"So, what you're saying is that I'm fucked."
"Maybe."
"What do I do?"
"I'm trying to figure that out."
Clarisse looked at the two in front of her. To her left sat Nico. The vampire had his face buried in his hands, and his entire body was tense. To her right, Reyna was leaning on the wall. The werewolf still looked exhausted, and she had on dirty jeans and a jacket.
"I still say we kick Circe's teeth down her throat," Clarisse muttered. Reyna didn't say anything. She had made it to the bar only a few minutes ago to warn them, well Nico, about Circe. Clarisse just happened to overhear it.
Clarisse was so pissed at the monster that called herself Circe. All the shit that she heard made her blood boil. Circe was nothing more than a piece of shit. Forcing Reyna to have sex with her. Buying Nico so she could probably do the same if not pimp him out.
It made Clarisse's blood burn in pure rage. She took a deep breath and spoke, "When did you find this out?"
"Last night," Reyna replied. She retrieved a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it off to Clarisse. "That's a list of the so-called merchandise that Lycaon and his boys sold. Along with the buyers. It's part of proof against her."
"What else do you need?" Clarisse questioned.
"I don't know," Reyna admitted. She sighed tiredly and leaned on the desk. Clarisse could see the straws that Reyna was grasping at, and it angered her so much. Why couldn't she think of something to help her friend? "I was thinking if we could find Circe's list of merchandise."
"Do you think she would have that written down?" Clarisse wondered.
"I don't know!" Reyna almost shouted. The frustration was all over her face.
"S...should I try to run?" Nico asked in a soft voice.
"That will make it easier for her to find you," Reyna muttered as she started to pace back and forth. A knock on the door made Reyna tense. Clarisse clenched her fist and turned toward the door. She opened it.
"Is Reyna-"
"In here."
Clarisse moved out of the way as Hylla practically threw herself into the room. Hylla instantly wrapped her young sister into a hug. Whatever dam of emotions Reyna was holding back seemed to break as her sister engulfed her in a hug.
Reyna's shoulder started to shake as she buried her face in Hylla's chest. Hylla pulled her close and rubbed her back. Her eyes focused directly on Clarisse, who nodded and spoke, "I want to tear that bitch's head off. Reyna wants to handle it on her own."
Reyna tried to say something, but Hylla shushed her and motioned for Clarisse to continue. Clarisse obliged, "That witch, Circe, threatened to kill all of us if Reyna told anyone or tried to do anything about it."
Hylla nodded and continued to rub Reyna's back. Through tears, Reyna managed to choke out a few words, "Circe... doesn't know... about you… being back."
"She will soon," Hylla muttered. Reyna tensed, and Hylla just kept rubbing her back. That piercing gaze moved to Clarisse. "Has she been around here since?"
"She has," Clarisse confirmed. "But, I promise I am doing everything I can to protect her."
"Did the security cameras catch anything?" Hylla questioned. Clarisse raised an eyebrow in confusion. Reyna froze midcry. A mix of curse words in two different languages left her. "Shh. Calm down. I'll ask Thalia if they caught anything."
"If it did, what does that mean for us?" Clarisse asked. "Can we take it to the Hunters and get something done?"
"Maybe," Hylla muttered. She sighed and kissed Reyna's forehead. Then, she rested her chin on the top of Reyna's head. There was a furious look in Hylla's eyes, and Clarisse mimicked that feeling.
"How didn't I know?" Reyna mumbled into Hylla's chest.
"She hasn't been sleeping," Clarisse said gently.
"We're going to go home," Hylla said to Reyna. She tightened her grip on her. "You are going to eat some food and get some sleep. I'll talk to Thalia about the footage."
"What if she-"
"She won't," Hylla promised. "And if she does, she is going to pay dearly."
Out of the corner of her eye, Clarisse saw Nico starting to slink out of the room. She followed right behind him. Nico glanced back at her and scowled, "What?"
"Don't run, Nico. I know it's scary, but we are not going to let her hurt you," Clarisse promised. Nico didn't look convinced. "And if you run off, she will find you. We won't know about it, which means we can't help you."
"Do you really think you can stop this woman?" Nico muttered as he crossed his arms.
"Yes," Clarisse stated. "She is not going to hurt another member of my family. If you don't feel safe with Chiron, you can stay with me."
"I'll see," Nico muttered. He sighed. "I should get back to work."
Clarisse nodded her agreement and followed Nico down the hall. They stepped into the bar, and Clarisse saw they had a bit of a rush while she was gone. Frank stood outside and seemed to be handling checking all of the IDs pretty well.
Nico darted to help with tables, and Clarisse started to walk toward the door. She froze as she saw a woman walk in. Circe wore a white dress and had that fake smile on her face. The monster made her way to the bar where Piper was working. Clarisse found herself drifting that way as well.
"How can I he- help you?" Piper questioned. A tight smile came to her face.
"A whiskey, please," Circe said. "How are you, Piper?"
"Good," Piper replied. That tight smile was still on her face, and she turned away to pour the whiskey that Circe pointed to.
"I came looking for Chiron," Circe began. Her eyes turned to the side, and she made eye contact with Clarisse. "Oh, hello. You must be security. Chiron told me about you."
"Clarisse," the woman grunted.
I'm going to strangle your neck if you lay another damn hand on anyone at my bar.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Circe greeted as she held out a hand.
I should rip your damn hand off. Hell, take the whole fucking arm and beat you to death with it.
Clarisse shook her hand. Circe's eyes snapped up to her, and Clarisse knew she had done something wrong. She just couldn't figure it out yet. The smile seemed to melt off of Circe's face, replaced by an icy exterior. It disappeared a moment later.
"Would you please let Chiron know I am here?" Circe questioned as she flashed a smile. She turned back to the bar and grabbed her whiskey. "Thank you, dear."
Clarisse felt every single muscle in her body screaming at her to grab Circe by her throat and not stop until the bitch was limp. Instead, she turned away to let Chiron know that his "friend" was there. As she walked, she vowed to herself that Circe would not lay another hand on any of her friends.
And if she did, she would pay a hefty price.
"It seems that the mutt told her friends," Circe commented as she looked back at the bar. Her phone rested in her hand, and she looked forward as her driver opened the door for her. Circe sat inside. "I can feel the shift in their attitudes. Chiron is more guarded. His security was angry, and all of it seemed directed at me."
"Should I begin taking them out, ma'am?" one of the men offered. Circe contemplated the bar.
"Not yet," Circe replied. "Not the others at least. No, if my little wolfy wants to rely on others, we will have to prove to her that no one can save her. Call them in."
"But ma'am..."
"If you have a troublesome mutt, who better to bring them down than the deadliest of all werewolves?" Circe questioned. "Call them in. Tell them their target. But, I don't want my toy put out of commission. Just broken and brought back to me for... repairs."
"It will be done."
Circe hung up the phone and placed it into her purse. A sigh left her as she sat in her car. It wasn't like she wanted to hurt those who belonged to her, but they had to learn what disobedience meant. And now would come the most painful lesson of all.
