Page 107 of For the Gods' Sake

Emre raised and dropped his hands in surrender. “I’m not repeating everything she said. I already hauled ass over there on apersonal errandfor you. I offered to bring her to Olympus if she’d like. She saidI would not like that. That’s all.”

That stung. I hated that it stung.

But there was something under the sting. A low current of doubt.

Somethingin my gut knew that wasn’t quite the truth.

“Thank you,” I grumbled as polite as I could manage. Emre didn’t deserve to be on the wrong end of yetanotherunwanted emotion that sunk its teeth into me before I could stop it.

I was actually coming around to Reyna’s view of things on the matter. Showing and feeling emotion and all that. But that was when things were good.

This tightness in my chest, the pit in my stomach. This shit sucked.

“I know I’m going to hate myself for saying this,” Emre said, running his hand over his head. “And trust me when I say I wouldnevercomment on or criticize a woman’s appearance.” I doubted he would. Emre was one charming motherfucker, I'd give him that. “Reyna looked different than normal. Quite tired.”

I was out of my chair before I knew what I was doing.

“But,” Emre said, raising his hands to slow me. “I say that to make you consider taking a moment of space.”

Fuck space. But what came out was. “Did you notice anything else?”

Emre shook his head. “No. And I didn’t notice anything out of the norm. Her guards are well-trained. That recent hire is a bit of a dud, but I like that Titus guy.”

I breathed in, trying to resist the urge to go to her. I could give her a day, I supposed.

A day to finalize the plans I had to protect her and let the plans I'd set in motion roll out to uncover the god who betrayed me. Starting with the laborious task of altering the wards in my office.

And then I was done acting like this thing was entirely fake.

Chapter 26

Reyna

“Open the door, Reyna.” Anyone in their right mind would listen to that deep voice. The raw command and the full-bodied dominance.

My instincts were to listen. My heart lurched towards it, feeling like it was about to jump out of my chest just to get closer to him.

But my mind locked my body down before I could throw reason to the wind, swing open the door, and jump into his arms.

He’d knocked first. Two crisp knocks that were distinctly Adrian. Then he called my name. Then he knocked again, harder and more aggressive. Then he called my nameagainand I’d fallen towards the door. Coming up short right as my hand wrapped around the handle.

Now he knew I was standing here. I could feel him on the other side of the door, could almost hear his breathing.

I rested my palm on the wood, raking in a deep breath. Then a dull pulse of electricity shot up my arm. The door was open before logic could stop me.

Adrian—with all acknowledgment of howannoyingly attractive he was—looked like shit. To the average onlooker, they probably couldn’t tell anything was amiss. He was still in a suit. Still had his hair pushed back and beard shaved.

But, unfortunately, I knew him. He was in a suit, yes, but he wasn’t wearing a tie. As if the feeling of it around his neck would strangle his already tight throat. Strands of his hair were falling over his forehead. And he had a five o’clock shadow.

My chest felt like it was splitting open. I gripped the door frame to stop myself from reaching for him. “Hello,” I tried. My voice sounded rough and hoarse.

That one word seemed to physically affect Adrian. “We need to talk.”

I nodded. We did. I just wasn’t prepared for what I would need to say. “We do. Come in.”

Adrian stepped carefully over my threshold, matching my steps as I walked back into the foyer. Our eyes held onto each other with a brutal grip, neither of us speaking. It was so intense, I had to break it.

Bad fucking idea.

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