I think I deserve that.
Artemis leanson the trunk of her car, which is backed carefully into a spot that gives her a view of both the road and the waterfall.
Same place I met the sheriff when he delivered Reese’s mother’s phone records—which proved useful only in that I was able to narrow down two burners. One that, at the time, was working but wasn’t used frequently enough or long enough to be tracked. And the other was dead.
It confirmed what I already knew: Reese Avery still talks to his mama.
I park my new car and climb out, stopping a good distance away. This is the first time I’ve seen her since…since. She’s thinner. Her hair is in a bun on top of her head, and her gold shirt is skin tight. It’s tucked into a pair of high-waisted jeans.
She’s too pretty. It’s devastating, a bit.
“What do I have to do for you to leave Saint alone?” she asks.
I narrow my eyes.
“I mean, you’ve already fucked me over,” she continues. “And Reese, too. So is Saint next? Is that why you keep inserting yourself…”
“There are much worse places I could beinsertingmyself.” I smirk. “We could find out.”
She doesn’t react. Not physically anyway, and she’s just far enough away mentally that I can’t get a read on her frame of mind.
“I wanted to explain myself.” I rub the back of my neck. “I…”
“I don’t really care.” She raises one shoulder. “I came to see about Saint. Not for you to make excuses.”
My brows lift. “Excuses.”
“Yes, Kade, excuses.”
She crosses and uncrosses her arms, then straightens. She goes to the railing, leaning her forearms on it and staring out at the waterfall. It’s an impressive sight. A force of nature.
Artemis, I mean, not the falls.
“It’s not an excuse.” I approach before she can run away. I won’t corner her or trap her, but damn it—she needs to listen. “It’s a reason. I owed Reese, and he was never going to fucking wake up. I knew Gabriel wouldn’t kill you.”
She laughs. “You know that, do you? What he did was so much worse than that.”
I stare at her.
I hadn’t considered that.
“Artemis…”
“No. Fuck off, Kade. Go on your killing spree, pin bodies to my club and Olympus, fight with the Hell Hounds. I’m so far done with all of this shit.”
I don’t know how to respond to that.
She faces me and reaches out. I don’t move. I don’t want to scare her away, but the thought of her touch has my heart thumping harder.
She yanks the collar of my shirt down, revealing the tattoo Saint gave me. The heavens and Earth separated by a marble pillar…
It’s very much inspired by Atlas.
Just what I asked for.
She sighs and releases it.
“I didn’t give him a choice,” I tell her.
