Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
APHRODITE
I stood behind the bar, my hands trembling as I mixed another cocktail.
The neon lights of the club flickered and flashed, casting garish colors that only seemed to deepen the hollow ache in my chest.
Hephaestus had demanded that I bartend at his bachelor party, a clear message that he didn’t trust me—not after what happened at the engagement party. Each drink I poured felt like a reminder of the control he held over me, a bitter taste of the power struggle that had left me trapped in this situation.
My mind flashed back to the manor, his eyes on me as he gripped my chin tight. There was a dark, menacing glint in his stare that sent a shiver down my spine. That was why he insisted on having me here tonight—so he could keep me within sight, where he believed I belonged.
As I poured drinks for his guests, my gaze drifted toward him, unable to resist. He was surrounded by half-naked women, their hands all over him, fawning and giggling like he was some kind of God. Disgust twisted in my gut. Artie had wanted to punch him the second we walked in and saw the room full of his so-called “special guests.”
Hephaestus appeared every bit the chivalrous gentleman at our engagement party, but his kindness and grace were a perfect mask. He expected me to endure this humiliation without a word, to silently accept it like I deserved some kind of punishment.
I had allowed myself to believe he was truly striving to be a decent man, only to have my hopes shattered. The realization of his deceit left me feeling not just foolish, but betrayed, as though a dark shadow had crept into my heart, tainting the trust I had so naively offered.
His jealousy of Ares wasn’t unwarranted, but the truth was Ares and I would only be working together to find my brother’s killer. That’s all our relationship could be. No matter the tension that crackled in the air whenever we were alone, no matter the way his eyes lingered on mine, or how my pulse quickened at the thought of him, it couldn’t go beyond that. It shouldn't . I couldn’t let it. There were too many risks.
“Why are you dressed like a nun?” Artie said, breaking me out of my reverie.
Glancing down at my outfit, I realized I was dressed in far less revealing clothing than the other women here. I wore a long leather skirt and black satin blouse, with my hair in a loose, messy bun. “I didn't need to dress any differently than usual. I'm here to work.” The truth was, I had no interest in pleasing Hephaestus.
Artie snatched a pair of scissors from behind the bar and hollered, “Get over here, girl. Apollo, handle the bar!” She grasped my hand firmly and guided me down a narrow hallway. We entered an office where Athena was meticulously organizing a stack of paperwork.
Athena's eyes flicked up from her work, taking in my attire before her gaze narrowed at Artie and the scissors. “You’d think by now you'd have figured out how to dress appropriately around here,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain as she leaned against the back of her chair, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
“Stop being a bitch, Athena. She’s hardly got any leather to work with,” Artie snapped, pulling me closer and flashing a grin that was both comforting and defiant.
“They didn’t give me the memo about what to wear,” I replied, shrugging nonchalantly. “I’m stuck with what was provided. Hephaestus has me confined to the compound.” I met her gaze squarely, refusing to let her criticism unsettle me.
Athena pointed at my clothing with a critical eye. “Cut the skirt and get rid of the top,” she instructed sharply.
“What?” I exclaimed, taken aback.
Artie leaned in, dropping to her knees with scissors in hand. “I’m with the boss on this one.” I hesitated for a moment before removing my shirt, leaving me in just my bra. Athena handed me a black leather corset.
“This will do,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Lose the bra.”
“Now everyone will see that you’re officially one of us,” Artie whispered with a hint of mischief. She deftly cut my skirt, transforming it into a miniskirt that barely covered anything.
Athena then cinched the corset tightly, the leather wrapping around me so firmly that it felt as though I was encased in it. I struggled to adjust my posture, trying to breathe and move in ways that felt foreign and restrictive.
“Now we’re talking!” Artie was pleased. I shook my head in disapproval.
Athena spun around to face me, her eyes blazing. “Listen up, girl, you need to show these assholes that you’re not here to play games. They’re idiots, driven by one thing, and it sure as hell isn’t their brains. Make them see your worth—show them you’re more than just a piece of eye candy. You’re not just some object they can toss around. Make them respect you or make them regret it. ”
“Dressing like this--,” I pointed to the outfit, “Makes me look like an object.”
“Do you know how spies use sex as a weapon?” Athena asked, her tone a matter of fact, as if she were discussing something as ordinary as the weather.
“What?” I replied, my voice tinged with confusion, trying to grasp the sudden shift in the conversation.
“Spies use their seductive abilities to manipulate their targets,” Athena explained, her voice unwavering and authoritative, as though she were detailing a well-known strategy rather than offering advice. “They exploit allure and desire to control and deceive.”
She paused, her gaze piercing as if measuring the weight of her words. “So, my best advice? Use what you’ve got and get even,” Athena spoke with the poise of someone who had mastered the art of turning weakness into strength, of navigating treacherous waters without flinching. Her confidence was palpable, rooted in a wealth of experience and an unyielding determination to stand her ground against those who sought to undermine her.
Understanding her intention, I nodded, the weight of her words sinking in. Before exiting, Athena shared a meaningful glance with her sister, their silent exchange carrying a weight of unspoken understanding.
Artie, rising from the floor and brushing off her clothes, met my gaze with a reassuring smile. “Athena is a woman of few words, but she makes a whole lot of impact,” she said. “You’re ready.”
Every man in the room seemed eager for my attention as I poured their drinks.
Except for one.
Hephaestus was surrounded by a group of unfamiliar men, a woman casually perched on his lap, unaware that his future wife was mixing their drinks behind the bar. I tried to brush it off, faking my laughter while chatting with another guest.
The music pulsed so loudly that my head throbbed with each beat, the rhythm mirroring the tension tightening in my chest.
Behind the polished wood of the bar, I mixed drinks with mechanical precision, each motion automatic as I struggled to conceal the turmoil seething beneath the surface. I was lost in the repetitive motions—shaking cocktails, pouring shots—when I felt a sharp, unsettling gaze.
Glancing up, I caught Ares's eyes from across the room. He stood amid the group of men, his intense gaze locked onto me.
“He hasn’t been able to look away from you,” Artie’s voice pulled me back to reality as I served shots over the bar.
Ares sat down in the corner, bathed in the soft glow of the neon sign above him.
Despite the busy bar, I couldn’t help but look at him. Every time our eyes met; a shiver ran down my spine. The air between us crackled with that familiar electricity, just like we felt back in that closet.
Whether it was a fleeting glance or an attempt to appear disinterested, his hazel eyes sent waves of longing through me, making my body tremble with an unmistakable desire.
Swallowing hard, I knew he was watching, his gaze sending prickles scattering across my skin. “I don’t think so,” I muttered.
“Listen,” Artie said, turning to face me, her expression serious.
“Ares is in love with you.”
The moment she said “love,” my mouth went dry. The music in the background faded to a distant hum, and all I could hear was the pounding of my heart against my ribs. I shook my head vigorously, trying to reject the idea.
“You’re in denial, girl. You’re straddling the fence,” Artie continued, pouring shots for an older man who clearly should’ve been cut off long ago .
“I need to focus on finding?—”
“Yes! I get that. But you can’t ignore what’s happening between you and Ares. You have feelings for him, too. What is going to happen when you marry Hephaestus?” Leaning her head to the side, she gripped the counter’s edge and gave me a scrutinizing look.
I felt a wave of frustration rise within me. “You don’t think I know that?” I snapped, my voice edged with desperation. My heart pounded as I struggled to keep my composure. The emptiness that had settled inside me since Ares started distancing himself felt like a gaping chasm. I rolled my eyes, trying to mask the turmoil, but my hands trembled slightly as I refocused on the drinks, desperate to avoid facing the raw truth of my feelings.
When I glanced back to where he was sitting, he was already gone, leaving behind a void that seemed to echo with his absence.
“I need to take five,” I said, giving Artie’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. She nodded, understanding that I needed a moment to catch my breath.
I left the towel on the counter and made my way down the dimly lit hallway. Suddenly, out of the darkness, a hand shot out, grabbing me by the waist and yanking me aside. A small cry escaped my lips as Ares pulled me into an empty room, slamming the door shut behind us.
He lifted me effortlessly onto a table, the movement both possessive and tender. Our lips met in a searing kiss, and I was immediately enveloped by the rich, whiskey-flavored warmth of his tongue. It ignited a fire within me, one that spread through my entire being with a fervor that left me breathless.
In that moment, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I belonged to him, and all I yearned for was to feel cherished by him once again.
As our kiss deepened, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands roamed with a heated intensity, squeezing my ass possessively as I pressed my thighs firmly against his waist .
Every touch, every caress from Ares made me feel like I was worthy of love, like I could mean everything to someone who truly cared. His presence was a powerful affirmation of my own worth, a stark contrast to the emptiness I had felt before.
I craved more than just physical connection. I longed for a man who desired to consume me entirely—body and soul—a man who would not only make me feel desired but also treasured. Ares had become the embodiment of that yearning, igniting a deep and insatiable desire within me for a love that was all-encompassing.
I leaned in, pressing my body against the warmth of his solid chest, aching to close the distance between us even more. Every inch of me craved to be closer, but I reluctantly pulled away, my lips lingering in a silent plea for more. His eyes snapped open and locked onto mine, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. The intensity in his gaze spoke volumes, conveying a thousand unspoken words that wrapped around my heart with an electric charge.
I reached up, my fingers tracing the contours of his face. As I caressed his skin, I felt the tension in his muscles gradually dissolve beneath my touch.
“Leave with me tonight.” he said, his voice a low, urgent whisper that left me speechless. His hands mirrored mine, and I felt the roughness of his palm as he caressed my cheek. “Be with me, Aphrodite. Forget everything that’s happening around us. We can start our own lives somewhere far?—”
“I—” My mind struggled to grasp his words. The idea of leaving with him was thrilling, a chance to escape our suffocating reality. But the harsh truth was that if we fled, we’d become targets, and Ares’s life would be at risk. “Ares,” I said, a wave of sorrow crashing over me. “We can’t. It’s too dangerous. They’d never stop hunting us. They’d kill you.”
“Yes, we can!” he insisted, his voice a fervent murmur that cut through the despair. “We’ll change our names, reinvent ourselves. We can be whoever we want to be. ”
“They will never stop searching for us.” I ran my hand through his hair, and he leaned his forehead onto mine in response.
“I can’t watch you marry Hephaestus.” Ares nestled his head into my shoulder and kissed my collarbone gently. My arms found their way around his neck, and he moved his lips up to my jaw. “I am in love with you, Aphrodite. And I don’t know how not to be.”
Lifting his head, he met my gaze with eyes that were reddened and full of raw emotion. “Look at me when you say that,” I urged, needing to see the sincerity in his eyes.
Ares gazed into my eyes, “I love you, Aphrodite, in so many ways that I can’t even begin to express.”
I kissed him deeply, the intensity of our passion overwhelming, but I pulled away once more, the reality of our situation crashing down on me. “We can’t do this, Ares.”
“Why?” He pleaded, holding my chin gently. “Tell me why? Because we can’t keep ignoring this.”
“I’m scared,” I confessed, feeling my heart take over. Our passion was intense, our desire undeniable. “I’m terrified of loving you.”
I clung to his shirt and pulled him closer. Without hesitation, Ares lips crashed into mine. I felt as though the rest of the world faded into insignificance.
The flame that burned in my heart was his and his alone, an all-consuming fire that made everything else seem trivial in comparison. Our kiss transcended mere physical space; it was as if we were reaching beyond our bodies, touching the very essence of each other’s being.
Pulling apart, we stood close, our breaths mingling. The intensity in Ares’s eyes mirrored the desperation in my own.
He understood the restraints of my loveless marriage and the heavy chains that bound me to Hephaestus, making it impossible to break free. My impending doom overshadowed any possibility of happiness we could have shared.
“I’ll make sure this marriage becomes nothing more than a distant memory,” Ares vowed, his hands cradling my face as our bodies pressed together. “No matter what it takes.”
“How?” I asked, my voice tinged with despair.
Ares stepped back and dug into his pocket. He pulled out a small plastic bag, filled with small white pills. “Tomorrow, after the wedding, Hephaestus will be expecting you to come to his bed. I’ll handle getting him sufficiently intoxicated, but it’ll be up to you to slip him one of these when the time is right.”
Fear widened my eyes as I whispered, “I’m not going to drug him.”
“It will only make him fall asleep for a few hours,” Ares explained, his tone firm yet soothing. “He won’t be harmed.”
“What if he wakes up?” I asked, anxiety gripping me. “What then?”
Ares rubbed his face, a mix of frustration and sorrow etched into his features. “We’ll deal with it if it happens. I have a plan to ensure he stays out of the way long enough for us to find a solution.”
I tugged his face toward mine, feeling the weight of his anguish seep into me. Our eyes locked, and in his gaze, I saw the reflection of my own torment and desperation.
Being with Hephaestus would crush me just as much as it would crush him. I knew that accepting this arrangement was a bitter pill to swallow, but I had to push through my pride and summon every ounce of courage I had left.
“We must face reality, Ares,” I said softly, my voice trembling with resolve. “I need to marry him so that I can stay with you.”
Ares’s brow furrowed in determination. “We’ll keep our affair secret. No one needs to know the truth. We’ll find moments to be together in private, away from prying eyes. I’ll make sure you’re safe, and we’ll navigate this dangerous path together.”
I clung to him, my heart aching with the weight of our forbidden love. “How can we possibly manage this?”
Ares’s gaze was unwavering as he spoke. “We’ll be careful. We’ll communicate through coded messages, meet in hidden locations. It won’t be easy, but we can make it work. We have to. I refuse to lose you.”
With a deep breath, I nodded, steeling myself for the challenges ahead. “Then let’s do it. Let’s fight for what we have, even if it means living in shadows.”