Ares Beloved Sin (unedited)

Chapter Sixteen: Unconcious but not asleep

Ares

My little fox was unconsciously curled into my side, my thin shirt doing little to hide her figure but as beautiful as she was my fingers never left the scars littering her back like a map, the raised skin was practically etched into my skin and I hadn't even seen it. Sin or Lilith, wild red hair was sprawled wildly around her like a flame, her lips pursed and eyebrows pinched in an unpleasant expression. You couldn't call what Sin did sleep, I've watched her for weeks now, watch her overwork herself into a steely paranoia staying awake for days on end and then passing out in exhaustion, and she was crashing in my bed. No matter how many times she woke frightened reaching for her gun, she'd fall right back into darkness after calming down.

Careful not to jostle her and wake her, I lift the arm draped across my stomach and slide out the bed, easing my arm from under her head. Running my fingers through her fiery locks before pulling away, my chest aching with a new need I've never felt before. A need to see my woman at peace, only then would I claim her fully, right now her demons had more of a hold on her than anything.

She didn't stir even after I showered and dressed in a simple black suit without a tie, I felt more tired than usual but I've never watched over someone while they slept. After her second-night mare left claw marks in my arm I couldn't sleep, just wonder how deep her trauma was rooted.
"Good Morning Don." I nod in greeting to my men, most of them scarfing down whatever breakfast Claudia cooked up. I take my seat at the head of the table, Claudia places a plate in front of me immediately. Usually turning to tend to anything else in the kitchen but she stands shuffling on her spot and I set my fork down, raising an eyebrow.
"Should I make a plate for Sin?" She asks her eyes softening and I know she's worried.
"I'll take it up when I'm done here, she still asleep." She nods, wringing her dishrag in her hand before turning away.
"Blaze and Reese, you two will go to Sins Apartment, gather the information on the living room wall and nothing else. Bring it straight to my office." They nod stiffly before rising and exiting the kitchen.
"I will not be leaving the house today but I'll be by my phone. I expect you all to run my warehouses and resume business as if I was there, if I come back to anything less than I should expect, I'll kill you all." I growl out and the rest of my men scurry out leaving Apollo, Armando, and Claudia, whose clearing the table but I can tell she's listening.
"Armando, when they return I'm trusting you to find out whatever you can about the last four targets." He nods standing but I speak up before he walks away.
"And whatever you see in those files, keep to your fucking self."
"You can trust me, boss."
"I know I can, can Sin?" This was her childhood trauma wedged between two pieces of stock paper.
Armandos face sets into a stone expression, "Of course. As my friend and my Dona." Pride swells at the acceptance my men have already been showing to Sin and I haven't even claimed her to them yet. He exits and my eyes drift to Apollo whose been stoic and silent this entire time.
"Brother." I pause, "I need to be able to trust you, with Sin." I finish, Apollo is the only person I trust besides myself except when it came to Sin, he couldn't look past his adolescent anger towards our father to realize Sin was staying by my side regardless of whatever opinions he had about it.
"I won't bring harm to your woman." And I believe him. His eyes bore into my own and I can see the worry swirling in them, that's I'll forget about everything we've worked so hard to rebuild.
"But I can't promise I won't put a bullet in her head if she crosses us." He rises from the table with a grunt. I sigh, rubbing my temples as the pressure builds momentarily.

"Ares, if I may." I nod, could never possibly deny Claudia of anything. "A king can only be so strong with just his knights, he'll need his queen eventually. Navaeh," I tense at my mother's name and Claudia's tone take a solemn tone. "As much as he loved your mother. She was not built for this world, but that woman upstairs seems to be made just for you." She shuffles away As her words soak the air.
I find Sin looking dazed sitting up in the bed, the set of panic in her eyes dissipates as I walk into the room.
"Armando is going to set up a room for your investigation, until that's done you are going to shower and eat something. Maybe go walk Major but you will get out of this bed." I walk up to her, my hands coming up to grip the root of her unruly hair, gripping slightly and tilting it towards me.
She swallows thickly, her eyes telling me she's slipping into depression, spiraling.
Not on my watch.
"Major?" I breathe a laugh, all I said and she's worried about her dog.
I nod, "he's been getting spoon-fed by Claudia in the kitchen all morning waiting for you." I encourage, loving the twinkling in her eyes over a canine.
"I have to make some calls in my office but once Armando comes back, I'll come to find you." My lips find her forehead naturally, lingering for a moment.
She doesn't speak, only slides off the bed. The bathroom door clicking shut behind her, I toss the smallest pair of sweatpants I own and a clean t-shirt on the bed before heading to my office. Being sure to shoot Reese a text to grab Sins clothes and toiletries. She won't go back to that survival Shìt hole she's created.