A Touch of Ruin (Hades & Persephone #2) - Scarlett St. Clair Page 0,94

could deceive. One photo only told part of the story.

She pulled the paper out again and studied the picture. Hades and Leuce looked determined, their expressions were serious.

Because they knew they’d been caught, she thought.

What explanation would Hades give? Did she even want to hear it?

Her stomach was in knots, and the back of her throat felt swollen. She was going to vomit.

As she stood, there was a commotion up front, and Persephone looked in time to see Hades striding toward her. He appeared angry, purposeful, and he only had eyes for her.

“You need to leave,” she said immediately. He was causing a scene. Everyone on the workroom floor had stopped what they were doing to watch them.

“We need to talk,” he said.

His scent hit her hard, his presence harder. He was an executive of death, well dressed, handsome, and brooding.

“No.”

“So you believe it then? The article?”

“I thought you had a meeting,” she said.

“I did,” he said.

“And you conveniently left out the fact that it was with Leuce?”

“It wasn’t with Leuce, Persephone.”

“I don’t want to hear this right now. You need to leave,” she said, and stepped out from behind her desk. She started toward the elevator—she would escort him.

“When are we going to talk about this?” he asked.

“What is there to talk about? I have asked you to be honest with me about when you are with Leuce. You weren’t.”

She pressed the button to summon elevator.

“I came to you immediately after I saw Leuce home,” he said. “But I didn’t feel good about waking you. When I saw you yesterday, you looked exhausted.”

She twisted toward him, her eyes glistening. “I am exhausted, Hades. I’m tired of you and sick of your excuses,” she pointed to the elevator doors as they opened. “Leave.”

Hades glared at her, and without warning, snatched her about the waist and shoved her in the elevator. His magic flare, and she knew he was keeping anyone from entering or using the lift.

“Let me go, Hades!” she wiggled against him, and he pressed her harder into the wall. “You’re embarrassing me. Why did you have to do this now?”

“Because I knew you’d jump to conclusions.”

She glared up at him, but his expression was just as fierce.

“I’m not fucking Leuce.”

“There are other ways to cheat, Hades!” she pushed against his chest, but the god didn’t move. He was solid rock, an immovable, frustrating mountain.

“I’m not doing any of them!”

She stared at his chest and tried not to cry.

“Persephone,” Hades said her name and she closed her eyes against the desperation in his voice. “Persephone, please.”

“Let me go, Hades.”

He was quiet for a long moment.

“If you won’t listen now, will you let me explain later?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“Please, Persephone. Give me the chance to explain.”

“I’ll let you know,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“Persephone,” he reached to brush her cheek, and she retreated from his touch, still not looking at him, which meant she didn’t see the expression on his face before he vanished.

When he was gone, the elevator doors opened, and Persephone found the whole newsroom gathered in front of the doors.

“What the fuck are you all staring at?” she snapped.

“Persephone,” Demetri was at the front of the group and jerked his thumb toward his office. “A moment.”

Grudgingly, she obeyed his direction and followed him. Once the door was closed, her boss took a seat beside her instead of behind his desk.

“You don’t have to tell me what’s really going on,” he said. “But you cannot act this way at work.”

“What way?”

“The elevator, the profanity,” he said.

“The elevator wasn’t my fault—”

She didn’t even want to imagine what people thought about the elevator. It was the dining room all over again.

Demetri held up his hand. “Look, I saw the Divine this morning. I know you’re going through some stuff. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?”

“No, I’m fine. I need the distraction,” she said.

“No, Persephone. You need to deal with your problems. Seriously. Leave.”

Persephone obeyed, feeling dazed as she left Demetri’s office, gathered her things, and heading to the first floor. She halted, seeing the crowd waiting outside. She couldn’t face them or rehash what was in the paper today, so she entered the elevator again and chose to go to the basement.

She found Pirithous in the maintenance office. He sat at his desk, distracted by something in front of him.

“Hey,” Persephone said.

Pirithous did a double take. Clearly, he hadn’t expected to see her in the doorway of his office. He rushed to cover