Chapter 63

63

When Persephone came to, her head was lying in one of the men’s lap. She started struggling immediately, but her hands and feet were bound. The man hauled her up to sit properly and she looked around. Her heart sank.

They were nowhere near the studio anymore, but driving down a large boulevard lined with abandoned and decrepit shops. She didn’t recognize anything. She had no idea where they were. Wherever it was, though, the area seemed largely devoid of human life. She didn’t see pedestrians around or anyone who might be able to help her.

The driver’s face swam into focus as she blinked and looked around.

“We don’t want to hurt you,” said the spiky-haired blond man who was driving. “Do as we say and you’ll be fine.”

Persephone wanted to speak but her throat hurt. She caught a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror. Her neck already showed bruises. Oh gods, what would these men do to her once they got where they were going? She had to get out of here.

She squirmed in her bonds, jerking her arms and trying to drive an elbow into one of the silent thugs flanking her. He caught it easily and looked down at her, face scary and blank. The pit of acid that was her stomach threatened to rebel.

“Behave, or I send men back to find that little spic hottie and make her pay,” Spike Hair warned from upfront.

Persephone froze. She had no idea who these men were or if they had the power to make good on that threat. But the truth was, they’d bound her too well. Even if she could manage to disable one of them, she couldn’t run anywhere, not with her ankles tied together like this.

Still, she made a point to glare at the driver in defiance until he turned back to steer the car. The men on either side of her were silent, and beyond light touches on her arms to steady her, at least they kept their hands to themselves.

From the position of the sun, Persephone realized they were heading south and a little east to a place below the city of New Olympus used mainly for shipping. They approached the large docks and Persephone recognized the border to an area of the city called the Styx. They were close to the territory her husband controlled. She felt a surge of hope.

The car went through gates into a fenced area. Beyond the vacant dock and warehouse, Persephone caught glimpses of the ocean. When they parked, she got another warning to stay silent, but now she realized the futility of struggling. They were in a wasteland of deserted commercial buildings by the docks. There would be no one to hear her scream.

Instead, she said to Spike Hair, “You know who I am, so I’m guessing you know who my husband is.” Her voice was still raspy from that bastard strangling her earlier. It probably would be for a while.

One of the silent thugs took her arm as a warning, but Spike Hair nodded.

“So you know what he does to people who threaten me.” Hades might not be here at the moment but he could still be her shield.

“We’re not threatening you. Our boss wants to talk.” Spike Hair motioned and they cut the tape binding her ankles and propelled her forward towards a building beyond the parking lot, into a hanger large enough to fit two small planes.

Stiffening her legs, Persephone resisted a little but her captors simply dragged her along. Her boots scraped across the ground. A wild thought gripped her—at least she’d worn the perfect outfit to be kidnapped, durable and comfy. She hoped their boss would approve. A laugh started to bubble out of her and caught in her dry, bruised throat. She wheezed and felt lightheaded.

They got her halfway across before she got her feet back under her, and worked up enough air in her lungs to ask, “Who’s your boss?”

Spike Hair simply led the group to the stairs on the side of the building, up into a finished office, and she saw for herself who’d ordered her abduction. She gasped.

Poseidon wore a pinstripe suit, looking equal parts dapper and intimidating, if not more so, with the sun shining through the great windows over his giant form.

“Persephone Ubeli.” He smiled, white teeth gleaming in his midnight skin. He came forward, greeting her like an old friend. She would have stopped in her tracks but the thugs prodded her forward. As the giant man came closer his gaze dropped to her collar bone and he sighed. “I said no force.”

“She fought.” Spike Hair held up her burner phone. “Her link to Ubeli.”

“Which can be traced, you fool,” Poseidon rumbled. Persephone trembled and felt the fear really start to sink in, even though his anger wasn’t directed at her. This man was extremely dangerous. What would he do to her? His bald head jerked as he ordered, “Get rid of it.”

She wasn’t sure if she felt terror or satisfaction as she watched Spike Hair scurry off. She was alone with the two thugs and her terrifying ‘host.’

“Apologies, Mrs. Ubeli. I promise, no more harm will come to you.” Said the spider to the fly.

Licking her lips, she found her throat was too dry to answer him. She nodded instead.

“Can I offer you a drink?” Poseidon asked. He walked back to the windows where a few modern looking couches were arranged around a bar area. The ocean spread out behind him. “Something to soothe your throat, perhaps?”

“How about a ride home to my apartment?”

He glanced up at her from the bottle he was pouring, and her heart seized. A grin spread across his face and he laughed. “In due time, my lady.”

So that meant he didn’t mean to murder her where she stood? He and Hades had looked at each other with such hatred at that party… But if this was a game, her best bet was to start playing along. She couldn’t run or fight anyway. If he liked her enough to laugh, maybe he wouldn’t kill her. Either way, she shouldn’t show fear. A predator would sense that weakness. Hades had taught her that much.

She held her head high as she walked forward and took one of the seats at the bar.

Poseidon poured different things into a glass and handed to her. She sipped politely, glad to taste something like a hot toddy.

“Are you turning this into a restaurant?” She looked around the large empty space with the one corner developed.

“Not a bad concept.”

“The view is nice.” She stared out at the ocean, wondering if she stood in the far corner and looked to the left, she’d see a way to escape down the built-up shore to the docks near the Styx.

“Ah, yes, my favorite. I was born on a ship, you know. I’m the son of illegal immigrants, who were smuggling themselves into the country. I received dual citizenship because of it. My first lucky break.”

He offered his own drink and after a second, she clinked it. A kidnapper and kidnappee, hanging out, drinking like two old friends.

“It’s a little late, but I want you to know I was intending to return your calls,” she offered. “Your voicemail got deleted from my phone.”

The white teeth were back with his grin. He reminded her of a shark. “I understand, lovely lady. I was happy to wait, but forces beyond my control moved up my timeline.”

She stared at her drink, willing her hands not to shake. “So, you want a consult?”

“That won’t be necessary at this juncture. For now, I simply wish the pleasure of your company. In a few hours, we’ll be meeting with your husband, who is eager to trade for your release.” His voice was smooth as silk

Aha. So that’s why she was here. She’d been used like this before. Ajax had used her as a hostage to force Hades to reveal the location of the shipping container. And look how that had turned out.

She’d tried to escape the dark but it kept pulling her back under. Maybe this was her penance.

Now she stared at Poseidon, taking in his calm, controlled demeanor. She wanted to ask what was going on, but didn’t want to anger him. Did he know what was coming for him? Hades didn’t look kindly on people who took what he considered his.

Deciding to keep with her plan to be the best hostage ever, she asked instead, “A few more hours?” She looked out at the sun, biting her lip and thinking of Cerberus whining, all alone in her apartment and wondering where she was.

“Our meeting is at dusk. Is there something you need?”

“My dog is in my apartment all alone…he’ll need to be walked. He’s a puppy.”

“We’ll send word that someone needs to take care of him.” Poseidon assured her.

Persephone blinked at him, her eyebrows furrowing. “Thank you.”

He chuckled. “Your concern is for your dog and not your own life?”

“I can do something about my dog. I can’t stop you from doing anything to me.” She squeezed her hands between her legs to stop her tremors.

“Practical as well as lovely,” Poseidon toasted her and she looked up, surprised, into his dark brown eyes. “Hades is a very lucky man.”

Continuing the most surreal conversation she’d had in her life, she blurted, “We’re separated. I asked for a divorce.”

Poseidon cocked his beautiful head. “Interesting. He made no mention of that in our last conversation.”

“I told him I wanted a divorce. I’ve moved into my own apartment and started a business and everything.” She didn’t know why she was telling him this.

The door opened and they both watched Spike Hair walk back in. “Meet at six thirty. They agreed to every demand.”

Water looked at Persephone smugly. “Despite everything, your husband still cares for you deeply. Two months trying to schedule a meet and no success. Two hours after picking you up and he gives me everything I want.”

She sagged in her seat; she couldn’t help it. She was Hades’s weakness; everyone knew it. She needed to separate from him for his good as well as hers. But now that the criminal world associated them together, would it be too late?

Poseidon had come out from behind the bar to give orders to his men. Persephone turned when she heard her name. “Persephone’s dog will need to be walked.” He looked back at Persephone and she forced a small smile.

“Why do you want to meet with my husband?” she asked when the men had gone. Maybe this man could give her the answers that Hades never would.

Poseidon gave her a puzzled frown.

“Some parts of his business he keeps from me.”

“Ah,” he chuckled. “Perhaps this is the reason for your marital dispute?”

That hit a little too close to home, so she said nothing. Poseidon seemed tickled by this, and Persephone was glad, because it made him only too happy to share.

“He owes me money. Quite a lot of it actually. We had an agreement. Now we have a… disagreement. I’m confident it can be settled without too much bloodshed.” Persephone cringed. Too much?

“It would help, actually, if you encouraged him to talk with me.” He said the last part eagerly, as if recruiting her as an ally would make her forget all the trouble he’d caused.

Still, Persephone pondered it. “Is my husband in danger?”

“Not from me. Not if I get what I want.” A smile played around his lips. “For someone who wants to divorce your husband, you seem to care for him an awful lot.”

She didn’t answer.