For Love or Vengeance (19 page)

Miguel had to close his eyes for a moment as Diana walked away, herding the other two officers ahead of her.

His head was whirling with disjointed images of bright light and being surrounded by a circle of men and women at some kind of toga party. Holy crap, it must have been some damn party. He’d hallucinated that he and Helene were lifted high into the heavens before spiraling back down to Earth.

“How do you feel?” she asked, her face filled with concern.

“Seasick. Damn, I saw some weird things.
Really
weird.” He blinked a few times. “Guess I was dreaming, but…” It sure as hell hadn’t felt like it.

“Yeah. About that.” She cradled his cheek and made him look at her. “You have to promise to keep secret what I’m going to tell you.”

He frowned. “Um. Sure. What is it?”

“What you saw was Mount Olympus.” When he just stared at her, she continued, “And I’m actually Nemesis, the goddess of veng…um, justice. Well. At least I was.”

Blank silence greeted her. Fear pricked at her. Had it been a mistake to trust him with her true identity?

“Well, that explains more than a few things,” he finally muttered. “I thought I was going crazy. Hell, I still might be. That fucker hit my head pretty hard.” He touched the cut on his temple where Gold had cold-cocked him.

“No. It’s all true.” She traced her finger across his cheek. “Please, believe me when I say—”

“That you should have told me about this before now? Like maybe when you knocked me across the room without even touching me?”

She blinked. Not exactly what she’d been about to say. “I couldn’t tell you. It was against the rules.”

“But then again, would I have believed you?” he murmured, more to himself than to her. He shouldn’t believe her now. The idea was preposterous. Greek gods? Please.

But he’d seen what he’d seen, and felt that elevator to the sky and back. It had not been any damn dream.

“I never counted on meeting someone like you,” she said.

“You said you
were
a goddess. No longer?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m mortal now. Same as you.”

He gazed at her in awe, thinking of what she had sacrificed to be with him. Her powers. Immortality. “You chose me, didn’t you.” It wasn’t a question. “You gave up everything to be with me.”

She smiled. “So worth it.”

He swallowed, completely humbled. “When we first met, I didn’t think you’d ever choose anything other than justice.” He raised his hand and tenderly stroked it over her disheveled curls.

“I wouldn’t have,” she admitted. “My mission meant everything to me.”

He looked at her, her feelings for him written across her face. “Until you met me.”

She brought her lips to his and whispered, “Until I fell in love with you.”

That was another thing he’d been sure he’d hallucinated. Helene telling him she loved him. Slowly, a smile spread over him, through his whole body, along with happiness that this amazing woman had chosen him over so much.

Gently, he pulled her closer, his heart filled with love. “I love you, too, Helene. With all my heart.”

She smiled and melted into him.

He closed the distance between their lips, kissing her deeply, desperately, well aware of what they had almost lost.

A loud cough broke them apart.

It was the ADIC, with Diana and the ME.

“Good God, Sanchez, you’re covered in blood,” Hernandez said.

“Not mine,” Miguel said, and waved them off. He got to his feet, then helped Helene up, slinging an arm around her. “Come on. Let’s get out of here,” he said as the crime scene techs swarmed through the door and Reyes and their ADIC took over the scene.

Together they walked out of the theater to where an ambulance was stationed at the curb, an EMT waiting for him. He allowed the man to check him out and patch up the cut on his head and the Taser burns on his neck.

When the EMT was done, Miguel took Helene’s hand. “Let’s finish our reports so we can go home.”

“Home? As in you and me, together somewhere?”

He laced their fingers together and said, “You and me together. Wherever that happens is home for me.”

Helene’s eyes sparkled with happiness. “I knew when I met you, my time on Earth would never be the same. Let’s go to my place,” she said. They started walking toward the car.

“We just have to make one quick stop first.”

She glanced up. “What for?”

“Looks like I’m going to need another new shirt.”

She laughed, whirling him around, and then he kissed her.

Watching the scene from high above, Hera cooed, “Do you see that? Nemesis has finally met her match.”

Zeus grumbled, “Finally.”

She slapped his hands playfully. “Come now, husband. Maybe we’ll have some new grandchildren soon. It’s been so long since that happened.”

Very long. Millennia, in fact
.

Zeus tipped his head and she could see a little of her excitement in his blue, blue eyes.

He leaned forward with her, and together they watched their daughter and her mortal lover embrace and kiss before walking hand in hand into the FBI building. There was no doubt how they would spend the night, and many more to come.

Hera could feel the lust from way up here in the clouds.

No, not lust, but love. Nemesis was well and truly in love, never an easy road.

Zeus grunted. “I better make sure he’s worthy of her.”

Hera watched as her husband reached out and examined the mortal’s aura.

He grunted again. “Forceful. Strong. Honorable. Nemesis has chosen well.”

Hera nodded in satisfaction. Oh yes. It would only be a matter of time before their union yielded offspring. She snuggled up to her husband. “I don’t suppose you’d ever…”

“Consider giving Nemesis back her powers?”

She sighed. “You know me so well.”

“I might,” he answered thoughtfully. “We could use some new blood to liven up the halls of Olympus, even if they will only be demigods or goddesses.”

Facing her, he said, “Come here, Hera. Our offspring aren’t the only ones who know how to love.”

With a playful smile, she sashayed toward him, knowing her ample body pleased him even after so many centuries. She could always awaken need within him.

And something even more powerful, she knew.

Love.

Love was the one thing more powerful than the immortals. More powerful than anything on Earth.

Epilogue

It took several hours back at Federal Plaza before Helene and Miguel were done. Reports had to be completed about the Butcher, and answers provided about the shooting.

But after that, ADIC Hernandez shooed them out of his office. “Go on. You both have had a tough week. Take the rest of the day off. Get some rest.”

Only a week
, Helene thought as she and Miguel walked out of the building and he slipped his hand into hers. Such a short time.

Such big consequences.

“Your place?” he asked.

With a broad smile, she said, “Sure.”

As soon as they walked through the door to her Chelsea apartment they were in each other’s arms, kissing. Celebrating the miracle that they were both still alive.

“I died a thousand times over when I saw you were hurt,” Helene whispered as she hugged him tight.

“And I was terrified when you showed up.”

She led him into her bedroom, then turned to face him. The butterfly bandage on his temple was bright against his olive skin. “So many bruises.” She winced at the sight of them.

She reached up and lightly ran her fingers across his features, offering him comfort with her mortal touch.

“
Mmm
. That feels good.”

She smiled, a sexy knowing smile, promising him much more. “That’s just the start,” she said, lowering her hands to run them across his shoulders, then slowly undressing him.

He did the same to her, rousing passion, creating an intense, almost aching need.

“Helene, you’re so beautiful,” he said, and cradled her against him.

“So are you, Miguel, inside and out. You are true and loyal, and your love is…honest,” she whispered.

“It is honest,” he said. “I love you. Body and soul, I am yours.”

She stepped closer still, and wrapped her arms around him. “As I am yours, my love.”

He groaned and tightened his hold on her, held her for long moments as contentment and peace filled her heart. And as desire grew.

She took Miguel’s hand and led him to her bed. She opened her arms and invited him to love her.

As he joined her to him, their bodies one, something broke free inside of her, shaking her loose from the past. Only needing the joy and wonder of being in his arms, nothing more.

She raised her hips, deepening his possession. Accepting the strong sure strokes of his body and the acceptance in his heart. For the first time in all her centuries of existence, she was loved for what she was. Fully and without reservation.

Deep inside, something grew, something she had not experienced before—true peace and contentment. With that peace, and the gift of his body loving hers, something else rose before her—the promise of a future she had never envisioned, bright and filled with joy.

As he called out her name and sent her into a climax that rocked the energies in the universe, she knew.

Her mission on Earth had changed. Now, love would guide the hand of justice.

And with Miguel beside her, she would never be alone again.