“My father would kill her if he could.”
She blinks. “I’m going to get you that drink now.”
“Seriously, Aurora. If I do this, I can’t go home. Not ever. He’ll never forgive me.”
She pours a healthy splash of amber liquid into a glass and brings it back to me. “I know a little something about never being able to go home again. Sometimes it’s true. Sometimes it’s all in your head.” She waits for me to take the glass before she continues. “You chose to do this auction for a reason. Is it a good enough reason to go forward with this?”
Alaric.
I almost forgot about him in the midst of this. I take a sip of the alcohol and wheeze a little as it burns a path down to my stomach. I told Alaric that his freedom was worth the price of seven days. How is it less true because Ursa’s the person who won? Easy answer. It’s not. “Yes. It’s still a good enough reason to move forward with this.”
“Then you have your answer.” Her smile falters. “Hades will go over everything, and I suspect Hercules will be checking in on you, but if you’ve changed your mind, it’s not too late to back out.”
“I haven’t,” I respond before I can think too hard about it. I haven’t changed my mind. I knew the risks when I accepted the Sea Witch’s help. I just never expected this.
I’m swimming with the sharks now.
It’ll be everything I can do not to drown.
Chapter 7
Ursa
I can barely keep my satisfied smile off my face as I walk through the public playroom. This has all gone according to plan. The price went higher than I expected, but with the show Zurielle put on… I lick my lips.
It’s going to be such fun to have Triton’s daughter playing my sinful games. It’ll be even better that all evidence points to her enjoying them despite herself. Preferable that way. Alaric promised that she wasn’t the good girl her father believes, but men have a habit of seeing what they want and ignoring all evidence to the contrary. What man doesn’t believe that every virgin is a little slut waiting to happen? Only for him, of course. Only ever for him.
Fools, all of them.
Malone strides up like a great slinking cat. She narrows her eyes at me. “Did you drop a million on her solely to spite me?”
“Of course not, darling.” I grin. “It was only the icing on the cake. It’s good for you to be acquainted with disappointment from time to time, instead of getting everything you want without a fight. It keeps that pretty head on your shoulders instead of in the clouds.”
Malone smirks. “And here I thought it was because you wanted to give your little boyfriend a toy.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re speaking of.” I’d hardly call Alaric my boyfriend. It’s such a mundane title and implies a trust I don’t have in him. Alaric is the kind of man skilled in telling others what they want to hear in order to pave his way forward. If I have a fondness for him, I would have paid his debt myself if not for that tricky little caveat in Hades’s bargain.
Well, it’s not something I’m going to get into here in the Underworld.
She raises her brows. “Uh-huh.”
I can’t quite resist ribbing her in return. “Don’t think I missed the way you licked every bit of our virgin off Aurora’s fingers. Was that all for the taste or the pretty submissive offering it?”
“Bite your tongue, Ursa,” she snaps. “You know better.”
Yes, I do. But the advantage of friendship is that sometimes we dance over each other’s lines without apology. “You should take her, darling. She’s primed for it, and maybe it’ll put you in a better mood.”
Malone gives a delicate sneer. “Worry about your own household.” She shakes her head. “I suppose you’ll be too busy with that virgin pussy for drinks this week.”
A slow heat has been building in me since I placed the winning bid. “Call me in a few days. I might be in a mood to share.”
Her green eyes light up, though her voice stays dry as always. “You truly are a friend cut above the rest.”
“I’m everything cut above the rest.” I catch sight of Hades across the room, and he tilts his head, indicating I should follow him. “I have to go. Duty calls.”
“Enjoy your night.” She loads enough innuendo into the sentence to sink a fleet.
“You, too. Find some pretty submissive to take out all that frustration on.” I walk away to her soft cursing, my smile widening. It’s a good night. There are still factors in play, but things are going my way. I just need to be patient enough to let the final few dominos fall.
I find Hades in the lounge, leaning against the bar. Some of the other territory leaders have made their way back here as well. I catch sight of Jasmine and Jafar tucked in what’s become their booth. Those two are always so lost in each other, it’s tempting to test them to see if their distraction expands past their time in the club. I know better than to give in to that impulse. In the year or so since Jasmine’s taken over her father’s territory, she’s proven herself to be a capable leader. That and the fact we don’t share a border is enough to keep me on my best behavior.
For now.
I stop next to Hades and prop my hip against the bar. He doesn’t seem overly keen on breaking the silence, but that’s a simple negotiation tactic. We already settled this yesterday. He won’t interfere, even if he doesn’t like this.
Tisiphone appears behind the bar. She’s a tall Dominican woman, and one-third of Hades’s Furies. I’ve never seen her anywhere except behind this bar, but that doesn’t mean I’m foolish enough to believe all she does is sling drinks. She nods to me warily and pours Scotch for him and gin and tonic for me.
I pick up the drink. “Hades, darling, you look tired. Are you getting enough sleep between those two randy partners of yours?”
His brows inch up. “I won’t bother to ask what game you’re playing by bidding on that girl.”
“Good. It’s none of your business.” No matter what most of the other territory leaders believe, I have no real interest in war. It’s messy and expensive and even if you win, you lose. Better to be subtle in my revenge. I might want Triton dead, but I know better than to bring all of Olympus down upon our heads.
What better way to enact my revenge than taking his daughter?
Easy. Having her come to me willingly, entrapping herself in my net of her own choice. It only took the right bait, and she leaped without checking for predators in the water. I might pity her if I were the type of woman to pity fools.
Hades takes a sip of his drink. “If she changes her mind anytime in the next seven days, I’ll take her from you and return her to her father.”
I let my smile slide free. “She won’t.” That, I’m sure of. The trap is too well baited. My plan is too perfectly balanced. “And she’s an adult, Hades. You’d have to be a monster to hand her back to her father against her will.”
“Ursa…” He shakes his head. “This won’t end the way you want it to.”
I laugh a little. “Give me some credit. I’m not in danger of falling for the mode of my revenge. You’re the one who let emotions get tangled up in your goals.”