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Nodding, he didn’t seem unhappy or like he wanted to object. “Thank you for the pleasure of your company,” he said, sitting up to relieve her of her glass. “I hope we can continue this another night.”
“I do too,” she said, leaving the couch to make her way to her bedroom.
Going inside, she sank back against the door and breathed out. It wasn’t a lie that she needed her bed. All being well, she would catch up with lost sleep on the plane the next day.
Pushing herself away from the door, she hurried to seek Styx’s signal. Turning on the bathroom light, her eager eyes settled on the bottle by the sink. Lying on its side.
Tess smiled. Styx had done it. They had what they needed. Now there was just one thing left to do: get herself home.
TWENTY-SIX
FROM A DEAD SLEEP, Tess was awoken by her back hitting a wall. No, something… someone had hold of her. He was yelling. It was a him and he was mad. Fighting to get with it, she tried to breathe in, but was pulled forward and slammed against the wall again.
“Where is it?”
Oh… she shook her head to get her hair out of her eyes and wasn’t surprised Zeus was the one clutching her arms. Red with fury, he gnashed his teeth, hissing out the rage coursing through him.
“You fucking little bitch, answer me!”
Thrown to the floor, she was disoriented, still not quite in the moment. What was going on? There was light… from outside, daylight… but what time was it?
Something heavy hit her ribs so hard the air was forced out of her lungs. Scrambling away, she clutched at the pain in her side. Zeus’s anger was more than just hot, it was violent. He stomped over to grab her hair and pull her up. Yelping, she fought to use the wall for balance as she climbed to her feet as fast as possible.
“Stop!” she said, trying to push him away. “Just stop it!”
“You took them! You stole from me! After all that I—”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, though it wasn’t so easy to play oblivious when fear was ramping up. “What’s stolen?”
“Don’t play the innocent little fucking lamb with me,” he said, letting go of her hair to step back, though only a few inches. “You took the fucking keys, where are they?” He manhandled her into the closet, shoving her the last few inches. “Get them.” When she didn’t immediately move, he screamed in her face. “Now!”
“I don’t have them! I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
That was the exact position she’d been afraid of finding herself in with him. In the closet, no exits, him blocking her way.
“I don’t fucking buy it,” he said, shoving her deeper into the closet. “You’re the only goddamn one here.”
“Maybe the staff moved something,” she said, feeling bad about putting anyone else in the firing line. “Or Byron, him or Hugo could’ve packed something by mistake.”
He grabbed her jaw to pull her closer. “You give them to me in the next ten seconds or I’ll—”
“Or you’ll what?” she snapped, pulling on some bravado, shoving out of his grip. Though her body was more awake, her mind wasn’t. If it was, it would remind her not to aggravate conflict without an exit strategy. “You kill me? My father kills you. How will you get your precious Olympus back together then?” Though she wouldn’t reveal all, revealing some awareness may be the only way out. “You need something from me. I don’t know what it is, but I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t, and I will figure it out.”
“You’ll figure out nothing,” he said, sneering as he looked her up and down. “You’re an ungrateful little bitch. I’ve kept you here, paid for your bullshit. I told you what would happen if you abused my kindness.”
“Great,” she said, retreating a few discreet steps, holding her hands open at her sides. “I abused it, what are you gonna do? Beat me? Do it! Parade me on camera to hurt him. Wait to see how long it takes my father to get on a plane with his posse of men to take me home!”
“Home,” he spat the word. “You don’t belong anywhere. I’ve spent a lifetime seeing to that. Your lifetime.”
Gritting her teeth, the truth of him was blinding. All the simpering and conversation wasn’t the truth. This was the man the Six wanted to kill.
“And, yet, somehow I’m still here,” she said. “And I’m at least one step ahead of you.”
He bowed closer. “Where are they?” he growled.
“Not here, that’s for sure,” she said, showing him a disgusted smile. “You think I’m that stupid?”
“I think touching what was mine was stupid. You’re going to learn exactly what it will cost you.”
