Gods and Monsters (4 page)

“Bullshit,” Ethan said releasing her face.

He didn’t get the humor.

“Look,” Cori rubbed her cheeks where he had pinched her. “I know that right now in this version of reality, I’m not your wife, but in my version I am.”

Ethan laughed. It was late, but she was happy that he wasn’t getting angrier. “Why in the hell would I believe this?” He propped his hands on his hips and looked her over again.

“I know you. I know this place. I can prove it.”

“Really?” he stepped back and leaned against the desk. “Okay, prove it.”

“You came to this place a little over two years ago. Danato purchased you from slave traders. He’s been molding you into his successor for the last two years. You used to be a scrawny little half pint, but after a little dragon juice you beefed right up. I used to think you were shy, but in reality you’re more reserved.” She stepped closer to him. “You’re observant, patient, and protective.”

She touched his hand that was braced against the desk. She hoped that memories weren’t the only thing that bonded them together. “You were a virgin when Danato brought you here.” His eyes widened ever so slightly at the insight. “Unless you’ve taken a leave of absence or found someone else, you’re probably still a virgin.”

Ethan held her gaze for a second more before sputtering into uncontrolled laughter. She yanked her hand away and brought back the distance between them. He applauded her mockingly. “That was the biggest load of crap I’ve heard in my life. Don’t get me wrong, you got the back story right, but come on…” He wiped away a tear from his effortful glee. “You might as well have just said I’m a lazy, poof. Virgin, yeah that’s priceless. I’ll have you know there are several ladies that enjoy my company on a regular basis.”

Cori turned away from him. She didn’t want to know about any of that. This was not going as she had planned. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thought it would be easy. How hard was it to convince the man you love, that you are who you say you are?

“So, what’s your real story, Mrs. Pierce?”

Apparently, a good deal harder, when the man you love, isn’t the man you love. It was time for brutal honesty. “I need you to take me to the prop room to find a lamp,” she said sternly.

“And why would I do that?” He said mimicking her earnest.

“Because all of this is wrong; I’ve been written out of this version of events and I don’t plan on letting it stay that way.”

“Oh, let me re-phrase that question. Why would
I
help you with that?” Cori ran her fingers through her hair. This was not working either. “Please don’t tell me that it’s because we love each other, because my breakfast is so precariously balanced in my gullet as it is.”

“We…” Cori didn’t know how to respond to this satire of their love and devotion, especially, coming from the other half of the devoted party. “You do love me.”

“I’m still waiting for the proof that you know me, let alone proof of my affections toward you.”

Exasperated by the slow progression and frustrated by his pompous contempt for their relationship, she marched over to him and kissed him.

7

Cori felt Ethan grip her shoulders to pull her off, but in the heat of the kiss his hands relaxed, and his lips started to receive her. She pushed her arms under his clutching his back. She let her mouth explore his as only a familiar lover could.

The tentative connection melted and he kissed her back readily. His arms wrapped around her, and for a brief moment she was home again. Her joyous reunion lasted only seconds though. He lifted her with easy strength, and laid her back on the desk. He climbed on top of her kissing her more hungrily.

He reached to unbutton her jeans and she realized that she was not convincing him of anything. As far as he was concerned a strange woman was throwing herself at him, and he was taking advantage of it. With no regard to her, Danato’s desk, or the situation they were in, he fully intended to have sex with her right then and there. The details of who she was would be sorted out after he had his fun.

She pushed him away, but he didn’t exactly go far. “Get off me.” He lifted off her just enough that she could wriggle free of him. She adjusted her shirt, re-buttoned her pants, and tried to hide the shaking in her hands.

“What’s wrong?” He drawled behind her. She didn’t hear him get off the desk, so she assumed he was still lying on his side waiting to see if she would return. “Why so shy all of a sudden?”

“I made a mistake.” She crossed her arms, as if that would take away the feeling of his body against hers. “I thought you were my husband, but you’re not. You’re just somebody he would have become without me.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, your hubby sounds like a wuss.”

“He’s not—“ She spun around and lost her gumption to fight for her husband when he was laying casually on top of the desk like it was a chaise lounge. “Would you get off of there?” Rather than wait for him to respond she sat down in a chair in front of the desk. She was ready to resume a business interaction, sans intercourse.

He rolled away from her off the desk. She noticed, but ignored the slight adjustment he made before sitting down again. “So,” he put his feet up on the desk and tented his fingers, mimicking Danato’s heavy pondering position. “Why don’t you start from the beginning?” He suggested without parenthetical denial.

“A couple years back when Danato purchased you, he also purchased me. We worked, studied, and trained under him. You and I competed and tied for the wardenship.”

“Ha!” Ethan let out one condescending guffaw to interrupt her. “Now I know your lying.”

“I did,” she said with a shrill objection. “I passed the written test with flying colors. Why does that surprise everyone so much?”

Ethan quirked a smile, “I meant I know you’re lying because Danato would never let a woman compete for his job.”

“Things are different between Danato and me. I’m like a daughter to him. Plus I was going through a really…never mind. The point is I’m your second in command. I’m Belus’s successor.”

“Mmm,” Ethan said without any particular sarcasm. “Your boss by day, your…boss by night.” He winked, but despite his carnal inference, his face remained taciturn.  

“I’m not even going to begin to react to that blatant attempt to enrage my feminine independence, but just for the record I’m the boss at night.”

“I bet,” he mumbled, before moving on. “What about Gypsy? Where does she factor into all this?”

“Who’s Gypsy?” As if on cue, the afore mentioned woman entered the office. 

“Gypsy,” Ethan offered his hand to display her. “She’s the woman who came back to the prison with Danato and me. Gypsy, this is our stowaway.”  

8

Gypsy Grace was 5’10” with a bit of a weight problem, but that was hardly the first thing you noticed about her since her hair was bright purple. Cori got the impression by the black roots and frayed ends of her ponytails, that she was very familiar with bleach. As if the purple hairdo wasn’t enough to put her as the lead of a Japanese anima character, she had a cute little black skirt, army boots, and a low cut blouse that should have shown her cleavage except that she wore an undershirt to prevent it.

She was probably in her early thirties, but the outfit and hair, made her look sixteen. She had porcelain skin that reminded Cori of Garr, except for a short scar along the latter half of her left cheek just in front of her ear. She obscured it with a free falling tendril of hair. Cori surmised from its severity, that Gypsy was likely brought to this prison under as questionable circumstances as she had been. The only makeup she wore was black, tarantula leg thick, massacre and high gloss pink lipstick that she most likely applied habitually to keep it looking so wet. Despite the drama in her fashion, she was attractive. 

It was easy to make assumptions about her by her appearance, but the holster she had strapped to her leg was proof that she was indeed one of Danato’s favored employees. Cori had lost her gun shortly after getting it and she didn’t seem to be making any progress toward getting it back. Gypsy had clearly not endured the same challenges that she had, or if she had, she just handled them better.

Cori pushed away the jealousy that inevitably reared its head when she met a woman she thought she had to compete with. She offered her hand to Gypsy who had positioned herself up on Danato’s desk, without the propriety of crossing her legs. The skirt was luckily long enough not to make it vulgar, but it was clear that she wasn’t concerned with the suggestion of it. “I’m Cori.”

Gypsy grabbed a magnifying glass from behind her and comically examined her with it. All that was missing was the bubble gum she should have been chomping on and blowing bubbles with. Cori wasn’t sure that she was trying to be cocky or funny, but either way it was pissing her off. Gypsy stopped her examination when she reached her face, which by this time was probably wearing the scowl she hadn’t been able to hold back.

“She’s a bit of a stiff back isn’t she?” Gypsy smiled and hopped off the desk. She tossed the magnifying glass back to Ethan who caught it and placed it back on the desk without moving more than an arm. “Gypsy Grace.” She shoved her hand out to shake. Cori had since put her hand down, and now took this opportunity to make Gypsy wait for her to return the gesture.

Cori might have guessed that Gypsy was American just from her manners, but her accent was too indistinct to make any further assumptions about her origins. 

When Cori finally shook her hand and introduced herself again, Gypsy laughed. Cori ripped her hand back, which only spurred her on more. She was seconds from punching the woman in the face, but the office door opened and Danato marched in. “Danato, thank god,” Cori said forgetting that he didn’t know her either.

She stood and pushed through Gypsy to get to him, but he backed away from her. His face was riddled was shock and she thought even fear. It was such a rare emotion for him that it was hard to recognize. “Olivia?” He whispered the name, as if Cori might confirm what his eyes couldn’t interpret on their own.

She was about to correct him, but he dropped his cane and rushed to her. His oversized hands were embracing her face and tangling in the hair behind her ears at the same time. He was looming over her with so much intensity in his eyes that she couldn’t speak. She didn’t know this look. She didn’t understand the emotions that were coming off him.

When he pressed his lips to hers with loving, but non-paternal intent she grabbed his arms prepared to push him away. He pulled away from her before the kiss became something that she would have to seek therapy about. “How is this possible?” He said to her, but she didn’t have an answer.

“Boy you really get around,” Ethan said from his perch. Cori glanced over, but Danato’s hands didn’t leave room for her to give him a proper glare.

“Danato—” Cori started, but the familiar cock of a pistol at the door left both of them searching for the source.

Just outside the office door Belus stood with Gypsy’s pistol pointing right at her. He looked pissed and panicked. “Danato step away from her, that’s not Olivia.”

“She…” Danato looked her over again letting the differences he had ignored come to light. She wondered how subtle those differences had to be for him to make the mistake in the first place.

“She’s not your wife, just ask her!” Belus was so forceful she thought she might want to keep Danato near her in case he really did shoot her. Eye for an eye was an overrated theory of justice.

Danato looked down at her for the answer that Belus had already asked. She drew in her brow sympathetically and caressed his cheek. She hated to see him in such agony. “No, Danato,” she shook her head. “I’m not your wife.”

He was away from her so fast she struggled to keep her balance. Belus stayed in the hall not willing to enter with the gun, but she raised her hands to him to show she didn’t intend to fight. “Belus please don’t—“

“How the hell do you know my name?” Belus barked.

“Who are you?” Danato jumped right in behind him.

“She claims to be your daughter,” Ethan offered still casually leaning back in his chair like potential weapons fire wasn’t reason enough to get up.

“What?” Danato hollered.

Cori raised her hands up further and glared at Ethan. “Shut up! You are not helping!”

“I wasn’t trying to,” he said sternly with a return glare that reminded her that he had no loyalties to her. She tried not to let that sting, but it really did.

“Explain yourself,” Danato said with the low threatening voice that he reserved for prisoners and disobedient guards. She was very familiar with it, but that stung too. She glanced at Belus, but there was certainly no hope of sympathy there.

She wasn’t even aware that she was crying until Gypsy groaned. “Oh, great she’s a crier too.”

That was it. Cori was done with the whole situation. She wasn’t sure that Belus wouldn’t shoot her, but she was certain that Gypsy was going to get her ass kicked before that could happen.

Cori’s elbow flung back into her nose giving a resounding crack of cartilage. Gypsy was unprepared for the attack and instinctively reached for her missing gun. Cori punched her in the stomach and while she was hunched over, took a second hit to her kidneys. When she heard the squeak of Danato’s chair, she rolled back-to-back over her to avoid Ethan’s grasp.