I stood with my arms crossed and foot tapping for ten minutes until the cab arrived. The man stood next to me with his hands in his pocket and an occasional glance at my legs and ass. I thanked him and hopped into back of the cab with a long sigh.
After what seemed like an excruciating long drive of fifteen minutes, I was back at my apartment with the cab driver paid from my emergency stash. I stood in front of Serenity’s shut door with my hand hovering over the handle. Did she know about Mercer? Was she a god as well?
With a long sigh, I tromped into my room and flopped on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. The tightness on the chest rose to my throat, releasing that lump, and the tears came bubbling back up. I couldn’t stay here alone, lost in my thoughts. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and headed to the shower. Afterwards, I dialed Aunt Jo’s number.
She answered on the third ring. “Who’s this?”
My voice shook. “I shouldn’t have left like that.”
She let out a long sigh. “No, no. Ya were upset. I shoulda seen it. I’m sorry.”
“Can we meet somewhere?”
“Sure, just gimme a couple of hours. Where ya wanna meet?”
“The Tin Cup.” I had to pick my car up anyway.
“Ya and yer coffee.”
“I’ll be waiting.” I hung up the phone and headed out the door with my spare key in hand.
The late morning sun beat down on my head, drying my hair as I walked to the coffee shop with my spare keys tucked in my pocket. Everything could be replaced, but he had access to my, well, everything. I would have to get the lock replaced on my car and apartment, which meant explaining things to Serenity. Of course, she had her own explaining to do.
I stepped into the coffee shop and let the cool air conditioning blast against me. I collapsed on the purple velvet couch by the bookcase full of mismatched paperbacks and lay my head back with a sigh.
The barista set an iced mocha on the table beside me, and I waved my hand listlessly. I came in here enough they knew my order by heart. Surrounded by the buzz of conversation and the smell of coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon, my heart began to calm, and I started drifting away into a dreamless sleep.
I jumped awake at a tap on my elbow and stared blearily at my aunt.
“Don’t ya have a bed?” Aunt Jo asked.
I rubbed my eyes. “I didn’t really use it last night.”
“So, ya wanted to meet.”
“Uh, yeah. I thought we could brainstorm on this.” I sat up and took a deep drink of my coffee from the straw.
She raised an eyebrow. “So now yer interested?”
I shrugged. “We have to stop them, and I don’t see you hopping out of that chair.”
She snorted and crossed her arms. “Ya think ya can take them?”
I pulled the bandage away from my tattoo and let the light shine on it. “Thanks for the boost.”
She studied it with her lips pressed together in a thin line. “May not be enough. Don’t even know what we’re facin’.”
“With James …” I swallowed the lump in my throat and took a deep breath. “The whole building seemed to be under a spell. Like they were asleep. And the roof had this depressing cloud.”
“Mmm, did you feel anything like that when you thought you were being followed?”
“No. What kind of god could do that?”
She watched me with narrowed eyes. “What makes you think it’s a god?”
“Today, my tattoo … reacted to someone.”
“So, could still be a daimon.”
“Not the burning. I remember that, and this, too, from Mom.”
She inhaled sharply. “It’s not her, Cassi. Madison took care of it.”
“I know,” I snapped. “He’s a different one.”
“So who is he?”
I opened my mouth when the bell above the coffee shop’s door jingled. My eyes widened, and I froze as my heart dropped in my stomach. It was as if someone had just dumped a bucket of artic water all over me.
Sheridan stepped inside with her arm interlocked with Mercer’s. Our gazes met, and once again, every nerve in my body became alive with a hum of electricity. He stiffened and glanced away, nodding to a table in the corner to Sheridan. Of all the coffee shops they had to pick this one. I was beginning to think the Fates were playing with me now.
Why was she touching him?
A knot started to form between my shoulder blades as I watched them laugh together. What the hell was I thinking? He was the enemy. Besides, last night had just been physical, a stress reliever. Mercer glanced up at me, and I quickly tore my gaze from them to find Aunt Jo staring at him. I cleared my throat and stood up.
“We should go,” I said. “I’ll drive you home.”
“Hrm,” she mumbled.
I rushed us out of the building and into the car, only taking my first deep breath of relief when we were on the road. If I’d had to sit there and watch the two of them for much longer I would have exploded. Now, I would have to live with the sharp twisting in my stomach.
“So, that’s the god?” Aunt Jo asked.
I blinked and swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yeah.”
“Hmph,” she said. “One that likes to show off. Probably Greek.”
“Why?” I asked.
She snorted. “I don’t live in a hole. I watch TV, read newspapers.”