Page 59 of The Best Trick

“Ice is not for sale,” Zeus growled. “Ice is not a bargaining chip. She is our amazing wife, and you will respect and honor her.”

“I don’t need him to honor me,” I said, because what would that even look like?

“He will honor you or pay the price,” Odin said.

I winced. I really just wanted to get the intel and go, but unfortunately, Stan the Man had officially flipped the God Pack’s crazy switch.

“Please…” Stan the Man squeezed out. “Please…I'll take the…money…”

“Fuck that,” Odin said. “We have a new offer now. You will tell us what we want to know, and I mean you will tell us everything, and in exchange we will not put you in thefucking-ghospital for insulting our goddess.”

“But first you’ll apologize,” Thor said.

“No, you willfucking-ggrovel, and then you will tell us everything, and after that, we might find it in our hearts to forget what you just said,” Odin added.

“But we might not forget,” Zeus put in, clearly in one of his irrational moods. “We probably won’t.”

“Umm…” Stan said.

“Now apologize. And make it good,” Odin said.

“He doesn't have to,” I said.

“Aucontraire,” Zeus said.

My pulse raced. “It’s not an apology if a person is forced to make it. Let’s get the info and leave.”

“If we make him sorry enough, the apology will be real.” Zeus changed his grip on Stan, maybe letting up, finally, because Stan began to make sense.

“I didn't mean it!” he choked out. “I know you are a perfect lady.”

I snorted.

“That's not convincing,” Thor informed him. “Ice is not convinced. Make it more convincing.”

“How?” Stan complained.

“For starters, you can get on your hands and knees.” Zeus released his grip, and Stan crumpled to the floor.

Thor nudged him with his foot, partly being badass, though partly, I was thinking, making sure he didn't need medical attention. My guys were full-service outlaws.

“I’m so sorry for how I insulted you,” Stan grumbled up at me.

“Fine,” I said. “Let’s get on with it.”

“Why do you wish that he hadn't darkened your door?” Odin demanded, sitting back down. “Did he lose that much money? What kind of marker does he have out with you?”

“Nah, you have it all wrong,” Stan grumbled, still cringing there on the floor.

“What do we have wrong?” Thor asked.

“The problem with Wilson was that he was winning too much. At first, I thought he was just lucky. But I think he was getting tips from his friends in the Don Pedro organization. I had him roughed up and thrown out.”

“How did you know he was getting tips from the Don Pedro people?”

“He was winning big, but then he’d be all secretive and low-key about it. Think about it—who doesn't scream and shout when they've just won ten large? Twenty large? Who doesn't make a big deal out of that? I'll tell you who—a man who’s using inside information and doesn’t want people to know.”

“Makes sense,” Zeus said.

---