Page 47 of Sweet Obsession

If Zeus is remotely alarmed at the idea of putting this plan together and into action within seventy-two hours, he doesn’t show it. We have to gather the people, arrange the groups, decide on the best time to approach… The sheer magnitude threatens to overwhelm me.

Zeus speaks, bringing my circling thoughts to a shocked standstill. “Three days is too long. We move tonight.”

Tonight?Tonight?I’m already shaking my head. “What you’re asking is impossible. There’s no way we can manage it by tonight. You’re going to get people killed.”

“It has to be tonight.” He doesn’t say it like he’s lording thedecision over me, more like he’s resigned to a truth the rest of us haven’t discovered yet. “The Thirteen don’t trust me, and half a dozen of them have spies watching me closely. No matter how close we play this to the chest, word will get out and Artemis and the others might move to stop us. We have to finish this tonight.”

Hades hesitates but finally nods. “As loathe as I am to admit it, he’s right.”

I want to keep arguing, but Zeus has broughtHadesaround to this impossible plan. If he’s right and this is our chance, then I’m honor bound to uphold my third of it. I clench my fists at my side in a rhythm that does nothing to soothe me. “So be it.”

We stand in silence as Charon pushes the boat back into the water and Hades steps gracefully aboard. Within seconds, they’re gone, disappearing into the mist. The only indication of their passing is a slight ripple in the lights of the barrier.

“We have a lot of work to do and not much time to accomplish it.” Zeus speaks without looking at me. “I’ll convey our plans to Athena. You have until we launch to confirm those ships are leaving—or their lives are forfeit.”

So cold as he orders the deaths of others. I clear my throat. “You agreed not to kill the crew.”

“If they surrender, you can play the hero and ferry them to safety.” He shrugs. “If they don’t? Then the order stands.” He finally turns and starts for the parked cars, but he pauses when he comes even with Icarus. “I’ll kill you myself before I allow you to betray us.” He keeps moving, taking the steps up to the parking lot easily. Within a few seconds, his car starts and he’s gone, leaving us alone.

“You know, I never understood why people found this Zeus scary.” Icarus shivers. “I get it now.”

“Come on.” I don’t exactly intend to put my arm around his shoulders and tuck him against my side. It just sort of happens, and then it feels so good that I don’t want to put any distance between us.

We walk to the SUV and I hold the door open for him. It’s only when I’m in the driver’s seat that I’m not sure what to do. I need to get my people ready, but ultimately that’s a small ask. Weareready. Every one of my people is a sailor to some degree. We have anti-scanning gear, though we don’t make a habit of using it since I became Poseidon, and enough small craft that we should be able to get Athena’s and Hades’s people to the ships without being caught. We have the easy part of the plan…as long as it goes well.

If it doesn’t, I’ll be sending my people to their deaths.

25

Icarus

I’ve met both Hades and Zeus previously, but there was something about witnessing them standing with Poseidon, making war plans, that really drove home how different they are from me. A direct approach, decisive even, for all that it’s in service of a coup. A simple plan to slide beneath the radar and kill everyone who makes decisions, and then hand back all that power before anyone realizes they’ve stolen it in the first place.

It might even work.

What do I know of war? Nothing. Less than nothing. My skill set is better suited to the bedroom. But that doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. If I can pull my part of this off, it means Zeus’s plan has a better chance of success. It means that Poseidon is more likely to be safe.

I don’t know where that last thought popped up from. Except, yes I do, don’t I? This man has snuck beneath my skin. It’s actually hilarious, because Poseidon is so up-front that I don’t think he’s ever snuck anywhere once in his life. And yet here we are. The thought of being shut out by him sent me into a fucking panic attack, and in response he just held me until we both fell asleep. He’s too fuckingkind and it’s going to get him killed.

I take a shaky breath. “Poseidon.”

“Hmm?”

“I need your phone. Not yet, but this afternoon. By then, my marks will have had time to realize they don’t have recourse.” It’s less time than I’d prefer to give them, but we’re definitely in desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measures territory. “This will work.” It has to.

He finally puts the SUV into gear and eases back out of the parking spot. “It’s hurting you to do this. I’m sorry.”

I blink. Of all the things I expect him to say, this wasn’t even on the list. “What are you talking about?”

“Icarus.” He doesn’t look at me. “You promised not to lie.”

Something cold and ugly squirms through me. I don’t have a name for the emotion, only a deep desire not to be feeling it right now. I force a laugh. “Come on, big guy. I’m not lying. They can’t hurt me. They never could hurt me. The worst I got out of the experience is some lackluster sex.”

I expect him to laugh alongside me. To allow me to charm my way past his comment. To do anything but veer into a shadowy parking lot, still untouched by the rising sun in the east. He puts the SUV into park and twists to face me, expression severe. “Don’t do that.”

I don’t know how to do anything else. I manage another laugh, this one a little too harsh to be believable. “Don’t do what? This is who I am.”

“Icarus.” He reaches out slowly, as if he’s not sure of his welcome, as if I’m not about to throw myself into his lap and startsobbing without even knowing why. When he finally makes contact, cupping the side of my face with his big, rough hand, I quiver in something that feels almost like fear.

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