Page 23 of Martyr (Sterling Falls Rogues #3)

“Atlas,” Artemis says suddenly.

Our food is gone—Kade found two frozen pizzas I had grabbed on a whim and cooked them for us—but our bellies are full. I’ve been staring at the fire for the past few minutes, zoning out and trying not to let my eyes shut.

Now, I refocus on her.

Kade and Saint are watching her, too.

Artemis looks to Kade. “Why Atlas?”

“Atlas?”

Artemis barely glances at Saint to explain, “Kade first showed up at Olympus. Black outfit. Black mask. Said he was there as Atlas.”

Saint seems intrigued by that.

“So my question is…” She drags her index finger around the rim of her wine glass. She hasn’t drunk much of it. A sip or two at most, probably just to be polite. She’s more of a whiskey gal. “What made you choose him?”

Kade leans forward and braces his elbows on his thighs. “You know him, don’t you?”

“He holds the sky on his shoulders,” she says.

“Yes, but why? ”

Saint eyes him, and his face pales. He says on an exhale, “Punishment.”

Kade nods slowly.

Fuck . I’m totally lost. I turn to Artemis for help, and she seems equally shocked.

“Atlas, in Greek Mythology, was punished after participating in the war against the Olympians,” she tells me. “So… you were saying, even then, not to trust you?”

Kade nods. “Subtle, hmm?”

“It probably explains Jace’s hostility,” she mumbles. “He’s a whiz at that sort of thing.”

“What made you think of that?” Saint asks.

Artemis hesitates, then says, “No reason.”

“Bullshit.” Saint immediately jumps on the slip. “What is it?”

“Can you not jump down my throat all the damn time?” she snaps.

I clench my jaw, waiting for Saint’s next move. They need to work out their issues—and me stepping in to help or defend her every time doesn’t help . It just puts up a barrier.

Besides, Tem is perfectly capable of handling herself. And Saint’s asshole behavior.

“You’re a hypocrite,” Saint seethes. “You keep telling me to try and remember?—”

“No, I definitely haven’t said that , but you wouldn’t know since you never listen to a damn word I say.” Tem shifts onto her knees on the couch. “Your memory going away just turned you into the same douche canoe I’ve known for the last year. Big change of events.”

My eyebrows inch higher. Saint only rises to Tem’s bait—or maybe it’s the other way around.

“You’re purposefully withholding things that could help me,” Saint barks. “You don’t explain anything! You just wag your finger at me like I’m some fucking disappointment.”

“You are a disappointment!” She shakes her head. “And some things are better left unspoken.”

Like how he fell in love with her?

“God, I understand why we didn’t get along.” Saint screws up his face in disgust. “If you acted like this all the time.”

“Enough.” Kade’s voice slices through their argument. His gaze locks on Saint. “She’s protecting you. She’s always protecting you.”

Oh, how the tides turn. Kade’s expression is intense, completely serious, and all his body language is zeroed in on Saint.

Hell, I’ve been on the receiving end of a similar look. Just, you know, without the sexual tension behind it, too. It’s hard not to fold when he gets like that.

A flush works its way up Saint’s neck. He’s clearly feeling the effects.

Artemis rolls her eyes at them, the conversation—err, argument—clearly over for the moment. She returns to her position, flinging the blanket back on her lap. She sets the wine aside, and it’s hard to miss how her fingers linger at the crook of her elbow.

Guilt worms through me at all the signs of her addiction we didn’t see.

“It’s going to be different when we go back,” I say in a low voice.

Her head whips around.

I focus on her hand, then switch back to her warm brown eyes.

She bites her lip and carefully nods.

My burner phone buzzes in my pocket. I picked one up while Saint and I were in town, and my one text was to Daniel so he could connect me with everyone. I slide it out now and scan the text.

Daniel: 911. Call me.

I jump to my feet and hit the button to dial him back, striding out of the room. I don’t know where to go, just that I’m not a hundred percent sure Kade should overhead whatever I’m about to say.

“Reese?” Daniel asks.

I roll my eyes. “Yes. Obviously.”

“Not obviously. Quick: who did you ask the Olympians to rescue in Emerald Cove?”

“An old friend.” I narrow my eyes. “Do I need to elaborate?”

“No, that is acceptable. I’m passing you over to Jace King.”

I end up in Kade’s room. Well, Tem’s room, I suppose.

“This is Jace,” a deep baritone voice says a moment later. “We’re sending a boat for you, Artemis, and Saint.”

My body tenses. “Why?”

“There’s been a new development—it seems that Gabriel knows where you are.”

I stare off into the middle distance. The room is dark, but outside is awash with the almost gray luminance of falling snow. “I imagine that’s a problem.”

“Saint killed Ouranos’ brother. We suspect Gabriel or Kade have been given orders to bring him in. And now that our hiding place has been uncovered, it’s best you all return on your own terms.”

I swallow. I can’t say I know Jace—hell, he still lands squarely in the stranger category.

The only reason I trust what he’s saying are the stories I heard during my time spent with Daniel and Saint—before the amnesia accident—plus, he’s considered Tem’s family.

That automatically gives him some points.

“When?”

“Boat’s on its way.”

“You didn’t happen to hear about the marina exploding, did you?”

He pauses, then lets out a huff. “Yeah, I heard about it. Wait?—”

“Guilty.”

He laughs. “Naturally. There’s a private dock used by the trauma camp. It’s probably where you dropped Saint off.”

I nod to myself. “I know it.”

“Meet the boat there in thirty minutes.”

Ah, fuck. I guess he doesn’t give a shit about whoever’s out there guarding it while the island is on lockdown.

I can sense he’s ready to end the call. I blurt out, “Wait?—”

“Yeah?”

“How many people can the boat hold?”