He quoted her article word for word, and Persephone cringed. How many times had he read it? How he must have seethed.
Hades jaw worked. “This is what you think of me?”
She opened her mouth and closed it before deciding to explain, “I was angry—”
“Oh, that is more than obvious.” Hades’ voice was sharp.
“I didn’t know they would publish it!”
“A scathing letter illustrating all of my faults? You didn’t think the media would publish it?”
She glared at him. “I warned you.”’
It was the wrong thing to say.
“You warned me?” He set his gaze upon her, dark and angry. “You warned me about what, Goddess?”
“I warned you that you would regret our contract.”
“And I warned you not to write about me.” He stepped closer to her, and she didn’t back down, tilting her head to keep his gaze.
“Perhaps in my next article, I’ll write about how bossy you are,” she said.
“Next article?”
“You didn’t know? I’ve been asked to write a series on you.”
“No,” he said.
“You can’t say no. You’re not in control here.”
“And you think you are?”
“I’ll write the articles, Hades, and the only way I’ll stop is if you let me out of this Gods-damned contract!”
Hades went rigid, and then he hissed, “You think to bargain with me, Goddess?” The heat coming off him was almost unbearable. He inched forward. It wasn’t like he had much space—he was already so close to her. She stuck out one hand, clutching the sheet to her body with the other.
“You’ve forgotten one important thing, Lady Persephone. To bargain, you need to have something I want.”
“You asked me if I believed what I wrote!” She argued. “You care!”
“It’s called a bluff, darling.”
“Bastard,” she hissed.
Hades reached out. Burying his hand in her hair, he hauled her against him and pulled her head back so that her throat felt taut. It was savage and possessive, and she craved him.
“Let me be clear—you bargained, and you lost. There is no way out of our contract unless you fulfill its terms. Otherwise, you remain here. With me.”
“If you make me your prisoner, I will spend the rest of my life hating you.”
“You already do.”
She flinched again. She didn’t like that he thought that and kept saying it, finding herself asking a similar question to the one he had offered earlier.
“Do you really believe that?”
He didn’t answer, just offered a mocking laugh, and then pressed a hot kiss to her mouth before tearing away viciously.