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The wistful quality to his words drew her in. He was sorry, maybe even hurting, over the way the Exodus happened. Harry had trusted Styx with Zulu, with what the Six were planning, he’d given him the mission. Daire had been in the dark. His father and brother knew what was going on, maybe even anticipated it going wrong. In fact, H, at least, definitely anticipated it going wrong. He wouldn’t have stashed the Scepter if he hadn’t.
“He forgave H,” she said, giving his forearm a squeeze, snapping him out of his daze.
Styx shook his head. “It’s not the same… We expect H to screw us over every once in a while. Keeps us thinking, on our toes, always ready… You’ve gotta learn how to take deceit, process it and shrug it off.”
“He’s got some odd teaching techniques.”
On an exhale of a laugh, he pushed to the edge of the bench. “You’re telling me.”
“I want to meet again,” she said. “Please.”
He considered her for more than a few seconds. “Guess I don’t have anything to rush home for. Tomorrow… go to your coffee place at eleven. Order takeout.” As she did every day. “I’ll be walking out in front of you. Follow me, don’t make it obvious. Don’t approach me or talk to me. Just follow and do what I do. If I disappear, it means you’ve got a tail. Abort and come back to your bench.”
Thinking about being followed made her uneasy. But if Styx could do it without her noticing, there was no reason Zeus couldn’t hire someone else to do the same thing.
“I’ll be there.”
“One more thing,” he said. “You want to be on my team? You tell no one.”
She frowned. “No one? I don’t understand.”
“You don’t breathe a word about me, don’t even hint that we met or talked or did whatever we did. If I think you’ve opened your mouth, I’ll be gone. No goodbye. Just gone. Understand me?” She nodded. “Not to Z, the Six, P, H, Ares, no one.”
Lying to Daire wouldn’t be her default. In fact, it would be damn near impossible. Still, complying meant an ally, refusing meant isolation.
“No one,” she said.
“Good. Now go to dinner, don’t be late… and don’t look back… don’t ever look back, Pandora. Your focus is what’s straight ahead.”
He gave a slight shallow nod, so she copied to show her understanding. Loathed to leave when there was still so much to say, she only got up to do as he said to prove herself trustworthy. Not looking back was hard, she wanted to check if he was still there or if he’d vanished already. But he’d told her not to look back, so she kept on going, eyes front, to return to the apartment.
NINETEEN
KNOWING THE ROUTINE, Tess went back to the apartment intending to shower off the day. Before reaching the bedroom, raised voices stopped her in the hallway. Listening for a moment, she focused in on their location: the den.
No one sent her an invitation to the party, but she altered direction to join the voices anyway. Animosity could spell intel.
As she crossed the threshold, her attention zeroed in on the TV.
Her Heart. In the desert house boardroom, seated at the table. Harry was in the center with Garrick at his other side, but for a good five seconds, her Heart was all she saw.
Secrets were funny things. They’d been constant companions throughout her many lives. Meeting Styx gave her a new one. Not only to keep from Zeus and the others, but from Daire too.
She’d met his brother. Dampening the urge to announce that was a struggle. It was relevant. Styx was relevant. As was his guilt over keeping Daire out of the Zulu loop.
The frustrated burning in her eyes wanted to be something, tears, of joy or contrition… could go either way.
Her Heart was her world as she crossed to the screen. Her fingers ached to touch his image, but they couldn’t, she couldn’t reveal herself.
“Tess?” Harry asked.
Putting herself front and center, in prime view of the men, wasn’t smart.
The slight move of Daire’s shoulders shattered her daze. Such a drastic action could be construed as a signal… like the one he’d asked for in his letter. He was on the verge of pushing out of his chair. She hadn’t expected his request to mean he’d leave the very second he saw it. Then again, his letter was clear that their separation was hard on him. He didn’t want her there, so far away from him and so near to Zeus. The feeling was mutual, but it was on her to be strong and keep the rudder steady.
“I’m fine,” she said, putting a smile on her face and stepping back. “I didn’t expect to see all of you today.”
“Your father thought it best to keep you out of initial negotiations,” Zeus said from behind her.
