Holly's Pledge

by Anh Leod

  “Oh. Do you know his club?” Was that anger she heard in his voice? A warning whisper told her he was dangerous. But also very, very pretty.

  The man put a hand on his hip. The fancy knife sheathed there ratcheted up her warning bells about a thousand percent. “My friend mentioned it. He’s an actor named Cherokee Ares.”

  “You’re kidding!” Holly couldn’t believe the coincidence. It dimmed the bells a bit. “He’s a very good friend of my brother’s.”

  “Is Cherokee nearby?”

  “No.” Why would this man think that?

  “I am Glaukos, son of Minos.” He crossed his arms over his impressively broad chest. A gold medallion gleamed at his neck, above his folded wrists.

  “I’m Holly Bowles,” she said, the bells subsiding further as she realized his accent was similar to Cherokee’s. “I’m sister of Dylan, I guess.”

  “Is Dylan nearby then?”

  “No, I’m alone. I was shopping.” She gestured to the books in her hand.

  “Will you take me to Torc?” The man’s mouth twisted slightly, as if he’d smelled something sour.

  Could she get a date out of this? Or at least show up with a guy to let Greg see she was desirable? “I could tomorrow. Rotten Tomatoes is playing at the club tomorrow night.”

  “What are they playing?” he asked with a frown.

  From the way he said it she had a feeling he had no clue what the slangy term meant. “Music.”

  Glaukos nodded. “That will be fine. I have thirty days, so I can wait one.”

  “Are you on vacation from somewhere? Greece?” she guessed.

  His eyes crinkled with mirth. “Further south now, but I was born in Crete.”

  The man had gone from dangerous to charming in a heartbeat. “Ah yes, Minos. Like the fabled king who had the Minotaur.”

  He was still smiling. “Yes. You know our history.”

  Holly shrugged. “When you work in B movies, you learn a little about everything. That’s how I met Cherokee. He was starring in one of our vampire flicks. Of course his career is going somewhere now.”

  “He seems to be quite settled here.”

  Holly thought of Dylan and Brandi and their obvious happiness. “Yes, I think you’re right. Have you spoken to him recently?”

  “We email. We communicated yesterday.”

  Right before he hopped a plane, she guessed. “Did he tell you where to meet him? I suppose he could be in this neighborhood somewhere. I don’t have his cell number though.”

  “I’m not sure how I came to be here. Maybe you were meant to take me to him.” Glaukos raised his eyebrows.

  Holly laughed nervously. “No, I don’t think so.” She reached into her purse for her cell phone and called Dylan.

  The phone rang twice then he picked up. She could hear laughter in the background as he said hello.

  “Hi, Dylan. Is Cherokee there?”

  “That’s a funny question. You know I’m never going to block you from entering your own house even if I do have company.” Dylan sounded exasperated. “We pay equally, we share equally.”

  “I know. I just want to talk to him.”

  “Oh.” Dylan paused. Holly smirked, happy to confuse her big brother. “Hold on.”

  A moment later Cherokee’s deep, sensuous voice came on the line. “Holly?”

  “Hi. I’m at a bookstore in West Hollywood with a friend of yours. His name is Glaukos.” She kept an eye on the dark man as she spoke. He did have the most amazingly muscular legs. What a contrast to Greg’s sexy swimmer’s build. Two such different body types, but they both turned her on.

  Cherokee barked a laugh. “You are kidding.”

  “No. He’s looking for you, like maybe he was going to meet you here?”

  There was a momentary silence. “A miscommunication. Do you have plans to return home soon?”

  “I was going to grab some takeout first.”

  “Brandi made dinner. There is plenty left. Why don’t you bring Glaukos home with you and eat here?”

  “Okay. I can do that. See you soon.” She hung up and tossed her phone back into her purse. If Cherokee said so, Glaukos could be trusted. “Cherokee’s at my house, so if you’re okay with me driving you there that’s what he suggested.”

  Glaukos nodded. “Fine.”

  Holly glanced at the book in her hand then set it back on the shelf. It wasn’t as though she didn’t have a bunch of books on her “to be read” bookcase anyway and the sooner she delivered this unsettling man to Cherokee the safer she’d be.

  She walked though the shelving units with Glaukos following. He was close enough that she could smell some kind of cologne on his skin. The scent made her think of dark underground places and cool winter breezes. She shivered deliciously. It might be fun to show up with him at the club. He’d have to wear something less feminine though and lose the knife. She wondered if she could make Greg jealous with this guy. Smiling, she realized Glaukos was prettier than Greg’s girlfriend, even if he was a man.

  They left the shop and found her car. It took a moment for Glaukos to figure out how to open the passenger door and he needed help fastening his seatbelt. She couldn’t help brushing his warm thigh with her hand or noticing how thick his muscles were. In her opinion, he was better looking than Cherokee and that was saying something. Longing rushed through her, killing sense.

  “Do you like girls?” She straightened and clapped her hand over her mouth in horror. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe I said that.”

  His lips curved. “I like women, but it has been many a year since I encountered any.”

  “Why?” Had he been in prison? At least he wasn’t covered in homemade tattoos. That wasn’t her thing.

  “The only females who take flesh in my world are demons and goddesses.”

  “You must have a pretty black and white view of the world,” Holly commented, then turned the key in her ignition.

  “Not at all. You, for instance, are clearly flesh and blood, with no taint of immortality on your soul.”

  “So I’m a shade of gray.” She was amused by his flowery speech, especially with that accent.

  “Someday perhaps, but for now you are a being of light.”

  Holly raised her eyebrows. She kind of liked that. “Do you have a place to stay tonight? Where’s your luggage?”

  “I expected Cherokee to take care of my needs.”

  “If Brandi made dinner at my house, he’s probably planning to spend the night there. You could sleep on our sofa, or if Cherokee gives me the key and the pass codes I could probably run you to his house.”

  “Clearly you are not a siren.” His voice deepened, hardening her nipples in response.

  “Excuse me?” Holly watched for oncoming traffic then turned on to the street.

  “I don’t enter the world often, but I’m used to women being friendly,” he said.

  Okay, now he sounded exactly like Cherokee. She narrowed her eyes. “Friendly how?”

  “By offering me the comfort of their beds instead of a lonely couch.”

  Holly saw a red light at the last second and braked hard, throwing her hand out automatically to catch Glaukos. He caught her arm then shocked her by kissing her fingers lightly. Her nipples tented her blouse, but her response was hidden in the dark.

  This guy was definitely Cherokee’s friend. She worked in the producer’s office at the studio, but Claudia had told her stories about Cherokee’s simmering sexuality and his constant conquests on set. And yet, Brandi had told her Cherokee was not jaded by his many experiences. Certainly the pleasure-filled noises she heard through her bedroom wall at night told her so.

  But she wasn’t a sophisticated world traveler like Brandi or even her brother. She couldn’t begin to know how to handle the likes of Glaukos, even if her pussy was clenching and her panties were damp in anticipation of something she wasn’t planning on doing with him. Still, even if Greg was more her speed, he wasn’t available tonight and she was horn
y beyond belief.

  “You find me attractive?” Her voice came out as a squeak.

  “How could I not? All that flaming hair, the creamy complexion,” his voice slowed with appreciation, “and those curves.”

  She blushed, the curse of redheads. From her point of view, those curves represented the ten pounds she was always trying to lose, but maybe Greeks saw those things differently. “I’ve been growing my hair out. I wore it short for years.”

  “You should leave it long,” he agreed. “It’s more sensual.”

  She nodded, glad to see she’d found her street almost on autopilot. Reaching above her head, she found the garage door opener and clicked it, then pulled into the alley. “You’re pretty attractive yourself, though not exactly my type.”

  “What is your type?”

  She thought for a second as she put the car into park and set the emergency brake. “Nerdy. Like me.”

  “You aren’t wearing glasses. Or a pocket protector.”

  She laughed. “Nerdiness is more a state of mind.”

  “Do nerds ever wear shoes like those?” he wondered.

  She glanced down and admired her platform heels. “Girl nerds, maybe.”

  “If it is any consolation, I spend much of my day at a computer or filing.”

  Her hopes rose immediately. That didn’t sound like prison. “Really? What do you do the rest of the time?”

  “I’m a bodyguard. No,” he corrected. “I think you would call me a bailiff here.”

  “I suppose that could be a nerd job. But I have to tell you, the nerds here don’t dress like you.”

  He fingered the embroidery at his neckline. “Cherokee will need to provide me with a suitable wardrobe.”

  She shook her head. Cherokee was very vain about his newly acquired designer clothing. “If you say so. You certainly wouldn’t fit into anything of my brother’s. He’s built on less heroic lines.”

  Glaukos grinned, showing square white teeth. “I was a soldier before the earthquake ended my career.”

  That confused Holly, but then the side garage door opened and she saw Cherokee standing there. His dark, thick hair flowed around his shoulders and he was dressed in an oversized ruby robe she recognized as Dylan’s most recent birthday present from their mother.

  “Did you lose everything in a quake?” she asked. “We’re always worried about that here too.”

  Glaukos nodded. “Yes. Quite everything.”

  Holly unlocked the car doors then Cherokee was opening the passenger door and pulling Glaukos out into a bear hug.

  “Glaukos, my friend!” Holly heard then Cherokee started to speak rapidly in a language she didn’t recognize but assumed was Greek.

  Holly climbed out of her seat as Glaukos’ forehead furrowed and he burst into a series of what she assumed were pressing questions. Cherokee pounded him on the back and shook his head as if to tell his friend to slow down, they had all the time in the world.

  In a couple of minutes they were sitting in the kitchen with a bottle of ouzo open between them. Brandi was at the stove, pulling out a casserole dish.

  “There’s chicken noodle soup and this is roasted root vegetables,” Dylan and Cherokee’s partner announced. “Dylan just got back from Frankfurt and I wanted him to eat healthy after that long plane ride.”

  Impulsively, Holly went to Brandi and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for taking such good care of my brother.”

  Brandi hugged her back. “He takes good care of me too.”

  “So,” Holly gestured to the men at the table. “Have you heard of Glaukos before?”

  Brandi rinsed off a ladle in the sink and began to spoon soup into two bowls that were warming on the stove. “No, but Cherokee doesn’t talk about old times too often.”

  As Holly placed a bowl of soup at Glaukos’ elbow, she recognized a word in what he was saying. “Torc?” she repeated.

  “Torc?” Brandi asked, setting down spoons and Holly’s bowl.

  Glaukos curled a hand around his bowl and looked at Cherokee until he nodded.

  “He is a son of the Underworld,” the actor said in English.

  “Did you and Glaukos act with him back in Italy?” Brandi asked.

  Dylan walked into the kitchen, his hair damp from the shower. Brandi set plates of root vegetables on the table. When all five were seated, Holly took her first bite of soup.

  “Delicious,” she said.

  Brandi smiled at her then refocused her attention. “Cherokee? It’s been close to three weeks since your strange attack. You talked about gods and I know your father is Greek. You intimated that your father had power over you. If I hadn’t been there to see what happened to you I’d never have believed it. And now you’re talking about the Underworld? What’s going on?”

  Holly’s eyes widened. She’d assumed Cherokee was talking about another nightclub.

  “Not to mention your narrow escape outside that club on Halloween,” Dylan added. “You should have died. Who is this guy?”

  “That’s Glaukos,” Holly told him. “He’s a friend of Cherokee’s.”

  “Can you cartwheel over moving cars too?” Dylan asked.

  Glaukos smiled. “I have never tried, but I practiced jumping bulls as a youth so yes, I think so.”

  “He’s very modest,” Holly deadpanned.

  Cherokee smirked.

  Holly remembered seeing artwork of youths jumping bulls. Her production company was planning an erotic telling of the Minotaur myth next year and her boss had asked her to call in a bunch of details to the set designers.

  “How old are you?” she asked Glaukos. Surely no one had jumped bulls in a millennia or two.

  Cherokee’s eyes widened. “I think they are on to us.”

  “Why?” Brandi demanded. “How old are you?”

  “He is a mere youngling,” Glaukos said. “Compared to me. Torc is between us in age.” Glaukos’ matter-of-fact tone and Cherokee’s solemn expression made Holly’s dawning comprehension solidify. She’d suspected Cherokee was too good to be true somehow and here was another man built along his fantasy-worthy lines.

  “What’s your beef with Torc?” Dylan asked.

  “He is a stealer of immortality,” Glaukos growled. “My sister died a thousand years ago because of him. I owe her vengeance, even if he is the son of a god and I am only the son of a king.”

  “Coffee,” Dylan said, standing. “I’m going to need coffee for this.”

  Holly watched her brother pour beans into their grinder. If it weren’t for his familiar face, she’d think she was dreaming the plot of one of her paranormal romance novels. Brandi’s gaze darted from her lovers to Glaukos. Her skin was pale. Holly pinched her arm and watched the skin under her freckles turn white. The pain told her she wasn’t dreaming. She and Dylan had fallen in with sons of gods and kings.

  Sons of gods and kings with enemies, no less. She shivered. If her reading was any guide, they were in for some shocking adventures.

  “May I have coffee too?” she requested.

  Chapter Two

  Glaukos swiftly spooned up soup as Dylan prepared the coffee, eating like a man who’d been starved for months. Cherokee had pulled a pad of paper from its spot near the phone and was sketching something. Holly leaned across the table, curious to see what it was. The lean, dark-eyed man was clearly Torc, even down to the hint of sparkles under his eyebrows. She wondered how Cherokee had drawn that effect.

  “So this guy killed your sister?” Holly asked, trying to remember what kind of reaction she’d had to Torc when they’d met. “A thousand years ago?”

  “Not exactly,” Glaukos said, setting down his spoon with a look of regret. “Torc lured Acalle into a sexual relationship with him. As the son of a god, like Cherokee, he can stay effectively immortal by stealing the lifespan of women. Since Acalle lived in the Underworld with my father and me, she was immortal until Torc stained her.”

  “Hades cast her out to live among the mortals once T
orc stole her gift,” Cherokee added. “So she lived a normal, brutally short lifespan and died.”

  Glaukos shook his head. “A terrible fate.”

  “Childbirth, I recall,” Cherokee said.

  Dylan set a reindeer mug in front of Holly before she had a chance to react to Glaukos’ comment. She smelled eggnog and realized he had doctored the coffee.

  “Thanks,” she said, taking a first sip of the brew. Would an immortal appreciate the delicious flavor as much as she did?

  “So you despise us mortals?” Brandi asked.

  Cherokee looked startled but Glaukos merely stared down at his soup bowl before speaking.

  “We were mortal once. I didn’t enjoy dying. I did it twice, once as a child and then again as a young man. When Acalle, my father and I went to the Underworld, it became obvious Hades revered my father too much to send him down as a shade. He and my uncle both were made judges there and their children were allowed to assist them in their labors.”

  “Then you’re a ghost?”

  Glaukos touched the medallion at his throat. “No. I am mortal. If I do not return to the Underworld within thirty days then I am cursed to stay here until I die again, like Acalle.”

  Cherokee leaned forward and looked at the medallion. “Nice trick of Hades.”

  Glaukos blew air from his nose in an audible display of disgust. “I can avenge my sister in this time.”

  “Torc is formidable,” Cherokee warned.

  “I intend to trick him into the Underworld. My father will sentence him to Tartarus to spend an eternity in torment.”

  “He’ll have to die to go before your father.”

  “It is fitting,” Glaukos said. “He deserves to know what it feels like.”

  Despite the warmth of the room, Holly shivered at Glaukos’ matter-of-fact tone. “How do you get back once you’ve dealt with Torc?”

  “I bite the medallion then I will be returned to the court chambers of the Underworld.”

  “Doesn’t Hades care what you have planned for his son?” Brandi asked.

  Cherokee raised an eyebrow. “He has many sons, sweetheart. One won’t be missed, particularly when he isn’t furthering his father’s rule in any way.”