"Another name off my list." I rubbed the tattoos on my arm.
Six down, one to go. I already had a head start on Zeus. I knew who he was. The question was, what was I going to do with that information?
My men, they came after me. Found me here. That didn't mean I could trust them.
After what Hypnos told me about how we were drugged, I wasn't sure I could trust anyone.
How had they found me so quickly? I didn't want to think any of these things, but Hypnos put the doubt in my mind, and right now it was starting to fester.
"Are you okay?" Cass put his arms around me.
In spite of my misgivings, I melted into his arms.
"I’m okay," I said. "A little bit wet and cold, but alive."
I was starting to shiver. The cold of the air had worked its way under my wet clothes, under my skin and into my bones.
"Let's get you out of here and into a nice hot bath," Boner said.
"As long as it's not as big as that." I jerked my head toward the vat, which was starting to steam. Much longer in there, and I would have been chef soup.
"What are we going to do with Hypnos?" Cass asked. He looked like he hoped it wasn't anything gory.
"We're going to leave him right where he is," Boner said. "Full of those chef knives."
"That's why you brought them." Archer asked. He seemed impressed.
Boner shrugged a shoulder modestly. "I thought we might need them, but I also figured this was a good way for Chef Stabby to finally get recognized."
"I didn't use any of those on him," I pointed out.
Boner grinned and scooped up the knife Cass dropped, offering it to me hilt first. He waggled his eyebrows at me and stepped back.
I contemplated for a moment before deciding he'd look weird if I didn't do this. I crouched down and drove the blade into his other ass cheek. He had two in his back and two in his butt.
Perfectly balanced.
"Let's get out of here." Cass took my hand and led me toward the stairs and out of the basement.
I stopped halfway up to glance back, making sure Hypnos was dead.
Satisfied he wasn't moving or breathing, I followed the guys out.
CHAPTER 24
HARLOW
Isat with my elbows on the table, hands wrapped around my mug. My guys were talking but I didn't hear what they were saying. A word here or there filtered into my brain, but that was all. Mostly, I was lost in my thoughts.
Boner slapped something down on the table in front of me and said, "Penny for them." He lifted his hand to reveal what looked like a newly minted penny. Pennies aren’t even being made anymore.
"Where did you get that?" I picked it up and turned it around in my fingers.
"Never mind where I got it," he said. He pulled out the chair beside me and sat, perched on the edge, leaning toward me. "What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" His blue eyes were troubled. Worried for me.
"It was a long night," I started. I managed a couple of restless hours of sleep before I had to get back up and get ready for work.
"It was, but we're here for you. You know that, right?"
