Page 36 of For the Love of the Gods

“Now you do,” I snapped. Then corrected my tone as best I could. “Think what you want. But I never want to see you treat Rose like that in front of me again.”

Laurel went pale. “Lord Pluto, I apologize. I meant no disrespect.”

Good. Because disrespecting Rose was my job. Mine.

I let out a low grunt in response, then plucked the bag she’d put together off the counter, resolved to find another source to get my information from. I didn’t want to hear another thing Laurel had to say about Rose.

“Thank you,” I grumbled as I pushed out the door into the weak sun.

I stomped back to our house, pounding my feet into the ground like that would do anything with the frustration in my chest.

It didn’t work. Not for the entire walk or into the house or up to my office. I shoved the bag in some forgotten drawer in my office, not wanting to look at it.

Rose didn’t know I’d gotten it and what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

The restlessness didn’t abide, so I pushed out of my chair and started walking down the hallway without a plan until I saw Raiden.

Perfect.

“Raiden,” I called, flicking my hand toward me. Raiden walked over, his soldier’s gait traveling swiftly down the hallway.

“How can I help you, Dominic?” Raiden asked sarcastically in response to the bite in my tone.

“What happened to Mary?” I asked. I’d laid off asking until now. I wasn’t sure what to do with the glimpse of pain Rose let slip into her eyes after our fight in the kitchen, but now my anger barreled right through my hesitation.

Raiden regarded me for a moment, then said, “Don’t know. She spoke directly to Rose about reducing her hours.”

That didn’t satisfy my curiosity for a moment. “I’ll go ask her myself, then.”

“Can’t do that,” Raiden said, stopping me. “She’s off for the week.”

I flicked my tongue over my bottom teeth and into my cheek. “Great.”

“Why do you care?"

“I don’t want Rose messing with my staff.” I didn’t want her doing shit that knocked me off kilter any more than she already had. Just by looking at me and pulling her lips into that close lipped smile.

“You think she’d do that?” Raiden asked, looking skeptical. Right, they werefriends.

“I don’t know what she’s capable of,” I said. “I learned that lesson a long time ago.”

Raiden’s expression hardened. Barely there, but noticeable.

“In fact,” I said, “You seem to know a lot about her."

“Belen,” Raiden explained by just mentioning his husband’s name. “She’s always been kind to him.”

A point in Rose’s favor. I pushed past that. “And Lukas?”

Raiden blew out a laugh. “Her best friend's fiancé.”

Right. Lukas kept suspiciously quiet about Daphne’s disappearance. I’d always thought there was something going on, more than their arrangement, but he’d never copped to it. But he looked worse and worse every time I saw him.

Maybe Rose was keeping Daphne’s secrets too.

I let out a biting laugh. “Right. I’m sure they are just two peas in a pod.”

“Why don’t you ask Rose?” Raiden suggested.

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