Page 29 of Cold Bastard
“You think she did something?” Caishen asked. “Something illegal?”
“I think she did something she regrets,” Apollo said. “And now she’s paying the price.”
“Or about to,” Hades muttered.
Zeus drummed his fingers on the table again, that slow, deliberate rhythm that meant he was thinking. Planning. “Alright,” he said finally. “Here’s how we play this. Abyss watches her. Coeus digs into her background. Poseidon, you keep trying to get through to her. She trusts you more than anyone else here. If she’s going to open up to anyone, it’ll be you.”
“She’s not going to open up,” I said.
“Try anyway.”
I nodded, even though I knew it was pointless.
“Everyone else,” Zeus continued, “keep your eyes open. If anything seems off. If anyone starts asking questions about Alex, if anyone new shows up in town. I want to know about it immediately.”
“What about the other clubs?” Hermes asked. “Should we reach out? See if anyone’s heard anything?”
Zeus hesitated. “Not yet. We don’t want to draw attention to her. But if it becomes necessary, we will.”
“And if it turns out she’s brought serious heat down on us?” Aries asked. “What then?”
The question hung in the air, heavy and dangerous. Zeus looked at me. “Then we deal with it. As a club. As a family.”
Family.The word should have been comforting. Instead, it felt like a noose tightening around my neck. Because I knew what it meant. Knew what the club would do if Alex’s trouble became their trouble. They would protect her. They would fight for her. But if it came down to a choice between her and the club?
The club would always win.
“Meeting adjourned,” Zeus said, getting to his feet. “Get to work. And, Poseidon, talk to your sister. Find out what the hell is going on before it’s too late.”
The officers filed out one by one, leaving me alone with Zeus and Hades.
“You think she’s in over her head?” I asked quietly.
Zeus looked at me, his expression unreadable. “I think she’s drowning. And I think she’s too proud to ask for help.”
“Sounds like someone else I know,” Hades said, glancing at me.
I ignored the jab. “What if we can’t save her?”
“Then we make sure whoever’s coming for her regrets it,” Zeus said simply.
It should have been reassuring, but it wasn’t. Because deep down, I knew the truth.
Alex had brought something dark to our door. Something dangerous. Something that was going to explode in all our faces if we weren’t careful. And the worst part? I had no idea how to stop it.
I walked out of church and into the hallway as my mind raced.
What are you hiding, Alex? What the hell did you do?
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
A text from Abyss.
Abyss:She’s in her room. Door’s closed. Hasn’t come out.
I stared at the message, frustration and fear warring in my chest. She was up there right now, probably planning her next move. Probably trying to figure out how to get around Abyss, around Zeus, around all of us. Because that was what Alex did.
She ran. She hid. She lied and she never, ever asked for help.
