Page 93 of Zeus

"Wanna go back to your place?" she asks.

I look over her shoulder, watching as Zayne walks away from the fire pit with the girl he has chatted with twice.

Disgust swirls in my gut. How we're supposed to get out of this shit was one of the many questions I never got around to asking him the other day while we were out scouting for that house, and now that regret is eating me alive.

I'd like to think that he isn't the type of man who is all when in Rome, and takes advantage of one of these women just to keep his cover up, but who the fuck knows.

"Looks like the cabin will be occupied. My cousin just walked away with someone," I say, considering the outright rejection when I should have used it as an opportunity. "Let's go back to your place."

It would give me the chance to find out where on the compound the women are being held.

"The guys aren't allowed to go where we stay," she answers quickly. "I don't mind an audience."

Her hand rubs back up my chest, fingers tangling in my beard. I fight the urge to jerk my face away from her touch.

"That's too bad," I slur again, making myself sound drunk. "I do."

Instead of looking relieved, she looks a little scared because of my rejection.

"What's wrong, pretty girl?"

I shift my beer from my right hand to my left before curling a finger under her chin to make her look at me.

"We'll get our chance," I lie. "Just not tonight."

"You're not as bad as they say," she whispers. "Kind even."

"I'm as mean as they come," I assure her.

She shakes her head a little. "You're different. I can tell."

"I don't hurt women," I confide. "But I'll slit a motherfucker's throat for looking at me sideways."

I forgot to slur my words this time, but she doesn't seem to notice. She's too busy in her own head, teeth gnawing on the corner of her lower lip worryingly.

"What happens if you don't walk away tonight with a man?" I risk asking.

She swallows, a hesitance in her eyes.

"If I don't leave with you, then I'll have to find someone else," she says, her teeth right back to worrying that corner of her mouth.

I reach up, using my index finger to tug it out of the way. From the outside looking in, it might appear I'm flirting with her, gearing up to do what's expected, and that's exactly what I need everyone to think.

"Then let's go," I say, shifting to let her know I'm going to stand.

"O-okay," she stutters, as if she thinks I've changed my mind. "But I thought you didn't like an audience. Maybe we can take turns? Wait for your cousin to be done, and then we can go?"

I shake my head, standing from the chair. I tilt the beer bottle, draining it. I walk over to the trash can and drop it in, only to find that she has followed me like a puppy.

I hold my hand out, waiting for her reluctance to fade before she takes hold of it.

I lean into her, making a show of stumbling so those around can see how drunk I'm pretending to be.

"Look out, Peaches," one guy shouts as we walk away. "He's likely to pass out and crush you."

The darkness engulfs us as we walk away from the fire and the crowd.

Chapter 31