Ewen straightened his spine and met the man’s eyes. If this was it, he’d go down fighting. His fox might not be built for combat, but Ewen Cross wasn’t going out quietly.
“Bathroom break.” The man sneered as he pulled out his knife.They’re for the zip ties, Ewen mentally screamed at his terrified fox. If Scar-eyebrow kept insisting on acting as if he was an extrain a horror movie, Ewen wouldn’t need a bathroom break. He’d need a change of clothes. Although, to be fair, he already did.
Chapter Three
The café sat on the fringe of Cairo, far enough from tourist traps that Lamont could blend in without effort. His wide-brimmed hat shadowed his face and hid most of his hair, and the casual jeans and T-shirt marked him as just another traveler looking for a decent coffee that could be drunk somewhere shady. He’d chosen a dim corner table, positioned so his back faced the wall, and he could watch the street through grimy windows.
The coffee was bitter and too hot, but Lamont wrapped his hands around the cup anyway, needing something to do with them while his hound paced restlessly beneath his skin.
Ten days.
Ewen had been missing for ten days, and every hour that passed made Lamont’s chest tighten further. He’d spent more lifetimes than most could count, going with his gut and the instincts of his hound, and both were telling him Ewen was in danger.
Putting down his cup, he pulled out his phone and stared at Coda’s direct line. Lamont wasn’t sure what the protocol was – approaching someone from Lord Zeus’s network, rather than Lord Hades – but he was fast running out of options.
A flick of power created a sound barrier around his table. The café’s ambient noise - clinking cups, low conversations, the hiss of the espresso machine - dulled to a distant hum. Anyone watching would see a man making a phone call, but wouldn’t hear a word of it.
The line connected after three rings.
“Lamont?” Coda’s voice carried the faint distraction of someone multitasking. “If you’re calling to complain about the social media posts from Tuscany, I already told Giorgio I’d edit out the shirtless photos.”
What freaking shirtless photos? I was dressed in a suit most days.
Not even wanting to think about it, Lamont shook his head. “I thought all those photos were being removed – shirtless or otherwise. But anyway, I need something else - information on a missing person.”
Keyboard clicks stopped. “I beg your pardon?”
“His name is Ewen Cross. He’s an American journalist who works for the Manhattan branch of The New York Times. He disappeared from Cairo ten days ago.” Lamont kept his voice as calm as he could under the circumstances. “I need his location.”
“This is highly irregular and outside of my usual purview.” Coda’s tone shifted to cautious. “Why are you asking me? This sounds like a job for local authorities or maybe one of your investigative journalist contacts.”
“Local authorities in New York were notified, but they’re no help. Now no one else from The Times is even looking for him, because someone had enough power to make the newspaper scrub Ewen’s name from their systems.” Lamont’s grip tightened on the phone. “Whoever took him has government connections somewhere along the line. I’m calling you because I need answers faster than regular channels can provide.”
“I understand that sounds like a potentially dire situation for the gentleman concerned. However, you know the rules. No god, or those who come under their jurisdiction, can interfere in mortal affairs.” Coda sighed. “You’d do better to speak to Lord Hades and ask if he can help. That non-interference law applies to hellhounds as much as it does to me.”
Lamont’s hound snarled, pushing against his control. He breathed through it, forcing his voice to stay calm. “You did plenty of interference in Tuscany.”
“That was different. The situation with Giorgio and his mate gave rise to a potential test where we in the Lord Zeus’s network could ascertain the use of social media engagement in releasing information…”
“You had the four of us posing for photos for influencers and tourists.” Lamont still couldn’t think of that situation without shuddering. Some people had no idea how “being nice” could be downright scary. “You got so involved with the spread of data, and the likes and shares the posts were getting, nothing was done during that time to help Giorgio and Enda find out who was actually targeting them. For goodness’ sake, Giorgio ended up getting shot at. And this was after I specifically told you that amount of publicity could turn dangerous.”
Silence stretched across the line.
“You said you owed me a favor,” Lamont continued. “You said on that first day, when we called to complain, and I quote, ‘Lamont, you’re a lifesaver. I’ll make it up to you…’”
More silence. Then Coda said quietly, “You’re really going to hold me to that?”
“Yes.”
“Look, I understand that you feel compelled for some reason to help this journalist, but the protocols are in place for a reason. If anyone connected with the gods interferes just one time, and it’s overlooked and let go…”
“He’s not an ordinary mortal,” Lamont said, thinking fast. “I… I… My hound seems to think he’s my mate.” Yes, it was a lie – even if Lamont felt the attraction, he didn’t know for sure.
In theory, it was the only situation that made sense now he’d said the words out loud. The way Ewen had come right up to him and spoke to him, for no real reason at all. The way Lamonthadn’t been able to forget the man the ten days since. The way his hound, who was usually a laid back beast, was so damned sure they needed to find the man. No one had ever lingered in Lamont’s brain and agitated his gut the way Ewen did. So he lied, because no matter what, Ewen needed saving.
“Your mate?” Coda’s voice had gone soft. “Lamont, I didn’t know…”
“We met at a restaurant. Pier888 on the Nile. He approached me, said he had information about a story.” Lamont could still see Ewen’s face, those intelligent eyes behind thick-rimmed glasses, the way he’d switched to French like it was natural. “I could see he wanted to say more, but we were in public, and then…two men dragged him away before we could finish talking.”