Free New Olympus Saga (Book 4): The Ragnarok Alternative by C.J. Carella

heart.
    “I have the money, so why not? It’s for the times when I need to be alone, you know? Sometimes it’s nice to be alone.”
    “Swell.” What do you want? He almost snapped out the blunt question. Instead, he waited in silence and let her tell him.
    “That was a nasty fight,” she said, saying nothing he didn’t know. She looked… anxious, timid, a lot more like the girl she’d been when he first met her, even though she’d been very impressive even then.
    He shrugged. “You handled it just fine. In fact, the last few incidents prove beyond a doubt that you’re the most powerful member of the Legion. Even more so than Cassius.” Who I hope is doing all right , he thought guiltily. He didn’t think half as much about Janus and his quiet struggle against the Outsider Taint as he should.
    “I guess,” Christine said. She sat down and slumped on the couch, looking forlorn. “I don’t feel all that powerful. I almost died out there.”
    Because I couldn’t do all that much to protect you . More guilt. Shame. Frustration.
    “Mark and I had a fight,” she went on. “He doesn’t like it, my being more powerful than he is.”
    “Figures,” John said, momentarily forgetting how little he liked that fact himself.
    “Sit down and I’ll fix you a drink,” she said, getting up. He sat. She made him a Scotch on the rocks. He sipped on it, appreciating its quality. She’d spent a pretty penny on something she didn’t drink.
    “What can I do for you, Christine?” he finally said. If you’re here to tell me you want me to take you back, I’ll … Honestly, he had no idea what he would do.
    “I don’t know. I wanted to see you. Maybe think about things.”
    “You made your choice. You can’t go back and forth.”
    “Maybe.” She sat down next to him and put a hand on his arm. “But I miss you, John. I think I frakked up. Went for the bad boy like I was a silly teenager.”
    “You are young,” he said. Maybe when she’s a hundred and twenty and you’re two hundred … Ali had said that. Ali. “Look, Christine…”
    “Hey, don’t get the wrong idea, big guy. I’m not planning on cheating on my boyfriend. We both need to think about things, okay? Take it slow, work things out, all that happy crappy. You feel me, homey?”
    “I suppose so.”
    “Here.” She pressed a button on her wrist-comm. “Just sent you my private number. Maybe we can talk once in a while. Catch up. Be friends again.”
    Why the hell not? He missed her. Much of the anger he felt was misdirected regret. Maybe…
    “Well?”
    “All right, Christine. Maybe we can talk. Think about things.”
    “Awesome.”
    As he stood up, she tried to kiss him, and he grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head back. She made a sound she’d never made before, something between a sigh and a moan, and the sight of her like that, head tilted back, under his control, stirred something in him.
    “Sorry,” she said, offering no resistance, his hand still gripping her hair. He let her go.
    “I should have never laid hands on you.” He was overcome with shame, but there was something else under it.
    “I deserved it,” she said. “Maybe that’s what I needed. To be punished.”
    She ran a hand over her hair, still leaning her head back, as if she was offering her throat to him, and he suddenly wanted to encircle her slender neck with his hands, and squeeze. Not a lot, not enough to really hurt her, just enough to show her who was the boss. The mixture of anger and lust was intoxicating.
    “Just think about it, John, okay? And call me.”
    “I will,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I should go.”
    “So soon?” she said with a mischievous grin. “Maybe you’d better. Let’s not rush into things.”
    “Yes. Let’s not.”
    “Talk to you soon, though.”
    “Yes.”
    He would call her. And he wouldn’t tell Ali about any of this. Not until he’d thought things through.
    After he flew out the window, it took him a while to