Page 75 of Beneath Scarred Vows

I nod and turn around and see my brothers standing there like statues.

"What?" I ask.

They look at one another and then at me.

"Look, first, I just want to say, we're all 100% focused on finding our dad's killer and going after who shot at Calli and Katerina, but..." Theo trails off.

"But what?" I ask.

Dimitri steps forward. "You're fucking slipping, bro. You're so obsessed with revenge, you're losing control. Calli says you stay in here for days, not sleeping, not eating. It's not good."

"We get you're going through a lot. Tons of shit has been tossed into your lap almost overnight, but we can cover a lot of things, Ares. We're a family—we can help, man. Don't burden yourself with trying to do everything. That's what you've got us for," Theo says.

I stare at them for a moment, going back and forth between anger and a sense of subtle relief.

"I think Calli is exaggerating a bit," I say, knowing it's a lie.

"Maybe," Theo says, but I can tell he doesn't mean that either. "You need to step back before you ruin yourself, man. Take your wife somewhere. We've noticed you two are doing well."

I rub my face. She's become my Achilles' heel. The mention of her name and all I want to do is be with her. I turn and look back out the window, back at her.

Theo and Dimitri come on either side of me and look out and see Katerina.

"Take a night off, Ares. Go enjoy your wife. Take her somewhere that'll shake her out of that little shell she hides in."

Little do they know, I'm the new keeper of the wall my wife keeps up around her.

I drop my gaze to the desk, tension still coiled in my shoulders.

If I can't be honest with my own brothers, then who the fuck can I be honest with?

"I get what you're saying," I admit, drawing in a deep breath. "But the second I step back? We look weak."

Theo leans forward, eyes sharp. "No. The moment you lose focus, we look weak. And right now? You're not focused. You're consumed."

I scoff, but it's true. It's what Katerina has been telling me, what she's been trying to pull me from.

"Okay, smart guy, and where exactly would I take her?" I ask, looking at Theo.

Theo laughs and pats me on the back. "I know a place."

26

KATERINA

The sun warms the right side of my face as I add details to the columns of the Parthenon. My fingertips are coated in a thin layer of graphite, and I find myself chewing on my bottom lip as I try to get the shadowing just right.

I take a deep breath, taking in the crisp outside air when I see Ares approaching.

"Still not done," I say, smiling.

Ares smiles and sits down in the wrought iron chair across from me. "That's not why I'm here."

I blink at him, pencil frozen in midair. The sight of Ares Kastaris casually sitting in a garden chair in the middle of a workday is so unexpected that I'm momentarily speechless.

"Wait, why are you here midday?" I ask, setting down my pencil. My eyes narrow with concern as I take in his relaxed posture. "Is something wrong? You're usually busy during the day."

My lips curve into a smiles.