“I have to face him, not you. If you go out there, it will enrage him. Just . . .” I looked from one man to another. “Stayinside. No matter what happens.” I pointed at the Spokane Cerberus to add, “That includes you three.”
“I don't like the sound of that,” Braxen growled.
“Damn it, Brax!” I snarled back. “I will handle this!”
They went silent, just staring at me.
Another booming came. Then, “Open this door now! You have my woman in there, and I'm not leaving until she's safe!”
“See? He just wants to know I'm safe.”
“He called you his woman,” Braxen snarled.
“Braxen, stop. As far as he knows, that's accurate. Now, let me work through this with him.” I headed for the front door.
Merrick grabbed my hand. “We'll be watching. If he tries to hurt you, we're coming out.”
“He won't. Hermes would never hurt me.” I slipped free of Merrick and continued down the corridor, the six of them following me like a funeral procession.
I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and reminded myself that Hermes was my ally, not my enemy. Then I opened the door.
Hermes stood there, fist lifted, about to knock again. His expression was furious but also concerned. That expression went blank when he saw me. His fist slowly lowered. I used the opportunity to step out and shut the door behind me.
“Hi,” I said.
“By the sun and stars!” Hermes exclaimed and yanked me into an embrace. “You're all right.”
There it was. The connection. The beauty of us. The beauty of him. Hermes was glorious, there was no denying that. He'd cut his hair in a modern, shorter style than usual, but no matter the length, it gleamed like polished wood. Something dark and expensive. His scent was like a summer's day—warm and fresh. Like safety. He wasn't as big as Braxen, but he was still muscular, and when it came down to it, his physical strength was just frosting. Hermes was a god. He could move around the world with a thought. He may not have Zeus's lightning or Poseidon's power over the seas, but he could hold his own in a fight, even against another god.
And he protected what was his.
“I'm fine,” I said. “Why would you think otherwise?”
“Your gallery.” He stepped back, his hands sliding forward to grip my arms. “I heard it was destroyed.”
“Who told you that?”
“Who told me?” Hermes frowned. “Why does that matter? I heard you were attacked by religious zealots.” He shook his head. “I thought those days were past, but humans always circle back to hatred using any path they can find and religion is a tried-and-true path to hatred.”
“Yes, it's a shame,” I murmured. I glanced at the house, then waved toward an iron bench that sat beneath a magnolia tree along the long drive and out beyond the left wing of the house. “Would you like to sit down?”
“Out here?” Hermes's frown deepened. He looked around. “Where are we? I followed your trail here, but . . . who's house is this?” He blinked, comprehension coming, and smirked. “Ah. You've taken a new lover.” He looked at the house again. “He's done well for . . .” He trailed off. His dark eyes narrowed. “There's a ward around this home. That's why I didn't arrive at your exact location.” His stare pinned me. “Whois your lover, Lomasi?”
“That's what I need to talk to you about. Please.” I waved toward the bench again. “Can we sit down?”
Hermes sighed, but it was an annoyed sound, not one of capitulation. “Very well.”
We went to the bench and sat down, the lemony scent of magnolias overwhelming that of Hermes. It helped to clear my head. But I still had to look at him. His face was enough to make any woman sigh. Any. Woman. Still, I had to look. And I was surprised to find that beyond his beauty, there was nothing for me there. He was as stunning as ever, but that was just wrapping, wasn't it? I had known that long ago, back when I first met him and resisted his advances. Then I got to know Hermes, and I fell in love. It shocked me to realize that I had still been in love, all this time. Until I met Rune.
I thought I had been over Hermes. I thought he had crushed my heart and stomped out my romantic love for him. I'd still been loyal and cared for him, but I told myself that was because of all he'd done for me. I continued to have sex with him because it was enjoyable, and I still cared about him. But I had more than cared for him. Only now, in the absence of that love, did I see that it had been there all along.
Falling in love with someone else shouldn't have banished my love for Hermes. I knew now that I could love more than one man at a time. But loving Rune, Brax, and Merrick, had shown me aspects about my relationship with Hermes that clarified my emotions. Their love had purged me of his. And with the departure of my love for Hermes, the weight of feeling beholden to him had also gone. Not loyalty—debt. I had felt indebted to Hermes and that had bought my loyalty. I still cared for him, still appreciated everything he had done for me, but I didn't feel indebted anymore. I could move on. I finally found someone worth leaving Hermes for. Three of them.
Holy. Shit.
Hermes frowned. I don't know if he sensed my emotions or just saw them cross my face, but he didn't like them. He gripped my hand and leaned in. “Who is he?”
“It doesn't matter,” I said gently. “Hermes, I'm happy. Really happy. But that happiness will be dulled if I continue a sexual relationship with you. Please, let me go.”
