Page 92 of Ungodly Rich

“I’m not sure she has a dark secret,” Hera said quickly. “It’s a waste of time to go digging into her past. What we need is to keep this marriage from happening.”

Everyonehas a dark secret,Aphrodite thought. But she nodded and said, “Of course. I agree.”

Hera held out her hand.

At first, Aphrodite thought they were just shaking, sealing a deal the way men in business always did. But Hera gripped her palm and didn’t let go.

“Aphrodite, I can’t have you hurting Hephaestus. Swear to me that you won’t seduce Ares again. He’ll be weak, after losing Julia, and I can’t have you using your—” Hera faltered, then landed on, “Your beauty on him. No love potions, no tugging on his desires.”

“I swear,” Aphrodite told her mother-in-law.

This wasn’t about Ares anymore, if it ever had been. It was about Aphrodite and her position among the gods—a position she had fought for, too hard and for too long to let some nobody human come take it from her.

As Hera shook Aphrodite’s hand, their eyes met, and for a brief moment, Aphrodite felt something pass between them. Not forgiveness, exactly, but maybe understanding. The knowledge that they had both done things they regretted. That they had to protect what was theirs. That they were just two goddesses in a world ruled and shaped by gods—by males.

But at least now they were aligned.

Julia didn’t stand a chance against the two of them.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Hermes

Once again Hera had called, and once again Hermes had come running.

This morning, she had asked—or rather, commanded—that he drive her to the Vault on Long Island. As if she didn’t have plenty of mortal chauffeurs for this very purpose. Still, Hermes had complied, pulling her Mercedes out of the garage beneath her building, saying nothing when Hera got into the back instead of taking the passenger seat.

He was thrilled at a chance to go into the legendary Vault.

“Can’t you speed up this traffic?” Hera asked, breaking the silence.

Hermes gritted his teeth in irritation but did as she asked, casting his powers outward. Within moments a halo of space surrounded them as cars and trucks ahead of them veered into other lanes. The stalled highway opened for them alone, traffic parting like the Red Sea. Far better than the police escort that presidents got, Hermes thought with a touch of pride.

The other drivers would never realize why each of them felt a sudden urge to pull out of his way. They would never dream that Hermeswas there, like a spider at the middle of a vast web, quietly shuffling them aside.

“Much better.” Hera nodded curtly, then looked back at her phone. She hadn’t exactly said thank you, Hermes noticed. She’d hardly spoken this whole drive.

“Was there something you wanted to discuss with me?” he asked politely.

Finally Hera put her phone down. “It’s about Julia. You helped her pick out that new outfit, didn’t you?”

Not just that outfit. Hermes secretly couldn’t wait to see Hera’s reaction to Julia’s rehearsal-dinner dress. “I was trying to get close to her, as you requested,” he reminded her. “She invited me shopping.”

“You didn’t need to do quite somuch,though. You could have gone shopping and kept your fashion advice to yourself.”

“You know I can’t lie about fashion.” Hermes tried to sound flippant. “And besides, what does it matter if she has a flattering new dress? If she’s going to marry into this family, she needs a wardrobe overhaul.”

“Exactly.Ifshe’s going to marry into this family,” Hera repeated, satisfied. “That’s a very big if.”

“Is this because Julia is immune to our magic? Did you learn why?”

“That was supposed to be your job,” Hera admonished him. “Since you’ve failed, I’m taking matters into my own hands.”

Hermes was surprised to hear himself defending Julia. “This feels extreme. I know she’s not particularly polished, but I think she’s a quick study. Remember, the girl lost her mother when she was only a child.”

“Her mother!” Hera barked out a laugh. “I didn’t expect you to get soft, Hermes. You’re lucky I’m not punishing you over this shopping fiasco. I asked you to spy on her, not give her a makeover.”

They had reached the turnoff for the Vault. Hermes pulled past the great stone gargoyles that guarded the entrance, perched on either side of a wall that was twelve feet high and three feet thick. The wall was really just for show, since the building’s magical protections were far more effective than any physical ones.