Free Seduced by Danger by Stephanie Julian

return. And Cara had way too many secrets to keep.
    “I sing with the band at DownBelow ,” the girl said. “I usually come here for a few minutes before heading over there. You should come.”
    Cara had heard of the famous Etruscan-only night club from Johanna and she smiled, wondering if she’d ever be able to have a night out like a normal person. “I’d love to but I don’t think I’ll be able to tonight.” Or anytime soon, for that matter.
    “Well, we’re there almost every night so hopefully you’ll catch us.” The girl’s dark eyes almost disappeared as she smiled. “I’ve got to get going and I know you want the place to yourself for a while.” Her smile disappeared as fast as it had appeared. “The Lady is a good listener. I like to think she can hear us. Even though…well, you know.”
    Then Dilby headed out the door at the back, waving before closing the door behind her.
    Yes, Cara understood what the girl was saying. The founding gods of the Etruscans, the Involuti , had vanished almost two millennia ago when the Romans had assimilated the Etruscans. They’d been out of contact with their people since then, leaving behind the remaining pantheon.
    Most Etruscans, including Cara’s parents, believed something catastrophic had happened to them. Something that kept them from returning to their people.
    Cara stared at the life-size statue behind the altar. The Great Mother Goddess Uni peered out into the expanse, her gaze taking in everything.
    A few inches taller than Cara, the statue’s features were strong, purely Etruscan, her hair falling in waves to her waist. In her hands, she held a thunderbolt.
    Cara walked up to the statue, now unsure why she’d come.
    What did she honestly hope to learn? Did she expect answers to all her problems to just pop into her head?
    With a sigh, she sank onto a bench along the wall and lifted her gaze to the vaulted ceiling.
    * * * * *
    Michael opened his eyes, reached for the other side of the bed and realized Cara wasn’t beside him.
    In the next second, he realized she wasn’t in the house.
    How the hell he knew that, he couldn’t be sure. It was almost like he’d put a homing beacon on her, one connected to his arus .
    He flew out of bed, grabbed his jeans off the floor and a t-shirt from the chair then ran down the stairs. He heard voices and arrowed straight for them.
    He saw his son first, sitting on the floor of in front of the TV, reciting the alphabet. Aron looked up at him and smiled. “Daddy, come watch with me.”
    So many conflicting emotions hit Michael at that moment that he almost didn’t notice the two women sitting on the couch, watching his son.
    Love for Aron combined with fear for Cara and the fierce need to protect them both made him glare at the women with distrust and put his body between them and his son.
    “Who the hell are you and where’s Cara?”
    The blonde—tiny, curved and beautiful—lifted one eyebrow at him as she set a sheet of newspaper aside. “Ooh, you’re right, Tilly. This one’s cute.”
    The dark-haired, exotic-looking woman sitting next to her wore a hint of a smile on her full lips. “Yes, he is. And look how he’s protecting Aron . I told you there’s something different about this one. Did you sleep well, Michael?”
    Sleep well? What the—
    Oh shit .
    He forced his body into a low bow.
    “Ladies, greetings. And my apologies for my rudeness. I…”
    Well, fuck. What the hell else was he supposed to say? He knew there were other words, better words he should use when talking to goddesses but this was the first time he’d ever met one, much less two.
    Nortia , Goddess of Fate, giggled. “I do so love when they do that, get all flummoxed and tongue-tied. It’s such an ego stroke.”
    “And we all know how you love your ego—as well as other things—stroked,” Hinthial , Goddess of the Spirit, drawled. “Hello, Michael. You look much better. How are you feeling?”
    “Much improved,