Page 74 of The Reluctant Reaper
Oh, and the jobs. It had taken him way too long to figure out why someone with a trust fund was always hustling for temp work, never stayed more than a few weeks, and often jumped into industries she didn’t like or actively loathed.
All that to say, the weekend was worth it just for a deeper glimpse into the life and times of the woman he loved.
As a friend.
As a friend.
The kiss was irrelevant. She’d been under a huge amount of stress and strain and, going by her extreme mortification afterward, deeply regretted it the second she laid one on him. Thelastthing he wanted to do was make things worse by suggesting they not only cross the line between friends and lovers, but pole-vault over the fucking thing.
God, he’d adored her from the moment she shoved him off the roof and into a haystack-sized pile of mud. But Amara was like a porcupine: Sharp quills hid the soul of a sweetheart. Dangerous... but only when provoked. Sexy, but... no, that’s where his metaphor broke down.
“When did you decide?”
That brought him back to the present. If he could have gotten away with it without looking like a total ass, he would have rubbed his hands together. Gray had heard the same pleasant tone when Amara was zeroing in on a #MeToo fuckface. Her targets got the same bland questions and pleasant demeanor right before she torpedoed their lives.
“Beg pardon?” Hank asked.
“When did you decide to go along with my parents’ scheme to make Death sick and trick me into my birthright?”
Dead (heh) silence. Penny and Hank looked at each other. Skye looked at the floor. Hilly looked at Death. Chernobog looked at Hilly. And La Croix...
“What?”
Holy shit, La Croix wassurprised.
Amara was eyeballing La Croix with her “hmmmm” face. “Did you decide as a group? Perhaps in this very room? Or did you all come to the decision separately? Not that it matters. I’m just curious about how we got here.”
Cue the awkwardest of awkward silences.
“Will no one answer me?” La Croix yelped. “I say again: What?”
“Why would you make such an accusation?” Hilly said, still looking down at Death.
Hilly was too calm. And she’d asked the wrong question. Amara took a breath.
“Well, let’s see. I had no warning, despite the fact that Death has allegedly been ill for months. You were willing to take your time before reaching out because you assumed you had total control of the situation. You were far too calm and civilized about the whole thing. Very much out of character.”
“I resent that,” Hades said indignantly.
“I don’t,” Skye said with a chuckle.
“If this was real, my folks would have been in touch the second Death sneezed. And well before he became bedridden. But they didn’t say a word before this week. Because it’s not real. And their choice of messenger was telling, too. Giving him Death’s crown was a nice touch.”
“It’s been a lie?” La Croix sputtered. He turned to Hilly. “You used me to perpetuate an illusion?”
Wow. He sounds genuinely hurt. Huh.
“I don’t think—” Penny began.
“Two: You told me you never called Paeon, despite the fact that nothing like this has happened in the history of human events. Despite the fact that he’s the only person still living who might have been able to help. I understand why you wouldn’t lie to Paeon—too many ways that could have blown up in your face—but at the least, whenIbrought him up, you should have agreed to bring him in. Even if you didn’t mean it. But you didn’t.Ireached out. That was a red flag the size of a quilt right there. You ignored my suggestion because you knew exactly what was wrong. And Paeon probably would have, too.”
“Told you,” Skye said to the room. “Didn’t even take her the weekend to smell a rat.”
“All fine to say thisnow,” Hades muttered. “You were on board, as I recall.”
“Shush, peanut gallery. Hold all questions and comments until the end. Three, you all vary from incredibly freaked to weirdly calm. And when you voice a concern, it’s never ‘This shouldn’t be happening.’ It’s always ‘It’s not supposed to belike this.’ Because while you expected him to be sick, you didn’t plan on him beingthissick. And it’s obvious that the coma took every one of you by surprise.”
“Oh, I said ‘like this’ one time,” Penny huffed. “Hardly damning.”
