Page 94 of Thorns of Deceit

I approached the large mahogany desk and started rifling through the drawers, but I came up empty. The shelves behind the desk were lined with leather-bound books, though they appeared to be mostly decorative classics.

I stood at a loss for where to go from here when a ringtone startled me. It would seem Aiden had charged my phone.

Following the sound, I found it on the kitchen counter.

The screen flashed Athena’s name and I quickly answered.

“Where the hell are you?” she snapped, skipping all pleasantries.

I leaned against the edge of the counter, rubbing my temple.

“The better question is where the hell were you last night?” I countered. “And where is Phoenix?”

There was a pause, and my stomach dropped, expecting bad news.

“She took off,” Athena finally said.

“What? Why?”

“I guess to look for Reina. Amon kidnapped her.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“Jesus Christ.” These fucking bastard mobsters were always resorting to kidnapping. Somehow it felt like everything was unraveling. Our friend group, our sanity, our entire damn world.

But Athena’s voice brought me back. “Where were you last night?”

Shit. I didn’t have an answer for her. I’d have to dodge her questions. “Where didyougo?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at the window. “And why was the apartment such a wreck?”

“You’re not there, are you?”

“No. I’m staying with…” I faltered, biting down on the truth. “A friend.” There was a pause before I added, “So where are you, Athena? With your Italian daddy?”

She wasn’t promiscuous, so if she was with a man, she would be with the same one she mentioned that morning we both experienced the walk of shame.

“I got knocked up by an Italian daddy,” she blurted.

I froze. “You’re joking, right?”

“I wish.”

My mouth parted in shock. “Jesus, Athena. How did this happen?”

She sighed before answering, “I think you know the answer to that.”

I had no right to judge her or question her. After all, my own pregnancy test I took still sat in our scavenged apartment. Dammit, what was the likelihood of both of us being pregnant?

I shuddered, pushing the thought from my mind—just as I had been doing for the past twenty-four hours.

“So… you’re keeping the baby?” I questioned slowly, although I suspected the answer. “Are you going to marry your baby daddy?”

I sank onto the leather barstool and leaned my elbow on the cool counter.

“Man, you’re asking an awful lot of questions for someone who’s out there keeping secrets.”

I snorted. “Pfft. Your shit’s more exciting. You’re gonna blow up like a balloon.”

What the fuck was wrong with me?