I was embarrassed, but I wouldn’t make a fool out of myself again. He was just my trainer, no jealousy or feelings, and I could deal with that. I would deal with that—later. For now, I had other issues to attend to.
Still reeling from Jiro’s rejection, I meandered through the ballroom in search of Manuel. When I first entered the room, he had been easy to spot since he was standing right in the eye-line of the entrance. Now, however, I couldn’t find him anywhere. The room, though quite large, was filled with dozens upon dozens of people, almost all of whom towered over me. It was going to be impossible to find him. I decided to hug the outskirts of the room, trying to convince myself that I wouldn’t fall over the unrestricted edge to my death in an attempt to find him, but I found a different man instead.
Hercules sat on an ornate throne, the craftsmanship far too detailed to be considered a simple chair, with women surrounding him. I snorted as I noted that the three handsy nymphs who helped prepare me for the ceremony were the ones positioned prominently beside the large man, although others were dancing in the wings in a desperate attempt to get his attention.
Objectively, Hercules was a beautiful man. He was closer to seven feet than six with a jawline that could cut glass. His teeth were perfectly straight and his smile so white it was almost blinding, but the arrogance he wore like a second skin killed any ounce of attraction I could have held for him. He had a nymph perched on either arm of his seat and one draped over his lap, and still his eyes scanned the room, fixating on all manner of women as if none were truly worth his time.
My examination of the demigod came to a screeching halt as his eyes met mine. A deliberate smile spread across his features as he tilted his head, inviting me to join him. My nose scrunched as I shook my head in dissent. A frown pulled his brows down as if he had never been told no, but I was saved by the proverbial bell as Manuel came up beside me, grasping my elbow gently. “Dance with me.”
I threw him a grateful look as his hand slid from the crook in my arm in a downward motion, his fingertips caressing my skin until he intertwined our fingers, all while leading the way to the dance floor.
The music was slow and melodic as Manny came to a halt, his hands automatically resting on my lower back as he pulled me against him. At 6’4”, he had to look down to meet my gaze, causing his unruly waves to fall into his eyes. Out of habit, I brought my hand up to brush the hair away and he smiled at the gesture. “You look beautiful, Yessi.”
“So do you,” I said, and I meant it. Some men were handsome but Manuel Alvarez was beautiful. Full lips, passionate eyes, dimples—the guy had it all.
He chuckled at my response, his eyes flickering down to my mouth the way they always had before he kissed me. The idea of Manny kissing me, especially with Jiro around, caused panic to rise in my chest, so I quickly ruined the moment. “You shouldn’t be here. Why are you Athena’s champion?”
His stare remained on my face as a knowing smile spread across his face. “Afraid to kiss me in front of your trainer?”
“I don’t kiss exes. Now stop changing the subject, Alvarez. Answer my question.”
He let out a sigh and pulled me as close as he could, his chin lightly resting on the top of my head as he answered my question in Spanish. “I had to. The Forsaken put a hit on Andres.”
“What?” I interjected in equal parts shock and terror.
Manny ignored my interruption, continuing with his story. “I couldn’t let them kill my little brother. I made a deal with Athena to keep him safe in exchange for me becoming her champion.”
“Oh, Manny.” I sighed sympathetically, squeezing him gently as we robotically swayed to the music.
Once more he ignored my interruption, but I wasn’t surprised. Growing up how and where we did, sympathy was the same as pity, and it wasn’t welcomed. “Now that I know you’re here, I understand why she approached me with the agreement.” Manuel pressed his forehead to mine. “You play to win, but you also wouldn’t hurt someone you care about. It would give me an advantage—except I won’t do anything to hurt you either, Yesenia.”
Following his lead, I refrained from speaking English as I replied, “Why did they green light Andy?” Fear knotted in my stomach at the thought. The Forsaken were a nasty gang that ran the southside. If they targeted you, you were a dead man walking.
“He hooked up with Spyder’s brother. He’s greenlit too.”
I jerked back at his words, breaking the contact between our foreheads. Spyder ran The Forsaken and, if what Manny said was correct, he had put a hit out on his own brother. Andy was as good as dead without divine intervention. I wanted to be mad at Manny for risking his life, but I couldn’t. As selfish as it was, I’d rather have him in the competition than lose Andres. Andy was my best friend and, as his older brother, Manuel had saved him. We both became champions to protect our family but only one of us could win.
“Does Andy know what you did?” I asked, trying to escape my dark thoughts.
“No, and you’re not going to tell him. If I die, Athena will make him believe I was killed in a car accident and he’ll be safe from violence for the rest of his life. It’s part of our agreement.” He paused, sympathy showing on his face as he spoke again. “I’m sorry, Yessi. Athena told me your story.“ My teeth snapped together in anger at the goddess for both knowing my situation and sharing it with Manny.
After years of off and on dating, he knew me well enough to know when to let a subject rest. He switched back to English, his fingers dancing up my spine. “Enough sad shit. I’ve missed you.”
“I can’t do this, Manny. Not now and not again,” I huffed as I pushed out of his arms.
His voice was bitter. Clearly someone was feeling jealous, even if Jiro wasn’t. “It’s because of your trainer, isn’t it?”
“Leave Jiro out of it. This has nothing to do with him and everything to do with us. We’ve never worked before and now we’re competing against each other. We’re done, Manny—for real this time.”
I left him there, in the middle of the dance floor, and headed for the bar. The night was turning into a disaster. First I made a fool of myself with Jiro, then I found out that my best friend was almost murdered, and then I topped it off by arguing with my ex. I was zero for three.
I sat at one of the bar stools, feeling dejected. If The Forsaken had taken Andy out, if Manuel hadn’t intervened, Araceli could have been caught in the crosshairs. I was going through with the tournament to make sure she had a stable future but ended up putting her present at risk.
“You look like you need something strong,” a voice from above the bar rang out.
My focus turned immediately upward to see the bartender fluttering above the bar, grabbing bottles from the top shelf that rose an impressive twelve feet in the air. His sandals had fluffy, white wings that lowered him slowly to the ground as I responded in a dejected tone, “You read my mind.”
A few days ago, I would have been gaping at the man’s winged shoes, but I had too much on my plate at the moment to care. I simply looked at the alcohol lining the clear glass shelves behind the man, attempting to pick my poison though I wasn’t familiar with a single label.
“How does something sweet but highly intoxicating sound?” he asked helpfully.
“Perfect.”
He popped the cork out of a champagne bottle and poured two fingers of a shimmering purple liquid into a crystal goblet. “This should do the trick.”
I thanked the guy before swallowing the drink in one gulp. My taste buds exploded and I hummed happily as I felt a fog of euphoria descend on my brain.
The guy leaned forward, his elbows resting on the bar top as he met my gaze. “You probably should have savored that, mortal. The name is Hermes, but somehow I don’t think you’ll remember come morning.”
26
Jiro
My limbs were heavy as the memory of Yesenia dancing with Manny echoed through my mind. My breath caught each time I replayed the moment he put his for
ehead to hers with the familiarity of lovers. I didn’t know what they argued about, but whatever it was sent Yesenia directly to the bar. I could tell she needed space, but the room was packed with people who would benefit from hurting her. Even if she hated me, I was determined to get her through this tournament alive.
I noticed Hermes behind the bar with the glint in his eye that always accompanied mischief.
I instinctively closed the gap between us as Lyrica slid into my path. Her hands reached out, rubbing my chest in a seductive caress. I caught her wrists and tossed them away.
“You look like a lost puppy,” she said, her gaze moving from me to Yesenia. “It’s just a little booze. Or is it her bedtime already?”
“Stay out of my business, Lyrica.”
She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. “Don’t tell me you actually like her.”
I pushed past her but she followed, her voice sounding from behind me. “Tell me, Jiro, how would that even work?”
I spun. “Training begins tomorrow. I have to make sure my champion is ready. I suggest you lay off the bottle tonight, too.”
“Relax. Even Hades is having a better time than you.” She gestured toward Hercules’ throne and, sure enough, my father fawned over him like one of his fangirls. He didn’t even bother hiding the fact that Hercules was the son he wished he had. No son wants to disappoint his father. I was certain, if I could help Yessi win the tournament in his name, he’d come around. He’d see that I wasn’t such a fuck up.
A series of enthusiastic shouts drew my attention back to the bar. A crowd had gathered. Oh fuck. I pushed through just in time to see Yesenia stand up on the bar. What is she doing? Dancing?
“Now what?” she shouted. “Do I click my heels together?” Her words slurred.
“Press your tongue to the back of your mouth,” Hermes said.
Yessi jolted up a foot from the bar, her legs swinging back and forth under her dress like a kid on a swing.
“Woah! Woah!” she yelled as she moved forward and away from the bar. “How do I get down?”
“Just do the tongue thing again.”
Shit. I rushed forward and caught her right before she came crashing down. The unmistakable lofty cedar aroma of Zeus’s party wine was heavy on her breath. Bad move. That wine was made for gods. If she had even a sip she should have been leveled.
Yesenia wiggled from my grip, sliding Hermes’ sandals off her feet and handing them back to him. “Thank you!” she beamed. “That’s much harder than you make it look.”
He winked and she turned her attention to me. She gripped my hand, threading her fingers through mine. “Jiroooooo,” she said, bringing my hand to her mouth like a microphone. “Dance with me.”
I fought against my urge to smile. She was so cute, completely disregarding the fact that we had argued no more than thirty minutes ago.
She yanked me toward the dance floor. I wasn’t used to seeing her with her guard down and it was so cute that I felt helpless to resist. She released my hand, so I crossed my arms with no intention whatsoever of dancing. The last thing I wanted was some creep trying to take advantage; there were plenty of those around. She was my… champion... and I wanted her to be safe. She dropped her hips and rocked her head back, her rhythm drastically outpacing the beat of the song. I grinned down at her infectious smile. She’d probably feel it in the morning, but at least she was having fun. She deserved it after taking on so much responsibility at home. I wondered if she ever had opportunities to let loose like this. Sure, she’d be miserable tomorrow when I whipped her into shape, but misery she was used to. Tonight was about fun.
Suddenly she turned and rubbed her ass against me to the beat of the music. My face seared with heat as I resisted the urge to lean my chest against her back and possessively slide my hands around her waist. “Alrighty,” I said as I stifled my urge to press against her, and tossed her over my shoulder, carrying her off the dance floor.
“Wooo!” she yelled playfully.
“Let’s get you to bed before that wine really hits.”
She slapped my ass. “Yes! Take me to bed.”
I chuckled as I pulled her off my shoulder and cradled her, carrying her out of the hall. I felt a wave of relief as we headed down the steps and away from the party. I hadn’t realized just how uneasy I felt around the other gods. The air was much colder outside and I felt Yessi shiver, so I raised my body temperature.
“That’s a nice trick,” Yessi said.
I smirked. “Thanks. Speaking of tricks, how’d you convince Hermes to let you use his sandals? I’ve been trying for a thousand years. I’ve tried everything.”
“I asked nicely.”
Damn. I don’t think I tried that.
“Jiro,” Yessi said, her voice suddenly serious.
“Hmm?”
“Why don’t you like me? Is it because I don’t look like Lyrica? Because, like, you’re hot. And I don’t mean that cool temperature thing you do.” She sighed. “But that ballroom was full of hotness. Beautiful gods everywhere and all I could think about was how I felt when you took my hand and pulled me through the portal…. and how I’ve felt by your side ever since.”
I gulped, convinced that silence was my best bet.
“I mean, of course you wouldn’t like me. You’re a god. I’m not a goddess. I’m… nobody.”
Ah, shit. It was cruel to let her go on thinking that way. I didn’t want to hurt her. If anything, I was trying to protect her. Well, it wasn’t like she’d remember this conversation in the morning. “I do like you, Yesenia.”
“No, that’s not what I mean.”
I stopped walking and looked into her eyes. “You’re so fucking beautiful and brave and strong.”
“I knew it! You totally like me!”
I rolled my eyes and started walking again. “Don’t go getting a big head... or start scribbling my name into your notebook or whatever.”
“Why don’t you want to try then? Why are you pushing me away?”
“Well,” I said, taking a deep breath, “I’m not the guy for you. You deserve better. Not to mention, I think if you got to know me, you wouldn’t like me anymore. A while back, I did something… unforgivable. It—”
Yesenia let out a loud snore, her head rocking back and her mouth open. A line of drool dripped from her cheek onto my hand. I smiled down at her. “Yeah, it’s probably best I keep that story to myself anyway.”
She burped and moved her forehead to my chest, her breath deep and even.
“You are a goddess.”
27
Yesenia
Holy shit. My head throbbed as my consciousness joined the land of the living. I felt like my mouth was coated with cotton as nausea wracked my body. I rolled over and froze as my cheek touched naked flesh. My eyes flew open as I looked up and saw Jiro, his arm wrapped around me in sleep.
My brows wrinkled in confusion even as my body relaxed into him, my face still pressed against his chest. For a moment, I allowed myself to burrow deeper into his side. My eyes, heavy with sleep, took in the soft plains of his face. His features were so peaceful as he slept that it was hard to reconcile him with the tough god I knew him to be. My fingers reached up to touch his defined cheekbones when I stopped myself. I must still be drunk.
My frown deepened as I attempted to remember why we were lying in bed together. I knew I was pretty drunk but I was, thankfully, certain we hadn’t hooked up. My eyelids fluttered shut as I tried to make my battered brain focus.
Oh gods.
A fragmented memory slammed into me. No, I couldn’t have asked him why he didn’t like me… I wouldn’t have done that. I wasn’t that damn insecure, was I? Apparently drunk me was. I let out a groan as my memories came back in pieces, but there were still holes in my recollection. I shifted, feeling the sting of sore legs. Oh gods. I danced on Jiro, rubbing my ass against him, and told him to take me to bed. I vaguely remembered talking about the sex we’d overheard when he first brought me
to the Underworld. I suggested we have kinky sex of our own... Fuck my life.
I looked up at the room, and the black walls told me I was no longer on Olympus. Jiro must’ve taken me back to his apartment. What the hell was wrong with me?
I crawled out of bed, over Jiro’s sleeping form, and made my way to the bathroom—pausing to note that it was 3:15 am from the clock on the microwave. Upon entering the bathroom, I splashed water on my face before swishing some around in my desert of a mouth.
Why were we in bed together? I tried to remember as I brushed my teeth. My hand froze as it came to me. Emotional, drunk me—crying on Jiro’s shoulder. But why? Had I confessed that I suffered from nightmares? I put my hand to my face. Could I be any more embarrassing? I wasn’t sure if I was more surprised at my inebriated self for telling him or at Jiro for comforting me.
How was I going to play this? Just pretend I blacked out? It really wasn’t that far of a stretch considering I had been wasted. It was a cowardly move, but I was committed to it—way better than acknowledging any of it happened.
I finished brushing my teeth as fatigue tugged at my body. Now that the nausea began to abate, the brief moments of clarity were fleeting. Letting out a huge yawn, I dried my mouth and hands before making my way into the bedroom.
I crawled back into bed, careful not to wake the sleeping god. Almost as soon as I slid under the blankets and rested my head on my pillow, Jiro’s arms slid around me and he pulled me against him. I froze. His body was warm and, before I could overthink it, I slipped into unconsciousness as abruptly as I had awoken, feeling safer than I had in ages.
The Trials of Olympus Page 9
