Page 86 of Carry Your Debt

Hermes immediately perks up at that and my chest loosens.

But then I realize there’s a much bigger problem here than just verifying whether or not the Labor took place there.

The problem is with the location itself.

Fortunate Islands.

I thought I knew every single territory in both the Southandthe North, neutral or otherwise.

Every territory registeredbeforethe Symposium, it seems.

“Sabine?” Zeus prompts.

“No, I’ve never seen the name before,” I murmur.

“We’ll need the coordinates as well,” he says to Hermes, just as the blond in question holds up his phone.

“Time stamp lines up, but without an official record of the place, the location data is useless as verification,” he says with something like an apologetic grin. “The GPS does put it off the coast of Virginia, though.”

“There’s no other information in the message?” Knox asks, his deep voice making me glance up.

I shake my head. “Nope, just confirmation that this completely unknown Cartel outfit managed to somehow complete this task in twenty-one minutes.”

“Could’ve just been a lucky break?” he offers as he runs a large hand along his chin. He’s got several days of growth coming in.

“They just happened to have someone on this Island when the text message came, a staff member or guard, who just happened to know who the Senator was on sight?” Apollo scoffs.

“Twenty minutes means the neutralization was always meant to be a kill, not extortion or something more nuanced,” Zeus adds.

Everyone in the room shares their murmured agreement.

“So what does this mean for us?” Ares asks, huge tattooed fingers strangling the life out of the poor couch again. The mood in the room definitely feels deflated in the wake of the Cartel’s decisive start to the Labors.

“As anti-climatic as it was, that was only the first task.” Zeus leans forward then, phone dangling between his fingers as he runs a steady gaze over our makeshift team. “The next one will be announced next Sunday. And we just have to hope to God we’re not walking into a trap.”

“I don’t likethat you’re here by yourself during the week, sweetheart,” Zeus mutters as he leans over and pushes open the door to the Briarthorn dorm building. “Especially with the O’Sullivan girl right across from you.”

“She wouldn’t try anything on campus, especially after today’s roster broadcast,” I offer.

I just have to make sure I’m not stupid enough to find myself alone with her againoff-campus. Who knows who the Irish have aligned with? For all we know Trick and Smiley are now drinking buddies.

“There’s plenty of room back in the apartment,” he presses.

“If I don’t live on campus full time, I can’t do my job. And if I can’t do my job, I may as well just drop out and move to Greenland,” I remind him, the resignation thick in my voice. “It’s not like I’m here for the education.”

“I know, I know,” Zeus grumbles, and I’m nowhere near prepared for when he suddenly hooks a muscular arm around my waist, hauling me in. “I just want you close, so sue me,” he mutters, burying his nose against my loose hair.

I almost squeak when he takes a long lungful of my scent.

Jesus Christ.

I’m still expecting to wake up from this fever dream, but the hard masculine body pressed against mine feels too solid and too good tonotbe real.

“I’m just enjoying at least sharing a zip code with you again,” I murmur warmly. I glance up at him from beneath my lashes and he rewards me with a blinding smile.

“You are, are you? Not quite satisfied with the current bounty on offer from yourPantheon, darling?”

His smile is pure Grayson smugness now and it earns him a harsh slap to his chest.

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