Page 83 of The Deeper Game
Ironically, I had twisted sensei Robert Manning to thank for that.
“You guys are amazing,” I said. Because really, this was huge.
Right in that moment, they seemed completely free, like wild animals.
Bloody.
Primal.
Beautiful.
Intensely alive.
Chapter Nineteen
Three weeks later,my guys and I were lounging on the porch in our matching plush bathrobes after some exuberant fun in the hot tub. The last remnant of my struggle with Manning, my chin bruise, was nearly all the way faded. You could barely see it.
Zeus set down his paperback novel and stood. “Who wants lemonade?”
I smiled up at him. “Could it be strawberry lemonade?”
“Could be and will be.” He headed inside.
Getting kidnapped, chased, and nearly tossed to your death in a quarry pit turned out to be quite the boon if you were the type who liked being waited on hand and foot by three hunky bank robbers.
Which I was.
But it went so much deeper than that. The experience changed us. I got this new appreciation for my guys. Out there in the quarry parking lot with them all bloody and invigorated, I came to love them in a newer, deeper way.
And they had a different relationship with vengeance, too. They were no longer the bitches of vengeance, just like Zeus had promised.
They might still want to rob banks, they assured me, and they would strike back if ZOX came after them, but they didn’thaveto do any of it. Odin was doing more painting these days. Thor was into his clinic work.
Zeus announced he was opening a detective agency.
“What?” Odin said. “You’re opening a detective agency?”
“Yeah, why not?” Zeus said. “I put it out on the grapevine already.”
“Don’t detectives catch criminals?” I asked. “And work with the police?” Both of those were rhetorical questions.
Thor was laughing. “Are you thinking this through? You start busting criminals, you’ll never get served at Guvvey’s again. And that will be the least of your problems.”
“No, this detective agency would help criminals. Our peeps need detectives, too,” Zeus said. “In fact, we have our first client.”
Odin sat up. “You don’t think you should’ve consulted the gang?”
Zeus shrugged. “If you don’t want to solve this guy’s mystery, I’ll do it myself.”
Odin grumbled. “Of course I want to help solve a mystery. Who is it?”
“Alexander Hamilton.” Zeus pulled out his phone. “Obviously not his real name.” He hit play on a voicemail and a man’s voice filled the room.
Yeah, this is…Alexander Hamilton calling. So…somebody out there framed me up for something. Made me a powerful enemy. This frame-up was tight. They thought of everything. And I really need you to, you know, to figure out who did it so I can have a chat with this person if you know what I mean. I’m around this week. Shoot me a time and place and I’ll be there.
Odin narrowed his eyes. “Shit,” he said.
“What?” Zeus said. “You recognize the voice?”
