"Let's see, seven hundred and thirty-three dollars in cash and not a bit of ID. Not even a license or credit or debit card." Wayne pulled a huge dagger out of the other pocket and flicked a release that spread the dagger out into a circle of three lethal-looking blades. Wayne cursed even louder. "Shit, Sunshine, I think you found yourself a drug dealer."
"He's not a drug dealer."
"Oh yeah, how do you know?"
Because drug dealers don't rescue women from rapists. But she didn't dare tell Wayne that. It would only get her lectured and give him indigestion.
"I just do, now put that back."
"Well?" Camulus asked Dionysus as Dionysus entered the hotel room.
Styxx looked up from his magazine at the sound of his voice. The Celtic god, Camulus, had been sitting on the couch across from him in the hotel suite while they had waited for news.
Dressed in black leather jeans and a gray sweater, the ancient deity had been flipping channels incessantly since Dionysus left, making Styxx want to snatch the remote from his hand and slam it down on the iron-and-glass coffee table.
But only a fool took a remote from a god.
Styxx might have a death wish, but he had no desire to be ruthlessly tortured before he died.
So Styxx had gnashed his teeth and done his best to ignore Camulus and wait for Dionysus's return.
Camulus wore his long black hair pulled back in a ponytail. There was something devilish and evil about him, but then, given the fact he was a god of war, that was understandable.
Dionysus paused just inside the door. He shrugged out of his long cashmere coat, then pulled his brown leather gloves from his hands.
At six ten, the god of wine and excess would be an intimidating sight to most people. But then, Styxx was only two inches shorter, and being the son of a king and a man who longed for death, he found very little intimidating.
What was Dionysus going to do? Send him back to his hellish isolation?
He'd been there, done that, and had the Ozzy T-shirt to prove it.
Dionysus was dressed in a tweed jacket, navy turtleneck, and pleated brown slacks. His short dark brown hair was perfectly streaked with blond highlights and he had an immaculate goatee. He looked like a successful billionaire magnate, and did, in fact, run a major international corporation where the god got his jollies by crippling his competitors and taking over other businesses.
Forced against his will into retirement centuries ago, Dionysus spent his time between Olympus and the mortal world, which he hated almost as much as Styxx did.
"Answer my question, Bacchus," Camulus said. "I'm not one of your dickless Greeks to be kept waiting for an answer."
Rage flared in Dionysus's eyes. "You better take a more civil tone with me, Cam. I'm not one of your flaccid Celts to shake in terror of your wrath. You want to fight, boy, bring it on."
Camulus shot to his feet.
"Whoa, hang on a second," Styxx said, trying to calm them down. "Let's save the fighting for when you two take over the world, okay?"
They both looked at him as if he were insane to come between them.
No doubt, he was. But if they killed each other, he'd never die.
Cam glared at Dionysus. "Your pet is right," he said. "But when I have my godhood back, you and I are going to talk."
The gleam in Dionysus's eyes said he was looking forward to it.
Styxx took a deep breath. "So, is the woman with Talon?" he asked Dionysus.
Dionysus smiled coldly. "Just like clockwork." He looked at Camulus. "Are you sure this will immobilize him?"
"I never said it would immobilize him. I said it would neutralize him."
"What's the difference?" Styxx asked.