She doesn’t seem the type to play with her victims this way. She might torture them, but leaving me the ability to walk around, to even approach her, tells me that there is something else going on.
Or she’s just fucking insane and is planning on lulling me into a false sense of security before killing me.
Either way, it’s a risk I’m willing to take. I need to get to Rori.
“Maybe I should ask why I’m not dead yet,” I say calmly, eyes on hers, refusing to cower. “If you were really that angry that you knew I was following, you’d have killed me long before now.”
Her hard mask slips, making me blink, as she suddenly grins up at me, her eyes bright with pleasure. Her gun lowers, and she looks downright gleeful.
What. The. Fuck.
I fight hard not to let her see my unease. What the fuck is wrong with this woman? Has she finally just slipped off the edge into outright insanity?
“Well, look who has big brains after all,” she beams, her free hand coming up and slapping me on my bicep. “Thank God. I’d have hated to deal with disposing of your giant ass. The cleanup here would have my guys asking for a raise, and while they would definitely deserve it, I don’t want to ruin a good relationship.”
Again—what the fuck?
No, I don’t have time to play these stupid games with this crazy bitch. Rori, she’s my only focus, and my only connection to her is this crazy woman in front of me.
“Where is Rori, Tatiana?” I demand, my voice sharp and impatient.
“Yes, yes, we’ll get to that. First, though, we have some other things to discuss.”
“I have nothing to discuss with you unless it’s about Rori.”
Her eyes roll as she steps back and rests comfortably against the back wall of the container, knee bent and close to a still sleepy Hades. Some of his alertness is coming back, and I see his ears twitch toward me. When I look back at Tatiana—or whatever persona she’s portraying now—I see her watching me, that creepy as shit gleeful grin still on her face. “Don’t worry, I made sure that he would have a low dose. I have no desire to hurt him. He and I actually have gotten quite close the last few times we’ve met, haven’t we boy?” she coos down at him.
“You mean when you broke into Nico’s house and scurried around in the shadows like a rat?” I spit out, infuriated.
“Exactly.” Her tone is bright, pleased. “Rori was so helpful in making sure that I had plenty of time and space to bond withhim.” There, right there, is the inflection in her tone, the subtle reminder and warning.
I’m not falling for that bullshit. “You get off on this shit, don’t you? Fucking people over, threatening them, all while making yourself seem like a nice person?”
Her smile widens even further. She looks like the damn Joker, and I can’t tell if I want to back away or not. It’s a disconcerting feeling.
“You’re trying to make me feel bad about that. Trust me, Mr. Cattaneo, when it comes to feeling I’m as lacking as you think. Call it the result of my upbringing. Feelings, my own thoughts, all of it was severely cut out from as early as I can remember. So, do I enjoy the things I do? I don’t know anything else, and I’m very good at it. I’m also very good at making sure that things go the way I want them to. It’s another talent of mine. Which is where you come in.”
I’m almost sorry to ask it, but at this point, what else am I going to say? “And how is that?”
She waves the gun imperviously. “Don’t rush me. First, we have a few things to settle between us so that we can make this relationship work.”
“Relationship?” I demand incredulously. “Jesus Christ, you’re fucking insane. I’m not having anything with you. I’m here to get Rori back. Simple. She’s not marrying anyone, and she’s not going to be a part of whatever sick game you’re planning.”
“And you think you get to decide that for her? You’re so sure that she’s not going to be a willing participant in this little exercise?” Her head tilts slightly, regarding me curiously. “And what makes you think that she wants you to rescue her? You were the one to break her heart after all, weren’t you?”
The dagger to my gut hits true. I barely manage not to flinch. I fight back the guilt and the memories that threaten. I’ll never forgive myself for any of it.
“You know, I almost killed you that night,” she continues casually, like she’s telling me what she’s planning to have for breakfast in the morning. “The hurt you caused her, I nearly put a bullet in your head. The only thing that stopped me was seeing you feel guilty instantly and work to fix it. Personally, I think you have far more to do to have that happen.”
My head reels as I try to process all that information. If all she wanted was to use Rori, why would she care that I upset her? The back of my neck itches. There’s more to this than this woman being hired to bring Rori back and knowing her from her old life.
“Are you in love with Rori?” I manage to ask. Is this some kind of jealous plot to get back at her and me by extension? Some kind of weird love triangle?
She blinks and then lets out a laugh of pure delight. “Oh, I can’t wait to tell her that one,” she snickers, grinning at me again. “Won’t she just be delighted by the thought? Maybe lead with that when you’re grovelling. Maybe tell her you were just jealous. See if she’s more willing to let all her anger at you go because of it.”
I scowl at her. Is she mocking me? “Would you stop talking in riddles and get to the fucking point?” I demand furiously. “You’re wasting precious time to tell me whatever it is you dragged me in here to find out. My men will be looking for me, and they won’t hesitate to kill you when they find me.”
“Ah, yes, your men. I’m sure they’ll find you eventually, but not before I’m ready.”
