Chapter 87

87

Persephone and Andrea had just finished their conversation when Hermes walked in.

Son of a— So this was where he’d been hiding out all this time? His hair was adorably tousled, adding to his sleepy dishevelment Bare-chested and barefoot, he stopped when he saw Persephone standing in the kitchen with Andrea.

“Persephone, what are you doing here?”

She didn’t think, she just threw her empty coffee mug straight at him. Fortunately for him, her aim was horrible.

Hermes jerked out of the way as the mug hit the rug near his foot and bounced. Open mouthed, he gaped at her.

Smiling, Andrea left for the dining room. “I see you two have some things to talk through.”

Persephone stood glaring at Hermes.

“Did you just throw a mug at me? Who are you and what have you done with Persephone?” Hermes moved forward but she threw a hand up.

“Sleeping pills, Hermes?”

He stopped dead in his tracks and turned white. “Oh, gods, I forgot I gave you some. I didn’t know they weren’t sleeping pills, I swear.”

“Well I trusted you and I took them. Once even when I was still at Athena’s.” She could feel the blush coming over her face, but didn’t lose her grip on her pique. “And had…dreams. Crazy, crazy dreams. I thought I was going out of my mind. Another night I even sleepwalked!” Right to her estranged husband’s apartment.

“So…nothing happened? With Aphrodite, or even Athena?” he perked up, and Persephone could see the lesbian fantasy start up in his mind’s eye. To stall it, she looked around for another mug to throw.

He came at her, and she tried to dodge him, then wrestled with him as he grappled with her. Even with his lean build, he still had enough strength to catch her questing hands, and force them down.

“Are you really very mad at me?” He gave her hurt, puppy dog eyes.

She tried to stomp on his foot and missed when he jumped away. “Yes!”

“Persephone, I didn’t know. I swear. Olympia had them, and I raided them, thinking they were her sleeping pills. They looked the same. I’m sorry.”

“You’re lucky nothing happened when I took them.”

“Nothing? Not even with Hades?” He looked hopeful.

She wriggled away and he let her, but watched her in case she lunged again for a mug. He didn’t deserve an answer. Especially one that was too painful to give right now. “Haven’t you seen the news? He left me for his old flame. That Lucinda bitch.”

“No way,” Hermes gasped.

She pushed the photo of Hades and the woman towards him.

“This has got to be photoshopped. There’s no way…damn. He’s wearing the tie you gave him for Christmas.” Hermes rubbed his hand through his unruly hair, making it stand up even further.

“Hades is looking for you,” she told him quietly. “After what happened that night at Olympia’s party, Hades put it together… Remember when I told you I’d sleepwalked? Well I walked right to Hades’s door and…wasn’t behaving like myself.”

Persephone felt her cheeks blaze hot. “Anyway, Hades made the connection after I told him I’d gotten the pills from you. He connected you to the shipment.”

“I know. I heard he was looking for me. That’s why I’m hiding out here with Andrea. Olympia’s being a good sport about all of it.”

“What Hades doesn’t know is that Poseidon already has his missing shipment back. I’m going to tell Charon today. So you’ll be off the hook.”

“The Mayor knows, too,” Hermes said. “Poseidon allowed me to tell him.”

“Good. So you’ll help me with the next phase of the plan.”

“Operation Win Back Hades?” Hermes said, and lunged to grab Persephone’s wrists again when she started to go for her ceramic weapon of choice. This time he whirled her around so her arms were crossed in front of her. For a moment she struggled but he just crushed her tighter with his wiry biceps on either side of her arms.

She sagged forward.

“I want to help you.” His voice was muffled in her hair. “That, and I bet Athena a grand that you two would be back together within a month of the party.”

Persephone couldn’t help it, she laughed. He let her go, crossing to the other side of the island, keeping it between them. His hair was wild, sticking up in every direction, but his brown eyes were wary.

“Will you forgive me?”

“Not a chance,” she said. “You invite me to a party, I get drunk and wake up to an orgy!”

He winced.

“Before that you accidentally drug me! And help my husband corner me at a party I helped you throw.” The more she spoke the more she was geared up to charge around the island and tackle him. “And you tip my husband off to my new address and he ends up buying the entire building…”

“Now, that, I’ll take credit for. Also, you’re welcome.”

“Just shut up,” she said. “I don’t know whether to hug you or put a hit out on you.”

“Definitely all for hugs here.”

“At this point, you’re too valuable to kill.”

“Good to know.” He leaned on the island across from her, back to his shit-eating-grin. “Seriously, I’m sorry. Tell me what I can do to make it up to you.”

“Well, other than never giving me medical help ever again, there’s one thing.”

“Name it.”

She sobered. “I need to pull off this fundraiser.”

“Done. My design team is working on it as we speak.”

“That’s not all I need help with.” She bit her lip, wondering how far to bring Hermes in.

“There are two sides to this fundraiser,” Andrea Doria said from the door. She stalked towards the coffee pot for a warm-up. “One is for the dogs. The other,” she motioned with the coffee pot, “is for the city.” She looked pointedly at Persephone, who sighed and explained to her friend.

“Are you on board with the plan?” Hermes asked Andrea when Persephone was finished.

Andrea nodded. “It’s risky. And we only have two weeks to pull everything together, and to make sure it doesn’t fall apart. No easy feat.”

“Yes,” Persephone said, “but it’s going to work.” It has to.

“For all our sakes,” Andrea said. “I hope you’re right.”