Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
ARES
I made it clear to everyone that I’d be leaving the hospital the next day. The police didn’t bother investigating, even though the nurses had raised questions about the incident.
Cold hard cash always has a way of silencing these types of things.
I stepped into the shower, wincing from the pain of my injury. The hot water did little to wash away the unease gnawing at my gut.
We were in deep trouble, and I knew it.
After Aphrodite left, I laid out my plan to Hades. We had to get out of here. The Olympus Syndicate had been hit hard, and I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to Aphrodite. I’d risked my life for my family more times than I could count, but after what went down last night, a persistent sense of dread told me I was now a marked man.
I had to leave before things got any worse, but escaping the Olympus Syndicate came with its own set of consequences. The only way someone gave up their leather cut was when they were six feet under. It wasn’t just about my own safety; it was about hers too. I’d rather face death than put Aphrodite’s life at risk .
I put on the clothes Hades brought for me and held onto my leather cut vest with the Olympus Syndicate crest. I had wrapped my identity up in what that crest meant as the thunderous roar of motorcycles had drowned out my heartbeat, day after day.
I approached the ICU with a heavy heart, the weight of the night pressing down on me. Prometheus was stationed by the door, but he was slumped against the wall, clearly exhausted. His breathing was slow, and his head nodded forward in an uneasy sleep. I made a deliberate effort to jostle him awake, my hand meeting his arm with a sharp nudge.
“Ugh!” he startled, blinking rapidly as he came to. “Ares! I’m sorry, I must’ve dozed off. Didn’t expect you so soon.”
“It’s fine. Just go get yourself some coffee or something. I need to be alone with my dad,” I said, my voice steady but laced with urgency as I pushed the door open for him.
“Right, right. I’ll be quick.” Prometheus rubbed the back of his neck, the fatigue evident in his movements as he slowly rose and stretched. With a final glance, he headed down the corridor, leaving me standing at the threshold in the sterile, dim light of the ICU.
My father lay in the hospital bed, ensnared by a maze of tubes and wires that crisscrossed his body like a cruel reminder of his vulnerability. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor punctuated the silence of the ICU room, each beep a reminder of the fragile thread connecting him to life. I pulled the chair close and sank into it, the cold metal biting into my skin as I watched him.
Life had seemed to unravel for Zeus following my mother’s death. In his grief, he had sought solace in fleeting relationships and immersed himself in the club's identity, leaving little room for his children. My knee jittered, a reflexive response to the mounting tension as I waited for Prometheus’s return .
The door swung open with a sudden jolt, catching me off guard. But instead of Prometheus, the last person I expected slithered into the room: Ouranos. His presence was unsettling, his eyes darting around as if he carried some dark secret. He moved with an unsettling air of deception, each step calculated and cautious as he came and sat down beside me.
“Seems to me that you guys had a bit of a situation.” He looked smug.
“Seems like it.” I replied, attempting to remain composed. I didn’t want to stir up hostility before we had a chance to escape.
We sat in silence, our eyes locked. The coldness radiating from him felt like pure evil.
Finally, unable to endure the silence any longer, I asked, "What are you doing here?"
“Paying my respects.” His voice was melodic with a subtle hint of sarcasm.
“He isn’t dead.” My voice was a growl.
Ouranos gave me a mischievous grin and asked, “How is my daughter?” When he muttered the word daughter , I clenched my knuckles in revulsion.
“She’s fine.” I said through clenched teeth.
“I see everything. Remember,” he looked at my father, “The darkness holds the most secrets, but sometimes they come into the light.”
He got up and began whistling a slow, haunting tune as he walked out of the ICU room. His deliberate, casual gait only heightened the menace of the scene. The sound of his whistling echoed down the sterile corridor, casting a chilling shadow over the beeping of the life-support machines.
His departure left a chilling silence in its wake, and the weight of his words—spoken or unspoken—hung heavily in the air. I could feel the urgency clawing at me, a relentless reminder that we needed to escape as quickly as possible. The threat wasn’t just looming; it was imminent, and every second counted.
As always, a crowd of people waited outside Pandora, eagerly waiting to enter.
I parked at the rear of the building, avoiding the busy scene. My intention was to slip in and out unnoticed. I had to gather my cash and weapons and leave this town behind for good.
I swung the door of my office open, house music blasting in the background. I made my way toward the safe I kept hidden behind a piece of artwork.
“What are you doing, Ares?” Hades asked, his arms crossed tightly, his voice tinged with frustration. “You can’t just run away from this. You need to face it.”
“I’m not here to argue my decision,” I snapped back, my voice harsh with urgency. “The hit on us wasn’t random—it was a calculated move, meant to eliminate Zeus and me.”
“Why are you so sure of that?” Hades challenged, his skepticism clear. “We don’t have solid proof. It’s possible someone else was involved, maybe someone who knew about the drugs.”
“Think about it, Hades,” I said, turning to face him with a hard glare. “Who stands to gain the most from our downfall?”
Hades’s eyes narrowed. “Everyone,” he said with a humorless chuckle, as if dismissing my concerns as paranoia.
I rolled my eyes. “Hephaestus.” He had always wanted nothing more than to reign as the supreme authority in and outside of the club.
It all clicked into place. The club meeting a few weeks ago, where Zeus informed us that Hephaestus set up our meeting with Poseidon's crew. My brother’s disdain for me was obvious, but I never thought he would stoop so low as to try to ruin this club. But it was him all along. He was the one that organized the drop, and it had gone south.
“You’re being ridiculous,” Hades said, running a frustrated hand down his face. “Hephaestus knows he’d end up dead if he went against his own family.”
“Then why the hell don’t we have any details about Titan’s murder?” I demanded, my frustration boiling over. “Hephaestus was in charge of the investigation. We’re talking about someone who’s renowned for his ability to unearth the most hidden secrets. If anyone could get us answers, it would be him. Yet here we are, still in the dark. How is that possible?”
Hades made his way over to the bar cart and poured himself a drink.
“Did you get shot in the head?” he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
“He could never pull off something like that,” he said, shaking his head. “Titan was probably mixed up in some shady deal that got him killed. Maybe they meant to take out Ouranos too, but they settled for the only target they could reach. We don’t have all the details, Ares. We’ve tried everything to get to the bottom of it, but no one will?—”
“That’s just it,” I cut in. “No one wants to spill any details. It’s weird, right? At the engagement party, everyone, even his family, got super uncomfortable whenever Titan was brought up. It’s like they were hiding something or just didn’t want to talk about him. If there’s nothing to hide, why are they all acting so shady?”
There was a prolonged silence as Hades weighed my words carefully, the reality of the situation settling over him. He took a sip of his liquor and let out a deep sigh.
“I don’t think you should leave, Ares. Not now, especially with Hephaestus’s wife. You know it’s only going to escalate things.”
“He wants nothing to do with her.” I spat.
“I’ve always had your back, kid,” he said, his gaze steady as I stared down at my hands, my rage barely contained. “But this is your riskiest move yet. You’re not thinking straight,” he pleaded. I refused to dwell on his opinion.
Brushing off his words, I tried to push aside his doubts. I felt a knot grow in my stomach, my palms grew clammy, and my mind raced with anticipation.
This conversation had infuriated me enough. I reached for my bag in the safe with the money I had put aside for my own security. “Pandora’s yours for now. You love it more than I do, and Titan would be proud to hand it over to you.”
Hades stared at me, eyes wide. “Ares, what—no, this place is yours. It belongs to you.”
I shook my head, pressing the keys into his hands. “Aphrodite is my chance at freedom. Even if it means living a quiet life in the suburbs, as long as she’s with me, I’m fine with that.”
Hades chuckled, “Didn’t think you’d become the suburban, khaki-wearing type.”
“That would absolutely destroy me.” My smile mirrored his, but quickly dissipated. “My lives are running out, Hades. I’m covered in scars. It would be tempting fate by staying, and since they already tried to end my life, I know it can only get worse. I can’t be the warrior anymore. I need to focus on living a life that isn’t constantly on the edge.”
Hades nodded, rubbing his chin as he seemed to weigh his words carefully. “Then there’s something you need to know,” he said, finally meeting my gaze with a solemn expression.
“What?” I narrowed my glance, bracing myself for what he was about to say.
“Zeus named Hephaestus as the next President of the Olympus Syndicate if anything were to happen to him,” Hades said, his tone heavy with concern. “He mentioned it to me just before the attack. It wasn’t a casual remark; it was something he was seriously planning. Zeus always had a sense of foreboding, and he clearly anticipated that his position might be under threat.” Hades paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
The night sky swallowed the last traces of sunlight as darkness took hold.
I knew I had to move—I needed to get to my woman. The Odyssey was packed with desperate men, all vying for a chance to get lucky, but I had only one thing on my mind.
I caught a glimpse of Aphrodite working behind the bar, trying her best to give a shit about the man she was serving, but I knew she didn’t care.
She broke away from the drunk patron and looked up at me. In the dim light of the bar, I saw her expression shift from distaste to anxiety, her eyes brimming with worry.
I nodded toward the back room. She dropped her apron and followed in my direction, keeping a safe distance between us.
My heartbeat thudded steadily against my ribcage as I pushed through the door to my office, trying to steady myself. Moments later, Aphrodite slipped in behind me.
I rushed to her, grabbing her face gently, and pressed my lips to hers, the tension of the night melting away in that brief moment of connection.
There was no turning back.
Aphrodite broke away. “What’s wrong, Ares?” Countless worries were written all over her face, but somehow, she still looked effortlessly beautiful.
I gently touched her curls and looked into her eyes. "We've gotta go," I said.
“Why? What’s happening?”
“Aphrodite...” I took a deep breath, struggling to keep my voice steady. “Hephaestus tried to have me killed. I can’t trust anyone here anymore; it’s getting too dangerous. If anyone discovers what we’re hiding, he’ll come after you with everything he’s got.” Her eyes widened as the harsh reality of my words hit her .
“Oh my god, Ares,” she exclaimed, the situation sinking in. “Do you think Athena will say something about us?”
“I know so.” I nodded, there was no doubt in my mind that Athena would side with Hephaestus.
Aphrodite trembled in my arms. “Where will we go?” Her voice was barely a whisper, quivering with fear.
“I know a place,” I whispered, holding her closer, her head resting on my chest. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Pack your stuff now—we’re getting out of here tonight. I don’t know where the hell Hephaestus is or what he’s up to, but we need to be gone before he even catches a whiff of this.”
Aphrodite glanced at me, tears in her eyes, as her fingers gently brushed my scruffy face.
“I’ll go wherever you go.” she said.
Relief washed over me, mixed with an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. I just needed her by my side, no matter the risk. The idea of our escape seemed both a lifeline and a leap into the unknown, but as long as she was with me, I was ready to face whatever came next.