Page 60 of Sweet Obsession

“Let me worry about my wife.” Normal people would react to the late autumn wind surging past Zeus and into the car. He just stands as if he really is untouchable. I don’t believe in that shit. I’ve seduced and betrayed people who thought they were untouchable—it’s why we’re here tonight—but he’s on another level. It scares the shit out of me.

Poseidon must notice my shivers, because he says, “Let’s go up to the warehouse while we wait for Hades and the rest. The coffee isn’t good, but it’s hot, and there’s plenty of room for everyone.”

“Lead the way.”

Poseidon glances at me, his eyes filled with something I don’t have a name for, and then he steps out of the SUV. I have to wait for Zeus to move before I can do the same.

He levels a cold look at me. “If you attempt to double-cross us, I’ll cut you down, but I won’t stop there. I’ll find your sister and ensure she knows exactly who’s to blame before she dies.”

As threats go, it’s a good one. Except for one notable detail. “That’s like the twelfth time someone has issued that exact threat. It’s getting old. You’re not touching Ariadne. You’d have to get through the Minotaur, and he’s the scariest motherfucker I’ve ever met—including you.”

His lips quirk, and it should warm his expression, but somehow it just makes him look less kind, lesshuman. “I suppose we’ll see, won’t we?” He finally moves back enough for me to get out of the vehicle.

I very much would like to keep the metal door between us, butI’ve dealt with enough predators in my time to know never to show fear. No matter how much it’s chilled me to the bone. Especially when Zeus follows soundlessly on my heels around the back of the car to where Poseidon waits.

Poseidon steps between us immediately, slipping an arm around my shoulder and tucking me against his body. It serves to protect me from the wind, but I can’t help how aware I am of Zeus watching us. Or of the woman who steps out of the second car and moves to join us. Athena.

A pair of people join her, and I glare at the Black woman with a scarred face and medium-brown skin at her right shoulder. Atalanta is built for combat, with a muscular body and her locs pulled back and fastened up to prevent anyone from using them as handholds. She made a name for herself in the Ares tournament, but after the ill-fated party in the countryside, she changed allegiance from Artemis to Athena.

She also hunted me and my sister through Olympus just days ago. She catches me watching her and winks. I just stare, but that doesn’t dampen her grin any.

At her side is a tall Black person with warm brown skin, a head of thick curls, and an intense look on their handsome face. Bellerophon, Athena’s second-in-command. They don’t even look at me, choosing instead to focus on Poseidon. “We’ve tapped into the cameras in the area to supplement your people’s watches, but I have no way of getting eyes on those ships. They seem to be on a closed network.”

They are, but I don’t bother to say as much. There’s no point. They won’t take my word for it, and even if they did, there’s nothingwe can do about it.

Bellerophon keeps talking. “Based on the ship models, we have blueprints, but we can’t guarantee the interior will look like we expect.”

That, I know nothing about. Blueprints of ships I never intended to set foot on weren’t something that interested me. I follow Poseidon inside the warehouse. The huge space feels significantly smaller because of all the shit in here, pallets stacked nearly to the tall ceiling. I can’t identify what any of them contain before we step through a door into a makeshift break room that’s been built inside the warehouse.

Atalanta makes a beeline for the coffee. She sniffs the pot and laughs. “Not the worst I’ve ever had.”

Bellerophon gives her a faintly put-upon look as Atalanta sips the coffee that looks too thick to be termed liquid. They turn back to Poseidon and hold up a tablet. “I have a map to go over our plan of attack.”

Athena crosses her arms over her chest. For once, she’s not wearing an impeccably tailored suit, choosing to forgo that in exchange for cargo pants and a formfitting long-sleeved shirt that shows off a lean body. She’s also bristling with guns. I count four in various holsters, and I’m sure there are a few extra tucked away. She’s held her title for quite a while and survived multiple assassination attempts in the last couple weeks; it’s clear that she is just as capable of murder as the people who work under her. Of course she is; this is Olympus, after all.

She catches me watching her and raises a brow. “If you go for one ofmyguns, all you’ll get for the effort is a new hole in yourhead.”

“Enough, Athena.”

She snorts and turns to Zeus. “Hades isn’t coming. We shouldn’t wait.”

“He’s coming.” He sits down in a rickety chair, somehow transforming the impression of it into a throne. It’s a neat trick. I don’t understand how he can be so calm, but I suppose he’s been raised to the role. Unlike me, this man wasn’t a disappointment tohisfather.

We mill around in somewhat awkward silence. Poseidon hovers at my shoulder, all his earlier relaxation gone. It makes me want to stand between him and the rest of them, but that will only make things worse. Still, the impulse is a new one and I marvel at it. The big guy has me acting against type. I really have gone and fallen for him, haven’t I?

I reach out tentatively and press my hand to the center of his back. I actuallyfeelhis exhale. He gives me a brief smile, but then his gaze lands over my head and he freezes.

There’s nothing to do but turn around. I almost wish I didn’t. A group of black-clad people walk into the room as if they own it, fanning out almost as if they intend to block off the exits.

Hades is here.

32

Poseidon

It doesn’t matter that I had a conversation with Zeus and Hades just a short time ago. It feels different having themhere, in my space, not bickering over a fancy boardroom table but actively planning an assault on our enemy. The coup is in action. We’re gathered around the digital map Bellerophon projects onto the blank wall. It depicts the five ships and our coastline.

“We launch from here, here, and here.” Athena points to each spot in turn. “Even if the jammers work on their radar like you say, we don’t want to gather and present a pretty target for them to shoot at if someone happens to see us.”

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