Page 7

ROSE

Three years later…

The sound of lapping waves stirs me. A cool breeze sneaks in through our house, bringing the smell of salt and the promise of another day in paradise.

I roll over in bed, but Alexei isn’t here.

Of course not. Another early day out in the surf.

There’s no schedule to keep, so I get up when I’m damn good and ready. If I wanted to, I could lie here all day and read one of the books piled up on my end table. But I should move, maybe take a walk on the beach and find Alexei catching waves.

It’s good for the baby.

I slip into a flowing red dress, not bothering with shoes as I step out onto our porch through the sliding door. The wood is cool beneath my feet, and the sand of the beach looks inviting.

During high tide, the water comes right up to our little house on stilts.

Where we are in the world doesn’t matter. It’s an island in a place most people have never been, filled with friendly people who speak languages most people will never hear. We’re not hiding, but our travels took us here, and we simply haven’t left yet.

That is how our path is decided. Every day, we move on the whims of our desires.

Usually, that simply means eating good food, going for long walks, making love in-between it all, and sleeping so deeply that my dreams seem light years away.

I step down into the sand. It’s still wet from the tide.

Palm trees lean in toward the surf, providing some shade as I stroll along the shore. Out there, other islands wave hello in the distance. The water is so clear that I can see the ecosystems that are usually hidden.

Hardly any waves today, so I’m sure I’ll find Alexei out there just floating on his board, smiling up at the sky. He’s become quite stoic now that he has no one to kill.

The sand warms as I walk, and I pick out pretty shells here and there to take back with me. I pass a few neighbors, fishers, and friends who all smile and wave.

Until I spot someone who clearly doesn’t belong.

The lean, handsome man wears sandals, a white shirt, and white shorts. He’s standing in the sand, staring out at a figure floating in the water. He’s staring out at Alexei floating on his surfboard.

The man, unfortunately, is someone I recognize.

I quicken my pace but stay silent, moving behind him and plucking up the sharpest shell I can find. It’s no knife, but it would be enough to open his throat with one curt movement.

I make that known as I reach him.

“Don’t fucking move,” I growl, digging the shell into his neck from behind. He’s so tall that I have to stand on my toes. “Alexei! Here!”

My husband pops up, spots us, and dives off his board.

“There’s no need for the… erm… weapon?” the man laughs. “Truly. You know me—I’m just a messenger.”

“We have nothing to say to you, Hermes.”

Alexei trudges out of the water, eyes bulging as he recognizes the man, too. All those buried instincts flood back to the surface. His killer eyes flash wildly.

“Hermes,” Alexei sighs and shakes his head. “Whatever message you bring, Olympia has violated our agreement. Maybe we should kill you to send a message right back?”

I know he doesn’t want to kill again, but he will.

He would for me.

He would for our family.

“Hardly necessary.” Hermes holds his hands out to his sides. “May I sit? I assure you, I’m no threat. My position within Olympia has not changed.”

Alexei meets my eyes and nods.

I step around, standing behind my husband.

Hermes breathes relief and plops down in the sand.

“To put things simply,” he says, staring up at us. “There’s been restructuring. Olympia, as you knew it, is no more.”

“But you’re still you,” I say.

He shrugs. “My job hasn’t changed. Messages still need to be delivered, now more than ever. Now that things are changing.”

“What does any of this have to do with us?” Alexei asks, fists balled.

“Olympia,” Hermes says, “the new Olympia, would like to hire you. Both of you. As consultants.”

Alexei and I share a glance before we burst into laughter.

Hermes’s face falls flat. “I assure you, this is not a joke.”

“I’ll give them some free consulting.” Alexei drops to one knee and stares the messenger in the eyes. “Dismantle. Divest. And do not, under any circumstances, ever come looking for us again.”

Hermes tries to recover the negotiations. “They are prepared to offer you salaries you cannot imagine. It’s not the old gods. You could have brought down the old guard. You intrigue them. Zeus… there are new people in charge…”

Alexei holds his gaze, growling so deeply that it sounds as if a typhoon is building. “And if they ever pull this shit again, if we see one more of their assets, messengers, assassins, anyone , I will find out who the new gods are, I will learn every little secret about them, and I will not stop until all of you are destroyed. That is our response. Do you understand, Hermes?”

Standing behind Alexei, I feel more powerful than a goddess.

With his baby in my belly, I feel safer and more protected than I ever thought possible. Even with this agent of Olympia at our feet, I know they can’t touch us. They won’t. Because even with new people in charge, even when Cupid’s actions have become myth, Olympia is still afraid.

Hermes starts as if he’s going to retort, but thinks better of it. He nods, slowly standing and wiping himself off. “I’ll deliver your response. My apologies for disturbing you. As the messenger of Olympia, I can assure you that you will not be hearing from us again.”

Alexei claps him on the back and smiles. “I always knew I liked you, Richard.”

Hermes goes so pale that I take a step back in case he vomits. I wonder how long it’s been since he’s heard his true name?

He nods again, and again, stutters, and stumbles off.

“Poor guy.” I shake my head. “Did you really have to gut punch him like that?”

“Yeah, to make sure the message is sent.” Alexei watches him go until he’s out of sight. Finally, he turns, and I know I have him back. Cupid is buried again, always waiting in case we need him.

He smiles like that day in Paris.

He kisses me like that night in the hotel.

And, as always, I lose control like it’s my first breath of fresh air in years.

We wade out into the water. My dress soaks, and I wrap myself up in Alexei’s strong body. Here in the shallows, he takes me, his handler, his lover, his wife, and the mother of his child.

He’d die for me.

He’d kill for me.

He fought the gods so he could live for me.

The end…