Greed: Goddess of Delphi (Goddesses of Delphi Book 3) Read online

  Greed

  Goddesses Of Delphi Book 3

  Gemma Brocato

  Contents

  Cover Copy

  Also By Gemma Brocato

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Coming Soon- Hunger

  24. Hunger

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  About the Author

  Cover Copy

  Financial reporter, Polly Thanos, Muse of Hymns, is certain the proposed merger between Delphi’s two largest firms spells doom for mankind. Eos Corporation’s long-time goal—to provide scientific and philanthropic solutions to the benefit of mortals— is lost in the quest for profits. Her challenge starts with an impossible task—inspire one mortal skeptic to believe in the magic of what if.

  Scientist Ian Sommers is researching a healthier way of life for impoverished people. When his boss orders him to pursue a chemical, rather than organic solution, Ian suspects the pursuit of the almighty dollar will lead to delivering poison to the unsuspecting population.

  In protest, Ian’s prepared to quit his job. But he’s shocked to discover the woman he’s falling for is an immortal tasked with stopping corporate avarice. As their attraction grows, so does the risk to them and to all humans. Without Ian’s help and his love, Polly’s faces a world not safe from the by-products of greed—death and disease.

  Also By Gemma Brocato

  The Goddesses of Delphi

  Tyranny

  Mayhem

  Hunger (Coming Jan 2017)

  The Five Senses Series

  Cooking Up Love

  Hearts In Harmony

  Exposed To Passion

  Bed Of Roses

  Five Senses Shorts

  A Winter Wedding

  A Spirited Love

  Playing With Fire

  Romancing The Vine

  Risking The Vine

  Hidden In The Vines Coming Early 2017

  Science Fiction Romance

  Mission: Mistletoe

  Copyright

  Greed Copyright © Gemma Brocato, 2016

  Cover Design by Fiona Jayde Media

  Excerpt of Hunger copyright © Gemma Brocato 2016

  All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without prior written permission of the publisher

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are use facetiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead is coincidental.

  Brocato, Gemma

  Greed / Gemma Brocato

  1. Romance—Fantasy. 2. Romance—Ancient Greek Mythology. 3. Paranormal—Romance—Mythology and Folk Tales 4. Paranormal—Romance—Magical Realism

  Dedication

  For Mr. Gemma

  Your love, faith, support and sense of humor are the cornerstones of my life.

  Acknowledgments

  Without help from many quarters, this book might never have happened. My family: Mr. Gemma, and my two children, Erin and Andrew. You support me and cheer me on and remind me of the good that happens when you share a great love.

  My editor, Piper Denna, a woman of patience and wit. I can’t tell you how great it is to find the funny little notes you string out during the editing cycle.

  Fiona Jayde, of Fiona Jayde Media, the covers for this series are more than I could have hoped for.

  The KickAss Chicks, The Writing Warriors, and my Sassy sisters, you are all strong, inspiring authors. I am thankful every day for you ladies.

  And most especially to my readers. Without you, I’d be out of a job.

  Author’s Note

  I have been intrigued by Greek mythology since I was quite young. Paintings and depictions of gods and goddesses have inspired great emotion and interest in me, making me want to learn more. So when I decided to write stories shrouded in mythology, it was natural to pick the Muses.

  When I began researching the Muses I was struck by the myth of Pierus, and how he had nine daughters, like Zeus. Daughters, named the Pierides, he believed were superior to the Muses. So he goaded the Muses into a contest. When they won, to punish them for their insolence, Zeus transformed the Pierides into magpies. That legend became the basis for my stories. Nine muses, nine mortal men…nine chances at love to save the world.

  The idea that Pierus would enter his offspring in a battle to take over Olympus evolved naturally. Every story must have a villain, right? Although, I frequently want to beat my head on the desk and wonder why I picked magpies? It’s hard to find nine creative ways to portray the birds. Which is why I took a little poetic license in the naming of the birds. Should Pierus and crew ever win a challenge, all kinds of evil, which already exists in the world, would increase a thousand-fold.

  It hasn’t hurt that I love history…all kinds of history. So salting bits and pieces of the Muses backstory in through historical events made me smile. I hope you will find these little tidbits as much fun as I did.

  I suppose this is where I have to say that any faults or errors in history are mine alone. Hey, if one of my Muses can face a magpie and win, then I guess I can own making mistakes.

  I hope you enjoy this book and will consider leaving a review once you are done. Reviews matter!

  Enjoy!

  Gemma

  Chapter 1

  “You’re late.”

  Skidding to a stop in front of her older sister, Polly Thanos dropped the insulated cooler she carried to the ground. “Hey, when the mayor of Delphi holds a press conference to talk about economic growth and you’re a financial reporter, you do not duck out on his speech.” Polly glanced around the covered pavilion where her family had gathered. “Besides, Zeus isn’t here yet, which technically makes me not late. Back off, Calliope. This is supposed to be a fun family gathering.”

  “I should be working,” Calliope complained, pursing her dusky-rose lips together.

  “Jeez, Callie. We all should be. But we just survived another major challenge. We deserve a little break before the next time Pierus rears his fugly head. Or one of his daughters does. That’s why Gaia planned this Labor Day picnic.”

  “But as oldest, I have the most responsibility in this entire fiasco.”

  “Dramatic much lately?” Polly aimed a mental pinch at Callie’s bicep. It was probably not the smartest thing to do, but when one had the gift of being able to move things with their mind, it would be a shame to waste it on simply inspiring mortals. “You should leave the theatrics to Mel.”

  Callie scowled as she rubbed the spot on her arm. Taking satisfaction in knowing she’d successfully nudged her older sister, Polly was more pleased when Callie didn’t retaliate.

  “Besides,” Polly continued. “You’re only older by two years. And when you’ve lived six
-thousand years, that’s kind of like a twenty-year-old saying she’s twenty-and-a-half. I’d say we’re all equal in this century.”

  Polly and her sisters were honest-to-goddess Muses, deities focused on inspiring mortals to excellence. Their roles were to lead humankind to new discoveries, and new heights in arts and sciences. However, there was no denying it was getting harder to crack human insistence that gods didn’t exist.

  Being a god implied immortality. But the Muses’ life spans deviated from the standard. Unlike their parents and other extended family, Muse life spans mirrored the typical cycle of man. They were born, they lived an average of sixty years, and then they died. When they were reborn in the next lifetime, they came back with a complete set of memories. About the time they turned eighteen, their supernatural powers began to resurface. Until they were at complete strength, the world experienced a lull in creativity and inventiveness. The entire Great Depression had occurred while Polly and her sisters were in a dormant cycle.

  “I hate waiting to find out who’s next. What if it’s me?” Was that anxiety she heard in Callie’s voice?

  Polly laid a hand on Callie’s arm and urged calming vibes through the point of contact. “We all hate waiting. But we must while Pierus regroups. It gives us a chance to lay the groundwork for the legal challenge. Zeus told me he’d set a meeting with Dice and the other justice gods. But he’s having trouble getting on their schedule.”

  Recently, an ancient demi-god, Pierus, had re-emerged…bent on revenge. In the early days of their existence, Pierus had bragged that his nine daughters were superior to Zeus’s children. That had pissed Zeus off, and as punishment the god of gods had transformed Pierus’s brats into filthy magpies. The transformation had been meant to last for all eternity. But Pierus had found loopholes and every few thousand years, exploited them in a quest to restore his daughters. Which was why Zeus and Dice were meeting.

  The greedy megalomaniac was staging a hostile take-over of the family firm, Olympus Enterprises. The Thanos women’s lives depended on winning. If one sister lost, all of them would lose…condemned to live in magpie form for all eternity.

  Each Muse had to face one of Pierus’s nine daughters, defeat the bitch, and save the world in the process.

  “If I were reading this story I’d probably throw the book at the wall by now. It’s like a really bad B movie.” At least Callie smirked when she said it, proving that Polly’s cool-your-jets vibes had worked.

  “Unfortunately, the villains in this story are not made up, and not so easily vanquished.” Polly adopted a teasing, surfer-dude tone. “But hey! We’re freaking Muses. Those bitches had better watch out.”

  Their younger sisters, Clio and Urania, had conquered their challengers. But in both cases, defeat had loomed before they managed to overcome the odds.

  For the challenge, each sister had to partner with a man who’d lost his belief in magic. It had worked for Clio and Nia. Jax and Thomas had each come through in a pinch to save the woman they’d fallen in love with. Although, it had been close with Thomas. He’d almost resisted too long.

  Polly dreaded the time when it was her turn to take on one of the magpies. Pierus had been underhanded and devious so far. She doubted he’d change his tune going forward. Although, Nia had injured the bastard in the process of winning, leading all of them to believe they’d have a brief respite before the monster unleashed his next dirty trick.

  “I hate feeling like I’m just waiting for the other blasted shoe to drop.” Callie’s tone took on a distinct whine, something Polly had never heard before. Callie crossed one arm over her chest and dug her fingers into the opposite shoulder. “I am struggling for every single word I’m adding to my manuscript.”

  “Sounds like we need to call a whambulance.” Thalia, Lia for short, or for funny as she said, scoffed as she joined them. Aiming a water pistol, she shot a stream of liquid at Callie’s face.

  Callie swiped her hand over her cheeks and sputtered. “Dammit, Thalia. That was unnecessary.”

  Lia jammed her free hand on her hip. “No work talk! No discussion of the challenge. Those topics are off limits and anyone breaking the rules is subject to a whipped cream pie to the face.”

  Thalia embraced Polly and whispered in her ear. “Actually it was necessary. Bitch has been raining on the parade since she got here.” Her low chuckle was meant for Polly’s ears only. Lia spun, crouched down, and fired the toy gun at Callie’s legs. “The look on your face was hilarious.”

  “Ha ha,” Callie deadpanned. She stomped away, awkwardly trying to brush away the excess water on her legs.

  “Polly, Ian Sommers is here with Jax and Clio. He’s been scanning the group like a searchlight for the past thirty minutes. I think he’s looking for someone.” Lia bent and retrieved the cooler Polly had dropped.

  The mention of the man’s name snagged Polly’s attention. “Well, he can’t be looking for me. I’ve reached out to him three times in the last few days and he has yet to return my calls.”

  “He’s probably been pretty busy. I hear changes are coming for his company.”

  Precisely why Polly had been trying to contact him. Ian was a scientist for Eos Corporation, a research and development entity studying methods to aid the most destitute countries. They specialized in clean water techniques, vaccine delivery systems and the like.

  The announcement, delivered by the president of Eos and the mayor of Delphi, was the reason Polly had been running late. They’d announced a contract that would result in an additional thousand employees for the corporation. Which meant new economic growth for Delphi. The largest percentage of the new workers would be employed in the factory, but higher paying administrative positions were being added as well.

  “I was just at a press conference along with Zeus.” Polly laced her arm with Lia’s and together they strolled after Callie to the food table Gaia had arranged. Polly’s cooler contained the baklava she’d bought from the Greek deli on Hyperion Street.

  Lia grinned, popping a dimple on her right cheek. That dimple was about the only way to distinguish Lia from her twin, Mel, whose dimple was on the left cheek. One lifetime they’d been reborn with the dimple on the same cheek. That had been confusing during their entire existence in that century.

  Soft laughter escaped Lia’s mouth. “Don’t know squat about that. Ian’s been talking baseball with Jax and Thomas this whole time. Zeke’s been reciting statistics for every comment. A real ticket to yawns-ville if you ask me.”

  “I’d rather have them talking baseball than listen to another second of Callie’s bitching.”

  “Damn straight, sister.” Lia, the Muse of comedy, had the best laugh. It started in her belly and rose like bubbles in champagne.

  The tinkling sound made Polly smile. She continued grinning as Ian lifted his hand and waved her over. She drew Lia to a halt. “Can you arrange the dessert on the table for me? Do not let Gaia or Callie see that it came from Pandora’s. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “Why not? It isn’t as if they don’t know you’re domestically challenged.”

  “Remember the last time I showed up with store-bought souvlaki? I thought Mother was going to go ape-shit on me.”

  “Yeah, Gaia did ding you on that.” Lia laughed again. “Okay, I’ll cover for you. Why don’t you grab a beer and join Mr. Studly there.” She tipped her chin in Ian’s direction.

  “Mr. Studly?”

  “Sister, do not pretend you don’t find him handsome.”

  “I’ll concede that point, but studly?”

  She’d be lying to herself if she continued to deny it. With his shaggy golden hair and mysterious brown eyes he truly did qualify for Polly’s personal hottie hall of fame. Her guilty secret was that she’d been a fan of long-haired men since she’d met Alexander the Great in Babylonia. He’d had amazing, thick honey blond waves. Just like Ian’s.

  Add in Ian’s lean runner’s build and the long, ropey muscles in his arms, and the way hi
s jeans rode low on his hips, and he’d be any woman’s ideal date.

  She left Lia at the food table and moved to one of the beverage coolers in the shade of the pavilion, conscious of Ian’s gaze on her the whole time. Heat climbed her cheeks at his continued perusal when she bent to grab a soft drink from the icy water. Nodding at one of Clio’s co-workers from the Delphi University Library, Polly sauntered toward where Ian and Jax sat laughing with Zeke, Clio’s brawny partisan, or immortal bodyguard.

  Ian stood as she approached. “Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you. I knew I’d see you here and figured we could talk in person.” He hugged her.

  Polly was pretty certain his lips brushed her hair, which sent a small thrill up her spine. She squelched the shiver. Ian was a family friend. Hot as hell, but nonetheless, still squarely in the friend-zone. A fact she wouldn’t mind changing.

  “Except Lia told me no business today.” Polly settled in the seat Ian had vacated.

  Clio joined them, sliding onto Jax’s lap. “Thank the goddess you’re here. These jokers would have talked baseball or video games all afternoon.” She slipped her arm around Jax’s shoulders and mussed his dark hair.

  “We’d have changed the subject the second you stopped arguing strategy on Call of Duty.”

  Polly sipped her drink then put it in the cup holder on the arm of the lawn chair. “But that’s Clio’s favorite game.”

  “Not anymore.” Jax splayed his hand on Clio’s belly and shot her a grin. “We found one she likes better.”

  “Not even going to ask.” Polly debated sending a knock-it-off nudge to Clio, but decided against it. The woman was young and in love with her newly-minted immortal.

  “Did you go to the press conference?” Ian asked, distracting her from the cuddling couple in front of her.