Page 12 of At Odds with the Gods

“Eros,” Gany said through clenched teeth, “Apollo is not the one who suffered. And youdidn’t care.”

“Okay, okay. Fine. I can do better. You’ll see.”

Eros spun and whisked out the kitchen door before Gany could protest. He huffed an exasperated sigh. Thank the Fates Eros didn’t have his bow with him, because…

Gany’s heart bounded toward his throat.Shit.Eros might not have his bow, but did he still have arrows?

“No, no, no.” Gany rushed through the door in time to see Eros, one hand curled as though he were holding something, stalking toward Finn, who was seated facing the back wall as usual.

Gany quickly dodged in front of him just as Finn glanced over his shoulder, eyebrows lifted in question. Gany’s smile was probably a cross between anemic and desperate. “Excuse me for a minute, please, Finn?”

Finn’s gaze darted to Eros for an instant. “Sure.” He turned away again, an unreadable expression on his face.

Gany faced Eros again. “What are youdoing?” he whispered.

Eros snatched his hands behind his back. “Nothing.”

Gany held up his palm and curled his fingers with agimmemotion. “Come on. Hand it over.”

Eros scowled, his perfect eyebrows bunched, and for a moment, Gany thought he’d refuse. If that happened, it wasn’t as though Gany could do anything about it. Even if tackling somebody in the middle of his shop weren’t a total customer service fail, Eros was built like an Ionic column. Gany’s entire weight probably couldn’t budge him an inch.

Luckily, Eros heaved a god-sized sigh and held out his fist. When he uncurled his fingers…

“Are youseriousright now?” Gany hissed. “Acoffee stirrer?” Heknewhe shouldn’t have gone for the ones shaped like little spears. He snatched it off Eros’s palm, grabbed his elbow, and marched him out the front door, the tinkle of the bell for once more ominous than cheerful.

Once they were outside, however, Gany’s options were limited, since pedestrian traffic had picked up. He dropped Eros’s elbow and pasted on a smile, nodding at a couple of his regulars as they headed into Nectar & Ambrosia. As soon as they’d stepped inside, though, he poked Eros in the chest.

“I told you. Do not mess with him. You’renot allowed.”

“But look at him, Gany.” Eros all but pressed his nose against the window. “He’s pathetic. He needs a distraction, and nothing’s a better distraction than love.”

“Maybe, when it’s our own choice and notimposedon us by somebody else’s agenda.”

Gany glanced at Finn, his shoulders slumped as he hunched over his tea, then back at Eros, whose avid gaze hadn’t wavered. The gods all had the impulse control of a sleep-deprived toddler, so Gany didn’t trust Eros not to make another try at Finn, lying in wait for him and forcing him into a lust-struck obsession with some stranger. Given Finn’s current crappy situation, that could only end in further disaster for the poor guy.

Gany chewed on his lip. Should he? Well, why not? He didn’t have Fates-ordered dues to pay, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do something nice for someone. Help someone. He glanced at Eros again, who was actually pressing his nose on the glass, fogging it up under the gold ampersand.Protect someone.

“Listen up, Eros. You are not to enter my shop again without my permission.”

Eros glance down at him. “Why’d you name the place Nectar & Ambrosia then, if you hated your life on Olympus so much?”

“It’sironic. Although everyone who comes here thinks it’s metaphorical.” He poked Eros in the ribs. “Do you understand me? You’re banished from my shop.”

His gaze returned to Finn. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

“I’m staying at TD and Lonnie’s house, and you’re not allowed to come in there either.”

That caught his attention. “I couldn’t anyway. They’ve got Cerberus. He won’t let us in.”

Gany blinked. He hadn’t realized the pups were a security measure, but it made sense. The gods were vindictive assholes, and TD and Lonnie were the reasons they were having to answer for their actions. Although apparently the gods didn’t know that instead of a giant three-headed dog, Cerberus was now three large, extremely rambunctious puppies.

“Well. Good.” He pointed at Eros’s nose. “See you remember that. Now go away.”

Gany marched back into the shop, hoping—for several reasons—that Finn would say yes to his proposal.

After Gary hauled that big, buff guy outside, Finn had huddled over his tea, disappointment swamping him.

Obviously,somebody as beautiful as Gary would already have a boyfriend. The brief flare of hope in Finn’s chest when Gary had seemed so sympathetic, so sincerely interested in his problems needed todie.

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