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“Implying he’s less than dedicated to them now?”
“I think your return to his life has posed problems. He trusted Carrie to take care of your needs and didn’t consider you’d become his responsibility again.”
“I’m not his responsibility,” she said. “I already told him that he shouldn’t let anyone manipulate him into anything. That threats on my life shouldn’t be a factor in his decision making.”
“Good,” he said, actually nodding as though he appreciated the answer. “I’m pleased to hear you understand the importance of Olympus.”
“I do,” she said, sensing he was getting at something else. Her understanding of Olympus’s importance was less to do with her father than it was to do with her Heart. “The work is important.”
“The Gamma site will be up and running soon. Your father will recruit new operatives to replace those we lost. Right now, it seems like a lot of work and maybe a long way away. That time will come faster than you think.”
“It sounds like you’re trying to warn me about something,” she said. “With me, direct is always better.”
“I am warning you; I suppose you could look at it that way. Your father’s focus will be his recruits. We’ll be playing catch up for a while too. Missions have been neglected. We’ll need to take care of that business with some urgency. We’ve fallen behind and can’t afford to let anything else be missed. Olympus has been a valuable institution for decades. We’ve gained momentum in different arenas, that’s momentum we can’t afford to lose.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to,” she said, wondering why his expression suggested he was delivering bad news.
“Do you understand that your father won’t be able to spend a lot of quality time with you?”
Ah, that was what he was aiming for. Her lips curled. “Mr. Sherwood, my father would pick your dirty, dangerous missions over spending time with his daughter any day of the week.”
As would Daire. Which was the point. Keeping cool composure was easier when reminding herself of Daire’s purpose. Hers was to give that back to him. Every risk was worth it for his happiness.
“And that is… painful for you?”
Maybe she wasn’t the only one who didn’t do well with subtle. Her smile should’ve answered that question for him. “I’ve done just fine on my own until now.”
“But you weren’t on your own, you had your mother.”
“Yeah,” she said, refusing to let him manipulate her emotions. “And she taught me how to be strong. I won’t have any trouble finding my own way.”
“Is that what you intend to do? You don’t want to stay at Olympus?”
She frowned. “Why would I? It’s not my home. It’s nothing to me. Finding my father, learning about his connections, yes, sometimes it has been difficult. This world isn’t like the one I grew up in.” Although she’d run from Olympus that didn’t come close to the horror and desolation of fending for herself in a rock patch at the age of nine. “But I hope, once Olympus is back on its feet, we can all go our separate ways and maybe I won’t have to worry about looking over my shoulder.”
“Something you must have resented in your childhood,” he said. “I apologize for my part in that.”
On the tip of her tongue was a reminder that he’d been the whole reason for her need to run. Sitting before her was the ever-present threat that had influenced her life and its path.
“With my mother gone and my father indifferent, I hope we can reach an understanding.”
“What kind of understanding?” he asked, intrigue elevating his chin.
Licking her lips, she took another sip before answering. “That maybe you’ll let me live my life without worrying about being snatched up and used like a toy to be fought over.”
He relaxed. “I am sorry. We made our choices. This is the life we love. Sometimes we forget there are those who want something simpler for themselves.”
What did she want? The conversation was unanticipated and put her on the spot. Could anyone have predicted Zeus would be the one to adjust her lens? Olympus was her life in that moment. It would be until they were up to speed and all hatchets buried. But then what?
In her letter, she’d stated that moving into Olympus Gamma wasn’t an option. It would never work. Any time Daire was on a mission, she’d be climbing the walls, desperate to know what was happening. Without any kind of clearance, and taking her father’s attitude into account, there was no way anyone would let her know if her Heart was hurt or even alive.
In that scenario, how long would it take for everyone to figure out that she was crazy in love with him? Minutes, if she was a frantic mess every time he left. Maybe seconds. Even if, by some miracle, she hid her worry, how long would their secret last once he came back? She’d need to see him the moment he arrived, to touch him, to hold him and love him.
Sometimes her tears came simply because the depth of her feeling for him became overwhelming. What if he came back injured? Wounded? Was she meant to sit in her room and pretend she didn’t give a crap?
“Simpler sounds just fine to me,” she said, taking another mouthful, thinking it would be a great time to end the night and get to bed. Alone.
“Harry’s enemies may not understand that.”
