Page 38 of Muzzled

Hopping onto the trunk of the car, she stretched out and closed her eyes. The morning sun provided the perfect amount of heat and she tossed her arm over her eyes, almost relaxed.

“What is she doing?”

Lifting her arm, she glanced toward the woman’s voice, propelling herself off of the car and onto her feet as she looked her unexpected company over.

The petite woman gave her a withering glare. “Why are you on my boy’s vehicle?”

My boy.

The enormous man at her side stepped forward, his immense size intimidating enough without his onyx eyes staring into her. “Perhaps you should be on your way.”

“I’m just waiting.” Slipping her phone from her pocket, she backed away from the couple who looked, as Ryan had said, precisely like the Hades and Persephone of her paintings. “Actually, I think I’ll wait inside.”

She broke into a jog, firing off a text to Ryan as she entered the deserted lobby and yanked the door closed behind her.

I think I just met your boss.

Her eyes flicked between her phone and the pair watching her from the parking lot until her cell buzzed.

Coming.

Ryan rounded the corner, his belt in hand and his wet hair dripping down his neck, soaking into his collar. “What did they do?” he demanded, eyes darkening as he looked outside. “Aw, fuck.”

Thrown by his unexpected language, she stepped a little closer to him. “You swearing isnotan encouraging sign,” she hissed, unsure how good the hearing of gods and goddesses was. “What do they want?”

“Wait here,” he muttered, sliding his belt into the loops of his jeans and pushing the door open. “I’ll be back.”

She stood in the window and watched the tiny blonde woman approach Ryan, her lips in a full pout as she reached up and ran her hands along his neck. The man she assumed was Hades stood silently at her side, nodding intermittently until all three turned to the motel entrance and Ryan gave her a terse nod.

Her mind screamed at her to stay put, to remain behind the artificial safety of the glass instead of walking into the lot where an irate god and annoyed goddess stood, arms crossed and gazes locked on her. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped outside.

“Micah,” Ryan said slowly, his voice low. “This is Persephone and Hades.” He turned to them, his hands clasping behind his back. “This is Micah, the lead I mentioned.”

Unsure of the protocol, she curtsied quickly and stood at Ryan’s side, hooking her pinky into his belt to reassure herself he wouldn’t take off without her. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Persephone’s blue eyes narrowed at the sight of Micah’s hand grazing Ryan’s hip. “I’m not fond of this pauper look,” she stated, her gaze scanning her over and lingering on the fishnet lacing peeking out under her torn jeans. “Your makeup is overdone and your hair is an unnatural shade of red.”

“Seph!” Ryan barked, an angry flush rising up his throat.

Looking up at him with wide eyes, Persephone’s pout returned. “I’m not wrong, am I?”

“Ryan,” she hushed, nudging him with her elbow. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine,” he snarled, his attention on his boss’s wife. “Seph, this isn’t the underworld. There are different rules up here.”

As Persephone opened her mouth to speak, Hades stepped in. “Why don’t we take our discussion inside? Orion, I trust your accommodations are big enough to fit all of us.”

Ryan tugged his wallet from his back pocket and pulled his room key out. “Micah, I’ll give you the car keys and you can take off until I’m done here.”

“She stays.”

With Hades’s command, Ryan led them to his room, his hand on the small of her back until they reached the door and he ushered her in with a tired look of apology.

Persephone lifted her lime-green skirt as she entered, her delicate nose wrinkling as she looked around. When Ryan tugged one of his clean button-downs off the hanger and laid it flat across a chair for her, Micah’s brows shot up. Seph sat, patted his cheek, and straightened his belt before she turned to her and smiled sweetly. “So, you’re my boy’s lead, are you?”

Nodding, she sat on one of the beds and crossed her legs. “I suppose so.”

“Not very good at it, are you?” Persephone mused, feigned concern on her face. “This was supposed to be over and done a week ago and yet here we are.” She looked up at Ryan. “We just miss you, honey. You know that.”

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