Hades raised a brow. “I do not assume,” he said, though there was an element of guilt that accompanied those words as he recalled how much he assumed when it came to Persephone.
“Isn’t that why you’re here?”
“Look who’s assuming,” Hades replied. “And here I thought to give you the space to explain yourself.”
That was the first comment to break Dionysus’s cool facade. His eyes narrowed slightly, his fingers curled, then he sat up and his gaze fell to the girl, still valiantly engaged in her task.
“Leave,” he commanded.
She looked up at him and obeyed, allowing his cock to slide from her mouth. She rose, using his knees for support, and left.
“I would apologize,” Hades said, “but it does not appear she was able to hold much of your…attention.”
Dionysus’s lips flattened, and he stood to restore his appearance. He was just as tall and large as Hades. He wore a gray suit with purple accents, and his hair was long and braided.
“Usually I am not deterred by exhibitionism, but you tend to have an unnerving effect.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It isn’t,” Dionysus said flatly, navigating around entangled bodies as he made his way to the bar, where a glass of wine and a glass of whiskey already waited.
Dionysus handed over the whiskey.
“Since you’ve come for a visit, I hope you’ve brought along my eye.”
“You illegally bought the Graeae. The eye is no more yours than they are.”
“You missed the important part—bought and paid for.”
“You missed the illegal part,” Hades pointed out.
“What makes you think it was illegal?”
“Who does anything lawful on the black market?” Hades countered.
Dionysus took a sip of his wine and set it aside, watching Hades.
“I did not buy the Graeae. I bought their services. Imagine my… surprise when they arrived without their eye and no ability to do what I need.”
Hades was skeptical. “And what did you need?”
Just then, the woman Dionysus had ordered to leave earlier burst into the suite.
“She’s dying! There’s a girl in the bathroom, and she’s dying!”
Hades and Dionysus exchanged a look before leaving the room, scrambling for the restroom located at the end of the hall. Dionysus was the first to enter, throwing open the door with such force that it crashed against the wall. There, on the tiled floor, lay an unconscious woman whose life force was indeed fading, and the only reason she had yet to pass was due to the efforts of another woman who hovered over her, administering CPR.
Hades recognized her immediately.
Ariadne.
“Get out of the way,” Dionysus commanded, kneeling beside the woman.
“Fuck you!” Ariadne shot back.
“I said move!” the god roared, and Ariadne fell back, wedged between the wall and the countertop.
Dionysus produced a syringe from the inside pocket of his jacket and stuck the needle straight into the muscle of the girl’s arm. When he was finished, he reached for Ariadne, dragging her back to the girl by the wrist.
“Do your compressions until she’s breathing again.”
She blinked, stunned, and while it took her a second to comply, she resumed without argument.
Shocking, Hades thought.
A few minutes passed, then Ariadne spoke. “She’s breathing.”
At that, the doors opened and two men entered, each lifting the woman up by an arm draped over their shoulders.
“Where are you taking her?” Ariadne demanded, rising to her feet. “She still needs medical assistance.”
“My, you are presumptuous,” Dionysus said.
“You expect me to believe you will see to her care?”
“I saved her life!”
“Excuse me? You are the reason she was in that state.”
“I don’t recall telling anyone to overdose.”
“No? Then why do you carry Narcan?”
“Will you two shut the fuck up?” Hades snapped, unable to take any more of their verbal sparring. He had work to do, and they were both fucking around.
Both Dionysus and Ariadne looked at him.
“What the hell are you doing here, Detective?” Hades asked.
Dionysus narrowed his eyes as she responded.
“What does it look like?” she countered. “And where were you? I didn’t see you jumping to help us save that girl’s life, God of the Dead.”
“I highly doubt you wanted my intervention, Detective. It’s in the name.”