I stare at that bruise. Fury rises, swift and nearly overwhelming. Someone hurt her. “Who?”
She doesn’t pretend to misunderstand me. “It doesn’t matter.”
I reach past her and close the door, forcing her into the office. “Sit.”
“Meg—”
“Sit your ass down, Tink. That’s not a suggestion.” I follow her to the chair and carefully tilt her head back. The bruise is new enough that it’s still going to swell like a motherfucker. “Do not move. I’ll be right back.”
“Meg—”
“Now is not the time to argue with me.” I stalk out of the office and to the little kitchen we keep stocked for employees. Among other things, we ensure there are a lot of ice packs. One never knows when they’ll come in handy, though I can’t remember the last time someone had a black eye. That shit is not sanctioned, and I know Tink’s preferences. No way did she consent to this. If she did, then that’s one thing. If she didn’t…
I’ll get the truth out of her. And then I’ll deal with it.
I close the door to my office and press the ice pack into her hand. Once she has it against her face, I perch on the edge of my desk and study her. “Tell me.”
“I came in here to request some time off. Not because I wanted the third degree.”
I give a mirthless smile. “You know how we operate, Tink. You can try to brazen your way through, but it won’t work. Tell me what happened now or we go to Hades and you tell him later. Either way, the truth comes out.” When she goes to speak, her expression stubborn, I hold up a hand. It’s time to try a different tactic. “Your contract still has two months on it. An injury to you is an injury to Hades. You know he can’t allow that.”
Tink sinks down in her chair and leans her head back. “You’re such a bitch.”
“You’re not the first person to say so today.” I prop my arms on the desk and wait. She’s holding out for pride’s sake at this point, and pushing her will result in her digging in her heels. Better to let the silence spin out until she works herself up to speaking.
Tink, being Tink, doesn’t make me wait long. She sighs. “I’m an idiot.” I want to jump in and tell her that she’s probably the least idiotic person I know, but interrupting at this point will just make her clam up again. Tink closes her eyes. “You know why I have this deal with Hades?”
“I know enough.” Safety in exchange for service. I don’t know what drove her to that level of desperation, but in the end it matters little.
“I don’t know what I thought would happen if I left him. I guess I didn’t really think about it beyond getting out.” She opens her eyes, and they look greener than I’ve ever seen them, filled to the brim with guilt. “He’s got a new girl, but apparently he learned from his mistakes with me because he’s got her brothers too. It’s… It’s never going to stop. If not her, then someone else, forever and ever until the end of time.”
In all the time I’ve known Tink, I’ve never seen her look so despondent. I know better than to offer sympathy, though. She’s like me. She’ll see it as pity and shut down completely. I hold perfectly still. “So you went to get her out.”
“Stupid, I know. I thought if I talked to her, she’d see that it didn’t have to be that way. She punched me in the fucking face.” She laughs and winces. “I might like her under other circumstances.”
Damn it. This isn’t something I can fix. I sigh. “What can I do?”
“Nothing.” She straightens and takes the ice pack off her face. Her eye is already swelling and it will be completely shut soon. Tink pushes to her feet. “I have to handle this myself, one way or another. But I needed to let you know I can’t work tonight for obvious reasons.” She motions to her face.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll see if Aurora is up for another shift, but even if she’s not, the club will be fine if it’s short a submissive.” I lean forward and tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Go pop some meds, take a shower, and get some rest. We’ll survive without you until you’re healed.” I wait for her to start for the door before I continue. “And Tink?”
“Yeah?”
“If you change your mind about wanting to take care of this yourself…” I allow a sharp smile to creep over my face. “I’m more than happy to lend a helping hand.”
She goes a little pale but manages a smile of her own. “I appreciate that.”
I spend the rest of the afternoon finishing up small tasks that don’t require too much thinking involved. Tonight feels monumental for a number of reasons, not solely because it’s an open declaration of war. I don’t know what exactly Hades did to piss off Zeus last night, but dominating Hercules in front of all the important players in Carver City is the kind of public message that Hercules is sure his father will respond to. I know Hades thinks he has it locked down, and he may even be right, but I can’t shake the feeling of dread the suffuses my entire being. Something bad is coming and it’s too late to avoid it. We’re on this path, for better or worse.