My feet skimmed quickly across the floor. When I stepped past Ashton, his grip locked around my upper arm. My lips parted as my eyes met his. Warm fingers skimmed across my skin.
It took him a minute to find real words to say to me. And when he did, I wasn’t expecting them to be so blunt.
“I almost fucked you with my best friend. Do you know how much consideration goes into that decision? I don’t just fuck everyone I meet. I certainly don’t talk my friends into joining me.” He had to talk Zavier into that? “I liked you, Hope.” It was a pained and quiet confession. “Don’t walk away from me. Don’t walk away and pretend you’re okay. I know from personal experience what it looks like when someone isn’t okay. And you’re not.”
A breath shook over my lips. Out of everything, all I could think about was who the hell hurt this man? Who could have harmed him so badly for him to think he and I were alike?
Silence fell between us.
For a moment I considered lying to him. To save him I’d lie to him for the rest of my mortal existence.
But then I didn’t have to.
“Her name isn’t Hope.” Alex’s deep voice was a low and conspiratorial tone.
My gaze darted to his and he held it intently as he spoke. “The creepy fucking box is Pandora’s box.” His hand raised, and as if it was being summoned the damn thing appeared right in his palm.
“What the fuck?” Brock’s quiet question wasn’t a question at all. It was a statement that seemed to sum up what the entire room was feeling.
“I was imprisoned in the box after I released misery onto the world. Recently the gods offered me a chance to start again.” I couldn’t look at them. Instead, my chin tilted down until I could study the dark thread at the hem of Ashton’s shirt. It became the focus of my attention. “If I claim four lives, four great miseries of this world then I will have earned my freedom.”
“Us? The gods want you to claim us or they’ll claim you?” Ashton took a small step closer, his body dominating mine.
“Imprison is a better word,” I mumbled against his intimidating chest.
The silence of the room began to consume me. It pressed in on me, stealing away my breath as I waited for their response.
“What if we say fuck the gods and claim you for ourselves?” Ashton’s words startled me.
My attention swept up to meet his.
Arrogance clung to him as if he was as sure of me as he was of himself.
Fuck the gods.
What an outstanding response. Why hadn’t I thought of that logical argument?
“Believe it or not, but you can’t just tell the gods to fuck off. They’re not your manager, or your label, or your adoring fucking fans. They’ll kill you for claiming something that belongs to them. Pandora most definitely belongs to the gods.” Alex sounded annoyed and tired of the three men before me.
He probably was.
“And who are you in all this?” Ashton’s eyes narrowed as he took notice of the god standing behind us.
“I’m Alexius.” He didn’t look at Ashton as he said it. His pale gaze held intently on me as he spoke. “I’m responsible for Pandora because I’m the god of all miseries.”
Chapter Nineteen
The god of all miseries.
I’d have thought Alex would be more laid back if he was entitled with such a sexy name.
But I knew that wasn’t what he meant.
He’s responsible for me because nothing good will come of me. Did the gods know I’d fail? That I couldn’t restore what I’d already irreplaceably broken? I could never fix the world.
No one could.
But did they already know I wouldn’t change my future? Did they expect me to fail and that was why the god of all miseries was given to me as a guide?
