ring. I had no idea what time it was, but it was past midnight.

  Who the hell was calling me?

  When the phone stopped vibrating, I was awake enough to wipe the sleep from my eyes and sit up in bed. My eyes were still closed because they were too tired to open.

  My phone vibrated again, this time with a text message.

  I leaned over to grab it, my fingers fumbling in the dark until I finally got it in my grasp. I pulled it to me and blinked a couple times until my vision returned. The missed call was from Damien. And he’d also sent a text.

  Liam knows.

  I was half asleep, so it took me a few seconds to understand his meaning, the full significance.

  The three dots popped up before he sent another message. He’s probably on his way over there now.

  I let those words sink in before I called him.

  He answered right away. “Annabella—”

  “What happened?” My voice was hoarse because I was still so tired.

  “He had a fight tonight. Hades and I were there. Then he went to the bar, and I joined him.”

  “And you just blurted it out?” I asked incredulously, agitated that my precious sleep had been interrupted.

  “No. I think seeing me at the bar jogged his memory, reminded him that I’d been there the night he fucked around, and he figured out that I must have told you what he did. And he also figured out why I told you…” There was no remorse or concern in his voice, as if Liam knowing the truth was completely inconsequential.

  “Then what?” Knowing Liam, he tried to kill Damien on the spot.

  “We had words…and I left.”

  “He didn’t fight you?” I asked in surprise.

  “He was too drunk. But he threatened to kill me later…”

  I knew my life had just become complicated. Liam had been easier to deal with when he had no idea who my mysterious lover was. But now that he knew…our lives were about to change.

  “He’s probably on his way over there—”

  Heavy fists immediately beat on the door, making a noise so loud that Damien heard it over the phone.

  Liam continued to bang like an angry gorilla. “Open this fucking door, or I’ll break it down.”

  Damien stayed calm. “I’m just down the street. I’ll be there—”

  “I can handle him.” I kicked the sheets back and got out of bed.

  “He’s been drinking—”

  “I’m gonna have to deal with him, regardless, Damien. He’s not the kind of man to let anything go.” I pulled on my sweatpants and turned on the lamp. “Go home. I’ll call you when he leaves.”

  “Annabella—”

  I hung up and put the phone on do not disturb.

  Liam had started to slam his body into the door in an attempt to break it down.

  “Jesus…” I jogged to the front door. “Liam!”

  He stopped trying to bulldoze it. “Open this fucking door—”

  “Geez, give me a second. I was asleep.” I undid the chain and the locks and opened it. There was already a crack in the wood where he’d smashed his shoulder into it. I sighed in annoyance and looked at him, not afraid of the ring of fire in each eye. He looked like a psychopath that had shown up on my doorstep to kill me, like something out of a scene from a horror movie.

  He stared at me with so many emotions, from rage to sadness and everything in between. He breathed so hard that his heavy breaths were louder than a siren. Now I wasn’t the woman he loved. I was the person who’d played him for a fool, stabbed him in the back. He entered my apartment and forced me back before he slammed the door shut behind me.

  I crossed my arms over my chest, not giving in to the intimidation. “Yes?”

  He took another deep breath. “Looks like Loverboy got to you before I did.” He stepped forward again, pushing me farther back just because he could. “What the fuck, Anna?” He was growling, acting like the predator about to break the neck of its prey. “You let me deal with that guy every fucking day? You let me do business with him while he was fucking my wife?”

  “Ex-wife,” I snapped. “I’m not the cheater, Liam.” I shoved my forefinger hard into his chest. “That’s you.”

  He grabbed my wrist and threw it aside. “I’m the cheater?” He stepped forward again, forcing me back once more. When my ass hit the back of the couch, I couldn’t move any farther. I was stuck. He placed his large hands on the top of the couch, boxing me in like a prison guard. “You were spending all that time with him, every single fucking day.” Atomic bombs exploded in his gaze. “I was your rebound because he didn’t want you, and we were dining with him, drinking with him, and forming a friendship, while you all laughed at me.” He leaned down so his face was right in front of mine. “And you have the balls to say I’m the reason this marriage failed?” His nostrils flared, and he glared. “Fuck you, Anna.” Spit sprayed from his lips onto my face. “Fuck. You.” He dropped his arms and stepped back. “You used me. You betrayed me. And you’re the cancer that killed us. You act like I’m a piece of shit, when you’re the biggest cunt in the whole fucking world.”

  I remained steady, with my arms across my chest, staying calm despite the profanities and the threats. He was drunk, so he probably wouldn’t have said half of the things sober he was saying now. But his anger was completely real…and valid.

  “You’re lucky I don’t hit women…because I’d do to you what I’m about to do to him.”

  I took a deep breath in fear, but I hid it as much as I could. I refused to give in to his threats because that would give him all the power in the situation. That would give him more adrenaline, more energy to feed off of.

  His chest continued to rise and fall deeply, while the vein down his forehead bulged. The red tint to his face didn’t disappear, so dark it showed all the blood that bubbled directly underneath the surface, right below his skin. “I’ll see you soon.” He turned back toward the door after he dismissed the conversation.

  I’d expected this to go on all night because he was so anxious to break down the door and get to me. Now it was jarring, as if I’d missed something. “What’s that supposed to mean?” If he had his way, there was no reason to speak at all.

  He opened the slightly cracked door and stepped into the hallway. He turned back to me, staring at me with a menacing gaze. Heartbeats passed, and
his thoughts were a mystery, as if he already had a detailed plot hidden up his sleeve. “You’ll see.”

  When he was gone, I called Damien.

  It rang a couple times before voice mail picked up. I knew I was paranoid to fear Liam had already gotten to Damien, which was simply impossible. Then I heard the front door open and close.

  I turned back around and lowered the phone.

  Damien was inspecting the back side of the door, indicating he’d noticed the crack when he approached the entryway. He tested the locks to make sure they worked before he turned back to me, a mix of concern and anger in his eyes. A shadow was on his jawline, and his thick arms stretched the sleeves of his black t-shirt. His jeans were also black, along with his boots. His eyes quickly roamed over my face, neck, and arms, making sure there were no signs of abuse.

  “I’m fine.” I set the phone on the end table and crossed my arms over my chest. I had furniture in my apartment now, and that was all new to him. The one time he’d been there, the place had been empty except for my sad mattress on the floor.

  “I was around the corner just in case.” He examined the room like a detective looking for clues, trying to paint a picture of what had happened in here. He no longer looked at me like I was the only woman in the room, like he couldn’t take his eyes off me. Now, he was on the job, acting like the criminal mastermind that he was. “What happened?”

  “He yelled at me for a bit. That was it.”

  One hand slid into his pocket as he shifted his weight to one leg, bending the other knee. He was calm despite the predicament we were in. But that was a sign of a strong man. Not panicking when everything went to shit. He turned quiet, pragmatic.

  “Said our marriage failed because of me…not him.”

  His eyes studied my face.

  “I don’t think he’s completely wrong about that.”

  He kept his opinion to himself.

  “But then he said some other things…and I didn’t feel so bad about it anymore.”

  “Did he threaten you?” His deep voice reverberated against the walls.

  “I’m not sure. But he did threaten you…”

  He didn’t give any reaction.

  “Said I should consider myself lucky that he doesn’t hit women, because he would do to me what he’s about to do to you.”

  His eyes showed a slight reaction, but still very minimal. “If he really said that to you, you shouldn’t feel bad at all.”

  Liam probably wouldn’t have said that if he weren’t drunk, but it was still a shitty thing to say. “Said he would see me soon, but he didn’t give any details.”

  “Then you should stay with me.”

  My arms tightened over my chest. “Stay with the man who’s on the top of his kill list?”

  “He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.”

  I didn’t want to stay with him, though. That would only make Liam angrier. “I’m fine here.”

  “Then stay with Hades and Sofia.”

  I would never burden them when this wasn’t their fight. “They have nothing to do with this. Don’t involve them.”

  “Hades is my best friend, and you’re the woman I love.” He stood near the back of my couch, his frame outlined in shadow, and he studied me with those watchful eyes, like a falcon that could spot its prey a mile away. “So, he’s already involved.”

  I held his gaze as I listened to his confession, feeling a distinct warmth move down my throat and into my tummy. When we were lovers, I would have burst into tears if he said those words. I yearned to hear them even after we broke up, fantasizing about the moment he would step through my front door and say he couldn’t live without me. Now, he said it often, unafraid, and he looked me in the eye as if he was marking me as his property. He seemed like a man too rough to feel something like love, too cold to feel something that warm. I stayed quiet because I felt so much, all at the same time. I was newly divorced and still hurt by my husband’s betrayal, and I felt like I was still involved with Liam even after he’d broken down my front door. I didn’t feel like I could love someone else right now…way too much baggage.

  Damien’s eyes didn’t shine in disappointment at my silence, as if my rejection didn’t sting. He looked at me a while longer before he turned away, his eyes glancing out the windows of the living room.

  “If he was going to hurt me, he would have done it already.” Liam had been drunk and livid, but the only thing he’d destroyed was my door. He didn’t grab me by the neck or blacken one of my eyes. That was the test—and he passed.

  Damien slowly turned back to me.

  “You’re the one he wants.”

  He slid his other hand into his pocket. “Then he can come get me.”

  I knew Damien was strong and confident, but I was surprised he wasn’t the least bit concerned that a champion fighter had put him on a hit list. I’d seen Liam kill men with his bare hands, seen him crush skulls with his powerful knuckles.

  “There’s only one thing I’m worried about.”

  “What?” I whispered.

  He bowed his head and stared at the floor for a while as he considered his response. His green eyes were open and focused, staring at one of the pieces of wood that comprised the floor. “You.” He lifted his gaze and met my look head on. “Will you forgive me if I kill him?”

  My voice became weak and escaped as a whisper. “That’s what you’re worried about?”

  “You’re the only thing I worry about.”

  It felt almost too intimate to stare at him right now, to have this heated conversation in my apartment in the middle of the night. When Liam had confronted me, it was uncomfortable, but this…this was far more intense.

  “I don’t have a lot of options. He’ll continue to come after me until I put him in the ground. It doesn’t matter how many times I defeat him, how many times I grant him mercy, he’ll continue to pursue me until I’m dead. His vendetta can’t be assuaged rationally.”

  He was absolutely right. “I’ll talk to him…”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want you near him.”

  “Well, I don’t want you guys to kill each other.”

  “Annabella, you don’t understand the underworld. This will not end peacefully. One man lives and one dies.”

  I wish I’d had handled this better, had told Liam who my old lover was—or had the strength to stay away from Damien or something… I didn’t know what.

  “I’m asking for your permission to kill him.”

  Liam had hurt me so much, I wasn’t sure I could recover a second time. Then he’d barged in here and spoke to me like I meant nothing to him. He wasn’t the husband he promised to be, didn’t give me everything I deserved. But, no…I didn’t want him dead. “And you expect me to say yes?”

  “I need you to say yes.” He tilted his head slightly as his eyes burned into my face. His hands remained in his pockets, and his strong physique remained relaxed, not hostile the way Liam’s had been. “Otherwise, he’ll kill me.”

  Two

  Damien

  “It’s four in the goddamn morning.” Hades shut the bedroom door behind himself and walked beside me down the hallway. He was quiet as he passed Andrew’s bedroom, making sure his sleeping family didn’t wake up to this intrusion. “What the fuck is so important?” He took the stairs to the next landing so our voices wouldn’t be overheard.

  “He knows.” I hadn’t slept much in days because the shit had hit the fan all at once.

  He stood in his sweatpants, his bare chest rising and falling with aggressive energy. His muscular shoulders were rigid and tense, ready for a fight with an unknown foe. “Who knows what?”

  “Liam knows it’s me.”

  His anger diminished. “How did that happen?”

  “I joined him at the bar, and he just figured it out. Seeing me there probably made him remember that night. That I was there…that I was the only person who knew what he did besides you. And of course…my name.”

 
“Took him long enough.” He turned away and headed down the next flight of stairs until he entered the kitchen. He opened a couple cabinets until he found what he was looking for—a giant bottle of scotch.

  I grabbed it out of his hand. “Hades, come on.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I think this situation warrants a drink.” He snatched it back.

  I pushed him until he fell back and then grabbed the bottle from his weakened grip.

  “What the fuck—”

  I opened the cap and poured it into the sink.

  He righted himself, giving me a distinct look of rage. “It’s like that?”

  When the bottle was empty, I shook it to dispel the last few drops. “Yeah. It’s like that.” I left the bottle in the sink. “You’ve got a family to think about, Hades. And I’m not just talking about Sofia, Andrew, and the baby.” I came back to him. “I’m your family too, and I’m not letting you poison yourself more—regardless of the circumstances.” I leaned against the counter beside him and held his gaze.

  His rage slowly faded away, but there was a baseline that was constantly present. “What happened next?”

  “What you’d expect. Threatened to kill me…blah, blah.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “And you aren’t concerned about that? That’s a pretty credible threat.”

  “No. I’m concerned about Annabella.”

  “You think he’d hurt her?”

  I shook my head. “No. He already confronted her. Nothing happened.”

  “Then what do you mean?” He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.

  It was a problem with no solution, a situation so complicated, there was no answer. “I can’t kill him. If I do…”