Page 48 of Artemis

Reluctantly, Finley removed his hands from her body. “They’re over here.” He reached out and hooked the arm of her glasses with a finger, holding them up for her.

“Thanks.” She got off his lap and grabbed her sweater, her phone already dialing Mercury’s number.

Finley let his gaze linger on her while he called Chloe, not wanting their moment to end.

“Go for Chloe.”

“Artemis got the ransom call,” Finley said, and repeated everything they’d been told slowly so that Chloe could write it down.

Chloe whistled. “Damn, that isn’t cheap. What’s her plan?”

“She’s asking Mercury for a favor.” He could practically hear Chloe’s eyebrows rise in the silence that followed. “Apparently he has a soft spot for kids.”

“I suppose so,” Chloe said dubiously. “We’ll be ready to go when you get the directions.”

“Thank you.” He hung up.

“We’ll meet you at your office in half an hour,” Artemis was saying into her phone.

Finley couldn’t hear the other man’s response, but that sounded promising. He stretched as he got to his feet and adjusted his cock in his pants. It would deflate soon enough.

Artemis said, “Thank you again,” and hung up. “Okay, we should go get my car. His office is on the other side of Purgatory.”

“Or we could fly,” Finley said with a shrug. “I’m faster than a car.” He frowned.

“What is it?” Artemis asked.

“A speeding car...” He rubbed his chin with a hand. “When I was out walking, a car sped past me. It was going way over the speed limit.”

“What did it look like?” Artemis asked.

“Black, nondescript. I wouldn’t have remembered it if it hadn’t been driving so fast. Do you think it was the kidnapper’s car?”

“Don’t you?”

“I guess I wouldn’t have brought it up if a large part of me didn’t think so, huh?” Finley sighed. “No idea how that information would help, though.”

“It’s possible that it was caught on camera somewhere. I’ll call Chloe while we’re flying.”

Finley chuckled. “I don’t think you’ll be able to hear her.”

CHAPTER13

Finley was right,Artemis thought from on top of the lofty height of his dragon. His wings curved gracefully through the air on either side of her.

Although I think it would be difficult to hear her because of all the blood rushing through my ears, rather than the ambient noise of flying.

Instead, she had called Chloe while Finley studied the aerial map of the Underworld so that he could find Mercury’s office.

Chloe had been doubtful that it would pan out, but was grateful for even the slimmest potential lead.

Artemis felt her spirits rise along with the sweep of Finley’s wings. It was hard to feel pessimistic when so many people were on her side.

Backwinging, Finley dropped them down in front of a nondescript warehouse. The only thing that differentiated this brick building from the one next to it was the obnoxiously large sign over the main door proclaiming “Mercury Delivery Service” in blocky gray letters on a white background.

Finley squatted as close to the ground as he could get, and Artemis slid from his back, using his elbow to steady herself. The next instant, he shifted back into his human form. She reached for his hand, needing physical touch to calm down.

“What if he says no?” Her stomach sank into her toes. “What if he’s had a change of heart?”