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Her predicament was very real. Unfortunately.
While so foggy, it wouldn’t be the best idea to storm out to confront whoever had taken her. The alternative was taking her time lounging in bed. No way. Drawing in a long breath, she bolstered her energy, intending to charge toward the door by the nightstand when it opened.
Holding her breath, waiting, she anticipated who might join her. If it was Daire or Harry, at least she’d know their plan didn’t involve respecting her wishes. Still, they were known factors, better than the unknown.
The door opened further, and a man came inside. Another stranger. Probably about Harry’s age, his vivid blue eyes were keen, alive, aware.
“Pandora,” he said, closing the door behind himself and gesturing to the bed. “Please make yourself at home.”
Without shame or contrition, he passed the dresser to seat himself in the wingback chair in the corner.
Tess stayed on her feet, fixated on him. “Who are you?”
He brushed something from the leg of his pants, then curled his fingers around the arms of the chair. “James Garrick.”
Garrick, Tess knew that name. “Poseidon.”
His lips curled. “I wasn’t sure how much your mother told you.”
“My mother is dead.”
His lips flattened. “Yes, I heard. I’m sorry.”
He’d heard? Did that mean he was responsible or that news traveled fast in the Olympusphere? As long as he was giving her answers, she wouldn’t make a break for it. Lowering to sit on the edge of the bed again, the delay would give her head more time to clear.
“Why am I here? Are you working for Zeus?”
“No,” he said, his expression morphed from somber to serious. “The opposite.”
“You’re working against him? Why? And why am I here?”
“I can’t trust Zeus now. Not that I’m sure any of us ever could. Even if we came to an agreement, he couldn’t be trusted to stick to it. Z will always be most concerned with his own interests.”
“Isn’t everyone?”
One side of his mouth lifted. “You have Harry’s shrewd mind.”
She wasn’t so sure about that, or so sure that she wanted to be compared to her father. “Why am I here?”
“Because you are Pandora,” he said. “There’s a lot to explain. A lot you have to understand. In the meantime, consider this your home.”
“Does Harry know I’m here?”
“Not yet. But he will,” Garrick said. “I don’t intend to keep you here against your will. I imagine a lot of your life has been dictated by others. That is not why I had my man retrieve you.”
“Then why?”
“Would you like a tour? Something to eat? We have fantastic facilities here. There’s a pool, a gym, a wine cellar… There’s even a games room and a movie theatre.”
“Where are we?” she asked, glancing around again. “What is this place?”
“It’s the home of one of our benefactors,” Garrick said. “He gifted the place to our cause… for the time being.”
“Our?” she asked, her brows rising. “I know you don’t mean me.”
“I hope once you hear our plans that you’ll be open to joining us.”
“Me?” Tess asked and shook her head. “I’m no super-agent.”
