Filthy Gods (American Gods 0.5)(33)

I walked beside Gabe and the other two boys walked behind us. Three dangerous men escorting me through the now-dark campus.

Arsen pulled out car keys and I paled, watching as they approached a black Escalade.

James opened the back door and gestured for me to get in first.

I hesitated.

“Are you going to hurt me?” My voice stayed strong, but my hands shook.

Gabe furrowed his brow. “No. Nathaniel would butcher us if we even touched you.”

That made me pause.

With a deep breath, I marched to the car and got in the back, sliding onto the cool, black leather seats.

It was dark inside and Arsen sped away before I even had a chance to put my seatbelt on.

We sat in silence, James watching me with a smirk on his face.

“What are you looking at?”

His smile widened. “Just the girl Nathaniel has been obsessing over for what feels like centuries.”

I glared at him, but my heart twisted at those words. Obsessing over me?

What was he talking about?

“We’re going to ask you a few questions that you need to answer,” Gabe said, coolly, crossing his muscular leg over his other.

My body froze and I glanced at James who only smirked.

“Okay…”

“What were your intentions with Nathaniel Radcliffe this past summer?” Gabe asked—cool, fast, direct.

I thinned my mouth, struggling to keep my skin from flushing. “We wanted to remove any distractions between us.”

“By fucking?” James asked, cocking a brow.

I glared. “Yes, by fucking.”

“And did you succeed? Did you get what you desired?” Gabe asked.

My eyes dropped to my folded hands on my lap, my heart pounding in every bit of my body. Loud and fast. “No.”

Gabe frowned. “No, you didn’t get what you wanted?”

I tried to keep my guard up, but when I stared at both of them watching me I faltered. I knew they could see the emotion clear on my features.

“But you took the money,” James bit out. “No one can refuse the Benjamin Franklins.”

Anger stirred inside of me and I dug my nails into my thighs. Gabe’s eyes darted to that movement and I froze.

“Your past was—”

“—is not my future,” I snapped, cutting Gabe off.

The car grew silent and I relaxed against the leather seat. I couldn’t look at them.

“You didn’t take the money, did you, Juliette?”

I slowly looked back up at Gabe, my bottom lip shaking.

“It doesn’t matter if I did,” I said, shrugging. “I wasn’t going to ruin his life. He worked too hard for it to all disappear because of me.”

Silence again filled the car and after a moment, Gabe sighed and shifted in his seat, pulling out a phone. He pressed one button and put it to his ear.

Someone picked up on the third ring. “Yes, asshole. We approve.” His gaze shifted to mine for a second. “Yes. See you soon.”

With that, he hung up and leaned back, staring at me.

“Fucking whipped asshole,” James muttered under his breath, glancing at Gabe.

Arsen drove fast, but smoothly through the busy downtown. When he pulled over in front of a brownstone house, I glanced at each of them.

“Go inside,” Gabe told me, gesturing to the brownstone.

I frowned, but slowly, unbuckled. So they weren’t coming inside with me?

Confused and with my heart in my throat, I climbed out of the car and up the perfect steps. Once I reached the elegant iron door, I opened it.

When I looked inside, I was met with a dark, empty apartment. Old hardwood floors, crown molding framing each room and a large white stone fireplace.

It seemed elegant and spacious, but it was completely empty of furniture.

My chest tightened at the sight of Nathaniel Radcliffe standing in the middle of what I figured was the living room.

In his tailored suit, with his chestnut hair framing his chiseled cheekbones and those bright eyes, I almost collapsed to my knees.

“Nathaniel,” I whispered, hating how much emotion existed in my voice saying his name.

“Admit it.” His eyes scanned me carefully, looking for all the cracks in my armor.

I wrinkled my brow. “Admit what?”

“That you lied to me,” he said, edging closer, as if stalking his prey, knowing he would spook me.

I swallowed thickly and bowed my head, unable to lie to him again.

“You never took the money.” His voice was even, still controlled and I hated him for it. His body heat warmed me as he stopped in front of me and I stared down at his stupid, perfect dress shoes.

Slowly, I raised my head, the burning intensifying in my eyes. “She threatened your future. She said she’d take everything away from you…I couldn’t be the reason you lost what you worked so hard for.” I licked my lips, the heated look he was giving me sending my pulse racing. “I know how important your future is and I wasn’t going to be the reason you lose it.”

Tears fell, running down my cheeks. I wiped a few away. I couldn’t remember the last time I cried openly in front of someone.

“I half hoped I’d get tired of you,” he stated coolly, but his bright, heated eyes drilled me to the spot. “After years of wanting you, I thought if I had you, I could move on.” He licked his bottom lip and I watched him visibly swallow. “But it was the opposite. The complete opposite.”