Chapter 92

92

Persephone sat on the edge of the limo seat, tense as they passed a long line of drab, squat buildings marked with graffiti. If New Olympus was the glittering belle of the ball, Metropolis was its ugly step-sister.

“Almost there,” Fats said from the driver’s seat.

“Any sign they’re on to us?” Persephone straightened her wig.

“Not if we’ve come this far.” Poseidon shooed Persephone’s hands away and fixed her dark brown curls. Andrea had given Persephone a makeup lesson after all. Heavy makeup designed to make her look older.

Like her mother.

“How do I look?” Persephone smiled at Poseidon carefully so the thick makeup wouldn’t crack.

“Like a mob mistress.”

“Good. Because that’s what I am.”

“Checkpoint ahead. Get your game faces on,” Fats instructed as he slowed the car. Two men with machine guns blocked the road as a third approached the driver’s side.

“Confidence,” Poseidon murmured to Persephone as Fats rolled his window down.

“Mrs. Titan and guest,” Fats announced.

“Mrs. Titan?” the guard asked.

Persephone leaned forward so the Titan’s men saw her. “Of course it’s me,” she snapped in her mother’s voice.

“What’s with the tail?” The man motioned to the three cars following them.

“They’re mine.” Persephone waved a hand.

“I don’t recognize them.”

“They’re new. My personal guard died in New Olympus. Once we forged our alliance, Poseidon was kind enough to loan me a few of his.” Persephone’s heart pounded as she waited for the guard to call her on her lie.

“I got orders not to let anyone I don’t recognize through. The Titan brothers won’t like it.”

“They really won’t like it when they find out Poseidon withdrew his offer of alliance because you wouldn’t let him through to the meet.”

On cue, Poseidon rolled his window down.

“You’re wasting my time,” Poseidon informed the man in his deep, grave voice. The checkpoint guard paled.

Persephone sat back, sliding a large pair of sunglasses on and looking straight ahead as if the checkpoint didn’t exist.

“Hurry up and drive,” she barked at Fats. “Alex and Ivan are waiting.”

Persephone remained in ‘Demeter Titan’ mode as the guardwaved them on. As soon as Fats drove past the machine guns, Poseidon chuckled. “That was perfect.”

Persephone squeezed his big hand. The next stage of the plan wouldn’t be so easy.

“We’re here,” Fats reported as the car stopped in front of an old church. “The Titans holed up here three days ago. Both are inside, expecting Demeter and Poseidon. They’re meeting with their capos in an hour.”

“Plenty of time to take out the trash.” Poseidon straightened his collar and exited the car, offering a hand to help ‘Demeter’ out.

As they strode ahead, arm and arm, three more black cars pulled up to the church. Men poured out—some Shades, some Poseidon’s men. They’d infiltrate the church, quietly taking out any of the Titan’s men and assuming their places.

Persephone and Poseidon waited in the foyer until Slim strode in. “All clear. Your uncles are in the basement, oblivious. Alone.”

This is it. Persephone kept the big sunglasses on and let Poseidon guide her with a hand on her back down the stairs.

“Ready?” he rumbled when she paused to stare at the doors leading to the basement hall. In a second she’d meet both her uncles for the first and last time.

“Ready,” she said finally, and pushed the doors open.

The basement was hot and stuffy, smelling of onions and sausage. Two blond men sat at a plastic table, playing cards in their shirt sleeves. They stopped when she marched in, a phalanx of guards fanning out around her, and Poseidon at her side.

“Demeter? About fuckin’ time.” One of the blond men turned. Ivan. She recognized him from an old photo. “Poseidon,” he said, getting to his feet. “Glad to see you here. It’s good that you’ve come to see reason. Your product will be safe in our hands.”

Persephone stopped just inside the door, keeping to the shadows, and let her and Poseidon’s guards surround the room. “Yes, he and I have come to an agreement,” she said.

“The alliance is a done deal, then?” the second Titan asked, also standing. Her uncle Alexander. He glared at Fats and Slim and the rest, obviously suspecting something, but not going for his gun.

He wouldn’t dare in front of Poseidon.

“The alliance is done.” Persephone said. “But you two and I have unfinished business.” She slowly pulled her sunglasses off and put them in her pocket.

Alex scowled. “What’s that supposed to—” He stopped short when Poseidon pulled a gun from his pocket and, before he could even blink, shot him. He slumped forward.

“What the fuck?” Ivan shouted and went for his gun, but every man in the room pulled a gun on him before he could.

“Stand down,” Persephone said coolly.

There was a riot of action as the Shades swarmed the table, securing Ivan and Alex, who was moaning in pain.

“You’re not Demeter,” Ivan snarled.

“Hello, uncle,” she greeted him, tugging off the wig. “Nice of you to join me for this family reunion.”

Her uncle’s eyes bulged. “Where’s Demeter?”

“My mother is busy at the moment.” Busy being dead. “She sent me.”

“You bitch—” Ivan started, only to choke when Slim looped a belt around his neck and tightened it.

Meanwhile two Shades had bound and gagged Alex. “What should we do with this one?”

“Is he dead?” Poseidon asked, coming to join Persephone.

“Nope,” Fats reported. “You got him in the stomach.”

“I’m getting rusty.” Poseidon grinned.“But then again, belly shots are so perfectly painful.”

“Make sure he gets to my husband in one piece,” Persephone instructed and turned to Slim and the Shades who held Ivan. “Him too.”

Ivan gurgled something and Persephone motioned for his throat to be freed.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Ivan rasped. On his knees, surrounded by her thugs with guns, he didn’t look so big.

“In a minute, I’ll explain everything,” she informed him sweetly. “But not to you. Your reign is over. You’re going away for a while. At least, until Charon can hold a knife again. I’m sure he’ll recover faster, knowing he has you waiting for him to take his revenge out on.”

Before Ivan could shout anything else, Slim stuffed a gag into his mouth and dragged him off with his brother.

The doors closed, leaving her and Poseidon alone. Persephone let her shoulders slump.

“Well done,” Poseidon said. “That went quicker than I expected.” He bent to study her face. “You didn’t want to talk to your uncles?”

She shook her head. “Honestly, I had nothing to say to them.”

The doors opened and one of Poseidon’s men reported, “The Titan capos are starting to gather in the sanctuary. Do you want us to relieve them of their weapons?”

Poseidon nodded and the man disappeared. He watched Persephone wander around the room, lost in thought, touching the table where her uncles had sat.

“You talk to Hades yet?”

Persephone blinked as if coming awake. “Not yet. Time was of the essence. We had to get here before they got too suspicious when Demeter didn’t get into contact.”

Poseidon tilted his head. “He wants to talk to you.”

“He will. I have to do this first.”

Poseidon’s man returned. “We’re ready for you.”

“The capos are unarmed?” Poseidon asked.

“Not all of them were happy but we used that Aurum pulse thing Mrs. Ubeli picked up for us on the way, and their guns jammed. Excuse me, I meant Mrs. Titan.”

“Ms. Titan,” Persephone corrected. “Tell them the Titans are now allied with Poseidon and loyalty will be greatly rewarded. We’ll be with them shortly.”

The man scuttled off and Persephone smiled. Turned out she liked giving orders.

“Ms. Titan?” Poseidon asked. “You taking back your maiden name?”

“I’ve never been a Titan, actually.” Persephone took his offered arm. “But it’s my birthright, so I better get used to it. So will everyone else.”

With a smile of his own, Poseidon nodded. Persephone let him escort her to the sanctuary before pulling away.

“I have to do this alone.”

He nodded again. She reached up and touched his cheek. “Thank you,” she said simply, before dropping her hand and striding into the sanctuary. Poseidon covered his cheek with his hand.

The capos sat in the front pews like oversized, disgruntled altar boys in ill-fitting suits. Above them, in the balcony and choir loft, Shades and Poseidon’s men stood guard, outfitted with special guns that Athena had designed to withstand her patented weapon-jamming device.Turned out Athena had been up to more on her West Coast adventures than just pestering suppliers. She’d come home bearing new toys.

With a nod to Fats and Slim, Persephone climbed the stage to address her new capos.

“Welcome,” she called and waited while they all took her in.

“Who da fuck are you?” one man called.

“We’ve never met. I’m Persephone Titan. You will treat me with respect.”

“Or?”

“You die,” Slim shot back.

Persephone smiled. “I understand you have questions,” she said. “In a minute I will answer them, but for now know this. There’s a new Titan in town. As of now, I’m running the show.”

The capos murmured to each other. “Who died and put you in charge?” another asked.

“My mother and uncles, actually. If they’re not dead, they will be soon.” Beeping sounds filled the room and the capos patted their pockets, pulling out their vibrating cellphones en masse.

Thank you, Athena.

“You’ve just been texted pictures of my deceased mother. Note the resemblance.” Persephone tilted her head to the side, giving them a profile.

“Fucking spittin’ image,” an older capo murmured. “Demeter and the old man, what’s his face, Karl.”

“You’ll find I have a lot in common with both my parents,” Persephone said. “With one difference. While they enjoyed war, I prefer the alternative. Peace.”

“Peace,” a capo echoed.

“Indeed. After all, it’s so much better for business.” Persephone spread her hands. “Imagine this. A city at peace. Men and women visiting your brothels. Hordes of partygoers sampling Ambrosia, returning again and again to buy from your distributors. We have a new alliance with our good friend, Poseidon.”

She turned to smile at Poseidon as he ambled in. She paused a moment to let him greet the capos and shake a few hands. He took a seat at the end of one pew, his great height dwarfing the rest.

“With Poseidon at our side and unlimited access to overseas imports, profits will roll in. Imagine the streets alive with people who’ve come for the party. New Olympus is where they do business. Metropolis is where they come to have fun.”

“I like it,” the older capo said. “Especially the part about the profits, and alliance with ole Poseidon here. I knew your father,” he said to Poseidon.

“What about the cops?” another capo called.

Persephone dropped her next bombshell. “Tomorrow the mayor of New Olympus introduces a proposal to make Ambrosia legal. A controlled substance. It’ll be the new Viagra, but recreational, and for both men and women. We can expect the mayor of Metropolis to follow suit.”

Yep, the mayor was on her side too, and she saw the impact the news had on the crowd. It hadn’t taken much convincing to get Zeus and Poseidon to throw in behind her, once she explained that her assuming control of the Titan gang was the quickest way to bring lasting peace to the streets. “With a few bribes, we’ll buy all the rights to distribute. Legally.”

“This true?” a capo demanded of Poseidon.

“Every word,” he confirmed, and the murmurs got louder.

“Damn. Never thought I’d go straight in my old age,” the gray-haired capo muttered. “But if there’s profit in it, who cares?”

“This is bull.” One capo shot to his feet. “You’re a lying whore.” His shout echoed to the rafters. So did the sound of a hundred guns trained on him.

Persephone raised a hand. “Stand down,” she drawled. “I like a rigorous debate among my leaders. As long as they remember their place.”

Fats and Slim grabbed the man and brought him cursing before her, forcing him to his knees. “But there’s no room for men who don’t see my vision.”

A glint of metal and she had a knife at the man’s throat. “Do you pledge your loyalty to the Titans?”

“You ain’t no Titan,” the man spat, and then died with a gurgle as she slit his jugular.

Her stomach rebelled at the sight. But this one act of violence now could stop endless violence later. She had to prove she was strong and ruthless or these men would never respect her rule. She understood now some of the choices and sacrifices Hades had to make every day to hold his city in check. She would now do the same.

Poseidon strolled to her side and offered a white handkerchief. Persephone wiped the blood from her face and hands, but didn’t bother with her white dress. She’d expected to be christened tonight. Once she’d handed back the handkerchief, she fixed the capos with a cold stare she’d learned from her husband. “Anyone else?”

Dead silence answered her until the older capo chuckled. “She’s a Titan all right. Fuckin’ visionary, like her parents. Spittin’ image.”

“Any other questions?”

“What about Ubeli? With all due respect,” the capo added. “We just gonna roll over and let him win?”

Persephone smiled. “Not at all. From now consider war at an end between us. You handle business as usual. I’ll handle my husband.”

Another chuckle from the oldest capo. He elbowed his neighbor while the others exchanged knowing glances.

“I know a few of you won’t be happy with the new arrangements,” Persephone continued. “I expect you to come discuss things with me. Respectfully. Otherwise, you’ll feel the full force of the Shades and Poseidon’s men, not to mention the trouble you’ll get into with the law. Oh yes, the cops have orders to back me. The mayor of New Olympus introduced me to the Metropolis chief of police, and we’re fast friends.” She laughed lightly.

Another chorus of beeps had the capos checking their phones again.

Slim held out a screen to show Persephone the grisly image.

“Looks like my husband got my little peace offering. A sign of goodwill. Alexander Titan had some use after all. He was your main leader, correct?”

A few of the capos had turned green.

“I don’t have to warn you what will happen if you ever cross me,” Persephone said. “I expect we’ll all get along beautifully, especially when profits start rolling in. I’ll be by to visit each of your businesses this week. Expect me. I’ll expect you to be on your best behavior. Behave and you won’t get on my bad side.”

A bark broke the silence. Cerberus broke from his handler in the back, and bounded to Persephone’s side. She knelt to stroke his head a moment before rising. Slim came to her side with a red coat. With his help, she shrugged it on over her dress.

“Now, Poseidon and I are going to dinner. You’re all invited to pay your respects.” She’d know who was loyal if they came to kiss her ring. “If not, I’ll see you later this week.”

Signaling Cerberus, she strode down the aisle, her guards at her back and her dog at her side. Poseidon paused a moment before following.

“The king is dead,” he rumbled. “Long live the queen.”