“You should know that won’t be an easy thing for me,” she said, “I’m not the kind of woman to wait on help to find me. I’m sorry Hill I-I know you want that.”
“It’s what every man wants,” his expression was grim. “If a man tells you any different, he’s full of shit. Every man wants to fly in and save the day, Goddess but no man wants to make a career of it unless he’s Superman. All that saving can run a guy crazy,” his expression had adopted an easiness that quickly reverted to its prior grimness.
“When I told you I didn’t think I could ever move past it- that you didn’t come to me… What you said about Eva-her holding the knife,” his gaze drifted down her chest again but didn’t stop until it rested on her abdomen. “Baby I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“You couldn’t have known,” she reached for his hand where it lay on the table.
He turned his hand palm up to lace his fingers with hers. “Why didn’t you tell me that part before?”
She watched their fingers interlock and inhaled. “I thought I’d die if I told you and you didn’t understand what her doing that did to me.” She looked up when she heard him curse.
“And when you told me, I walked out,” his free hand drew into a fist that he wanted to use against himself. “How many times do you have to say you’re sorry before you get past what you’ve done?”
Persephone smiled, feeling a lightness settle in response to the question. “I’ll tell you when I know.”
“Do you realize that if you hadn’t flown blind into your own plans, it may’ve taken me forever to find out how deep Sondrio was in this?”
She shrugged off the commendation. “You would’ve figured it out- the greatness of a firstborn and all.”
Hill broke into a chuckle that drew the approving glances of two passing female servers.
“Well sure, there’s that…” he gave an airy wave and then sobered a little. “A man who finds a strong woman is a blessed man. It just takes some of us knuckleheads a little longer to realize that.”
More soft laughter emerged and then they were taking time to enjoy the sky.
“Sef...you know you’re not the only one who flies blind into plans.”
“Really?” Her silver stare widened with mock amazement. “Is this the great Hilliam Khalid Tesano about to admit to a bit of imperfection?”
Wincing playfully, Hill spaced a thumb and forefinger apart. “Just a bit.”
The waiter returned with drinks and the appetizers. Hill and Persephone took time to savor the flavorful burgundy and shared delighted surprise over how well it paired with the bread and oil.
“Sef, did you hear any stories about what I’d been up to while we were apart?”
“Well,” Persephone tore a medallion in half, doused it in the light oil. “Sondrio had lots to say about all the women you guys shared.”
“Remind me to break his other arm next time I see him.”
Persephone laughed, popped the bread into her mouth. “I think one of the more colorful stories I heard though, was that you were a smuggler.”
“Yeah…” Hill leaned in to sample the bread. “That’s the one I was talking about.”
“So it’s true.”
“It’s true.”
“Well, well,” Persephone shifted in the big chair, her expression animated. “You just got a lot more interesting, Guy.” She delighted in his laugh and the slight embarrassment that took hold of his beautiful features.
“So spill it,” she ordered.
Hill swallowed the bread, chased it with another hit of the burgundy. “The smuggling started before you and I ever really got together.” He shrugged at the surprise blooming on her face. “My big plan was to build wealth on my family’s back and then tell ‘em to go fuck themselves. Wasn’t until I got into the smuggling end that I decided that in addition to building wealth, I could expose their depravity and ruin them from the inside out in the process.”
“So did you sell what you stole from them?”
“Some of it I sold. Some of it I destroyed. Once I’d built a rep, I was even able to buy some of the more damaging product and destroy it before it reached the intended market.”
Persephone soaked another medallion in the fragrant oil. “Damaging ones like the ones used on Eva that night?”
“That shit haunted me, Sef.” His gaze was fixed at a spot on the table. “A lot of guys didn’t care about stepping over that line, but I did. Kray, Fern...hell, I think even Brogue did. That night haunted us all, but we each found ways to deal with it.
Fern’s way was especially creative, going into the club business. He used his name and power to put every dancer he employed through school if that’s what they wanted.” Hill shook his head, grinned. “The fool didn’t even have to take a dime from his own pocket to do it, either.”
“Well how-?”
“Name and power, remember?” He sent her a wink. “Once they had their educations and were on their way-literally...he brought in a fresh batch to straighten out. A lot of ‘em work for his magazines.”
“How are you guys doing? Ready to order?”
Persephone sent the waiter a polite smile and gestured to the drinks and appetizers they’d demolished. “Could we get some more of this, for now?”
“Sure thing,” the waiter left Persephone with a dazzling smile. When she looked back to Hill his expression had sobered.
“Kraven and Brogue had a harder time killing their ghosts,” he said, “I can’t say whether B ever killed his-he was on and off the island a lot. Gabe wanted him in school. As for Kray and me...killing does something to you, Sef. Something…”
“Seductive?” She guessed.
Hill nodded slow, accepting. He’d almost forgotten that she was a part of that dark club.
