Page 16 of Hell’s Weapon

“Garrick, come on! This isn’t funny anymore. I need access to your records. I need to solve this before it can all go to shit again.”

Her using my real name makes me pause, and unleashes hot anger into my bloodstream. How did she learn that? And how has she picked up on what happened ten years ago. I will be having words with my officers to keep their traps shut around the competitors. They don’t need to know any of that.

“It's Officer Zephyr to you,” I growl through gritted teeth, more than done with this conversation.

“Urgh, are you looking for proof? Here, I’ll give you proof.” She starts to pull her top over her head but my brain clicks in immediately. I can’t be in here alone with her, I certainly can’t be in here alone with her naked.

The clipboard clatters to the floor as I use both hands to yank her top back down.

“What are you doing?” Comes muffled protests from inside the fabric. “I need to show you–”

Her words get cut off as the door opens and slams into her back, shoving both of us further into the room and nearly toppling us onto one of the beds. Thankfully, I’d managed to pull her top down far enough that her head had come back through the hole, so she could see to help right herself but seeing as her arms are still tangled she’s falling right into my chest.

On instinct, I place my hands on her waist to steady her. With her top cropped and dishevelled, it means I’m touching bare skin. She’s as soft as I imagined, yet I can feel the steel-like strength of her core muscles as my thumbs brush the tantalising dip between her hip bones and her navel. Her scent wafts right into my nostrils. It’s all burning embers and spicy sugared cider and it seers my lungs as it fills them.

“What’s happening in here then?” My eyes immediately snap to the doorway, being held open by Dominic, his head tilted and mirth in his eyes.

His frame towers over number Nineteen, who stares into the room wide eyed and mouth slightly agape.

I give Ninety-Eight a shove, forcing her to land on the bed with a huff. She rights her top, finally, and I swear she’s about to read me a riot act but I’m ducking to pick up the clipboard and flying out of the room, straight under Dom’s arm and shoulder checking Nineteen on the way. He winces but I’m not looking back.

Dom catches up with me before I reach the stairs.

“Breaking your own fraternising rules already? I always thought you were a stickler for the rules.” His voice is all smug, no doubt he’s grinning like a demon that’s just found a new soul to torture. I only turn to him once we are firmly through the door to the stairwell.

“I was not fraternising with her in the slightest,” I grind out through clenched teeth. If I were shifted right now I’d be growling, and my tail would be whipping back and forth with the annoyance that’s buzzing under my skin.

“Then what was that?” He crosses his arms, still grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“She cornered me.”

“You? That human woman managed to corner you?” It sounds unbelievable but it’s the truth, she’d surprised me with her strength.

“She caught me off guard. It won’t be happening again.” Descending the stairs, I can’t wait for this day to be over so I can go for a run. We’re giving the competitors an hour to settle in and freshen up and then it’ll be dinner. So, I’ve got a few hours yet before I can clock off.

“Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. You could use something to loosen you up a bit.”

This time, I do growl at the medic. He and I have known each other for a while–a century perhaps, give or take a decade. He’s the one I tend to call in when one of my staff gets injured. He’s a fine doctor and doesn’t judge what we do in Tarturus. “The rule is there for a reason. They are still, currently, human.”

“What’s that got to do with it? Demons fuck humans all the time.”

“They’re also here in a professional capacity and in a competition. I don’t want any emotional attachments developing between the crew and the interviewees. It could screw up the games, and I want to give everyone a fair shot.”

“That’s noble of you.”

“It’s how it should be, Hades trusts me to see this through properly. I want staff that stay impartial until the winners are recruited. After that, I don’t care who they fuck.”

We reach the ground level and exit the building to head back across to the staff quarters.

“You’re hoping that Ninety-Eight gets through though?” His eyebrows dance on his forehead.

“I don’t care. If she survives, she deserves a role.”

“Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

“Haven’t you got some other patients to get back to?”

“Yeah, I was just enjoying this conversation. I haven’t seen you riled in a long time and you look flustered.” He breaks away from his place at my side before I can take a swipe at him. “It’s going to be a fun few months, Garrick.” He laughs as he turns to head to the infirmary.