“Now I’m all kinds of butt hurt,” Xavier says, pouting.
“He forced my hand. It wasn’t by choice. I’ve been trying to keep all of you out of my shit.”
“Is that why you turned to Blackwood instead of asking for our help?” Hunt asks.
I nod. “You guys are the best, and it wasn’t an easy call. At first, I thought of just bringing you both in and leaving the others out, but I couldn’t ask you to lie to everyone, and I really didn’t want to force you to keep another secret from Abby, Xavier, but she can’t know.”
“Sorry, dude, but that ship has sailed.” Xavier leans forward on his elbows. “The secrecy officially ends now.”
“We all suspect you’ve been on a quest connected to Jane,” Hunt says. “We have a pretty good guess why.”
Compassion splays across all three of their faces.
“Abby has guessed Jane is dead, Drew,” Xavier says in a somber tone. “We all do. Not to sound harsh, but Abby’s concern is mostly for you. She loved Jane dearly, but she was a childhood friend, and so much time has passed. We are all different people now. Your twin will be sad if that’s the truth, but it won’t devastate her as much as you throwing your life away over misplaced guilt already does.”
I’m tempted to get up and storm out, but I need their help. I need to know who these men are, who Athena really is, and what the fuck they want with me. I’m guessing it’s all tied up with my investigation, but I need proof, and my friends are the only ones who can possibly get me that proof now.
So, it’s a healthy dose of humble pie for me.
I work hard to leash my anger and remember their concern comes from a good place. “We can argue about Abby another time. I don’t have much time.”
“Give us the CliffsNotes version of what you’ve been doing all these years,” Kennedy says, and I start filling them in. None of them interrupt me, listening carefully as I explain.
“We were afraid that might have been the case,” Hunt says. “Keven spent a lot of time hunting down sex traffickers when he was with the FBI.”
“It’s like a ten-headed monster. You chop a couple down, and more instantly grow back,” he says. “It’s a massive global issue, and it contributes billions every year to the dark economy.”
“Most people disappear forever,” Xavier says. “That you have managed to trace some of the path is truly remarkable, but you need to prepare yourself for the fact you may never get all the answers.”
“That’s not acceptable to me, and I won’t stop even if I die trying.”
“What led you to us today?” Hunt asks.
“Call Charlie, and I’ll tell you.” Hunt dials him in from home, and I clear my throat and explain what happened with Ezra earlier today.
“Show me the photos,” Kennedy says as I log into the cloud and open the file. I hand him my phone first, and he flips through them, giving nothing away. “I don’t know these men,” he says, looking up at me as he passes the phone to Hunt. My heart sinks until Hunt says, “We know one of them.”
“Give me that.” Xavier snatches the cell from his husband’s hand. “Holy shit. It’s Ares.”
All the hairs lift on the back of my neck. “Ares, as in the god of war?”
“The match to Athena,” Xavier says, instantly getting it.
“Could they be siblings?” Keven asks.
“Ares only has one sister, and her name is Lilianna,” Xavier supplies.
“How do you know him, and who is he?” I ask, digging my nails into my pant-covered thigh.
“Ares is one of Ashley Shaw’s husbands,” Xavier says. “Ashley is Sydney’s cousin. We met all of them at Sydney and Jared’s wedding, but I’ve known Ares for years. We met in college, and then he hired me to help him with a personal matter.”
Keven blinks a few times. “Oneof her husbands?”
“They’re in a committed polyamorous relationship,” Hunt says. “They’ve all been married for years.”
“Is the other guy her husband too?” I ask.
Xavier shakes his head. “No, though he does look a little like Jase.”
