My brain stuttered and then rebooted.
"You absolute MOTHERFUCKER!" I exploded, twisting in my attempt to get free. "What the FUCK, Luka?!"
"Only way to get you here safely." He was too damn calm considering I thought he was going to kill me thirty seconds ago. "Every airport, every highway, every safe house is being watched. This was the only way to extract you without being intercepted."
Only Luka would traumatize his friends for operational security.
"You could have warned us!"
"No, I couldn't." He moved closer, studying my face. "If you'd known, you would have acted differently. The watchers would have noticed."
"So you just let us think we were going to die?"
"Yes."
God, Luka could be insufferable when all he was thinking about was work. I liked him better when he was horny for his therapist and munching on his gummy worms.
I needed sugar. Desperately.
Cerberus operatives brought Rafael in, looking messy but unscathed.
"Let him go," Luka said.
Rafael rounded on Luka. "Who the hell are you? And you let him think I was dead. You let him sit there in the dark, alone, terrified—"
"Luka Aleksandar." Luka's voice stayed level as he extended his hand in greeting. "North American Director. And yes. It was the only way to get both of you here alive. Constantine has bounties out. Every freelancer from here to Lagos is hunting you. The Sacra Custodia wants you dead. Half of the Pantheon wants you dead. If anyone hadseen you entering this building willingly, they would have reported back."
Rafael moved to me immediately, his hands going to my face, checking me over with the same desperate thoroughness I'd used on him. "You okay? Did they hurt you?"
"I'm fine." The words came out shakily. "I'm fine now."
One of the operatives cut my zip ties. My fingers tingled as blood rushed back into them. Rafael helped me stand, and my legs nearly gave out. Everything hurt worse now that the adrenaline was wearing off.
"Sit," Luka said, gesturing to actual chairs this time. "Both of you. We need to talk."
"I'm going to kill you," I said as Rafael helped me into the chair. My body screamed in protest, every bruise and bite mark making its presence known. "After we're done talking, I'm going to murder you. Just so we're clear."
"Noted." Luka pulled up a chair across from us. His pale eyes tracked over the bruises on my neck. "Those look fresh."
"Luka." Rafael's voice carried a warning.
"Right. Business first, mockery later." Luka leaned forward, and the humor drained from his face. "Rhadamanthys briefed me on the situation. Told me you’d be coming by. Minos is moving faster than we expected. He's consolidating power through the Pantheon. Putting his people in key positions. Removing anyone who might oppose him."
"How bad is it?" I asked.
"Three ferrymen dead in the last week," Luka said quietly. "I thought it was internal cleanup, but if Minos is behind it..." His jaw tightened. "He's also put out unofficial bounties. Not official Pantheon contracts, but word through freelancer channels. Enough money that every killer from here to Tokyo is looking for you."
"And the other Directors?" Rafael asked.
"Scared. Minos has leverage on most of them. The ones he doesn't have leverage on are staying quiet." Luka pulled out his phone, showing us a map. "Vincent barely got out of New York. They were watching our place. Had to go dark for a few days before he could slip away."
"Where is he?" I asked.
"Better if you don’t know." Luka's eyes moved between us, calculating. "You need three seals for the trial by combat."
"We already have Jasper's," Rafael said.
Luka nodded slowly. "Good. Then I assume you want my seal too?”
