20. Ares

20

ARES

S ucking back on his cigarette, Ares stared out into the dark forest before he slowly exhaled.

Matteo had been gone for almost three hours now, and Ares was beginning to wonder if he was ever coming back.

Why did he have to open his big mouth and ask? They were having such a nice evening together, chilling and reminiscing about the good times. The two of them just… being.

But once again, Ares had to go and fuck everything up all because he was selfish. He couldn't take it anymore. He needed to know why Matteo hated him so much. Most exes remain pissed at their ex for six months to a year, but Matteo held a fucking grudge like it was nobody's business. No matter how many times Ares made contact or stopped by the chateau, Matteo always greeted him like a bad case of herpes.

Now he knew why.

In truth, he wished he hadn't asked Matteo the question. Ares never considered what sort of effects his probing might have on his ex and what painfully healed-over scars might get ripped open in the process.

No. Ares was only thinking about himself once again.

Asshole.

You deserve to be alone. A selfish creature like yourself doesn't deserve to be with someone as great as Matteo. You deserve to suffer. You deserve to rot. Alone and miserable.

Selfish as always.

The tip of Ares's cigarette brightened as he sucked in another lungful of smoke. He'd quit smoking nearly fifteen years ago but always had a cigarette or two whenever he was pissed or hating himself for something. Tonight, he'd been able to find an old pack of smokes he'd stashed in the cabin years ago. They were stale as fuck, but they served their purpose.

Actually, Ares was surprised that Matteo hadn't found them, but hey, how often was one searching above their kitchen cabinets? It's amazing what sort of freaky-ass shit criminals are willing to hide up there. FYI, never check on top of a criminal's armoire in their bedroom. You'll never be able to look the person in the eye again if you do.

Getting back to his wallowing…

Selfish.

Just like the day he chose to end things with the one person who gave his life meaning…

Twelve Years Ago

Ares glanced down at his phone as it vibrated across the coffee table.

Fuck. What did this asshole want? He'd better get it.

"Yeah?" Ares barked into the phone, waiting for his second-in-command to respond.

"Hey, boss. Sorry to bother you, but I just received some photos that I think you should see."

"What? What photos? From whom?" Ares waited impatiently for the idiot to respond.

Okay, the guy wasn't an idiot. He just moved at a glacial pace sometimes.

Dimitri had been working for Ares for the past six months and had been doing an adequate job, but Ares wanted to hire someone a little more… creative. If he was going to take over the world of gun trafficking, he needed someone by his side who could think on their feet, find creative ways of moving his products, and he needed someone who knew how to get out of tight situations if the need ever arose. Dimitri was not that man.

"Got them from an anonymous email. I'll send you the email now."

Ares didn't believe in email. If he had to be contacted, people could call him or text him. They didn't need to send him an email or a Myspacebook or whatever the fuck else new social platform they had out these days.

His phone beeped in his hand, letting him know that Dimitri's message had been received. Impatiently, Ares clicked on the text message. Contained within the text was the message from the email. One word—"Faggot?"

His stomach dropped.

What the fuck?

Ares quickly clicked on the images attached to the text. Photo after photo of him and Matteo flashed across his screen.

Ares couldn't breathe. He was angry and terrified both at the same time.

Someone knew.

Someone knew about him and Matteo.

All of the photos were innocent enough. The two of them walking through Mexico, chatting in Rome, eating dinner in Greece. Thankfully, there were no photos of them fucking, so whoever it was, had not been able to catch them in a compromising position.

Ares could still spin this if someone questioned his sexuality.

Ares read the message again. They weren't making any demands or asking for money. They were just letting Ares know that someone knew about them. And judging by the various locations of the photos, someone had been watching them for quite some time.

Fuck.

If word got out that he was a cocksucking homo, he would lose his crew. No one would fear him, and other crews would be gunning for his territory. The criminal underworld didn't take too kindly to faggots who swallowed dick or fucked a dude outside of prison.

And they had been so careful. For two years! Two fuckin' years! Just to be safe, they never met in Paris, even though they both lived there. They always traveled on different planes just in case someone saw them together, and they always made sure never to show any displays of affection in public.

Two years!

How did this fuckin' asshole know?

"Boss? Do you know what this means? Who's the other guy in the photo?"

Ares had almost forgotten about Dimitri.

"I need you to find out who sent these photos. Be discreet, and when you do find them, bring them to my warehouse. I want to have a little face-to-face chat with this mystery person."

"Sure thing, boss." The line went dead.

Ares sat staring at the photos on his phone. If someone knew about them, then someone knew his weakness—the one way to control him and make him do whatever they wanted.

He had worked too hard to become someone else's bitch.

Holding his phone, Ares wondered how safe Matteo would really be. Would his enemies target Matteo to get back at Ares? Was being in a relationship with Ares putting a target on Matteo's back?

Hands beginning to tremble, Ares stared at Matteo's smiling face in the photos. He really loved that crazy Italian. There was no way that he could put this man's life in danger just so that they could be together. Matteo deserved a better life. One free of potential murder or dismemberment. One free of having to live his life in the closet just because Ares had to hide his sexuality.

Their relationship was doomed.

There was only one thing that Ares could do.

Let Matteo go.

He needed to.

He had to keep Matteo safe. Matteo deserved the best life imaginable, but that could never be possible if he was around. He would always be a constant threat and barrier to Matteo's happiness.

Breaking up with Matteo was going to be one of the hardest things he had ever had to do. Matteo wouldn't give up without a fight. He was going to have to be mean. Be cruel. He needed to get Matteo to hate him. That was the only way that the stubborn Italian would ever walk away.

That was the only way that Matteo would be free… of him.

At some point during Ares's daze of torture, he had packed up his duffle bag and placed it next to the hotel room door. He wasn't going to sneak out while Matteo was off buying groceries for their anniversary dinner. He wasn't cruel like that. Matteo deserved a face-to-face goodbye. Ares just had no idea what he was going to say or how he was going to do it.

Sitting on the couch, Ares lost himself in all the things he was giving up by ending things with Matteo. He loved him. He'd never met anyone so full of life. Matteo challenged him and loved him and knew just the right things to say when Ares was battling with a tough decision.

But in the end, Matteo would never be safe as long as they were together. He had to let him go.

"Is everything okay?" he heard Matteo say. Ares hadn't even noticed Matteo returning from the grocery store.

Silently, Ares sat there, trying to muster the courage to break up with the love of his life.

He needed to be cruel…

Present Day

That was one of the hardest nights of his life.

Letting out a sigh, Ares chucked his smoke over the railing of the porch and went back inside the cabin.

Where the fuck was Matteo?