I glanced around the table. Alex looked seconds from face-planting the menu. Aiden was staring at Herc with a mixture of morbid fascination and distaste. Solos was actually checking out an older blonde woman who looked like she belonged on Housewives of Whatever. Luke shared Alex’s expression, and Seth, who was beside me, looked like he wanted to punch the demigod, but that was no different from the moment they crossed paths. Deacon was the only one who actually watched Herc with favorable interest.

“It’s not right,” I explained. Slowly. “You’re messing with her head. That is wrong.”

He shrugged. “She’s just a mortal.”

“Just a mortal,” I repeated dumbly.

Seth draped his arm along the back of my chair. “Don’t waste your time, Josie.”

“Nothing with me is a waste of time,” Herc stated, and I joined Alex, wanting to face-plant the table.

“Anyway,” Aiden cut in smoothly. “Today was a bust,” he said, keeping his voice low. “While it may not seem like we’re in a time crunch here, the longer all of us are in one location, the more likely we’re going to run into problems.”

“Not just with the Titans,” Solos agreed, still focused on the older blonde woman. “But we’ll have daimon problems before we know it.”

“I’m not worried,” Herc replied.

Seth smoothed his hand along my back as the waitress returned with our drinks and we placed our orders. Aiden got a burger without buns, and I felt like that was a crime against nature.

“Worried or not, we need you to find the demigod, not the girl in the skimpiest bikini,” Alex pointed out as soon as the waitress disappeared. “Even though you do seem to have an impressive talent for that.”

So true.

Herc smiled proudly. “You all need to have faith.”

“I have faith,” Deacon commented. “All the faith.”

“I like you,” Herc stated, and Luke inhaled through his nose as he widened his eyes. “Why? Because you recognize how awesome I am.”

“Fuck me,” Seth muttered under his breath, and then louder, “Can you just not talk? At least until the food gets here?”

Herc frowned as confusion flickered across his face. “Why would I not talk?”

“Okay.” I smiled brightly and continued before Herc could. “So the plan for tomorrow is to keep looking here, in the same area?”

Aiden nodded. “Malibu is only about nineteen miles. He has to be around here somewhere.”