53. Athena
CHAPTER 53
Athena
JUNE 11TH
“ H ave you heard anything from Artemis?” It’s Tori that asks. Considering I burst into her kid’s birthday party yesterday and brought the drama, it makes sense that it’s still on her mind.
Savannah circles the room with champagne. “Not to let him overshadow your day drinking, Hen, but, yeah, have you heard anything from him? I haven’t spoken to him lately, and I mean, sure, we’re not close, but…” She blows out a puff of air. “You think you know a guy.” She grins. “And then he goes and turns out to be even more badass than you think.”
You think you know a guy indeed. What else don’t I know about my quiet and introspective younger brother? Who knows? I might need to make a concerted effort to get to know him a little better than I clearly do.
“Athena?”
Ah, yes. Back to bursting into a three-year old’s birthday party to tell my brother he needed legal representation wasn’t quite how I planned to spend yesterday, you know?
I check my phone, again. There’s nothing from Arte. Nothing from any of them. They told me not to cancel my afternoon of day drinking with my friends to help out—though I have no idea how I’d even help out—so here I am, sitting with a full champagne flute glass of the most delicious champagne, eating chocolate covered strawberries, and worrying about my brothers.
“Nothing.” I take a long sip from my glass. “I’m sure they’re fine.”
Penelope holds out a bowl of cheese popcorn in my direction. “Did you know he’d bought your father’s leading competitor?”
No, no, I did not. I originally thought it was because of everything else I’ve had going on in my own life. But from the shock that was painted on Apollo’s face it’s pretty clear that Artemis was flying solo on this one.
“I had no idea.” I take another sip. “But I’m not surprised Papá is trying to mess with it. He knows Artemis is a more formidable opponent to face than the dithering old fool he’s buying it from.”
“Can your father really block the sale somehow?”
“I’ve spoken with one of our lawyers, he says it’s all bluster and stalling tactics. Artemis’s paperwork is airtight. But Papá always plays dirty, and he’s likely to be pissed.”
Tori pretends to hit a baseball with an invisible bat. “Quite the big swing from your brother.” She offers us a menacing grin. “I love it.” After a second she purses her lips. “Sorry. I know he’s your father.” She looks at the other women for help that she doesn’t even need.
“He is. But he’s also a piece of shit who hurt us all. So, destroying him sounds like fun about now.”
Savanna clinks her glass against mine. “I’ll drink to that.”
“To the destruction of Daddy D!” Penelope announces, raising her glass.
Eloise doubles over laughing.
“Wait.” Pen holds up her hand. “That sounds way kinkier than I meant it to.”
I can’t stop the lurch in my gut. “Yeah. Let’s not call him Daddy anything.”
There’s a ripple of giggling around the room, myself included.
The doorbell chimes, and Eloise makes her way to pick up our food. Or round one of our meal at least. We opted to order three courses, but from different places. Living on the edge.
Penelope sits next to me on my living room floor, she nudges me with her shoulder. “Thanks for inviting me over.”
“Yeah, me too,” Tori adds, reaching over the arm of the couch to pick up the paper plates she brought with her.
“Definitely fun,” Vannah gives me that best friend look. You know, the one that says I told you so, without actually saying the words out loud.
I roll my eyes back at her, and she laughs.
“My therapist said I need to stop pushing everyone away and start letting people in.” I regard the amazing women scattered around my personal space.
I don’t hate it.
“I couldn’t think of better people to let in than you guys.” I swallow down the lump of emotion making my eyes well up with unshed tears. “We’re family, right?” My voice cracks on the word ‘family’ just as Eloise returns with two bags of food.
“We are family. Have been for a while.” She smiles, and it’s not as shy as it used to be. It’s like Ares somehow helped her find her inner strength and now she shines with it every day.
Just like Scott is helping me figure my way out of my old restrictive self, too. I press my hand to my chest. My Scottie, his patience with me lately is endless.
“What are you thinking about?” Penelope side-eyes me. “It’s Scott, isn’t it? Those are the same floaty hearts Tori gets when she thinks about Raffi.”
I shake my head, but don’t deny it because the heat in my cheeks make it obvious that she’s not wrong.
When Tori laughs, my eyes catch on the tattoo on her inner forearm. “Is that new?”
She nods. “Raffi got one the day after we met. I figured it was time to get one as well.”
“Huh.” I stare at it for an uncomfortably long time.
“What, huh?” Savannah starts dishing out the appetizers. “I know that face. What are you thinking about, Hen? You want to get some ink?”
I’m slipping my phone back out of my butt pocket and pushing buttons before Savannah gives me my fried pickles.
“Athena, my beautiful cousin. Been a while, gorgeous. You doing okay? I heard what happened. Need a clean-up crew?” My cousin Santiago de la Pena, he’s older, and has used his family money to develop the greyer kind of contacts than I have.
“Hola Santi. Todo está bien. Well, as good as can be expected. Trying to get those bastards thrown behind bars on a permanent basis is taking longer than I’d like but no, no clean-up necessary.”
“At least not yet,” Eloise mutters under her breath, which makes Santi snort.
“Then what can I do for you?” He tells someone near him that he’ll be a couple minutes and not to wait for him.
“I need the number of your tattoo artist here in Cedar Rapids. He does house calls, right?”
Santiago lets out a low whistle. “Joining us in the skin decoration club? I’ll shoot you his digits. Tell him I sent you; he’ll give you the family discount.”
He doesn’t wait for a goodbye, but the second after I hang up there’s contact information on my screen.
“Oh my god, are you really bringing a tattoo artist here? Like, now?” Penelope looks at me with hopeful eyes.
“Why? You want one, too?”
She shrugs. “May as well make his trip worthwhile?”
I sent off two messages, one to the tattoo artist asking if he’s free to come give me a little inking. The second, is to Ophelia. If I’m letting people into my very high-walled castle then maybe I can let someone back into my deserted vagina, too, right?