Chapter Sixteen
"What the fuck," I sputter. “No.” I take a step forward instinctively, but Callie stops me with a hand on my chest. I glance down at her, and she nods, the message loud and clear. I've got this.
"That makes no sense, Apollo." Her tone is bored, like his nonsense is grating on her patience.
She's doing an excellent job of appearing more confident than she's feeling, but I'm willing to bet he can see through it.
I turn my gaze back to him and his shit-eating grin confirms my suspicions.
I'm sure she notices, too, but she doubles down.
"Why would the price for my freedom be my own life? You think I'd free myself just to die?" She rolls her eyes, as if the whole thing is beneath her. A waste of her time. The silence hangs heavy in the air, but she doesn't jump to fill the void. She just stares him down, arms crossed in annoyance.
"Well, you're welcome to bargain, of course." His gaze is predatory, and I want to light him on fire. I follow his gaze with mine as he traces her curves before dipping his head, eyes darkening. "I could always use another wife," he suggests with a wolfish smile. That's it, motherfucker.
I'm vibrating with barely controlled rage at this point, and she knows it. She uncrosses her arms and slips one hand into mine, squeezing hard. Of course, Apollo misses nothing. The delight on his face is absolutely infuriating.
"Oh my," he trills with a giddy laugh. "It seems there may be another chip on the table for you to bargain with? It's not worth as much as an immortal life, but I might be willing to accept his mortal one as payment instead."
That finally cracks the mask. She whips her gaze to him, fury burning in her eyes.
"You will do no such thing," she grits out.
He holds up his hands in mock surrender, stepping back and returning to his seat on the bench.
He crosses his feet at the ankles and leans back, a wide smile splitting his face when he returns his gaze to hers.
"Doesn't seem to me like you have much else to bargain with." He brings one hand to his face, pretending to inspect his nails. Now he's playing bored. "You seem particularly overprotective of this one, Callie. Tell me, love. Does he know what happened to the last one?"
Her hand tenses in mine and she glances back at me.
I catch a flash of shame on her face and shake my head.
He's trying to drive a wedge, to create enough doubt that I'll back out, and I won't let him.
Whatever happened, it has no real importance here.
If it did, she would have told me. She's still frozen, and Apollo is loving every second of this.
I decide that now is the time to take over.
"We're here to bargain, Apollo. A bargain benefits both sides in some way" His lip curls in a sneer at my voice, disgusted that I would dare to speak to him so informally. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Are you not willing to offer us a bargain worth taking?"
He's silent for long enough that I don't think he's going to bother answering me. He chews his cheek, like he's deciding what to say. When he finally speaks, it's to Callie.
"Tell him now, little bird. See if he still wants to fly away with you." He huffs out a laugh. She hesitates, turning to look at me but saying nothing. "Go on, or I'll take my leave. I tire of this."
She takes a deep breath and turns away from me. Her voice is so low that I almost don't hear her.
"My last charge was obsessed with me," she mumbles, fists clenching at her sides.
"When I started the contract, I took the apartment next to his.
I..." She stops for a moment, and I hear a telltale sniffle.
I reach for her hand, but she pulls it away just as I make contact, cradling it with the other in front of her chest. "I kept making mistakes, and he connected the dots too quickly.
He noticed he wrote better when I was around, and he worked out exactly what I am.
I... I couldn't lie to him when he asked me, and I made the mistake of telling him I was only assigned to him until he finished his first book. "
I'm immediately seeing red. I know exactly where this is going, and it's not going to end well for this piece of shit when I find him.
She finally turns to look at me, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.
My face crumples, and it takes every shred of control I have not to reach out for her again.
I know she needs to get this out first, so I shove my hands in my pockets and give her an encouraging nod.
She takes a deep breath before continuing.
"He... Well, he was a really good liar. He convinced me that we were friends, and I would come over to help him write." My brows knit together in a scowl, and I realize too late that she thinks I'm mad at her. Her face floods with panic, and she rushes to explain. "Not... not like us, I swear."
"Hey, it's okay." I shake my head, trying to reassure her. "I'm not mad, I promise. Not at you." She eyes me warily, chewing her bottom lip nervously. I do my best to soften my face, and some of the tension on hers fades away.
"Well, one day I came over to his apartment, and he made us food.
He thought I'd have some kind of mythical metabolism, I guess.
He put way too much of whatever it was in my food, and I almost died.
" Her voice is so small at the last words, and I'm considering hunting the motherfucker down and offering him to Apollo.
"I didn't, though, obviously," she mumbles.
"Anyway, I guess the friend he got the drugs from was also a nurse, and he came over to help keep me alive.
When I woke up, he had me handcuffed to the radiator in his bedroom.
He didn't do anything... weird..." Right, except kidnap you.
"He just didn't want me to disappear once he finished his book.
He didn't know that someone would come looking for me once the contract was up.
.." She trails off, her gaze drifting to Apollo.
"When our sweet girl here," he takes over, still talking directly to Callie.
He's barely looked at me since we got here.
"Didn't show up after his book had been published, one of the muses went to collect her and found her still chained up like a dog.
We couldn't have that, of course. She called me right away, and I dispatched her little.
..friend." He spits out the last word like it tastes bad, his lip curling in disgust. "With extreme prejudice. "
Well, there goes my assassination plan. By the pleased look on Apollo's face, he's probably in little pieces scattered in every river in the country now.
They both turn their attention to me, obviously waiting for me to bail. Callie's watery eyes drift to the floor, and she lets out a low sigh.
"If you want to go, it's okay. I understand." Her voice shakes, and she rubs the heels of her palms over her eyes. My face contorts with fury, and I pin Apollo with a glare.
"Was that supposed to make me run?" I grit the words out, jaw clenched so tight my molars might break.
Callie drops her hands, wide eyes locked on me in shock.
"Did you think the actions of a weak piece of shit would make me think any less of her?
That whatever punishment you doled out for his bullshit would scare me?
I'm not bargaining for her freedom so I can use her for myself.
If I thought for one second that I was capable of being the kind of man who would want her only for what she could do for me, I'd offer myself up to you right now, because I wouldn't deserve to live.
" His smirk has fallen into a deep scowl.
"I know this might be hard for you to understand, but I want her freedom so she can be free. Even if she uses that freedom to fly away without me. So, give me a fair bargain, or we'll figure out another way." Fuck, probably shouldn't have thrown that last part in there. Whatever.
He eyes me for a moment, eyes narrowed and analyzing. I've definitely pissed him off, but I'm hoping he's more impressed by my boldness. It's not lost on me that he could have killed me already and he hasn't.
Callie is still staring, unmoving. I hold out a hand for her, and her gaze drops to it for a moment before lacing her fingers with mine.
My shoulders fall with relief at the contact.
Both of our palms are clammy, and I can feel sweat dripping down the back of this ridiculous suit.
I'm so fucking ready to take her home, take all this shit off, and curl up in bed.
"How sweet," Apollo says, eyes rolling with his words.
We both turn to him, awaiting the result of his deliberation.
"But the price remains the same. Her immortal life or your mortal one.
" My nostrils flare, fury flashing across my face.
"Ah, ah," he tuts, his face full of amusement.
"Before you try something crazy that will definitely get you dismembered," he warns, lifting an accusatory eyebrow at me.
"Take the night to think about it. Really think about it.
Meet me tomorrow with your decision. Same time, same place. "
There’s a loud pop and then he’s gone.
“Fuck!” I kick at the bottom of the bench he was sitting on and achieve nothing but hurting my fucking foot, of course.
Callie slowly sits down on a bench on the opposite side of the gazebo, staring straight through the spot he disappeared from.
I take the seat next to her, pulling her into my arms and tucking her head under my chin.
She immediately lets out a strangled sob, and I pull her in tighter.
“Shh, it’s okay,” I whisper, rubbing small, soothing circles on her back. “Fuck him. We’ll find another way." She sniffs, and I press a kiss to the top of her head. "Come on, let’s go home.”