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to find out about you, and when he does he'll kill Artemis for me. I just
    hope I'm there to see it."
    She gave him a peeved look that somehow managed to make his groin jerk. "Very funny. He
    would never hurt her."
    "Yeah, I know. Damn it to hell," he said in a low tone. "Bastard is still in love with her. There's
    something seriously wrong with him."
    "No," she said softly. "He's not in love with her anymore. I would know it if he was. I'm not sure if
    he was ever anything more than infatuated by her. But he understands her and it's not in his nature to hurt
    anyone if he can help it."
    Sin snorted in disagreement. He'd seen Ash break loose on a few people over the centuries, which
    was one of the reasons Sin didn't push the Atlantean god too far. And those were for minor
    encroachments. Sin couldn't imagine how much fury Ash would unleash over something this major. "You
    don't know him as well as you think you do."
    "And what makes you the expert?"
    "Let's just say I understand betrayal. And having been where he is, I know the explosion to come.
    Trust me. 'Duck' won't quite cover it."
    She tensed at his warning. "Artemis didn't betray you."
    "Who said I was talking about her?"
    Kat paused as she tried to read him, but Sin was anything but an open book. Even his emotions
    were hidden from her. Normally she could tell what anyone near her was feeling, and though she got
    twinges from him, it was nothing like what she normally felt. It was baffling and strange to be so clueless.
    "Who betrayed you then?"
    He folded his arms over his chest. "That's the thing about betrayal. You don't really want to talk
    about it, especially not with strangers who are related to your worst enemy." He looked around the room
    before he spoke again. "So where does all this leave us anyway? You plan on keeping me here until after
    the gallu unleash the Dimme or what?"
    That seemed to be the question of the day. She truly wasn't sure what she should do with him.
    "You're not lying about the Dimme, are you?"
    He pulled his shirt off, over his head, to show her a body that was riddled with scarred muscles.
    Some of the scars appeared to be claw marks, while others were clearly from bite wounds and burns.
    "Do I look like I'm joking?"
    No. He looked more battle scarred than an ancient warrior. A tremor of sympathy went through
    her. It was obvious he'd been fighting a long time to keep humanity safe.
    And he'd been doing it for the most part alone. No one at his back.
    That hurt her most of all. No one should face such a nightmare alone. "What can I do to help?"
    He cocked a brow at her question as if he couldn't believe her offer, before he put his shirt back
    on. But that look was quickly replaced with one that was hard and bitter. "Send me back to my place
    and stay out of my way."
    Kat shook her head. How could she have forgotten the fact that he was a prehistoric macho god?
    "This is where I should probably remind you of a certain Greek blood hound who has your name and
    calling card. Remember him? Deimon isn't exactly into making friends or showing mercy. But one thing he
    has to do is listen to me."
    "And why is that?"
    She gave him an amused grin. "Because I once kicked his butt so well that he remembers it to this
    day." She approached him with a determined stride. "You need someone at your back."
    His look was cold and frightening. "No offense, but the last time I was dumb enough to let
    someone stand there, they stabbed me in it. I like to think I learn from my lessons."
    "Not everyone is treacherous."
    "My experience says otherwise, and given your genetic link to someone who did me seriously
    wrong, I think you'll forgive me if I don't put you on the list of trusted friends."
    He was right about that, but she was nothing like her mother. "I'm my father's daughter, too."
    "Yeah, and by your own admission you've had a lot less contact with him than with your mother.
    So I think you'll understand if I side with caution on this one."
    She