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Dionysus

CHAPTER FOUR

“What’s happened?” Zeus asks on the phone.

“How do you know something’s happened?”

“The bank’s security cameras apparently filmed the collision and the bodyguards called me. Where are you?”

“At the hospital, waiting for her to be dealt with.”

“Her?”

“Yes, a girl. I don’t know her name. She passed out before I could ask. Did you see the footage?”

“Not yet. First, I wanted to check if you were okay. What hospital are you in? The one where Athanasios works?”

“No. I asked the ambulance to take her to the nearest one, but depending on what the doctors say, I’ll transfer her there.”

“Do you think it’s serious?”

“No, but either way, it’s really fucked up. Anderson is still in a daze. He’s never had any incident of this type in his whole life.”

“I’m coming to find you.”

“Zeus, there’s no need. Shouldn’t you be with your girl?”

He doesn’t even flinch; in the past, if I’d used that title, he would have had a heart attack. Many things have changed, however, during the last few months, mainly regarding my brother’s future.

“Madison will come with me.”

“You don’t need to come. If you want to help me, check the footage. We have to know what really happened.” I run my hand through my hair. “I need to know if it was our fault. In any case, no matter what conclusion I come to, I’ll cover all the expenses.”

“There’s no doubt about that.”

I think about those cobalt blue eyes staring at me and the pale face painted with small freckles. The girl looks like she could fall apart from a puff of air.

“She’s very young and, if I guessed correctly, also in need. She was dressed in simple clothes and carried a worn-out suitcase. Regardless of what the doctors say or who was at fault, I will make sure she gets home safe.”

“Home?”

“Yes, she’s not from here—I’m sure of that.”

“Minor?”

“I don’t think so. We left the paperwork for her to fill out later. I just need to make sure she’s okay.”

In my peripheral vision, I see someone approaching, and when I turn around, I notice that Hades, my little brother, is here.

“Check out the footage for me. Hades has just arrived. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“I’ll never stop worrying about any of you, Dionysus. Who did Joseph end up with?”

“Ares went to my house. I had a meeting with a potential candidate for a night shift nanny, but I asked him to meet her and schedule it for another day.”

“Good. I’ll check the footage and call you as soon as I’m sure what happened. Don’t forget to update me as the situation progresses.”

“Zeus, I’ll be fine. Enjoy your woman. You have my word that I will call if anything goes wrong.”

I barely have time to end the call before Hades stops next to me.

“Who is she?” he asks without even greeting me. “I spoke to Anderson, and he assured me that the woman threw herself in front of the car. That is very suspicious.”

My brother lives up to his namesake: he doesn’t forgive and he destroys the lives of those he considers enemies. He’s incapable of feeling empathy for anyone other than our family, and I think that even so, it’s because of blood, not because it comes naturally to him.

“We don’t know yet. It is being investigated. Zeus will check the footage, but before you start with your conspiracy theories, she’s a girl, Hades. Or at least, that’s what it seemed to me in the short time I was close to her.”

“And? Does lack of character have an age?”

“Jesus, where did you get that conclusion from? You’re getting worse every day. Just because you made one mistake in your judgment doesn’t mean that everyone in your path will be like that. You need to move on.”

“Never. Not until I destroy them both.”

“You already destroyed them.”

“Not yet. She would need to stay where she is for a long time to receive the punishment she deserves.”

“I won’t discuss this matter with you. You’re obsessed.”

“I didn’t come here to talk about Juliet or that son of a bitch. I came here to see if you need anything.”

“Not for the time being.”

“Well, then I’ll be going now,” he says in a bad mood, and I know it’s because I brought up the topic that has tormented him for years.

“Hades, I’m not trying to make your life hell. Can you understand that?”

He’s already walking away, but he looks back at me. “No one can make my life hell, Dionysus. I already live in it. I’m the lord of the underworld, or have you forgotten?”

He’s not being ironic. I think that’s really where his soul is trapped.

“Mr. Kostanidis?” a man’s voice calls me as soon as my brother leaves.

I turn to see who it is, and it happens to be a doctor and a nurse. “How can I help you?”

“Good evening. I’m Doctor Roswell, the person responsible for the care of...” He frowns, and I realize he doesn’t know the girl’s name either. “From what we could ascertain, it’s nothing serious. She only has slight bruises. We ran all the tests, including a CT scan of her head. She’s fine.”

“Can I see her?”

“It would be better to come back tomorrow. I ordered her to be sedated because she was very anxious.”

“Where can I check her name? I need to notify the family.”

“All documents were taken to the reception. They’re doing her file right now, so we know who”—he coughs, embarrassed—"we should charge.”

“Don’t worry about that. All expenses will be on me. I want her to have the best care. I’ll come back tomorrow to see her. Don’t discharge her before I arrive.”

I enter the elevator, followed by my bodyguards, and head straight to the reception.

“I need information about the patient in room eight hundred and four,” I tell the attendant.

“Are you related to the patient?”

I clench my jaw, even though I know the employee’s question is valid. “I’m responsible for her,” I reply, without leaving room for discussion.

The woman is unfazed. She folds her hands on the reception desk and looks at me. “What type of information do you want?”

All of it , I think, but I know that would be impossible because I’m not a relative of the girl. I’ll have what I need by the end of the night, anyway, or tomorrow at the latest. With just one phone call to my cousin Odin, her life will be turned inside out.

“Just the name,” I say and let my eyes travel over her face and then, more slowly, down to her breasts, lingering there.

I never let anything stop me from getting what I want. I don’t respect many rules other than the ones I create when I want to achieve a goal.

If she were to strictly follow protocol, she wouldn’t even give me the girl’s name, as it doesn’t make any sense for me to request such information when I’ve just told her that I’m responsible for the girl. I should have thought of that.

However, when I see her cheeks turn into two balls of pink, I know that, right now, she will do anything I want.

Anything.

Her hands shake as she types, searching for what I requested, and then writes something down on a piece of paper and hands it to me.

I don’t look at it, not even after picking it up. Right now, I give her my full attention. I’m not interested in anything other than what I have at hand, but she doesn’t need to know that. “Thank you, Miss. I hope you have sweet dreams.”

“May I have your name? Just to make a note here in case someone asks for the information from the person in charge, sir.”

I hand her a card with only my office phone number on it. Even this way, she would have to go through my secretaries before gaining access to me.

“You’ll be a good girl and call me if necessary...” I look at her name on the tag above her left breast. “Molly?”

The blush increases considerably. “Of course, Mr. Dionysus,” she replies, reading my card. “Isn’t he the god of love?”

“No. You are wrong, Miss. That’s Eros. Goodnight.”

After all the shit that’s happened today, this little interaction almost makes me smile. I have no problem using any method to persuade a woman to do what I want, as long as I get results.

Will she spend the night dreaming about love in Greek mythology? Probably.

She should study up on the subject, however. I’m the god of pleasure, among other things. I’m not looking for feelings between a man and a woman. I never wanted them, not even with Sue. For me, it all comes down to lust.

Like my brothers, our mother hit the spot when she chose my name.