A BLANKET OF FOG hung over the city early that morning, low and wet and oppressive. Josie pulled to a stop just down from the home of Renata Boyles, a seventy-year-old hooker who had jumped bail.

Josie’s limbs weighed a hundred pounds as she walked up the sidewalk.

After Jon had taken off the night before, she’d sped home, fighting back tears and her temper. When she’d gotten home, she’d stripped off her jacket and kicked off her shoes, her eyes never leaving the crime shrine, trying to focus, trying to get a grip, but it had been a lost cause.

Jon had broken in and violated her trust and privacy. But, as furious as she had been, she’d found herself wondering what he’d seen when he looked at the wall.

The fact that she cared what he thought had nearly pushed her over the edge, and she’d resisted the temptation to break something, something that would shatter and explode and make that destructive sound as it busted against a wall. Josie thought that sound would somehow make her feel better.

But instead, she’d stared at the board all night, dragging herself to bed just as the sun began to rise. She’d slept for only a few hours before the call from Jerry J’s came in.

So, there she was, heading up the sidewalk in the hopes Renata was still sleeping. And as adrenaline began to zip through her, alertness overrode her exhaustion.

And then she came to a dead fucking halt.

Jon was crouching down by the crawl space lattice next to Renata’s front porch.

Motherfucker.

It took nearly all her willpower not to scream the word at him. He glanced over at her, his eyes bugging for a second before jerking his chin, motioning for her to get down.

Twice in one week, Jerry J’s had fucked up. This alone was rare, but the odds that she’d get crossed with him were astronomical.

She ducked, trotting through the gate to kneel next to him. “What the fuck are you doing here?” she hissed.

“Good morning to you, too, Josie.” He smiled like they’d run into each other at the grocery store instead of hiding outside an old lady hooker’s house, and he joked like he hadn’t broken into her fucking house the night before. “You look like you got a terrible night’s sleep.”

“Funny.”

“Sarah at Jerry’s sent me.”

She looked out into the street and tried to control herself. “Goddammit. Elaine sent me.”

“I guess we’re together on this one then. Unless you want to give it up?” He rested his elbow on his knee, and his apparent comfort gave her all the resolve she needed.

How he could be so fucking cool, she had no idea. It made her daydream about pistol-whipping him.

“Nice try,” she shot, not willing to give him the satisfaction of letting him win. Just get it done, and get the fuck away from him. “How do you want to play this?”

“I saw her through the open window, watching the Home Shopping Network. We’ve gotta figure out how to get her out of the house.”

“You need to honeytrap her. Just act like you’re a client.”

Jon shook his head and ran a hand through his long hair. “Everybody has their weird bedroom shit, I guess, but a seventy-year-old hooker? Pass.”

She rolled her eyes and waved him on. “Go, Jon.”

He stepped away from the side of the house and was moving toward the stairs when Josie heard the unmistakable click of a safety from the patio.

“Hold it right there, gorgeous.”

Josie glanced up to see a frail old woman in a halter top and yoga pants that hung on her bony hips. Her blonde hair was in a knot, a cigarette was hanging out of her mouth, and her ancient .44 Magnum was aimed directly at Jon.

Jon’s heart drummed as he looked up the barrel at the old woman, who squinted at him.

He held up his hands. “Hey there. Are you Renata? I got your address from a buddy of mine.”

Jon watched out of his periphery as Josie disappeared around the side of the house and hoisted herself into an open window.

“Is that so?” Renata took a long drag and flicked her cigarette butt. She gripped the gun with both hands. “What’s your buddy’s name then?”

“James.”

Renata smiled. “I don’t know no James.” She fired at his feet.

“Holy shit!” Jon yelled as he jumped, shocked that the force of the gun hadn’t blown her back through the screen door. “Jesus Christ, lady, I was just lookin’ for a good time.”

“Oh, I saw you lookin’. Creepin’ around my house. I know who you are, you little shit.”

She fired at his feet again, and he hopped again.

“Fuck! Who do you think I am?”

“Honey, this ain’t my first time at the rodeo. You run back off to Jerry J and tell him you couldn’t find old Renata.”

The screen door squeaked behind her, but before she had a chance to turn, Josie had ahold of her. Another shot rang, and Jon ducked the wild bullet.

The gun clattered to the ground, and Josie held Renata’s wrists, reaching for her cuffs.

“Well, Renata,” Josie said to the metallic click of the handcuffs locking, “you’ve still got your spunk.”

Renata’s scowled. “You don’t know jack-diddly-shit about spunk. I’ve dealt with spunk my whole life, and I ain’t no better for it.”

Josie laughed as Jon climbed the porch stairs, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sound.

He shook his head at the old lady. “Goddamn, Renata. You sure are somethin’, you know that?”

“You have no idea.” Her sour expression disappeared as she wet her lips and dragged her hungry eyes up and down his body. “I sure am pissed to get nabbed, but now that I see you up close, I’m damn glad I didn’t shoot you. You sure are pretty.”

“Hear that, Jo?” He hitched his thumb at Renata. “She thinks I’m pretty.”

Josie’s smile slipped into a scowl. “I don’t even know how you can joke with me right now. We are one hundred percent not okay.” Her conscience seemed to get the best of her, and she added, “Are you all right?”

“Please,” he said with a grin. “Little Renata here can’t scare me.” He winked at the hooker.

“You don’t know me too well then,” Renata answered with a leer. “I could acquaint you, if you’d get rid of the girl.”

“There’s no escaping Josie. Trust me when I say that no amount of time or space can rid you of her once you’ve been exposed,” he said with a light tone and a heavy chest as they helped the old woman down the stairs.

Josie said through her teeth, “You have got to be fucking kidding me. God, you’re impossible. You broke into my apartment, for fuck’s sake.”

“I had a key.”

“You were not authorized to use that key, asshole!” Her voice climbed to the edge of shrill.

“Who dumped who?” Renata asked.

Josie was twitchy, answering sarcastically, “If you’ll believe it, Renata, Jon here actually wrote me a Dear John when he left me for his pregnant ex-girlfriend.”

“Well, I’ll be damned. Pretty but not smart.”

“Many women would agree.” Josie glared at him.

“Look at you two bonding,” Jon said cheerily to Josie before he turned to Renata. “You know, that gun’s almost bigger than you are.”

“Oh, honey, I’ve handled much bigger guns than that.”

He laughed. “Now, I’m sure that’s a story I’d love to hear.”

They made their way to Josie’s car, and he put Renata in the backseat, shaking his head as she eyed him suggestively.

“Get in,” Josie said to him, her tone flat and eyes forward as she closed her door.

Jon didn’t move, and she rolled down her window with a hard stare.

“Just take her in, Jo.”

“I’m mad as fuck at you, but you almost got shot. Don’t be an asshole. Just get in and keep your mouth shut. Or, if you want, you can meet me at Jerry’s after I drop Renata off at the station.”

“It’s fine. Just take her in. If you want to split it, let the girls over there know. They know how to find me.”

He watched her fume, wishing he could hop in with her, wishing he didn’t keep cocking things up. But it just seemed to be the state they found themselves in regardless of how much he wanted to change the fact.

Josie put the key in the ignition, his refusal somehow infuriating her even more. There was nothing either of them could do right. It was like dancing with a fucking donkey; no one moved in the same direction, and she kept getting her feet trampled.

“You are such a pain in the ass,” she shot. “I’m trying to be nice here since you could have just died, not that I owe your nosy, sneaky, stalker ass anything.”

“That’s a little dramatic, but you’re right in that you don’t owe me anything.”

Jon leaned into her open window, and she moved back to keep space between them, caught off guard by his proximity. He was close enough that she could smell his soap.

“I know you’re mad as hell, and I don’t blame you. I’m just trying to give you a little space, that’s all. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I went to your apartment without your permission. You know I just want to help.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t need your fucking help, Jon. I don’t want it.”

“I know you don’t want it, but I’m worried about you. This is bigger than flashers and hookers.” He glanced back at Renata. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Renata answered.

“I’m not helpless, Jon.”

“I know you’re not, but if you’re right, this guy is dangerous—and not in the petty-crime way. He’s dangerous in the way that could get you killed. I saw that wall, Jo, and as impressed as I am, it scares me to think that you’re mixed up in this without anyone to help you. I’m just looking out for you, and you know if the tables were turned, you’d do the same for me.”

“What makes you think that I would do anything for you after…well, after everything?”

He shrugged, but his eyes were crystal blue, full of truth.

His words were soft, and she felt herself lean closer as he spoke. “Because I know you. You can tell me all day long that you hate me, but you care. I know you do, and I’m gonna prove to you that I’m worth it. If you ever find a way to trust me with your heart again, I promise you, I will take care of it. I swear I will, and I don’t care how long it takes to convince you.”

Josie stared at him for a long moment, swept away by the cyclone in her head, swept away by his eyes and his nearness and his vow.

But she found herself and looked away, fumbling to turn the key and start the car. “I don’t care, Jon. I really don’t. Don’t waste your time or mine because this game is bullshit, and I’m over it.”

“Okay, Josie,” he said with a sad smile. He looked into the backseat. “Be good, Renata.” His eyes locked back on Josie’s for a second. “I’ll see you around.”

She narrowed her eyes in answer.

Renata called out, “I sure hope so.”

He waved as she drove away, and she couldn’t help but look in her rearview mirror. He stood in the street with his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, watching her go.

She blinked back her emotions, looking back at the road just in time to not run a stop sign.

“The fucking nerve,” she said under her breath.

“He doesn’t seem all that bad,” Renata said as she looked out the window.

“Well, he is.” Josie realized her knuckles were white on the steering wheel, and she relaxed her hands.

“Men have their way.”

“Yeah, well, his way almost got him shot twice today.”

“Twice?”

“I contemplated popping him myself.”

Renata laughed, the sound gravelly and harsh. “Hopefully not in his pretty parts. That is, if he has any ugly ones.”

“Not really,” Josie grumbled.

“That doesn’t help, does it?”

“Nope.”

Renata caught Josie’s eye in the rearview. “Let me tell you something I’ve learned. When a man cares enough to tell you to your face that he wants you and he’ll fight for you, well, that kind of man is worth listening to.”

Josie wished she could believe it, but she hadn’t come close to forgetting the three years of pain he’d put her through. “I can’t let myself give a shit about what he wants, Renata. For three years, he let me think he didn’t care enough to say goodbye. He left me here without a word to go have a baby with someone else, and I just can’t forgive him for that.”

“Coldhearted, to be sure.”

“Every time I see him, I’m reminded of everything I lost. But it’s like getting shot with rock salt. Burns like a motherfucker, but it won’t kill me.”

Renata busted out laughing again. “I like you, Red.”

Josie smiled back at her. “Sorry I’ve got to take you in.”

“It’s not the first time or the last, I’m certain.”

They rode in silence to the station as Josie chewed on her feelings. She’d told Renata more in a few minutes than she’d willingly given up to anyone since Anne. It felt good, and she was lighter for having vented something off though heavier at the realization it brought. She wasn’t over Jon. She knew it deep down, but to say it out loud was another thing entirely.

She thought back to the time when they’d been together, that golden time that had brought her so much happiness. But there was no going back. Things could never be what they had been. Three years of hurt filled the space since he’d left her, and no amount of charm or honesty could erase what she’d been through.

Josie pulled up at the station and escorted Renata inside, a little sad at turning her in.

Renata said goodbye with a wink and the parting advice, “Don’t let love pass you by, Red.”

Josie nodded with a thanks and a smile, heading for Jerry J’s with her mind still on Jon. She pulled up to the curb outside the bond building, got out of her car, and walked under the red awning featuring a cartoon illustration of Jerry J’s face.

His smile was decidedly untrustworthy.

She made her way in and leaned on the counter, popping the little bell with a ding.

Elaine came out from the back room with a smile on her round face. “Hey, Josie. How’d it go?” Her eyes twinkled from the other side of the counter.

“Funny thing, Jon was there.”

“What the hell?” Elaine’s cheeks flushed, and she blinked. “Again?”

Josie nodded. The stress and annoyance of being continually put in Jon’s space gnawed at her, and she was done being quiet. “He said Sarah sent him. This is twice now, Elaine. What the hell is going on around here?”

“Son of a bitch. Hang on.” She sat down and banged at her keyboard. “It says your name right here. I put you in myself. See?” She turned the monitor so Josie could see her name in the spreadsheet.

Elaine yelled over her shoulder. “Sarah!”

Sarah stuck her head out of the office in the back. “What?”

“Did you send Jon Landreaux after Renata?”

Sarah walked out with her brows drawn. “Well, yeah. The spot was empty.”

“Was not.”

“Was too.”

“Look here.” Elaine turned the monitor back again, and Sarah looked over her shoulder. Elaine sniffed. “What is that perfume you’ve got on today? It smells like roses or something. It’s been giving me a headache all morning.”

“Huh? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sarah shook her head and put a hand on her hip, pointing the other at the computer screen. “I swear to God, that spot was empty, Elaine. Like I would ever delete a name in the spreadsheet.”

Elaine gave Sarah a look and turned back to Josie. “I’m so sorry. Let me go ahead and cut your check. Did he leave you to it?”

“No, he almost got shot.”

Sarah’s mouth made an O.

Josie snorted a laugh. “Don’t look so concerned. It was actually pretty amusing.”

Sarah relaxed and smiled. “Well, at least it was entertaining. Renata is always packing, but she can’t shoot for shit.”

“Lucky for Jon. That big-ass gun would have blown a hole in him the size of a grapefruit.” Josie watched Elaine write the check. “Just give me half. Make sure Jon gets the other half, okay?”

“You got it, Josie. I’ll cut you a little extra for the trouble. I don’t know how that happened, but I swear it’ll be the last time.”

Elaine pushed the check across the surface, and Josie folded it up and slipped it into her back pocket.

“Thanks.”

She pushed the door open with her back and stepped out into a patch of sunlight, feeling it warm on her face, a promise of spring. The fog seemed to be lifting.

Everywhere, except in her heart.

Jon sat on the floor in the middle of his room that afternoon, surrounded by blown-up photos of Josie’s crime wall. He’d come home after Renata with Josie on his mind and heart and soul.

That moment when he’d leaned into her car, she’d looked up at him, and he could have sworn for a split second she was waiting for a kiss. But the second he’d seen the light in her ignite, she’d snuffed it, and just like that, the moment had been over. He wished he’d just done it. Just slipped his hand into the crook of her neck and kissed those lips he’d been dreaming about for so long.

He wondered what she would have done. Would she have pushed him away or pulled him closer?

Because she could say she hated him until the end of time, but he knew it was a lie.

He laid another photo down, assembling the replica sheet by sheet—the first step to getting it on his own wall so he could look at it all together. Jon picked one up and inspected it, making out the title of an article and the majority of the text, though a portion of it was hidden under another sheet.

It was then that he realized just how much ground he had to make up. And even then, he still didn’t have all the cards.

His door flew open, and Lola ran in. “Daddy-daddy-daddy-daddy!”

He held out his hands to stop her. “No-no-no-no-no! Wait!”

It was too late.

She ran across all the sheets, scattering them before slamming into his chest. And he couldn’t be mad in the slightest, not when she wrapped her little arms around his neck.

“I’m goin’ ni-night.”

He hugged her just as Tori made it to the threshold, looking apologetic.

“Looks like you’re goin’ crazy,” he said.

“I’m not crazy, Daddy. I’m Lola.”

“My mistake.” He kissed her hair. “I love you, baby.”

“Love you.”

“I’m so sorry,” Tori said. “She totally got away from me.”

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, twisting it into a small ponytail. “It’s all right. Just trying to get them laid out before I put them on the wall.”

Lola hopped over to Tori, who smoothed the little girl’s curly dark hair.

“It’s nap time, monster. Go get in bed. I’ll be right there.”

She squealed and ran down the hallway.

“How’s it going?” Tori made her way over and knelt down to look at the big photos while Jon tried to put them back where they’d been before Babyzilla blew in.

“Slow. There’s so much here.” He looked over the dozens of photos that lay around him on the floor. “She’s been busy.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Right now? I’ve got to get this mess put together. Then, I’ve gotta start digging up the old articles and logging them, and then…I don’t know. I’ll probably do a lot of mad-dogging.”

“Stare the clues out?”

He shrugged. “It works. Things usually fall into place.”

Tori looked over the photos, pausing to touch a picture of a girl wrapped in plastic. “I don’t envy your job.”

“Yeah, well, being an accountant isn’t exactly my cup of tea either.”

“Don’t be jealous because I’m good at math.”

“Oh, I’m not.” He ran a hand over his mouth. “Yep. It’s gonna be a long couple of days. Sure you don’t want to help?”

“I don’t have the stomach for crime photos. You’re on your own, son.” She gave him a slap on the shoulder and stood. “Need anything?”

“An extra set of hands and a few more hours in the day couldn’t hurt.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

She laughed as she closed his door, leaving him with his thoughts, leaving him in silence.

So he turned on Willie Nelson, who sang about the girl who was always on his mind, and Jon got to work, comforted in the fact that, if nothing else, Willie knew how he felt.

The fog hung heavy outside Dita’s windows that afternoon, gray and dense. She watched it slowly roll by from where she lay molded into her mattress, nestled in her bedding.

She had stayed with Heff all night, too afraid to be alone. He’d brought her tea and a ham sandwich, which she’d inhaled, and they’d talked until the sun was up. She’d told him about her horrible dreams, and they’d talked about Adonis and Ares. Or she’d talked, and he’d listened and nodded, occasionally offering his thoughts. He hadn’t been happy that she’d held out on coming to him and had made her promise not to hesitate again.

They’d also talked about Perry.

As much as it had hurt for her to destroy the mirror and as much as everything Perry had said cut through her, Perry was right, and Dita needed to tell her so. It wasn’t an easy realization, but she’d come to the understanding all the same, thanks to Heff’s words and his warmth and his honesty.

She’d stayed up talking with him until he’d yawned so hard, his eyes watered. And then she’d said goodbye, slipping into her bed for a few hours, though sleep never found her. Instead, she’d listed all the things she needed to say to her friend.

Dita glanced over her shoulder to look at her clock, deciding it was time. She peeled herself out of bed, shuffled to the elevator, and pushed B4.

The doors opened up to the black marble hallway of the underworld, and she stepped out just as Perry appeared at the other end of the foyer.

“Hey,” Dita said lamely, her voice echoing against the polished stone.

Perry’s hazel eyes softened, and she gave Dita a small smile. “Hey. Come on in.”

Dita made her way through the foyer, her eyes lingering on the painting of Elysium. Adonis was somewhere in there. Desperation slipped over her as she scanned the painting for him. But she caught herself, biting her lip as she walked past, hugging the far wall to put as much distance as she could between her and the painting.

“Perry,” Dita said as she approached, “I…”

She found that she had no words, no way to explain, except for one.

“I’m sorry.” The words were rough; they burned her throat and stung her eyes.

Perry stepped toward her, reaching for her. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have destroyed the mirror, not like that. It was cruel. I should have let you have a say, but Dita…” Perry shook her head, her eyes big and sad. “You should have seen yourself. I was afraid for you, but that’s no excuse.”

“I shouldn’t have said what I said about you not caring, and I shouldn’t have lied to you about the mirror. I shouldn’t have hidden, but I knew it was wrong. I knew you’d tell me to stop, that you’d take it away, and I couldn’t…I didn’t…”

“Stop. It’s okay. You weren’t the only one who said things they need to apologize for. I was rash, and you were hysterical. I should have waited until you calmed down to talk about it, but I was so fucking upset. You would have been shocked at your behavior, if you’d realized what you were doing, and honestly, I just couldn’t find enough patience to let that version of you go on a second longer.”

“I know. But I’m not gonna lie and say I’m okay.”

“Honey, I’m sorry.” Perry wrapped her arms around Dita.

She sighed, hooking her chin on Perry’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I know getting rid of it was the right thing to do.”

Perry pulled away and gave her a once-over. “You really do look terrible.”

Dita snorted a laugh. “Thanks.”

“I mean it. And you smell like you got hit by a bus full of Gouda cheese and gym socks.”

“Pretty sure Cockston Von Schmegma was driving.” Dita took a deep breath. “He cornered me last night.”

“What?” Perry gasped, more than a little uneasy. “Come here and sit.”

Once they were seated in the living room, Perry turned to her, face tight. “What did Ares say?”

“I don’t know anyone by that name. I do, however, know a Weiner Von Dicktrap.”

Perry’s face relaxed into a smile. “So, what did Dingus Frittercock want?”

Dita rubbed her eyes and fought to keep them open, resting her head against the back of the couch. “He wanted to talk.”

“He is such a dumb shit.”

“He wants what he wants, and he won’t take no for an answer. In fact, I’m pretty sure that he invented the phrase no means yes.”

Perry chuckled, but the sound wasn’t all that amused.

“He just…I don’t know. I was starving and he walked into the kitchen and I freaked out.”

“Why didn’t you come to me?”

Dita shrugged. “We’d just been in a huge fight.”

“I know, but you know that wouldn’t have mattered,” she chided.

“Still, I couldn’t bring myself to bother you. I somehow ended up in Heff’s apartment.”

“Like, not on purpose?”

“No, not on purpose, but I’m glad my brain took me there even if it wasn’t communicating with the rest of me.”

“I’m glad too. And I’m glad you came to talk to me today.”

“Same. Plus, it’s one less thing to worry about, which is nice since I haven’t slept in days, I was cornered by my ex who tried to kill me, and I’m basically out of the loop on the competition. My brain is functioning at, like, ten percent power. Although I did get Jon and Josie within a few feet of each other today.”

“I saw that. It was almost a lucky break. I hate to say you’re off your game, but you’re off your game. Using the same trick twice in one competition?” Perry jokingly tsked and folded her arms. “You’re better than that, Dita.”

“I’m lucky to even be functioning at this point, so can I get a pass?”

“I guess—this time.” Perry sat back. “I saw Jon and Josie’s fight last night too.”

“Don’t remind me,” Dita groaned. “At least he has some info on Rhodes now even though he committed a felony to get it.”

“He was awfully charming this morning. I thought he was going to kiss her for a second.”

Dita propped her feet on the coffee table. “Yeah, I don’t know how Josie would have taken that.”

“Yeah, me neither. Has Artemis even made any plays in the game?”

“Nothing I’ve seen. She’s still ahead at this point. Jon breaking into her house crossed the line. Josie was already annoyed with him, but that was beyond. It’s going to take her a minute to get over that.”

“Who knows? Maybe he’ll figure something out. You could always give Jon a clue.”

Dita sighed. “I don’t know what though. I’m too tired to think, let alone compose a master plan.”

Perry looked her over. “I’m worried about you.”

Dita rolled her head to look at Perry. “Aw, I’m touched, friend. I love you, too.”

“Don’t joke. I’m serious.”

“I know,” Dita said as she looked away again. “I’m worried about me, too. I’ve got to get some real sleep, just a couple of measly REM cycles instead of just dozing off. Every time I close my eyes, the nightmares come, and I wake up feeling worse than I did before. If things don’t change, I’m going to lose, which means Jon and Josie will lose.”

“We’ll figure something out.” Perry pulled a black cashmere throw off the back of the couch and laid it on her legs. “Tell me about some of your dreams.”

Dita shifted, bringing her knees up as she turned to face Perry, the leather squeaking when she hugged her calves. “In one, I’m with Adonis. We’re in Elysium, and I say something that makes him laugh, but then he can’t stop laughing, just laughs until he’s hysterical. And then…he starts to scream, falling to his knees as snakes crawl out of his mouth and eyes.” She shuddered and squeezed her legs tighter.

“In another, Ares and I are in old Greece. He kisses me, tender at first, but when I open my eyes, he’s in wrath, his eyes red, his hands around my neck. I can always feel his fingers when I wake. I can feel the bones in my throat like they’re being crushed, and I can’t breathe.” She blinked back her tears. “I don’t know what to do, Perry. I don’t know how to move forward.”

Perry bit her lip.

“What?”

“You don’t want to hear it.”

“Are you kidding me? I can barely see straight, I’m so exhausted. I’m sure I’ll hate it, but lay it on me. I’m desperate.”

Perry looked at her for a minute before answering, “You’ve got to talk to Ares.”

“You were right.” Dita groaned and picked up a pillow, pressing it to her face to yell, “Do not want,” into it.

“I know, but think about it. You think you know how you feel, but there’s so much more to it. You need some sort of closure, and sitting here, avoiding it, isn’t doing you any favors. This is not the way you work. You care about Ares whether you want to or not, and you always will. So, you’ve got to find a way to come to terms with that and let it go. You have to figure out how to handle the fact that he will always be in your life. You can’t run away or hide from him. You have to face him.”

She dropped the pillow to her lap with a huff. “Why are you so smart? I hate you.”

“You love me, and I’m right.”

“No,” Dita said as she sank deeper into the cushions, “I’m pretty sure I hate you.”

Perry leaned on the back of the couch and propped her head on her hand. “While you’re feeling introspective, can we finally talk about Adonis?”

Dita flinched. “I don’t know.”

“We don’t have to play Dr. Persephone if you don’t want to. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s all right.” A heavy sigh left her before she took a moment to think about him, really think about him. “I miss him,” she finally said.

“I know,” Perry said softly.

“I’ve been so lonely. He was always there, every day for thousands of years, and I told him everything, shared everything with him. I spent almost as much time in Elysium as I did living my life here. He’s just…he was always there, and now, he’s gone.” She took a breath to steady herself. “He’s gone, and I can’t change that. There’s nothing I can do but mourn.”

“How do you feel about how he left you?”

“I don’t know.” Dita looked up at the ceiling, trying to stave off her tears. “Responsible. The whole thing was my fault. It’s like I killed him a second time.”

“I know it feels that way, Dita, but he chose to drink Lethe.”

“Because I left him.”

“Listen, I love him too. He was the closest thing to a son that I’d ever had. I raised him from a baby, tucked him in at night, and watched him grow, but he was spoiled and selfish. Maybe that was my fault.”

“He wasn’t easy to tell no.”

“No, he wasn’t. And if he hadn’t been so…well, Adonis, you wouldn’t have left him. He’s just as much to blame as you.”

“It doesn’t feel like that,” Dita said.

“But you get me?”

“I get you.”

Perry nodded. “So that leaves Ares.”

Dita glanced at her. “I’m sorry, who?”

She thought for a second. “Taintston McPubus.”

Dita looked back up at the ceiling crisscrossed with black beams. “I mean, what the fuck, Perry? I can’t even be in the same room as him without almost having a heart attack.”

“What are you afraid of?”

Dita frowned. “Besides the obvious physical threat?”

“Do you really think he’s going to hurt you again?”

Dita traced the beams with her eyes from wall to wall. “I don’t know.”

“Well, I’ll tell you that I don’t think he will.” Perry was matter-of-fact, and Dita found a small bit of comfort in her certainty. “Zeus will bury him. Literally. In Tartarus. You know Zeus doesn’t make idle threats.”

“That makes perfect logical sense, but it doesn’t stop me from being afraid.”

“I know. Just remind yourself that he’s not an idiot.”

“Ha.”

“I mean, he’s an idiot, but he doesn’t have a death wish.” She paused, watching Dita, who didn’t want to make eye contact. “What do you think he could possibly say to you?” Perry asked. “What could he say to change your mind?”

“If he apologized and meant it. If I knew that he really understood.”

“Do you think he’s capable of that?”

Dita didn’t even have to think about it. “No, I don’t.”

“What else are you afraid of?”

She sat up and turned to face Perry. “Do you really think he’s ever going to let me go?”

Perry let out a resigned sigh. “No.”

“So, how do I deal with that?” Dita remembered those moments when he was soft and open, when she’d truly believed he loved her, and she felt the pull to him again, even at the memory. It made her feel sick. “I’m afraid to hear what he has to say, Perry. What if…”

“What if you change your mind about him?”

Dita nodded. “What if I can’t stop myself?”

“Do you really feel like you could ever be with him again?” Perry asked.

“Right now, I don’t. I did my best to break the bond, but it’s stronger than me. It’s hard to explain what it’s like when we’re together.”

Perry looked at her like she was a dummy. “You forget that I’m married to the man who kidnapped and raped me. Trust me, I get it.”

And she knew Perry did, probably better than anyone. “I loved him. I trusted him. He has seen me at my most vulnerable. And he turned on me. He betrayed me. And if he could have killed me, he would have.”

Perry let her breathe, let her think, let her speak.

“Our bond is beyond my control. We’re connected, but I don’t want to be connected to him. I don’t want him to have power over me. But he does. He always will. And I have no control over my life.”

Her eyes were sad, but her voice was determined. “You can’t control him, but you can control you. The only power he has over you is your fear.”

“And I’m just supposed to stop being afraid?”

“Eventually, yes.”

“I seriously can’t even fathom how to do that.” Dita looked away.

“Sleep would help.”

“Ha, ha.”

“Maybe Heff could make you some god mace.”

Dita laughed at the thought. “That would be so convenient, but it would only work on Filmore Dickerson if it had egocide in it.”

Perry giggled. “Feel any better?”

“A little,” Dita admitted.

The silence stretched out.

“It’s going to be okay. You know that, right?”

“I want to believe that.”

Perry reached for her hand, and they wound their fingers together. “It will. You’ll get through it, and I’ll be here beside you. Okay?”

Tears welled up in Dita’s eyes. “Can we not fight again?”

“Deal. Can you please not lie to me again?”

“Deal,” Dita agreed and squeezed her hand.

Artemis ducked under a branch as Calix cut around a tree.

She braced herself as he bounded over a log and bolted out of the tree line, the sun hitting her like a wall. Hills rolled around her in lazy swells, carpeted in green grass, with cypress trees lining the ridges, stretching up to the sky like spears. The rhythm of Calix’s body under her as he galloped across the open field comforted her, a natural metronome to her thoughts.

The moment Jon and Josie had parted ways, Artemis had taken off with Calix and had been riding ever since.

Jon was persistent, so persistent that Artemis was losing faith that Josie would stand her ground. If he continued making declarations as he had, Josie wouldn’t last long. Artemis could sense her losing her resolve.

The feeling left Artemis uneasy.

Josie was still angry, of course, but not angry enough. And, now that Jon had information on Rhodes, he really could help her.

But Jon had to be stopped. If Josie agreed and the players ended up working together, the result would be a disaster for Artemis.

Artemis dug in her heels, shouting H’ya! through her teeth.

If she lost so early in the competition, she would never, ever live it down.

As much as she didn’t want to believe that Josie could ever forgive Jon, each day that had passed only proved one glaring, unavoidable truth—Jon would move mountains for her. He knew he was wrong and had been trying to do right by her, pay penance. Artemis had been so focused on Josie that she found she didn’t know Jon at all, and the more she learned, the sicker she felt.

He wasn’t the villain she’d thought him to be.

Worse, she’d played right into Aphrodite’s hand.

Calix reached the river, and they turned to run up the bank as she heard the voices of Apollo and Eleni in her mind, telling her how little she knew.

Was she truly so oblivious to human nature? Had she removed herself so far from Earth and for so long that she had forgotten?

Had she ever really known?

She leaned back. “Whoa. Whoa there.”

Calix slowed to a trot and stopped under an olive tree whose branches stretched out over the river. She dismounted and ran her hand down his neck as he drank.

Artemis sensed a shift coming, and there was only one thing to do, only one play to make.

Her only chance was to get Josie away from Jon. If she sent Rhodes on the run, Josie would chase him, and Artemis could guide her, help her find him. Help heal the wound by bringing justice to Anne, Hannah, and all the girls he’d killed. She could do all of that and keep Jon and Josie apart. And if she could keep them apart, she would win.

Human nature.

She had to consider Jon and how he would react. He would try to help, want to help. But as long as Josie believed she had things handled, she wouldn’t accept his offer.

Artemis looked in on Josie as she lay on her couch, staring a hole through her wall of evidence and the avalanche of paper and photos and facts that her life had become.

“Now,” she whispered.

Josie popped another Cheez-It into her mouth with Ricochet on her stomach as she stared at the wall like she had a hundred times before, scrutinizing the papers and photos, looking for anything new. The thought that there was anything she’d missed was ridiculous in itself. She had memorized every word and image, and the pictures lived in her dreams.

But what else could she do? Until she had more, like an ID from one of the girls or a slipup by Rhodes, she was at a dead stop.

Out of nowhere, Ricochet took off. His claws dug into the soft skin of her stomach as he leapt onto the coffee table and toward her bedroom, toppling a glass of water that smashed as it hit the hardwood floor.

“What the fuck, Rick? Jesus.” Josie stepped around the glass with her eyes on the carpet and made her way into the kitchen where she grabbed a towel and the trash can.

Ricochet growled and mewled at the window in her bedroom.

“What is the matter with you?” She entered her room and set her things down next to the window, leaning forward to look out the window at the fire escape. “There’s nothing there, buddy.”

He arched his back and rubbed the window, growling again.

“You want out?”

She slid open the horizontal window, and he jetted out as soon as there was enough space for him to fit through. She stuck her head out, shaking it as he paraded up the stairs and sat on the platform above, looking down at her through the small holes in the metal.

Josie looked down as she backed out of the window frame, and her heart stopped for a split second when she saw the smallest sliver of silver chain in the window track, hanging out from under the pane.

“Oh my God,” she breathed.

Her fingers touched the chain, and she knew even just by that small bit of metal that it was Anne’s.

Rhodes had taken it after he killed her, but she never thought, never could have guessed, that it hadn’t made it out of their apartment. That window had been opened and closed a hundred times since then, inspected by the police and by her, and she wondered how in the hell it had stayed hidden for so long.

She trotted into her living room and to her desk where she found a pair of latex gloves, put them on, and grabbed her phone, snapping a few pictures when she reached the window again. Her blood rushed in her ears as she tugged at the chain, attempting to work it out from the track. He must have dropped it when he climbed out the window, and when he’d closed it, it had hooked on something that dragged it back, something it was still hung on. She wiggled the chain with shaking hands, trying to be gentle when all she wanted to do was smash the window and rip the frame apart to get to it.

She tugged the necklace and slid the window back and forth on the track until more slack let out, exposing the clasp, which she opened with trembling hands. Once opened, she threaded the necklace out of the rail and laid it in her palm. The silver pendant with the small bird stamped on it caught the light.

Josie could barely breathe as she picked her phone to snap a few more pictures before she called her dad.

“Hey, Jo.”

“Dad…” Her voice quaked.

“What’s wrong?”

“I…I found Anne’s necklace in the window track.”

He was silent.

She couldn’t stop staring at the necklace in her hand, deciding right then that she would dust it. She wanted the print but didn’t want her father to risk getting caught giving her a copy. If she got it on her own, she could find something to compare it to. She just couldn’t tell Hank. Plausible deniability.

Hank cleared his throat. “Okay. I’m going to send Walker and Davis with a CSI. You want me there?”

“No, it’s okay. I’m okay.”

“Just call me if you change your mind. I’ll have them there within the half hour.”

“All right, Dad.”

Josie didn’t look at her phone as she set it down. She walked to her desk and pulled open the drawer where she kept her lift tape and dusting kit.

All four of the Campbell kids had been educated on lifting prints, which had driven their mother crazy. Sunday afternoons usually meant everything was covered in powder and that all the Scotch tape was gone.

Once she got the baby powder, she took a seat at her desk, her breath shallow and hands cold. Josie dumped out a small amount of powder onto a sheet of paper and dipped her brush into the pile, tapping it on her hand to knock off the excess. She picked up the pendant and dusted it, and when she held it up to the light, she saw it.

Josie had his fingerprint.

Her hands were steadier than her stomach as she laid the necklace down and trimmed off a piece of tape to cover the pendant. She pulled it off slowly and stuck it to a black piece of paper before dusting the back of the pendant, though she found nothing there.

When Josie put away her supplies, burying her trash under other garbage, all that was left was to get rid of the powder from the necklace with the help of a pressurized air can. She could still see the swirling print on the metal, faint and glimmering.

Josie held up the small black paper with the print, the answer to the question that had plagued her every waking moment for half a year. She had him. The man who had haunted her nightmares and killed her best friend. Who had raped and murdered dozens of innocent women.

The paper she held reverently in her hand contained the power to finally put him away.