Sweet Hell (6 page)

She frowned in concentration. “Isn't that the name of a car?"

Orpheus burst out in laughter, sick shit that he was. “Well, that is just the best thing I've ever heard! A car. Dionysus, buddy, you picked a winner."

"Hey!” he and Josie shouted at the same time.

"No need to be rude,” she muttered. “You already killed all my shells."

She looked at the floor, sighing at the sight of all the demolished pastries. Dionysus felt for her, wanted to pull her in close and console her. Really console her. But he hadn't lost sight of the madman in front of them.

The one who was supposed to be burning in Hades for all eternity.

Orpheus offered her a smile of condolence. “You're absolutely right, my dear. It was unforgivably rude of me to destroy your creations. I apologize. The thing is, I've been in a very bad place for a long time and have been given a momentary reprieve.” His eyes flashed. “So you'll have to forgive my ... excitement."

He took a step toward Josie, and Dionysus stepped forward. He didn't know how or why Orpheus had made it out of hell, but he wasn't getting any closer to Josie. She was
his
mouthy coffee girl. No one else's.

And then he wondered why he should have such proprietary feelings toward her. So they'd kissed. It was one kiss. One breath-stealing, mesmerizing, time-stopping kiss.

Oh, brother.

He had to find out what was going on, send Orpheus back to the pit of eternal flame and damnation, and do it all without Josie finding out who he really was.
What
he really was.

He glared at the other man. “How did you get out?"

"You can thank Persephone for that. As sweet as she is, the wife of Hades was never the swiftest of minds,” Orpheus trilled. “And old Hades is such a bore. Persephone just loves my company. I was able to persuade her to free me for a short time. But hey, enough about me. What I'd really love to know is how long you kids have been in love? You make such a cute couple."

"In love?” Josie blurted. She turned to Dionysus, and she screwed up her face as if she'd never envisioned him having the emotion.

"You don't know what you're talking about,” Dionysus warned, his voice a low growl. “Josie and I are just friends."

Right. Like Romeo and Juliet were just friends.

"Really?” Orpheus cocked his head, carelessly strumming the lyre. “Wow. Typically, my friends don't allow me to put my tongue down their throats."

Josie looked as if she wanted the floor to swallow her up.

"That never stopped you before, you head case."

"Nor you,” Orpheus countered angrily. “You immortal man whore!"

Josie threw up her hands. “Okay, that's enough! I don't know what's going on here, but it needs to stop.” She turned to Orpheus. “You can't come onto private property, buster, smash up my bakery, and insult my ... friend like that! I don't know who put you up to this sick prank. But I swear to God, if I find out Mike and Angelo are behind this, I will wring their scrawny necks. If only my dad could see this...” She trailed off, then turned back to Dionysus. “Wait.
Immortal
man whore?"

Ah, fuck. Now it was going to get touchy.

"Go ahead,” Orpheus prompted, clearly loving the show. “Tell her the truth."

"Dionysus?” she said softly. “What truth?"

He grabbed her hand. Gods, it was so soft! It was a nice hand when it wasn't drenched in egg yolk. Small, with delicate lines. And it felt good in his. “Josie. There's something you don't know about me."

He tried. He really tried to spit it out, but it was stuck in his throat. After all, it wasn't every day one announced one was an ancient, powerful deity. With issues. He implored Orpheus with a look. “I can't. Not like this."

His enemy's blue-eyed glare hardened. “Well, that's too bad, because I have a job for you to do. One only you can do. And because I'm on borrowed time here, I don't have all day to make things cozy for you. I've waited an eternity for this, and I'm not about to wait any longer.” He looked at Josie, nostrils flared. “Your friend here is a Greek god."

She looked back, unfazed. Then she rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Tell me something I don't know."

Dionysus choked back the laugh threatening to explode from him. He could have hugged her!

Orpheus wasn't so impressed, the crazy-eyed bastard. “No, really. He's immortal. You know, as in living for all time. Never dying. Supreme. Divine! A fucking god!"

Josie's head was shaking. She wasn't willing or able to process this information. Dionysus was starting to wish he'd never walked into the Marino Brothers Bakery. Well, actually, that wasn't true. He couldn't regret meeting her. Frustrating woman that she was. He just regretted her finding out what a true freak of nature he was.

"I don't understand,” she breathed, ignoring Orpheus, who was still rambling like a lunatic in his corner of the basement. “What is he saying?"

Hurt by the strange light in her eyes, he turned to the bastard. “What do you mean you have a job for me to do? I don't do your jobs."

"Oh, you'll do this one. Remember Eurydice?"

He nodded. How could he forget? Eurydice had been Orpheus's one true love. When she'd died eons ago and had gone to Hades, he'd gone insane out of grief. The old myths told how the gods granted Orpheus one opportunity to retrieve her from hell. Everyone knew the story of how he was warned to lead her from Hades, and told not to look even once at her. But tempted to glance back at his beloved wife, he had, and Eurydice had been lost to him forever.

What the myths did not report was how depraved Orpheus had become after losing her. History chose to remember him as a gentle musical genius. In truth, he'd become a madman. Dionysus remembered how he'd raped, hurt, and killed others in revenge.

Including the one who'd meant the most to Dionysus.

He'd had no choice but to kill him to stop him from hurting others.

"Did you know, Dionysus,” Orpheus asked, “that my sentence in hell came with a few restrictions? They didn't allow me to see her. Not once. Oh, I was told I could look for her, and I tried. I spent centuries trying, digging my way through each endless cavern of shame and sorrow. I bribed and tricked every official in Hades that I could find, but no one would tell me where she was.” He stared into space, remembering. “And then darling Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, heard of my struggles. She was touched. Allowed me to visit with her to plead my case. The only problem being she grew fond of me, and decided she didn't want to lose her favorite pet to his rightful wife."

"Doesn't sound hopeful,” Dionysus said.

"Luckily, I can be persuasive. Persephone's granted me a short time to find Eurydice. If I don't find her within that time, she'll block off access to her forever. You may think I've been punished all these years. My true punishment is only just about to begin. I need you to bring her back to me. You owe me!"

"I owe you nothing! You had your chance with her,” Dionysus shouted back. “Besides, why don't you keep looking instead of wasting time here?"

Orpheus grunted in frustration. “Because you killed me for my ... crimes, I was banished to a part of Hades where I can't reach Eurydice. She's an innocent. Men like me don't get to see women like her in hell. They've made it impossible. If you had let me live out my life naturally, I might have been reunited with my wife in death. But, no, because of you I've been sentenced to a plane in hell where I can never reach her. You did this to me, and you're my only chance.” His face crumpled in sadness, and for a moment, Dionysus thought he glimpsed something of the man he'd once been. “You have to go to hell and bring her to me. Do you have any idea the torment I've been in? Living without my love for so long?"

Dionysus looked at Josie. She was in tears at his story, even though he could tell she was frightened and stymied by his mention of hell.

To live an eternity in hell without one's love. He supposed that could be perceived as somewhat vexing.

Although it had been so long since he'd felt any smattering of what could be called love. He didn't necessarily think he was the best one to ask about it.

Still...

"How much time has Persephone given you?” he asked quietly.

"One measly week. She's toying with me. She's no better than the rest of the gods.” Orpheus breathed in deeply and looked a bit less crazy, but only for a moment. “And I swear to you, if you do not do this, I will kill your lover. I may be just a sad shade of a man, but I can still fit my fingers around Josie's neck and squeeze the life out of her forever."

Her tears dried up at that remark.

So, Orpheus thought he was in love with Josie. He'd seen them kiss, had seen the fire between their bodies, and had drawn the wrong conclusion. And now he thought he could threaten her.

Despite the clear error on Orpheus's part, it still made Dionysus see red. “If you touch her, I'll incinerate you."

"Then you'd better bring her with you on your quest, because I can't guarantee I won't be tempted to lock her in the freezer again while you're gone."

"You monstrous fuck,” he seethed. He'd been hoping Josie had locked herself in by mistake. “You did that to her."

"And I'll do it again,” Orpheus promised. He tucked his lyre away, wound his cloak around his head, and another wind started up in the basement, making Josie jump. “You have one week, Dionysus. Find my Eurydice. Then I'll find you."

With that, he disappeared.

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Chapter 5

Greek mythology had never been one of Josie's strong points in school. In fact, she'd always thought the stories were kind of silly. Tales of men with goat legs, and sea monsters, and prancing nymphs were just never her thing. Give her a good Agatha Christie any day.

But that didn't mean she hadn't paid some attention in her Religions of the World class. She was beginning to remember the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. There was an opera named after them. Her mom used to hum the music while she baked.

And she was definitely starting to recall the myths about Dionysus, Greek god of wine. She stared at Dionysus Iros. Some very compelling comparisons were starting to form in her head.

Greek god of wine...

"Josie—"

She held up a hand, cutting him off. “Iros is an interesting family name."

He held her gaze. “It's not a family name at all. I had to choose a surname to fit in among mortals. I chose Iros. It means, uh, hero. Don't laugh."

"Right,” she said, lips pursed. “And you're a Greek..."

"God,” he supplied. “I'm a Greek god. Have been for a long time."

"Why should I believe you?"

"I got you out of the freezer. You've seen what I can do."

Her lip trembled. “Not really. Maybe there's a problem with the hinges."

He huffed. “You have no choice but to believe me, Josie. I'd love to stand here and appear to you in all my glory, but frankly we don't have time. And considering I have to drag you down to Hades with me before the week is up, you might want to jump on the bandwagon.” He started marching back up the steps to the bakery.

How dare he walk away from her! “Wait! I'm not going anywhere with you, buster!” She scrambled up after him.

"Well, you heard the man. You can't stay here. I can't take a chance that he'll come back and hurt you."

This was too much! “Well ... if you're such a powerful Greek god, why don't you hit him with your lightning bolt?"

He stared at her, looking almost tired. “Wrong god, sweetheart. I'm not Zeus. But hey,
A
for effort.” He walked into the middle of the bakery, held out his hands to her, and said, “Well, shall we?"

"Shall we what?"

"Go to Hades?” And then he looked at her as if to say, “I'm waiting."

"I'm not going anywhere until I get some proof!"

"Josie, Josie. I would think the journey to hell might be proof enough."

"No.” She shook her head. This was way too weird. Yes, he was far too handsome to be a regular man. Yes, his kisses made her feel as if she were part of a drunken orgy. And yes, one glance from him was so sexy it was practically an out-of-body experience. But he was going to have to do better before she got on board with all of this nonsense. “I want you to do something. To prove you're ... different."

He almost looked bored. “What would you like? A little plague? Pestilence?"

"God, no!” She thought about the options, and it only freaked her out even more. “I'd prefer if you kept it to a minimum of devastation, please. I'd hate for you to ... smite someone.” And then the perfect idea struck her. “Wait! I know! Follow me.” She tore out of the bakery.

Dionysus shouted after her. “We don't have time for this, woman! The sooner we find Eurydice, the sooner we can come back. Where in the blazes are you taking me?"

She ran to the back of the bakery, and up a set of stairs that led to a couple of apartment units above the store. At the top landing, she fished for her keys, conscious of his big body right behind her. All too aware of the inch of space between them, pulsing with a sexual electricity that was making her feel loopy.

"Josie,” his voice rumbled.

She steeled herself against the deep urge to yank her top off and pull his head down to her breast. Instead, she turned to him, determined. “If I have to go to hell with you, I'm not wearing the same clothes I wore to work. What if I run into someone I used to know? I need to shower and change first. And while I do, you can prove your divinity to me."

She stuck her key in the lock and tried to ignoring his impatient muttering.

Dionysus waited for her to open the door, then realized he could have just blown it in for her. But that would have probably scared the pants off her. Which wasn't a bad idea considering the fact that through all this craziness, he still had a hard-on the size of Poseidon's trident.

And she smelled so good ... like tiramisu. It had been so hard not to touch her while she was looking for her house key. He'd wanted to reach out his fingers and entwine them in her burnished hair, to brush his lips against the back of her neck.