Chapter 8. Boss
"The seizures truly aren't necessary, you know," I tell my brother, who stands waiting for me inside the penthouse. His arms are crossed, his face frozen in a tundra of anger and resentment. I make my way to the bar. This is going to require alcohol.
"What was the last thing I said to you, Hades?"
I pour then swig the tequila I've gained a liking for and wait until the meager burning sensation can fully spread throughout my chest before answering him.
"I mean, obviously you know where I live. Do you always need to be so dramatic?"
His face remains stone-like. Clearly he's not here to socialize. Thank Satan.
I set the empty glass down and walk over to the couch. I can at least make myself comfortable if I'm going to be lectured.
"I'm not sure I follow what you're getting at, P."
"What I'm getting at, dear brother, is the girl."
Behind my mask of quiet restraint, my pulse quickens with panic. This family of mine has always been quite hypocritical when it comes to humans. Our involvement with them is usually frowned upon but ignored in most cases. In mine, of course, there's another set of expectations.
Animosity and indignation build within me. I've learned to keep an even expression over the centuries though.
"Girl?" I incline my head ever so slightly as though I don't have a fucking clue what he's referring to.
Poseidon studies me for a moment. My stare doesn't waver.
His eyes narrow. He hums.
I reassure him. "What's the point of taking a vacation, brother, if I can't have a little fun?"
"You expect me to buy that?"
I shrug. "Buy, sell, it makes no difference to me."
"You know how father feels about-"
"Oh for Satan's fucking sake." I need to quell this. Now. "If it's that much of a bother, I give you my word." I hold my hand up like a good boy scout. "No more girls."
Don't worry about the promise. Isabella is a woman, you see. There's always a loophole. I simply need to be more careful about how and where I interact with murky corners of a certain seedy bar in the shadows of the world, for instance. Most of my siblings dislike the shadowy spaces I usually inhabit. Poseiden is no different.
He thinks on what I've said for only another few moments and then appears to breathe a bit easier.
"Okay then. Now that that's settled." He pushes himself off of the armrest he's been sitting on. "Why don't you count all your winnings from the week and let's get out of here."
"I'm not ready yet. And I have two more days of freedom to enjoy."
"Hades," he says to me like I'm five, "What good could possibly come of another two days? You've had your fun, you need to get home."
"Is there a problem I'm not aware of?"
"You mean other than the creature you've banished to the Styx so you could have your fun?"
Oh.
I wave a hand. "He's fine."
"He's quiet. That does not mean the same thing as fine."
I wonder if he's imposed his will on someone else and I just don't know it yet.
"Did something happen?"
"No," he admits. "Why, did you expect something to happen?"
"No." Maybe. Hopefully not. "So you want me to leave this world immediately because you think he might do something?"
"I'm simply saying he-"
"That's always been the problem with you," I blurt out at him, but quickly regain my composure. "And father, and the rest of them. You make your decisions based on what may happen, not what actually does happen. It's all rooted in your own paranoia that people… humans are no better than you are."
"He's not-"
"He struggles though," I insist, unclear as to why I'm defending the thing.
"That doesn't-"
"Matter?" I laugh a resentful laugh. "It never does, does it?"
"Hades…"
"You can go now, P. I'll see you when I'm through here." Choice of words. Again, loopholes.
He doesn't seem as though he's going to, but my brother decides to leave after debating internally with himself. Without another word, he disappears. I'm left with my own thoughts, which are not very good ones, to be honest.
It's tempting to toss the vampire into Tartarus, I'll admit it. But it's not my place. Not yet, anyway. Not until I can have a heart to heart discussion with him. Just as I'm about to will myself to him, there's a knock at the door. I let out a moan of disgust and pinch at the bridge of my nose. "What now?"
Aside from becoming agitated at the interruption, I am impressed my brother actually listened to what I had to say today and has decided not to simply show up as he desires.
"Forget something?" I ask as I pull the door open.
"Dude, where the fuck have you been all week?"
For the love of...
Emmett barges in and heads straight for my kitchen. I'm fairly certain that's considered rude here.
"We have a situation at the Brick and Mortar," he proceeds to tell me as he rifles through my refrigerator.
I stare blankly, having zero concept of what in Hell he's talking about. When he stands and faces me, his mouth is full of meat and his hand is holding one of my beers. The meat is just for show. I could give a shit about the meat. My beer, however… I stare at the alcohol, then Emmett.
After he swallows down his snack, he holds the beer up.
"Got an opener?"
Without dropping my death gaze from his eyes, I open the drawer next to me, pull out the bottle opener and toss it to him.
He smiles, missing my ire entirely. "Thanks." He opens the bottle, tosses the opener onto the counter, then chugs the beer. "Damn," he sets the now empty bottle down next to the opener. "Your taste has changed, Ed. When did you get into Stellas?"
I ignore his question.
"What are you doing here?"
"I literally just told you. There's a situation at the-"
"Brick and Mortar, yes, I know, but…" ah, it just occurred to me what he's talking about.
The bar. "If there's a situation why aren't you there, handling it?"
This makes perfect sense to me.
Apparently not to the vampire. Perhaps they are slow creatures.
"Because you made it very clear when we opened this place that I handle the customers, and you handle HR."
HR, HR…
"Human fucking resources what is wrong with you today?" he bellows when I don't respond.
Human resources would insinuate this is an employee problem. Tricky. But an easy fix.
"Well then, I hereby appoint you, in charge of HR." I grin, proud of myself. Then I grab my keys and start to go. "Lock up behind yourself."
"Dude. I don't have time for this shit, that's your department."
I stop, aggravated. "Isn't there anyone else that can-"
"He's the situation, Ed."
The way he says it hits a nerve for some reason. It appears from his tone that this situation has occurred previously. And now I'm curious to see what the fuss is about. So I concede to his demands.
"Then I suppose we better hurry."
PSA: Big Hades sized thanks to Maria Hajile for always mentioning this story on FB. Thanks to Miss SueBeeBetaFairyAwesomeSauce for prettifying this chapter & Chrisann for assuring me life is short, write what I want. And thanks of course for reading - you lighten my heavy soul. Small FYI: when the next chapter gets uploaded fully depends on what Hurricane Dorian does to FL. Hoping everyone in the vicinity stays safe. I'm also hoping Hades will have a word with Zeus & Poseidon about it. Highly doubtful though.