“Take a seat.”
I sat back down, and Sloan and Erik took the seat opposite me.
“It’s about Gray,” Erik started.
The nerves twisted in my stomach, making me feel sick. “What about Gray?”
“Quentin, we know you’ve both been seeing each other.”
My face heated. I didn’t want to discuss my sex life with anyone, let alone with Gray’s brother and sister-in-law.
“You know that it’s against the rules,” Sloan reminded me.
“No one knows, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I didn’t count Ignacio and probably Elva, both who seemed too close to Gray to betray him.
“That’s what we’re worried about,” Sloan said.
“Scott, under any other circumstance, I wouldn’t interfere, but I need to ask you to stop seeing my brother,” Erik told me.
There was a small spark of anger. I wasn’t doing any harm. We weren’t hurting anyone. We were two consenting adults enjoying each other’s intimate company.
“Erik, no offence, but this really has nothing to do with you. Either of you. Gray and I know what we’re doing,” I sniffed.
I got up from my seat, no longer wanting to be lectured by these Gods.
“If Hunter finds out, he won’t hesitate to kill Gray,” Erik said quietly.
That stopped me in my tracks.
“What?” I asked.
Whenever I thought of the repercussions of our arrangement, I imagined Gareth calling me into the office and firing me. My employment record would have a red mark on it, and I’d have to come up with a plausible excuse for future interviews that didn’t involve me admitting that I’d fucked the test subject on numerous occasions. Not once had I thought Gray would suffer any consequences.
“Hunter’s wanted to make an example of Grayson for some time. I wouldn’t put it past him to do what he has to, making sure the rest of us remember to abide by the rules.”
My blood felt like ice in my veins. I’d seen Hunter and Gray go toe-to-toe when they first arrived. There was no love lost between the pair.
“Surely, you know what it’s like to want to protect family, Scott,” Erik continued.
I thought of Cassidy. I thought of my parents. I’d do anything to protect them. I’d have done anything to stop them from taking that trip and boarding the train.
“That’s all we want — to protect our family. Gray means a lot to us and to our children. We would have spoken to him, but I think you know that would’ve been a lost cause,” Sloan explained.
Gray would have kicked off the moment they started talking to him. He didn’t deal well with people telling him what to do. Neither did I, but I was more inclined to let someone finish making their point.
“We just want to protect our family,” Sloan reiterated.
“I need to go,” I replied.
Erik called after me, “Think about it, Quentin. You would have had to break your arrangement, eventually.”
I left the house and got into my car.
Everything that Erik and Sloan said banged around my skull the entire way to the institute and back home. I knew what it was like to want to protect the people you love. How was I meant to argue with that? Especially if it meant that Gray wouldn’t exist anymore.
I knew that we’d get in trouble if anyone found out, and maybe it’d been reckless. Nearly half the elite Gods appeared to know, and it wouldn’t take long for the rest to find out. Not only that, but if Gareth got wind of this, my job would be on the line.
