Page 15 of Right Hand Of The Reaper
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Aww, Hades, it almost sounds like you care.”
“I don’t. I just don’t want to have to deal with the fallout if you piss them off.”
“Why do you always assume that’s the outcome. I can be charming.”
Hades threw me a flat look. “Really? Then why haven’t I seen that?”
I smiled. “Because I have more fun antagonising you.”
Hades cocked his head and dropped his voice to a sensual rumble. “Perhaps you should try charming me. You might get more out of me.”
And that was my cue to leave. Angry Hades was hot, but this seductive version of his was going to burn me. His laughter echoed behind me as I fled the room. Damn him for being able to make such a beautiful sound. It made me want to curl up in his lap and do sinful things with him. Urgh, what an asshole.
Chapter Six
Roux
IheadedbacktoG.R.I.M after my unsettling conversation with Hades. The man somehow always managed to twist me in knots. I hoped I left him feeling the same sort of confusion otherwise this would all be very unfair.
The building was super quiet. Usually, it was a hive of activity, Reapers running around, souls and demons drifting here and there, the odd ghost mingling. But today, there was nothing. Just the echo of my boots as I crossed the foyer. The sharp sound felt harrowing in the empty space, and it was so devoid of life. Which I knew was odd being as it was a building associated with death, but I’d never seen it so barren.
I trudged up to my office, the heaviness of the scythe and the weight of the responsibility of this place sitting on my shoulders and making their presence known. Lila was sat at her desk in the office next to mine and she jumped to her feet as soon as she saw me coming.
“Roux! Oh, thank the Gods you’re alright.”
I was confused. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
She pulled to a halt in front of me. “I hadn’t heard from you since last night and with Thane going missing, I thought something had happened to you too.”
“I’m sorry. That was shitty of me.” I should have checked in but so much had been happening that I’d forgotten.
She waved her hand and pulled me into a hug. “Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you’re okay.”
I squeezed her back and released her. “Has Atticus turned up yet?”
She grinned like she had secrets to spill. “I don’t think he ever left.”
Worry had me pursing my lips. “Do you think he found anything?”
“Nope,” she said with a shake of her head, her silver hair bouncing around her. “He looks thoroughly annoyed this morning. He went to get coffee, but I think Rafe did something to the machine because when he came back, he had no coffee and a thunderous expression on his face.”
I sighed. I did not have the patience to deal with this kind of shit today. I wanted this investigation over as soon as possible, and the twins playing pranks on the one man who had the power to clear Thane’s name, was not helping.
“I’ll go fix the machine,” I said wearily, and Lila’s face fell. “Just tell Rafe and Rayne no more pranks. I need Atticus to solve this.”
“Fine,” she grumbled. “I’ll tell them, but I doubt they will listen to me.”
I walked into the common area in the middle of the floor and undid what Rafe had done. Then I fixed two coffees and headed towards Thane’s office. Atticus was sat behind the desk, his head in his hands and looking slightly more rumpled than he had been when he arrived yesterday.
“Knock, knock,” I said, and he flinched as I pulled him from his thoughts.
His unusual eyes met mine and I didn’t fail to notice the bags under them. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to tame it, but it just made it look wilder. It was almost adorable really. “Roux. What, um, what are you doing here?”
“I thought you could use one of these,” I said as I entered and placed a mug down in front of him. “Lila said you’d been here all night.”
“Yes and thank you. I couldn’t seem to get it to work earlier.”
