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Zeus then revealed he was conducting his own parallel investigation, which didn’t surprise me in the slightest. I know he’ll remove anything that might worry Madison or stand in the way of her happiness.
We agreed to meet in person on Monday to discuss the next steps, as neither of us has any doubt that Brooklyn was themurderers’ target. We need to devise a plan to protect her and the rest of the family. There’s no room for failure anymore.
With everything already settled, I wasn’t expecting him to call me again.
I enter my office on the third floor and lock the door.
"I’m starting a video call," Zeus says.
I connect, and within seconds, the other Kostanidis brothers appear on the screen, along with a fifth man I recognize on sight—Odin Lykaios, their cousin.
"Athanasios, I believe you’ve already been introduced to our cousin," Zeus says.
"Yes. How are you, Odin?"
"I have no complaints. Now that we’re done with the formalities, let’s get to the point. I’ve uncovered the true identity of Moses Raines, which consequently led me to Enya’s as well."
I try to keep my best poker face, revealing no emotion, but I’m utterly shocked.
Sure, I know Odin is considered the emperor of information technology, but he’s managed in just a few days what law enforcement detectives have been struggling with for months.
"Who is he?" I ask.
"It’s not safe to discuss this over the phone, so I suggest we schedule a meeting at the Kostanidis offices next Monday. Or you can come to my company’s headquarters. Either works. All of us use untraceable devices, but you don’t, Athanasios. I can fix that for you soon, though."
I nod in agreement, though I honestly couldn’t care less. Right now, my only concern is Brooklyn. "At least give me a hint. Being left in the dark drives me crazy," I say.
They all laugh, and I know why: none of us handles situations spiraling out of control well.
I’m not an anxious man. In fact, everyone who knows me labels me as abnormally cold. But I’ve realized, since spendingtime with Brooklyn, that when it comes to her, that argument falls apart.
I need to be sure I’ve done everything possible to keep her safe.
"As I said before," Zeus’s cousin continues, "it’s not safe to talk about this here. But I can tell you this much: the man you know as Moses Raines didn’t originally belong to any criminal organization. Now, I have to go. See you Monday, Athanasios. Gentlemen," he says, bidding farewell to his cousins before disappearing from the screen.
Now it’s just the five of us.
"Do you know what his statement implies?" I ask.
"No," Zeus replies. "Out of respect for you, we wanted to wait until you were with us before Odin shared what he’d uncovered."
"Which means we’re sharing the responsibility of Brooklyn’s and her children’s safety with you," Ares adds.
"And we don’t need to say this: Brooklyn is family," Dionysus concludes.
My temper flares. "Go to hell, all of you! You’re acting like we’re teenagers. Don’t underestimate her. Brooklyn is much stronger than you think."
They’re unfazed by my anger.
"Yes, she’s very strong. And beautiful too," Hades says. "But you’ve got a slew of women at your disposal. Why the hell do you want her specifically?"
I turn to Zeus. "Why did you want Madison?"
He doesn’t hesitate. "Because I’ve never met a woman who affects me the way only she can."
"That answer applies to me too. I’m not a boy, and I’m not asking for anyone’s blessing to be with Brooklyn. But you’re right—I could have any woman I wanted. Here’s the thing: I want her. No one else will do, and nothing you say will change my mind."
After disconnecting the call, I walk to the window, furious at their questions but also concerned about what Odin said regarding Brooklyn’s ex.