Page 24 of Cold Bastard
“You don’t remember the names of your friends?” Hades raised an eyebrow.
“They weren’t friends. They were coworkers. We worked together. We didn’t hang out.”
“So you were alone up there,” Zeus said. “No friends. Just this Derek and your job.”
“That’s right.”
“Sounds lonely.”
“It was.”
He nodded slowly as he considered my words. Then he leaned forward, his elbows on the table, his eyes locked on mine. “Here’s the thing, Alex,” he said quietly. “I want to believe you. I do. You’re Poseidon’s sister. You’re family. But something about your story doesn’t sit right with me.”
My heart hammered against my ribs, but I kept my expression neutral. “I don’t know what to tell you. It’s the truth.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“Then why do I get the feeling you’re running from something?”
The room went silent. Every eye was on me. Waiting. Watching.
I could feel Oscar’s gaze burning into the back of my head.
“I’m not running from anything,” I said, and it was the biggest lie I’d told all day.
Zeus studied me for a long moment. Then he sat back in his chair and sighed. “Alright,” he said. “Let’s say I believe you. Let’s say you’re here because of a bad breakup and nothing else. That still leaves us with a problem.”
“What problem?”
“You’ve been gone four years, Alex. Four years without checking in. Without letting us know where you were. And now you’re back, and you’re jumpy as hell, looking over your shoulder like you expect someone to come through that door any second.”
“I’m not.”
“You are,” he interrupted. “Poseidon sees it. I see it. We all see it. So either you’re lying about why you’re here, or you’re telling the truth and someone’s looking for you. Either way, it’s a problem.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he held up a hand.
“I’m not asking you to explain,” he said. “Not right now. But I am going to make sure that whatever trouble you’ve brought with you doesn’t land on this club. We’ve got enough shit to deal with without adding your drama to the mix.”
“I didn’t bring any trouble.”
“Then you won’t mind if we keep an eye on you.”
His words hit like a punch to the gut.
No. No, no, no.“What does that mean?” I asked, my voice tight.
Zeus turned to look at someone behind me. “Abyss. Get in here.”
The door opened, and a prospect walked in. He was young, maybe twenty-two or twenty-three. Tall, lean, with dark hair and a nervous energy that screamednew blood. He wore a prospect cut, the back patch marking him as property of the Gods of Mayhem but not yet a full member.
“Abyss,” Zeus said, “this is Alex, Poseidon’s sister. For the foreseeable future, you’re going to be her shadow. Wherever she goes, you go. Whatever she does, you’re there. You keep her safe, and you report back to me if anything seems off. Understood?”
The prospect nodded quickly. “Yes, Prez.”
I stared at Zeus, fury rising in my chest like a tidal wave.
