before.
Surprisingly, I didn’t want to light my captor up. Even more surprisingly, the Titan half of me seemed to agree. We were safer with him than on our own.
It was a scary thought, one I’d reluctantly been accepting since we’d been attacked in that tiny town.
Heeding his words, I remained silent, allowing him to pull me along, away from the camp. Arsenio was nowhere to be found, so I assumed he was either already ahead of us or coming from behind.
We continued on through the trees for a few more moments, the only sounds that of our feet and the birds chirping in the trees. If the circumstances had been any different, I would have enjoyed it. Golden light filtered through the branches, snow sparkling under its happy beam.
Finally, I could see a road up ahead of us, a red sports car parked on the side of it, under the trees. Arsenio leaned up against it, arms folded over his chest as he looked around cautiously.
“We aren’t walking?” I asked in surprise.
“I never said we were,” Cristos answered, a slight chuckle in his tone.
“But you said— ”
“I said we couldn’t travel with a large group of people. I never said we were walking the whole way.”
I looked at him, mouth hanging open.
“You were messing with me! You wanted me to think you were going to make me freeze to death and walk all the way to Sicily!”
“That would be pretty hard, since there’s ocean between here and there,” he said, not quite hiding his smile like he was trying to.
“All clear,” Arsenio stated as we neared him.
“Good,” Cristos mused, nodding. “Let’s get going.”
Still pulling me beside him, he walked to the back of the car, pulling keys out of his pocket and opening the trunk.
Looking around, I almost wished another car would appear on the road. I could call out for help and be saved. Except I really wouldn’t be. The Titans would find me, or Cristos would again, and I’d basically be a sitting duck no matter where I went.
Cristos cleared his throat and I looked back at him.
“What?”
“Get in,” he said, motioning to the trunk, his hand still on the open lid.
It took a second for the words to process, my expression blank as I stared at him. As soon as I realized he was serious, my mouth popped open once more.
“I am not riding in the trunk,” I growled defensively.
“I agree,” Arsenio said from behind me.
“Stay out of it,” Cristos said, eyes still looking evenly into mine. “And yes, you are. It’s either the trunk, or the roof.”
“You wanna bet?” I challenged him, not backing down.
“She can’t ride in the trunk,” Arsenio butted in again, his voice revealing his exasperation.
“Yes it can.”
“I can if you want it burned right off the back of your car,” I replied vehemently.
“This is ridiculous,” Arsenio sighed. “Cristos, we have to cross the border. Don’t you think it will be a bit suspicious when they open the trunk and find a bound woman in there?”
“It can’t be in the car with us and the weapons. I’m not taking any chances,” he replied coolly, eyes never leaving my own.
“Put the weapons in the trunk then,” Arsenio laughed humorlessly. “And stop being so pigheaded. What is she going to do? Attack us and crash the car? Fine. Even if that happens, she’s handcuffed and tired. We’d catch her again in no time.”
“Or the Titans will,” Cristos offered, finally looking at his companion. “And I’m not willing to risk that.”
“I’m not riding in the trunk,” I muttered again. “And I’m not going to crash the car. I don’t want them to get me just as much as you.”
His eyes came back to my face, a strange look in them as he studied my features.
“Fine,” he finally growled. “I’ll put the weapons in the trunk. But as soon as we cross the border, you’re trading places with them.”
I sighed, rolling my eyes as I turned to look at Arsenio. His expression seemed to match most of what I felt at the
Surprisingly, I didn’t want to light my captor up. Even more surprisingly, the Titan half of me seemed to agree. We were safer with him than on our own.
It was a scary thought, one I’d reluctantly been accepting since we’d been attacked in that tiny town.
Heeding his words, I remained silent, allowing him to pull me along, away from the camp. Arsenio was nowhere to be found, so I assumed he was either already ahead of us or coming from behind.
We continued on through the trees for a few more moments, the only sounds that of our feet and the birds chirping in the trees. If the circumstances had been any different, I would have enjoyed it. Golden light filtered through the branches, snow sparkling under its happy beam.
Finally, I could see a road up ahead of us, a red sports car parked on the side of it, under the trees. Arsenio leaned up against it, arms folded over his chest as he looked around cautiously.
“We aren’t walking?” I asked in surprise.
“I never said we were,” Cristos answered, a slight chuckle in his tone.
“But you said— ”
“I said we couldn’t travel with a large group of people. I never said we were walking the whole way.”
I looked at him, mouth hanging open.
“You were messing with me! You wanted me to think you were going to make me freeze to death and walk all the way to Sicily!”
“That would be pretty hard, since there’s ocean between here and there,” he said, not quite hiding his smile like he was trying to.
“All clear,” Arsenio stated as we neared him.
“Good,” Cristos mused, nodding. “Let’s get going.”
Still pulling me beside him, he walked to the back of the car, pulling keys out of his pocket and opening the trunk.
Looking around, I almost wished another car would appear on the road. I could call out for help and be saved. Except I really wouldn’t be. The Titans would find me, or Cristos would again, and I’d basically be a sitting duck no matter where I went.
Cristos cleared his throat and I looked back at him.
“What?”
“Get in,” he said, motioning to the trunk, his hand still on the open lid.
It took a second for the words to process, my expression blank as I stared at him. As soon as I realized he was serious, my mouth popped open once more.
“I am not riding in the trunk,” I growled defensively.
“I agree,” Arsenio said from behind me.
“Stay out of it,” Cristos said, eyes still looking evenly into mine. “And yes, you are. It’s either the trunk, or the roof.”
“You wanna bet?” I challenged him, not backing down.
“She can’t ride in the trunk,” Arsenio butted in again, his voice revealing his exasperation.
“Yes it can.”
“I can if you want it burned right off the back of your car,” I replied vehemently.
“This is ridiculous,” Arsenio sighed. “Cristos, we have to cross the border. Don’t you think it will be a bit suspicious when they open the trunk and find a bound woman in there?”
“It can’t be in the car with us and the weapons. I’m not taking any chances,” he replied coolly, eyes never leaving my own.
“Put the weapons in the trunk then,” Arsenio laughed humorlessly. “And stop being so pigheaded. What is she going to do? Attack us and crash the car? Fine. Even if that happens, she’s handcuffed and tired. We’d catch her again in no time.”
“Or the Titans will,” Cristos offered, finally looking at his companion. “And I’m not willing to risk that.”
“I’m not riding in the trunk,” I muttered again. “And I’m not going to crash the car. I don’t want them to get me just as much as you.”
His eyes came back to my face, a strange look in them as he studied my features.
“Fine,” he finally growled. “I’ll put the weapons in the trunk. But as soon as we cross the border, you’re trading places with them.”
I sighed, rolling my eyes as I turned to look at Arsenio. His expression seemed to match most of what I felt at the
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