Chapter 28

28

The sidewalks around the Elysium club and concert hall were packed with excited concert goers. Hades’s black sedan slid to a stop in front of the back doors, where the crush of people was thicker than at the front entrance.

Persephone peered out at the throng. “Hades,” she said nervously.

“It’s all right.” Hades leaned forward and gave an order to the driver.

Outside, a few muscled men dressed all in black threaded through the crowd. His Shades. In a matter of seconds, they lined the entryway and were holding back the throng, though it looked like a near thing. Persephone had never seen a crowd so big.

Still, amidst the chaos, the paparazzi sensed something was happening as they pulled close and swiveled the cameras’ eyes onto the black sedan.

Persephone shrank back into the dark cocoon of the car. This was her least favorite part: being stripped and exposed for the cameras. She smoothed her ice blue sheath dress and touched her coifed hair to check it.

“Hey.” Hades cupped her chin and gently turned her head. “You’re perfect.”

For a moment, his dark eyes held her transfixed. All the thoughts about the noise and mess outside melted away. He frowned slightly and for a second, Persephone thought she saw the flicker of something more than obligation and duty in his eyes.

Something thumped the side of the car and she jumped. A roar erupted in the otherwise quiet car as the door on her side opened. Turning with her heart in her throat, she saw Charon, Hades’s right-hand man, leaning over the car. His large black head filled the window for a moment while he signaled to his boss.

“Stay by my side for a few pictures,” Hades said, his jaw working as he eyed the people swarming around them. “Then go with Charon. He can handle the crowd and get you safely inside.” He pulled out his phone.

The car door opened with another blast of sound. Persephone slid out, fighting to keep her dress modest and trying not to flinch at the sudden bright lights. She stepped close to Charon, whose large body buffered her as much as possible from the light and noise.

Hades slid out after her and posed for a moment next to the car, six feet of male perfection. Something about his height, his dark eyes and perfect cheekbones under the thick fall of black hair gave him a beautiful intensity. Add in some rumors of a criminal empire, and papers fell over themselves to report on the Lord of the Underworld’s fascinating mystique.

Persephone took her husband’s arm, falling into her role of eye candy. Smiling down at her, Hades barely seemed to notice the flashing lights or people calling to him. His mask of affable billionaire was firmly in place. She wondered when she’d next see the real Hades.

“Mr. Ubeli!” a reporter called. “How does it feel to have landed the hottest musical act in an exclusive contract?”

Hades turned and offered a charming grin, squeezing Persephone gently to him. She knew what a great picture the two of them cut, with Hades’s dark good looks and her light hair and pale skin.

“We’re very grateful,” Hades was answering. “We want Elysium to showcase only the best.”

He’d completely remodeled the venue, inside and out, since they’d come here for the charity ball and auction all those months ago when he’d purchased the fateful theater tickets that would lead to the night ending with a bullet in her guts. Now instead of a venue for conferences and parties, it was one of the hippest clubs and concerts spaces in New Olympus.

A few more questions from the media and Persephone felt her fluttering heart calm. Hades made it look so easy, whether in public or private, he always looked poised and perfect. She was the only one who ever got to see him lose a bit of that perfect control, like she had earlier in the bedroom tonight. A pleasurable tingle skittered down her back even at the memory and she let her lips curve into a satisfied smile. Cameras flashed.

She wasn’t as practiced as Hades at deception and the few times she’d offered fake smiles, the press had commented on it. So she’d taught herself to think of happy things when in front of cameras, even if it meant thinking of Hades and the memories came with a vicious afterbite.

Hades looked down as if reading her mind and gave her his own heated version. His hand slid a little lower than her waist.

Persephone forced herself to keep her smile but reminded herself it was just for the cameras. Hades was so drop dead gorgeous when he smiled, but he rarely did it anywhere else other than when there were cameras around.

They were turning as one to go when another person called, “What about reports that Orpheus has connections to the mob in Metropolis?”

Hades barely let his grin flicker but Persephone felt his body tense. He waved for a second and pushed Persephone forward. Charon was immediately at their side, along with several of Hades’s other hand-selected bodyguards. The Shades protected the Ubelis and would die on Hades’s command. Or so the rumors went. Dressed all in black, muscles bunched under their suits, they cut menacing figures on the red carpet.

Usually Persephone felt uncomfortable with them hanging around, but, as they stepped forward and formed a phalanx around her and Hades, she was grateful for their protection.

Charon hovered close, a mountain in a tux. “We need to talk.”

“Later. Get her inside,” Hades ordered, and the group moved in perfect formation, Charon at the back.

“See you at the concert,” Hades told Persephone, and handed her off to his trusted second in command.

She glanced back once, right before she went inside, to see her husband standing solid against the mad rush of reporters trying to interview Elysium’s owner. Then she—and her black clad corps—were inside.

Charon’s large hand ghosted over her spine as they went down the back hallways, up to the second story to the private lounge.

Persephone wondered if she’d see Hades for the rest of the night. That’s how it went sometimes. She was good for pretty pictures but once he had no more need of her… Persephone bit her lip and stiffened her back. No. He didn’t have the power to hurt her anymore because she knew the score now.

Still, once they entered the bar area, Persephone breathed a sigh of relief. No more false smiles required for a while. There were no cameras up here; Elysium’s elite patrons didn’t like attention. The ones who paid for access to this private lounge were all business associates of Hades’s.

A few of them were at the bar or in booths, enjoying a quiet drink. Persephone recognized a few right away. Santonio, who ran a high-end prostitution ring—he preferred to call them escorts—stood talking to Poseidon, who controlled all of the distribution business in the Styx, a territory south of the city, near the docks. Another two, Joey and Andy DePetri, were at the bar, arms around women at least ten years younger than them.

It was looking more and more like the concert was a perfect cover for Hades to gather his capos and discuss business.

Persephone ducked into the first booth she came to, hoping they wouldn’t notice her. If they saw her, they’d want to pay their respects, and she didn’t want to talk to them.

Charon paused for a moment at the end of her table, surveying the room. The rest of her bodyguards seemed to melt away, although she could see them discreetly stationed near the gold fringed theater curtains that decorated the lounge.

“Charon,” Persephone leaned forward. The big man didn’t turn but she knew he was listening. He noticed everything. “Was all of that madness for the band tonight?”

The crowd outside had really been something, unlike anything she’d ever seen before. Elysium might be one of the top clubs in the city but still.

Charon shrugged. But she didn’t expect him to answer. He rarely spoke to her, even though he was Hades’s right hand man.

She relaxed back into her booth, studying him. A wire wrapped around his large bald head, and he wore an expensive platinum watch around one wrist. Like Hades, he looked flawless and in control even after the mad rush at the door. His tux was perfect; she wondered where he bought it to fit his large frame.

“Nice suit,” she said to his back. “You look good.”

In answer, he twisted slowly and gazed down at her. Touching his crackling headpiece, he turned and walked away.

Persephone sighed. “I need to make friends,” she muttered to herself.

Real friends, not the kind who socialized with her out of ambition or fear of her husband’s position. Her only real friend was Hecate, two decades her senior, who owned the dog shelter where she volunteered. But it would be great to have more people she felt comfortable around at things like this.

“Mrs. Ubeli,” a perky cocktail waitress came by. “The usual?”

“Thank you, Janice.” Persephone watched the young woman dart away, thinking that the waitress was probably around her age. And how hard would it be to strike up a conversation? And meet her for drinks later? Or go out for a mani/pedi?

Persephone tried to imagine asking Hades if she could have a girl’s movie night up at the penthouse. Nope, couldn’t picture it.

Meanwhile, the waitress had returned with her glass of wine.

“Are you excited about the concert?”

“Yes.” Persephone met the young woman’s enthusiasm with her own. “Do you know the band?”

“Orpheus?” the waitress practically squealed. “Everyone knows him. He’s amazing. Look—” The girl plucked a newspaper off of a nearby stand and showed Persephone the Arts Section.

“Rock God packs Elysium,” it read.

Persephone smiled. Hades would be pleased with the free publicity.

“His songs are amazing,” Janice kept gushing.

Glancing up, Persephone saw a few of the men around the club looking their way, attracted by the girl’s excitement. Persephone put her hand on the paper and looked pointedly at Janice.

“Thanks,” Persephone said quietly. “Can I keep this?”

As the waitress left, Persephone scanned the article. It was short, just talking about Orpheus’s top hits and incipient fame around the country.

Persephone buried her head in the paper, hiding her face from the rest of the club to read until the concert started.

“Mayor Pledges Reform as Elections Draw Near” splashed across the front page, with a picture of a handsome blond waving to the crowd. Zeus Sturm. The Op/Ed scoffed at the pre-election speeches, citing broken promises of previous terms. Meanwhile the Style pages were dedicated to articles on the mayor’s reign as “most eligible bachelor” with an emphasis on his suave wardrobe. The Gossip pages spun the tale of his latest lover, with a byline listing all his famous liaisons on the side.

“Mayor or Player?” Persephone read the title and rolled her eyes. She tossed the paper onto the table, ready to donate it to the shelter so it could line the bottom of the dog cages. At least the election would be over soon.

“Hey, sweetheart. You’re looking beautiful tonight.”

Persephone frowned up at a tall, stout, balding man in a floor-length fur coat staring straight at her chest. His fat fingers bore a gold ring on each hand.

“Uh, thank you.” She glanced around for a bodyguard, but couldn’t see one. They probably were out handling the crowd; it looked like they needed all hands on deck. Besides, wasn’t she always telling Hades she would be fine by herself? Well, it was true he let her go wherever she wanted in the city, but his Shades were always in the shadows following.

Realizing she had her hand up by her neck in a vulnerable pose, she touched her diamonds lightly and then forced her hand down.

She made herself smile at the man. Was he one of Hades’s business partners? Maybe partner to Santonio or Poseidon? If he was, there were too many politics involved for her to tell him to get lost. She would play nice until she was sure.

The man smiled back down at Persephone, but it wasn’t a nice smile. A lot of Hades’s associates looked at women like that, although they always acted like perfect gentlemen to her when she was on Hades’s arm. They wouldn’t dare disrespect her husband like that.

Maybe this gentleman needed a reminder of who she was. “Are you enjoying yourself in our club?” She kept her tone cool and confident.

“Oh, yes, absolutely, toots. In fact,” he slapped down a business card in front of her, “I was going to invite you to visit mine.”

Persephone glanced down at the card and read the purple lettering out loud, “The Orchid House.”

“Finest establishment in town.” The man grinned and a gold tooth flashed. “In fact, I recommend you visit sometime this week. Preferably around eleven. We’re holding auditions.”

“Auditions?”

“That’s right. Body like yours, you’d make a killing. Guys love the skinny no-tits look nowadays.”

Persephone stiffened.

“I’m not saying I don’t,” the man continued, chuckling a little. “Especially with that baby doll face you got.”

As he spoke, a skinny redhead wearing a scary amount of eye makeup sauntered up.

“Am I right, Ashley?” The man slid his hand over Ashley’s rump and squeezed. In response, the redhead put her arms around him. Her long nails looked vicious as they stroked and smoothed the man’s fur coat. She scowled at Persephone.

“Anyway, tell the boys Ajax sent you. They’ll put you to the front of the line.” The man winked. Ashley looked like she’d seen a pile of dog vomit in the booth right where Persephone was sitting.

Persephone could feel her cheeks flushing with embarrassment and anger. Who did this man think he was?

But Ajax still smiled at her, eyes narrowed as he waited for her reaction. Persephone took a deep breath and channeled her Inner Ice Queen.

“Excuse me—” she started to say—she still couldn’t help being polite, even in Ice Queen mode—when Hypnos, in a tux and bright blue hair, ran up to the booth. Together with his twin brother Thanatos, he managed Elysium, and he more than lived up to his name. Thanatos did the books and took care of the back office while Hypnos stage managed and, on nights Elysium wasn’t booked for a show, played as the House DJ.

“Mrs. Ubeli?” Hypnos gasped. His blue eyes were wide and frantic under his shocking hair. Both Persephone’s unwanted visitors stepped aside as Hypnos leaned in. “Have you seen your husband?”

“No, Hypnos, why, is something wrong?” Persephone rose, relieved to have a familiar face in her corner.

“It’s Orpheus. The singer for tonight—he’s refusing to play.”

“What?” Persephone and Ashley said at the same time. The latter immediately looked disgusted that she shared the same thought with Persephone.

Meanwhile, Ajax was studying Persephone with a shrewd look on his face. Persephone felt his gaze, and, even though red burned on her cheeks, she refused to look at him.

“He just stopped tuning his guitar and started freaking out. Thanatos sent me to find help.” At this, Hypnos turned to Ajax. “Has he ever done this before?”

Ajax shrugged. “He’s an artist. He’s temperamental.”

“You’re his manager, for gods’ sake.” As the blue-haired man’s voice got louder, it cracked. “Why aren’t you in the green room with him?”

Persephone’s eyes shot back to Ajax. He was Orpheus’s manager?

“Thought I’d meet the locals,” Ajax said. “Look, I discovered him. I got him here for you. If he doesn’t sing, it’s on him. Not my problem.” Ajax reached down to a bowl of bar nuts the waitress had left on Persephone’s table, took a handful and slapped them into his mouth. His jaws shook a little as he chewed. Persephone looked away in disgust.

Hypnos looked like he was about to explode and Persephone took pity on him.

“Ok, calm down,” Persephone said. “Let’s go see Thanatos.” She put a hand on his arm. “We’ll figure something out.”

Relieved to have a reason to escape, Persephone started walking away.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Ubeli,” Ajax called after them, spraying pieces of food onto the carpet.

“What an ass,” Hypnos muttered.

“Who is he, and why is he here?” Persephone couldn’t keep the anger out of her voice. “A simple band manager wouldn’t have dared take the liberties he did. And the things he said?—”

Hypnos glanced at her. “What’d he say to you?”

“He, uh, told me he admired my body.” She shook her head in revulsion. “He offered me a job.”

“What, really?” Hypnos looked ill. “Don’t tell Mr. U that.”

“Why, what does he do?”

“He produces pornos.”

“What?” Persephone cried out.

“Don’t worry,” Hypnos said drily. “Once Hades finds out he’s here, he’s going to kill him.”

“What? Why?”

“Those two go way back. Before Hades was—” Hypnos lowered his voice and intoned solemnly, “Lord of the Underworld.”

“Don’t let him catch you calling him that.” Persephone grimaced, but she knew what Hypnos meant. Before the age of thirty her husband had become a juggernaut in the city of New Olympus, with business on both sides of the law. She knew firsthand how impossible it was to cross him. “So why is Ajax here?”

“Ajax is like a cockroach; disgusting and indestructible. Careful around him…he’s smarter than he looks. Makes good money off his porn business and his club. Hustles on the side. One of his boys had a bloke who owed him a debt, and turns out the bloke was just about to discover the world’s newest hot rock star.”

“Orpheus.”

Hypnos nodded. “Ajax took over the debt and signed Orpheus. We booked the show and then found out it came with Ajax. Hades doesn’t want him around.”

Persephone considered this. She couldn’t imagine Hades not getting his way. Although, given the boost Orpheus would give to Elysium, she understood why Hades compromised.

Persephone bit her lip. “I think he may have been…testing me.” She remembered the intent look in his beady little eyes.

“Testing for Mr. U’s weaknesses,” Hypnos nodded. “Ajax looks like a slob, but don’t underestimate him.”

Persephone shook her head like she could shake off the encounter. “His companion certainly didn’t think much of me.”

“Please. I own shirts longer than that skank’s dress,” Hypnos cracked.

Persephone smiled. Of all Hades’s employees, the blue-haired Hypnos was her favorite. Even when he was acting jittery—which he was about half the time she saw him. The other half he seemed almost too mellow.

Hypnos slowed abruptly as they turned down a new hall and saw two large men guarding a nondescript door.

The door opened before he could address the guards and Thanatos, Hypnos’s brother, faced them, solemn faced. Thanatos wore a grey suit and a pale violet tie, and, other than his clothes and plain brown hair, he looked exactly like his blue haired brother.

Just like the first time she met them, she marveled at how one twin looked like an accountant and the other looked ready for a rave.

The two men stared at each other like they were looking into a mirror at a fun house. Hypnos seemed even more agitated when juxtaposed with his dignified brother.

“He won’t play,” Thanatos stated and Hypnos started up a fit of cursing.

“What can we do?” Persephone interjected.

“Get Mr. Ubeli. Or Charon—Charon can threaten to beat his head in.”

“Brilliant,” said Hypnos at the same time Persephone said, “No!”

She frowned at both brothers. “Can I see him? Maybe I could talk to him.”

Thanatos and Hypnos exchanged glances that might as well have said, Couldn’t hurt. Thanatos led them into the room.

The green room was, in fact, green. Stage hands in black rushed around and more bodyguards in suits stood like statues around the room. Brightly lit mirrors lined one wall; two makeup artists stood at the counters fussing over their supplies. A knot of people were in the corner beside them, looking bored and drinking designer water.

“He’s over there.” Thanatos nodded toward the corner.

Persephone hesitated, suddenly nervous. “I don’t know if I should do this. He has ties to Ajax, right? Hades might not want me to meddle.”

Thanatos blinked. “You met Ajax?”

“Back in the lounge. He cornered her,” Hypnos explained. “I practically rescued her. That man never misses an opportunity to make a bad impression.”

“I’m just saying, if he’s one of Hades’s enemies then maybe I should lay low,” Persephone said.

Thanatos scowled at his brother. “You’ve been talking too much.”

“What?” Hypnos threw his hands up. “You want this concert to happen, right?”

Thanatos looked at Persephone. “We need him to do this, for PR. There’s a lot of support in the lounge.”

Persephone nodded, catching his meaning. Business support. People who came out to see Orpheus in private before the show. People who would owe her husband a favor.

She took a deep breath, because though her husband might always see her as only her mother’s daughter, she was determined to make a life for herself here. She would prove herself indispensable and she would start by somehow pulling this off. “Ok. I’ll do it.”

Smoothing her dress, Persephone practiced her model glide all the way to the huddle of people in the corner of the room.

Thanatos fell into step with her. “Look, he may be rude. He may just ignore us. We’ve been trying not to strong arm him and risk offending his…artistic sensitivity.”

“Thanatos, I can handle sensitivity. I’m a model, remember? And a woman.” She stopped on the edge of the huddle and looked for a way to break through the throng of bodyguards, managers, assistants and groupies.

Thanatos cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Mrs. Ubeli would like to meet Orpheus.”

All eyes turned to her. The groupies looked annoyed. Persephone blushed a little, realizing they thought she was just another rich man’s escort, in her expensive sheath dress and diamonds.

A path cleared and Persephone found herself approaching a young man sitting on a stool in the corner, hunched over a guitar. His blondish hair had fallen into his eyes, his head bent towards his fingers. Other than his extreme concentration, he looked almost normal. He wore jeans and a plain white button-down shirt, and with his unruly hair he looked like a kid made to wear church clothes. Not like a rock god at all.

“Orpheus?” Persephone made her voice as soft and dulcet as possible. She felt awkward but apparently it didn’t matter how strange she found the situation because he didn’t move or look up either way.

“It’s nice to meet you.” She searched for something to say. Orpheus still hadn’t looked at her, instead remaining focused on his instrument. His fingers moved, ghosting across the neck of the guitar, forming chords, playing soundlessly.

Persephone waited a minute, watching him play silently, in his own world. A lock of hair fell away from his face and she tried again. “Is there anything you might need? Some water maybe?”

One of the groupies stepped forward, offering a water bottle. Orpheus ignored it. Persephone could hear whispers start to circulate around her.

“Mob boss’s wife,” she heard someone say, but when she turned all she saw was a circle of blank faces, staring at her. Persephone felt her own face stiffen, become a mask. She had to remember she was playing a role, typecast by their judgment.

She always hated being surrounded by people like this—fake, judgmental hangers-on who hoped a little fame or power would rub off on them simply by being in proximity to it. Maybe Orpheus hated it too, maybe not. Judging by his closed off body language, she’d say he didn’t love it… Or maybe he was just really into his music.

Either way, there was no way she could talk to him like this.

“Clear the room.” When no one moved, she squared her shoulders and said it in a far louder, no nonsense, do-not-fuck-with-me voice. “Clear. The. Room.”

And people started to move. Slowly at first but Persephone said to Hypnos, “Should I go get my husband?” and everyone started scurrying at a much quicker clip after that until just she, Hypnos, Thanatos, and Orpheus were alone in the room. She waved out Hypnos and Thanatos.

Orpheus finally looked over at her. “You’re the club owner’s wife, right?”

She nodded.

“You look a lot younger than him,” he said thoughtfully.

“He just looks older sometimes,” she smiled.

“How old are you?”

“You and I are the same age, I think. Nineteen, right?” She blushed a little under Orpheus’s intense scrutiny. He was a good-looking boy.

“You look about sixteen,” he laughed and sang a little phrase from a song she recognized, Sixteen Summers.

Persephone stilled and listened until Orpheus was done. “That’s one of your songs?”

He nodded, a genuine smile lighting up his face.

“Wow, I didn’t realize you wrote that. They play it all the time on the radio.”

“I wrote the lyrics and they bought it for a female artist to sing. That was before I was discovered.”

“You sold your song?”

He shrugged. “Practically gave it away, so I could eat and keep on. I just want to make music.” He started humming the song again, eyes closed reverently. His fingers flew in a riff on an air guitar and didn’t stop until he sang the last chorus.

When he opened his eyes, Persephone clapped. She couldn’t help it. He looked so charming.

He was oblivious to it, she realized, this light that shone from him. His gift. When he accessed it and shared it freely, he shone like the sun.

“That was amazing.”

“Thanks. Wrote it for Eurydice.” His brow furrowed. “I’m waiting for her. I can’t go on until she’s here. It’s a big night.”

“She’s your girlfriend?”

Orpheus lit up again, smiling impishly. “I have a secret. I’m hoping she’ll be my fiancée. I’m gonna propose after the show tonight.” His brow pinched. “But don’t tell anyone. Ajax wouldn’t like it.”

Persephone shook her head. “Your secret is safe with me.” She wanted to ask him more about Ajax and why he’d taken the sleazy man on as a manager but the door pushed open.

“Orpheus?” A tall, lovely young woman pushed forward. Her dark curls were a halo around her head, emphasizing her full lips and beautiful mocha skin. So he had a real name after all.

“Eurydice,” Orpheus said in the gravelly voice of a hipster singer. He swung his guitar down and the young woman stepped straight into his arms.

Her height put her perfectly face to face with him still on the stool.

“You okay, babe?” Orpheus searched her eyes, worried lines etching his brow.

Eurydice nodded. “Always. I’m so sorry I’m late.” She wound her arms behind his neck. “I missed you.”

“Nothing’s right until you’re here,” he whispered. “It’s you and me against the world.”

They gazed into each other’s eyes with a look of such love and longing…

Persephone’s breath caught and a pain she couldn’t explain clenched her chest. She wanted to look away, to give them privacy, but most of all to shield her eyes from the aching sweetness of their love.

They kissed gently, and Persephone did look away but not before seeing the naked intimacy on their faces.

“Ma’am?” the young woman called. Persephone glanced back; Orpheus and Eurydice were still in a clinch, and Eurydice was looking back at her. “Can we go backstage now?”

“Yes,” Persephone managed to say, her throat suddenly dry. “I mean, I think so. I’ll check…if you’re ready.”

“We’re ready,” Orpheus said, face lit up. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of the lovely Eurydice, whose smile bloomed easily on her lips.

Persephone backed away, signaling Thanatos, who stepped in.

“That went well.” Hypnos appeared at her elbow, looking way more mellow than when she last saw him. She suspected he’d stepped out and taken something; his blue eyes looked a little glazed. “He’ll play?”

“Yes, he was just waiting for—” Persephone broke off when the crowd jostled her to the side. Orpheus’s entourage moved towards the door.

“Good work, toots.” A rough voice made both Persephone and Hypnos turn. Ajax stood there smoking a cigar.

“You can’t smoke in here. It’s a fire hazard,” Hypnos sputtered.

“Beat it, freak.” Ajax stared the shorter man down. Ajax was as broad as he was tall, but his bulk only added to his menace. “I’m here to talk to the lady.”

“Mr. Ubeli won’t like it.”

“Mr. Ubeli doesn’t like a lot of stuff I do.” Ajax gestured with his cigar holding hand, sprinkling bits of ash on the floor. He turned to Persephone and she shrank back. He was the last person she felt like dealing with right now. “I’d like to continue our earlier conversation.”

“I’d rather not.” Persephone tried to keep the quiver out of her voice. He was just a man and they were in public. She didn’t have to be such a coward. This was her life, she tried to remind herself.

“Oh, I think you do.” And Ajax slung his arm around her shoulders, steering her towards the door. Persephone tried to step away, but he was built like a bear and easily blocked her. She felt panic rising as he bullied her forward.

She could see Hypnos’s wide blue eyes following her worriedly and she tried to halt in her tracks, but Ajax’s arm caught her and pushed her towards the door with him. What the?—

She tried to twist away from him but his hands gripped even tighter, hard enough to leave bruises. She was on the verge of freaking out when a voice rolled across the room.

“Get your hands off my wife.”

Hades stood in the doorway, glowering at Ajax. As always, Persephone felt his presence like a physical thing, a storm front moving into the room. Everyone, including Ajax, froze.

“Hades, man of the hour.” Ajax grinned at the new arrival. His arm fell away and Persephone scuttled to the side.

Hades put his hand out for her and, gods help her, she went to him. He pulled her close and she sank against his side, “Are you ok?”

“Yes,” she lied. She could feel the heat of his anger, but he kept it controlled. She wished she hadn’t had to be rescued, least of all by him. She needed to pull away from him if she was ever going to keep her sanity.

But Hades only put his arm around her shoulder and tucked her more firmly to his side before facing Ajax. And it felt so good, so safe in his arms.

The room had mostly cleared. Hypnos had retreated near the makeup tables and was instructing the people there to take a break and move out. Two of Orpheus’s bodyguards stood hulking around; Persephone guessed they were Ajax’s men.

The mobster faced Hades and she realized that if his shoulders weren’t so stooped, he’d almost be as tall as her husband. Ajax was larger than Hades, too, and although Hades had the frame of an athlete, the older man struck an intimidating figure. She felt a little better about not standing up to him. Even now Ajax smoked his cigar casually, acting unfazed as he studied Hades.

“Ajax,” Hades finally acknowledged him. “I see you met my wife.”

“Beautiful girl you have there, Hades. Real sweet too.” He winked at Persephone and she stiffened in shock. Was he trying to imply she’d been flirting with him?

She shuddered in disgust and Hades’s arm around her tightened.

“We’ll have to forgive Ajax for being so rude,” Hades said to Persephone, although he kept his eyes on Ajax. “He hasn’t been to New Olympus in a while.”

Ajax lost all interest in Persephone as he narrowed his eyes at Hades. “That’s right. A bunch of riffraff showed up. Didn’t like the way the neighborhood was going.”

“A bunch of your friends moved out at the same time, as I recall. One particular family with two brothers.”

“Used to have three brothers.” Ajax’s eyes glittered with anger, but he controlled it like Hades. He stuck the cigar in the side of his mouth and spoke around it. “Actually only two moved to Metropolis.”

“Ah yes,” Hades’s voice held a note of cool satisfaction. “One of the three disappeared during his time here. The one with a twin—what were their names?”

“Karl and Alexander.” Ajax puffed angrily.

“Karl and Alex. Forgive me, I always get them mixed up.” Hades chuckled. “I don’t even remember which one disappeared.”

“Karl. Missing, presumed dead.”

Dear gods, they were talking about her father. Like she wasn’t even here. Like she had nothing at stake in the conversation.

Ajax had forgotten his cigar for the moment and Persephone stared at its lengthening ash. Ajax snatched it out of his mouth. “His brothers, Alexander and Ivan, send their regards.”

Hades’s face split into a scary smile. “They do? How considerate. His widow, too, I assume? How is Demeter? Our last meeting was far too short. And you’re such a good little errand boy—tell me, when the brothers sent you to spy on me, did they also tell you to bring me my take of your little club? Because that would definitely soften me up. Probably not enough to let my control of the city slip, but your time in exile hasn’t made you any smarter.”

The mobster flushed so red Persephone wondered if he’d explode with anger. The room was empty except for the Ubelis, Hypnos, and Ajax with his two thugs. Persephone felt nervous watching the showdown, but Hades seemed as calm and in control as ever, so she took her cues from him. She was sure her husband’s men were just outside the room.

In the meantime, Ajax had gotten himself under control as well. “What, I deliver a musician to you, a show that everyone in the nation is dying for, and I give him to you, in an exclusive two week run—and this is how you repay me?” He forced a laugh as if he’d heard a weak attempt at a joke. “You accuse me of spying, of plotting? Hades, I knew you when you were a boy! I knew your father.”

“Don’t mention my father in my presence again,” Hades snapped. The two thugs behind Ajax shifted and pressed their hands against their weapons as if Hades’s words were actual weapons pointed at them.

Persephone held herself perfectly still, recognizing the tension in the room. For a long moment everyone waited for the Lord of the Underworld to break the silence.

“Your bosses have a long memory. So do I,” Hades said softly. “This is my city. I own it. My power is still absolute. You can take that message back.”

“I’m here to protect my investment. I’m not leaving—” Ajax sputtered.

Hades held up a hand and Ajax fell silent. Hades spoke in a low voice, but everyone in the room felt its menace.

“I respect the deal we made. You can stay in my city for two weeks. But once Orpheus is gone, you will no longer be welcome in New Olympus.”

Ajax licked his lips, his hatred for Hades plain on his face.

“Make your arrangements, Ajax,” Hades commanded. “Two weeks and you’re out.” Hades started for the door with Persephone still on his arm. He guided her forward then looked back over his shoulder at his enemy. “And your club still owes me tribute.”

Hypnos was at the door, opening it for them. Persephone and Hades swept out and Hypnos followed them, unnaturally quiet. Persephone didn’t know what to think, but her legs felt a little weak from the entire confrontation.

Outside in the hall, Charon stood with a knot of black-clad Shades, awaiting their leader.

“You hear that?” Hades asked Charon.

The large man nodded. “Two weeks and then kick him out. That really how we’re gonna play it?”

“Let him look around before he reports back to Metropolis. Then he can tell Demeter and the brothers we’re not afraid of them.”

“You sure they’re behind this?” Charon asked quietly.

Persephone was surprised they were talking so freely in front of her but she was glad, too. She’d been relying on whispers and snatches of conversations she overheard here and there to know what was happening in the war between her family’s criminal dynasty and Hades’s.

“It hasn’t been so long that they’ve forgotten what it was like to rule.”

Hades jerked his head at the Shades. “Get in there and check on him.”

The soldiers immediately left the hall for the green room, to watch over Ajax. “Orpheus is a Trojan horse. To get our guard down while Ajax looks around. But if we move too early, we’ll look nervous. We can’t afford to look weak.”

“Better play this perfectly,” Charon murmured in a voice deep as a grave. “We’ve managed to keep it to a few skirmishes between us and the Titans so far. But if this goes bad, it means war.” The big man turned and stalked away, pictures on the wall trembling in his wake.

Persephone finally took a deep, shuddering breath.

“You okay?” Hades turned to her. “You shouldn’t have had to see that,” he murmured.

She was confused when he held her close for a moment, rubbing a soothing hand up her back. Did he mean she shouldn’t have had to see it because he was sorry that it might upset her hearing about the ongoing fight between him and her family? Or that she shouldn’t have seen it because he didn’t think it was any of her business?

“I’m alright.”

“I made you late for the concert.” He looked concerned, and in his arms, Persephone felt all her tension drain away. She was tempted, so tempted, to pretend that Hades was just a handsome businessman who owned a nightclub and concert hall, and she was his wife. To pretend they were a normal couple.

But she was done with all that. She’d glimpsed real love a moment before, on Orpheus and Eurydice’s faces. When Hades gazed at her fondly, she was a beautiful possession. A toy he didn’t have to share. It hurt so much, knowing real love wasn’t something she could have. Not love like Orpheus and Eurydice shared—sweet and fragile and innocent. Hades didn’t understand that sort of sentiment, and if she tried to explain it, he would laugh at her.

She pulled away and crossed her arms over her chest.

A small frown furrowed Hades’s brow but he only said, “Hypnos will get you to your private box. I’ll be there for the second half, after I finish talking to some people.”

He didn’t wait for a response before handing her over to Hypnos and leaving in a square of bodyguards. And he didn’t look back even once.