My Date From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #2)

The Understatement of the Century (Part 3)

As much as I wanted painful payback for his having betrayed me and left me to die, I wouldn't have wished being manacled on Hades and Zeus themselves. Not to mention whatever they'd done to him with this torture device. I had to uncuff him.

His arms lay limp at his side, the chain connecting the cuffs pulled tight across his muscled torso. Thick metal bands secured over top of the manacles, held him across his upper body and hips. I'd have to get him down to pick the locks.

I took a step closer, scared of what state he'd be in. Pain? Probably. Madness? Maybe.

"Kai?" Nervously, I pressed two fingers to his throat. His pulse was faint but at least he had one. His eyes fluttered open for a second, then fell heavily shut.

I peered at the machine and luckily found a release lever pretty quickly. I wedged my body up against Kai's and pressed the lever with my foot. As I suspected, the bands holding him snapped open and had I not been there, Kai would have crashed to the ground.

Sadly, I wasn't my strongest and while I managed to mostly cushion his fall, my left hip smashed hard into the floor.

Several swears later, I'd managed to prop him against a wall so that I could pick the locks on his manacles. His eyes were still closed. His breathing unsteady.

I took his right wrist in my hand, again feeling his pulse. Stronger, but thready. I'm sure it was residual fatigue and not anxiety that caused my hand to shake as I inserted the tiny metal spring in the lock of the cuff and began to work on it.

"You stupid bastard," I muttered. "Going after Hades." I wanted to be angry seeing him like this, watching his shallow breathing, rather than let myself feel the fear and concern that gnawed at the edges of my consciousness.

His left hand closed over my forearm with the tiniest tremor. Kai stroked my skin with his index finger. He sighed. "So pretty." Kai's voice came out like pure raspy honey—you know, like when you're still coming to from a dream.

I fumbled the lock as a tiny pang of happy shot to my heart. "You're delirious."

He had to be, because there was no way in his right mind he'd compliment me like that. That was far too sweet.

I moved his left hand away to get a better angle. After a moment, his right cuff popped open.

Kai's arm thudded uselessly to the ground.

How long had he been like this?

I repositioned myself so I sat cross-legged and bent over the lock on his left cuff.

Kai's right hand reached up to gently tangle in my hair and pull on one of my somewhat matted ringlets.

I couldn't help myself. I leaned into his hand. Let him stroke my jaw with his blistered fingers. Closed my eyes as he gently traced my eyelashes.

I felt my entire body come alive and push my pain aside in a giant sigh of bliss.

This wasn't the time for indulging in fantasy or our insane attraction. We had to get out of here and nothing had changed between us. I grasped his hand and placed it down by his side.

Once his left cuff finally came off, I tugged him forward so I could yank his body free from the chain wrapped around his torso. I had to grapple with his dead weight to keep him from falling over. Hot fury at what they'd done to him flushed my skin. My light danced weakly out of my palms, desperate to blast things at the unfairness of it all but I had to conserve what little I had for our escape.

As soon as Kai was free, I threw the entire manacle contraption across the room, where it smashed against the wall with an angry clang. Kai slid back against the wall.

"Oi!" I held my breath as our Gold Crusher guard pounded on the outside of the door. Loudly bitching about crap job postings, he stomped away.

Big sigh of relief. I was alive. That was a plus. And there were two of us, which would increase our chances of getting out of here. That's all I could let myself focus on. Rage, sorrow, the state of the relationships I had with various males—all had to wait. I shoved my emotions down deep inside me.

Survival trumped teen drama.

I glanced down to find Kai gazing up at me. Not talking, just taking me in.

I refused to squirm and stared back determined. My mouth was oddly dry. I swallowed a few times and refused to look away. Knock yourself out. I hadn't survived everything to this point to be undone by his charms.

Upon closer examination, Kai's usual hotness seemed tempered by exhaustion. Dark circles marred the skin under his rich brown eyes that reminded me of espresso. His stubble was fuller and his dark hair had grown out slightly, the tips curling just past his ears. The tiny silver scar which he'd gotten courtesy of Persephone when he'd abducted her seemed more pronounced against the streaks of dirt and dried blood on his face. His lips were cracked and swollen.

Too bad none of it lessened my attraction.

He smiled dopily at me and I leaned in, realizing that his eyes were glazed. The manacles may have come off, but Kai still rocked a massive after-shock.

I flashed back to the last time I'd seen him. In all his true eighteen-foot-god glory, there'd been a moment right before he abandoned me, when he'd sent me this look of incredible tenderness. I'd never been sure if I'd really seen that look or just wished I had.

Back in his earth form and six-feet-tall, Kai looked at me the same way now. Somehow, it made him look vulnerable. He tugged on his battered black shirt. In anyone else, I would have sworn it was a nervous gesture. I could see how the chains had shredded the fabric, leaving his skin beneath it red and raw. His eyes dipped away briefly before returning to my face.

Slowly, he drew his denim-clad legs up to his chest to prop himself upright. His hard thighs visible through the many tears in his jeans were of no interest to me. I looked at them twice just to make sure. Just to take my mind off the bloodstains and bruising, I told myself.

My fingers twitched, wanting to reach for him. I crossed my arms, and stuffed my hands into my armpits.

Kai's brow furrowed. He blinked slowly with those ridiculously fringed lashes then reached out to take my hand. His skin was rough but his touch feather gentle.

Goosebumps broke out all over my body.