It’s insulting he feels the need to state the obvious.
“We want a weekly report,” Baz adds. “Send the first one this weekend, and we want to know everything you’ve learned so far. Hold nothing back.”
“This remains between the three of us,” Ares says. All hint of playfulness is gone from his tone and his expression.
“What about my father?”
“What have you told him?” Baz drums his fingers on the table as he eyeballs me.
“Nothing so far.”
“Keep it that way.” Ares’s gaze bores into mine. “Unless that’s a problem.”
I don’t need to think about it for long. “It’s not.”
“Good.”
“The mark isn’t to die,” Baz says.
“You take orders directly from us now,” Ares says.
“Okay. Got it.”
Baz moves to get up.
“Wait.” Both men look at me, and I take a calculated risk. “My father said Drew was targeting heirs and Arlo was in danger. Is that true?”
Baz and Ares share another loaded look before they refocus on me. “Don’t worry about your brother,” Ares says. “I give you my personal guarantee that Arlo will be safe. I promise, Athena. No harm will come to him.”
Relief washes through me. “Thank you.” I’m a little embarrassed when tears stab the backs of my eyes.
“Call us directly anytime if you need to.” Baz hands me a card with two handwritten numbers on the back. “From a secure line, and don’t give this to anyone else.”
“Of course.”
They stand up from the booth and I get out too as my lunch break is over.
“Stay safe, Thena, and watch your back,” Ares says.
I lean in and kiss his cheek. “You too and thank you for coming here to talk with me. I know how busy you both are, and I appreciate it.”
* * *
Drew
“I want to know who the fuck those pricks are,” I snarl, glaring at the photo of Athena kissing some strange dude on the cheek wishing I could reach inside it and pepper his smug face with bullets. He’s ripped with piercings and ink, and he looks like a thug—if thugs wore a seventy-thousand-dollar Patek Philippe watch and the latest Gucci high-tops.
Ezra clears his throat. “You’ve done nothing but snarl and spew threats ever since Anton uploaded these photos to the cloud. Are you sure there isn’t something going on between you and Athena?”
“No!” I snap, glaring at my tech friend through my phone screen though it’s not him I’m angry with. “I don’t like being played. That bitch is clearly up to something, and I want to know what.”
“And that’s all it is? Because you sure seem pretty invested and?—”
“Stop busting my balls, and get to work,” I growl. “I want their names before I get on the plane this evening.”
I hang up, tossing my cell on my bed, and work on finishing my packing, grumbling under my breath, now in a super foul mood.
After my weekend bag is packed, I work out in my home gym for an hour, needing to calm down before I drop in to see Mom. I need to do damage control after last week because she hasn’t stopped blowing up my phone with pictures of potential wedding venues and dates. I will throttle my sister when I see her because she’s encouraging this bullshit, and if I don’t set Mom straight, I’m liable to throw myself out of the plane while we’re en route to Bulgaria.
