Soul Broker (9 page)

She took a quick glance over her shoulder. All three were closing ground fast. She needed to increase her pace, but fatigue had already set in.
Note to self, need more exercise.
She rounded a bend, and large, rough hands grabbed her. A strong hand quieted the scream that threatened to escape her mouth.

“It’s me,” Drew whispered.

“I thought,” she panted, “I thought you-“

“Never. We need to head into the jungle. I don’t want to kill them if we don’t have to.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Drew grabbed her arm and pulled her into the thick foliage. “Later, Mackenzie, we need to put some distance between us and them.”

Drew pushed through the jungle, dragging her behind him. She found every low branch and stump there was, managing to trip or stumble over them all.

She pulled free from him after traveling for about thirty minutes. Thick jungle bush and stray branches beat at her legs and ankles as she ran. Palm trees swayed above her head, blocking the sun, but the insects swarmed her and seemed to like the sweat that dripped down her back.
She swatted at the bugs that circled her. “I need to stop and catch my breath.”

Drew pointed to the top of the hill she hadn’t realized they were climbing. “Can you make up to there?”

She nodded, too winded to speak.

“We’ll rest once we get there.”

They reached the top of the hill in the jungle. Mackenzie doubled over, breathing hard. She was a lot tougher then she looked. The distance they traveled would’ve knocked most grown men on their ass, but she hung in there every step of the way. Drew felt proud when he glanced over at her. They covered about five miles through the jungle, heading up-hill, and she kept up with him for the most part.

Still doubled over, Mackenzie turned her head sideways to face Drew. “I take it the talk with your dad didn’t go well?”

Drew approached her and she put her hand up to him. He stopped where he was. “I thought it went well. He said he was going to talk to my Master.”

“Yeah, I’m guessing the conversation
with her didn’t go very well. Or else he would’ve been back by now.”

“I don’t know what happened.”

Mackenzie stood straight. “Where’s Sophie?”

“She’s safe.”

She took a few steps, an arm’s length away. “I assumed you were taking her somewhere safe. I want to know where she’s at.”

“If I tell you, and they capture you-“

She swung her fist at his jaw. He reached out and caught her wrist before her fist connected. “You think I would tell them where she was? You fucking asshole! I would gladly die before I let anything happen to her.”

Drew released her wrist. “I didn’t mean you would tell them, but they can pull the information from your mind.”

She turned, and wrapped her arms around herself. “Oh.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t come back immediately. I wanted to make sure she was okay, so I went back into the house for her rabbit.”

Mackenzie faced him again. “She must be scared.”

“She’s in good hands, I promise you.”

“What are we going to do now?”

Drew pulled her into his arms. “We are going to try and buy my father some time.”

Mackenzie snuggled into his arms. “And if he doesn’t come through, then we’ll kill them?”

“That’ll be a last resort.”

She pulled away. “They had no problem with trying to kill me and Sophie. Why is killing them such a difficult choice for you?”

Drew ran his hands down his face and let out a loud sigh. “They’re only here because Olesha has offered them their freedom. We’ve spent centuries together enduring that bitch’s brutality. I will save them from death if I can.”

Mackenzie placed a hand on his arm. “If being her slave is as bad as I think it is, wouldn’t killing them be showing them mercy?”

“No
. If they die, the contract is done and she’ll own them forever. As long as we live, there’s always hope that we will be free one day.”

“Okay then, let’s play hide-and-seek.” She walked away.

Drew’s heart clenched. She was willing to try and save three people who tried to kill her and her daughter.
Amazing
, was the word that came to his mind. He hurried and caught up to her.

“So, you’re a witch.”

Mackenzie stopped. “Yeah.”

“And you didn’t tell me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Don’t you think that was something I needed to know?”

She lifted her chin. “Was that before or after I found out you’re a demi-god slave and your father is Poseidon?”

“You’re right. We should get going.” He heard branches breaking from the left. He turned to Mackenzie and pointed to the direction of the sound. She nodded and pointed in the opposite direction. Drew
followed her finger and they headed away from the noise in silence.

Olesha slid down the smooth wall, leaving a trail of blood and other bodily fluids behind. She sat on the warm tiled floor. She raised her arm and ran her tongue across it
, licking the blood from fingertip to elbow. Poseidon sat across from her on his knees. He looked like he had been attacked by a tiger.

She wanted to run her hands through the sandy blonde hair that hung loose around his shoulders. His eyes changed different shades of blue as did the sea he belonged to. When he smiled, it softened the hard angles of his face. She ran the tips of her fingers across her neck, where it still burned from the stubble that covered his chin. He was everything that she ever wanted in a man, and soon he would be gone again. She pushed the thought aside. She needed to get her head back in the deadly game she now played with the god who sat before her.

“Are you breathing hard, love? Has it been that long since you were fucked like a god should be?”

Poseidon laughed. “It’s been a while, that’s true.”

“We’ll have to do this more often then.” Olesha’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. She was waiting for those idiots to get back. They had been gone for a few hours already.
How long does it take to kill a woman, child and demi-god?

If she was being honest with herself,
she was a little sad that Drew would be dead soon. He was almost as good in bed as his father. He took longer to heal, but he was definitely fun to play with.

She glanced up at Poseidon, who healed right before her eyes. Yes, she was going to have to get him back in bed soon. She had avoided his questions while they were fucking, but he wouldn’t be distracted for very long. She knew this from experience.

As if right on cue, Poseidon said, “I came to discuss Drew and Sophie.”

Olesha got on all fours and crawled over to him. She ran her nails across his chest. A trail of red oozed down his chest, but he didn’t flinch. “We’ll talk about them…later,”
she purred.

Poseidon caught her wrist, and pulled her closer. “I’d like to talk about them now.”

She cursed to herself. They should’ve been back by now, and she was running out of time. She had to think of something else to keep him occupied. He squeezed her wrist tighter. She felt the bone being crushed under his grip. Olesha would not give him the satisfaction of flinching. “Good, you remember how I like it—rough.”

He released her wrist.

It throbbed, but now was not the time to tend it. She couldn’t afford to show any weakness. If his sexual needs were satisfied, then she would have to resort to plan B. “Can I get you something to drink?”

She stood, grabbed her black see-through robe, and
slipped it on. She ambled over to a mahogany hutch in the corner and pulled open the double doors. The top shelf was lined with crystal glasses in a variety of shapes. The shelf underneath was stocked with whiskey, scotch, wine and tequila. All of the liquor had been aged to perfection.

She lifted an amber bottle, wiped off the dust and held it out. “I have your favorite.”

He nodded. “But then we will talk.”

“Of course.”

She opened the round wooden container, grabbed an ice cube and dropped it in her glass, while pouring the whiskey into his. She brought his glass to him, holding the bottle, and her glass in the other hand. She sat down next to him on the floor, their backs leaning against the foot of the bed.

Poseidon lifted his glass and swallowed the contents in one gulp. He held it out and she refilled it.

“I want you to leave my granddaughter alone, and I want you to release Drew from his contract. You’ve had a few centuries of fun with him, now let him go.” He brought the glass to his mouth and drank.

“I wish I could do that, sweetie, but if I let Drew go then the rest of my demi-gods will want to be released too. I can’t have that.” She brought the glass with the ice cube to her lips. She had been holding it against her wrist, but now that it was healed she intended to enjoy the coolness in her mouth.

Poseidon turned to her. “You must have thought that I was asking you to release them… it wasn’t a request.” He smiled at her, his blue eyes sparkling.

“Well, if it wasn’t a request, then that would mean we’re entering into negotiations. What do you have to offer me for the release of one my best Soul Brokers and my future protégée?”

Poseidon swallowed the golden contents with one gulp. If he enjoyed negotiations he might have had another, but he didn’t come here for sex or fine whiskey. He had one goal and he wasn’t going to leave until it was complete. He should feel like scum for fucking her, but he needed this release more then he needed to make the deal immediately. Drew, Sophie, and Mackenzie were safe, so what did a little recreation hurt? Besides, if he had to kill Olesha to free his son and save his granddaughter, he would.

He set the glass on the floor and got up. “Okay, since you want to negotiate, I will. Here’s what I have to offer. I’ll let you live, and in return you release my son from his contract and never bother him, his woman or their daughter—ever.”

He held a trump card in his hand, but he would only use it if absolutely necessary. Technically the contract between Olesha and Drew was void. But if he mentioned this to her then she might try and pull something. When Drew signed that contract, he was guaranteed the girl he sold his soul for would fall in love with him. Truth was the girl never did love Drew, but Mackenzie…that was a different story. He could see Mackenzie through Drew’s eyes, and he had no doubt that Mackenzie loved his son. Yeah, she was pissed, but he knew she would forgive him if given some time. If he mentioned this fact to Olesha, he was sure she would transfer the contract from his first love to Mackenzie. Leaving Drew no escape. No, he would keep this to himself… for now.

Olesha smiled, “As much as I love living in this hell hole, pardon the pun, my death by your hands isn’t an option.” She stood and put a little extra sway with each step on her way over to the hutch, and replaced the glasses and the bottle. A desk sat next to the hutch, and she opened the top drawer. She removed an ivory parchment and handed it to him.

“What’s this?”

“The reason you won’t kill me.” She removed the ribbon, unrolled it, and pointed to the bottom. “See, I knew your temper could one day cause me problems, so I added an insurance clause in his contract.”