Artemis’s Pov My heart skipped as the throaty crackly of the hinge of the door slowly rotated under the pressure of a hand holding onto the door handle. I shot my eyes tight; maybe this is the time to take my last breath. Who knows, the world is full of scorpion and spiders and worst of them are outside our hideout, about to walk in and end us for real.“Stand behind me,” Daymon whispered as the door slowly clicked open. My eyes were hurting really bad and breathing was becoming quite difficult, but I felt my feet move as I swung behind his broad back.I heard footstep. The person who just walked in seemed to walk on tiptoes, but something seemed to have betrayed him. dried grass, I guess.I could hear them crunching under his feet like corn flakes. I heard the crackle of metal, maybe the person had just cocked his gun, but then came a heavy jab that filled the passage and a grunt.“Come on, let’s hurry out of here,” I heard Daymon’s voice. It was no longer a whisper. I opened my e
Aiden’s PovI could remember dialing Damon’s line that fateful night.I had long given up on hoping that Artemis will return to me, but it nearly dawned on me when I heard her voice.Panic! That’s the best way to describe how her voice sounded through the phone.“Damon was shot!”***The room went silent as I ambled into it. It was a white room which aligned with the white apparel of the doctor and the nurse behind him.My eyes went straight to the bed. Artemis—my Artemis was lain on the bed with a drip wire connected to the lower vein of her right hand.I can’t remember the last time I met her in such condition but this was sure the last thing I will ever wish for her even though somehow, Kaden managed to rob me of her.“We will excuse you,” doctor Twain, as he called himself earlier before now, said at the sight of me in the room, and left the room with the nurse, while I stood in silence.“Aiden…” she whispered sickly. The doctor told me she’s doing good now and I could see her if
Author’s povThey arrived pulled into a hotel, not Aiden’s place as Artemis had thought. Their trip on the other hand had been a silent one—silent and anxious. They snubbed the parking lot and drove towards the huge fountain in the hotel and stopped there. Aiden turned to Artemis who was nestled next to him at the back seat of his car.“My place is still far from here as you know.” He started with a wink. “We have to rest here, and from here, we’ll meet with Damon’s brothers to inform them of what happened to Damon and maybe, arrange his burial.”Artemis fiddled with the thought to tell him that they shouldn’t just arrange Damon’s burial, they should be part of his burial. They should mourn him alongside with his family for memory’s sake.“For now, let’s get some rest, and maybe, you might find it at your disposal to tell me what happened last night.” he added as both doors of the car were pulled open by his men.Outside the car, Marlon and the rest of the men were waiting, except t
Artemis’ pov“The lady who showed us in will fetch you something nice to wear.” Aiden’s eyes seized me up with content. I moved my lips in response but they produced no words.He nodded, maybe he knew I was void of words for many reasons. First, for ever leaving him for his brother who posed to be better than he ever was, and second, for Damon’s death.If I never made the wrong decisions, Damon might still be hale and hearty. I blame myself for his death and I hate that Aiden does not wish to have me take the blame for it.He left me and made to the cellar in the room, while I waited on the couch for the lady to report with the dress as he claimed. I watched him chose a wine from the cellar. It looked classic from what I could see, like a bottle picked from the reserves of an extinct brand. I waited for the familiar sound of him pouring wine in the glass, but he returned the bottle to the cellar.Maybe he’d grown bored of me. I was there with him but I wasn’t keeping him company the
Author’s pov They returned to the room, followed this time by Marlon and two men in suit and black glasses, but very much unlike the lady and her girls, Marlon and the men took a seat on the couch in the room, while Aiden brought the wine he chose earlier from the cellar. Artemis on the other hand walked into the inner room from where she watched them. “I thought it will be difficult,” Marlon’s brows rose to his hairline and as his eyes clearly anticipated response from Aiden. Aiden shrugged and walked towards them with the bottle and a glass in hand. He passed the glass to one of the men who received it from him and held it out to be filled to whatever measure Aiden wished. “I never hoped it will be difficult in any way—but one thing I wish not to behold is a blood bath between Brandon and Kane’s people.” Aiden popped open the wine and gently poured some of it in the glass. The man nodded his head and gulped what was poured for him. “Pass to the next person.” Aiden ord
Artemis POVAiden left me at the hallway and walked off. He probably wanted me to tour the house on my own in search of a room to suit myself. I took a breath of relief. His presence was a little too hard on me, maybe because he didn’t do much to have me take part in Damon’s burial—that is if there will be any for him. I hate that I didn’t have the chance to speak to Damon’s brother. I hate that the talk between Aiden and the man was tense and brief.I waited till I could hear the sound of his feet to the marbled floor no more before I took my first few steps, with my hand on the marbled wall. The interior looked quite odd from what one would expect when one glanced at the building from outside. It thought it was a wood house with wood floor and flowers. I stopped by a golden eagle sitting at the far end of the hallway. The entrance to the hall itself was now at my right, and the staircase to the rooms upstairs was at my left. I peered into the hall and saw Aiden sitting and star
Artemis POV “But—” Aiden raised a finger as I rose to follow him out of the hall. He closed in on me with narrowed eyes and ran his finger on my cheek. “You will go on blindfold.”I said nothing. “Good,” he nodded. My silence was a yes to his proposal. He fished a black pick of cloth from his pocket, and with a gentle nod, he ordered me to turn. I turned and shut my eyes, while he slowly blindfolded me with the cloth. “Can you see?” he asked.“No,” I answered.“Good,” he uttered and held me by the hands. “You have to trust me, Artemis.”I nodded. I trust him. I believe he knew I did. Especially now I needed to trust him more than I’ve ever done in all the time we’ve known each other. With his hand slung across my chest, he led me through in utter silence. The walk was slow and steady, and we did make stops that was followed by the creaking of doors he pushed open to secure a free pass for the both of us.“Here we go,” he said after a while. He took his hand off my waist and I he
Author’s PovDon Carlos Creek, Aiden’s father had settled in the open space of the estate with his men, a bag of clubs and balls for a quick golf game with his boys when Aiden and Artemis arrived.They stopped and watched him knock a ball into a freshly dug hole with his club, and joined his men to celebrate his pretty score. “Aiden—” he called out after the celebration and hugged him as they met in close range. “Did you see me do it like a pro?” Aiden laughed. Don Carlos really did it like a pro—no doubt. He did it like he’d been doing it right all his life, but the distance was close and the hole was wide compared to the traditional holes for the golf game. But Aiden knew not to speak of the error.The man who dug the hole must have done it to suit Don Carlos.“I saw you do it like you do it for a living,” Aiden laughed, sure his father must have figured out the reason for his laughter. Don Carlos patted his back and broke the hug. “I sure do this shit for a living. Don’t you kno
Aidan POVThe next few days after Kane's threat began to unroll in a whirlpool of events -- within each minute the quiet strain between Artemis and I. We had decided on attending the charity gala, together, for the display of unity and defiance against the haunting shadows of Hera and Kane. I stood in front of the mirror, while adjusting my tie, pondering upon what I may have done, or not done of late, to have the weight of expectation hanging upon me. The gala would be where the most influential people would congregate. If ever there was a time for Hera to strike, it would be here."Are you ready?" Artemis called from the other room. She sounded almost haughty with a mixture of excitement and nerves. "Almost," I replied, forcing a smile. I had to be his strength. It was his entry into, a very new and dangerous world-and I had to make sure that it felt like a support.I was silent for a moment when she came out. She was wearing this lacey red gown that molded her body all the right
Artemis POVThe hallway, awash in chaos, found a frozen representation of me. Uncertainty had reduced the strength of my insides. Even as the adrenaline rush of Aidan's protection fueled my very being, my very fear of what would follow stopped my feet in their tracks. There were louder voices now: anger and indignation intermingled. I found myself rushing Aidan, heart pounding away. As I took the turn, he stood toe to-toe with various men, their faces illustrating how morally intense and confrontational the situation was. "Get lost," Aidan growled, barely above a whisper. "Aidan, you can’t just turn your back on this," replied one of the men, sharp-edged. He was the tallest, wearing a dark suit that announced authority. "Hera has powerful connections, and you have to be careful." "Careful?" Aidan scoffed, his temper flaring. "You think I’m afraid of some empty threats? I’ll handle this my way." I edged closer and heard snippets of their dialogue, which made my spine crawl at the
Artemis POVThe hallway, awash in chaos, found a frozen representation of me. Uncertainty had reduced the strength of my insides. Even as the adrenaline rush of Aidan's protection fueled my very being, my very fear of what would follow stopped my feet in their tracks. There were louder voices now: anger and indignation intermingled. I found myself rushing Aidan, heart pounding away. As I took the turn, he stood toe to-toe with various men, their faces illustrating how morally intense and confrontational the situation was. "Get lost," Aidan growled, barely above a whisper. "Aidan, you can’t just turn your back on this," replied one of the men, sharp-edged. He was the tallest, wearing a dark suit that announced authority. "Hera has powerful connections, and you have to be careful." "Careful?" Aidan scoffed, his temper flaring. "You think I’m afraid of some empty threats? I’ll handle this my way." I edged closer and heard snippets of their dialogue, which made my spine crawl at the
Artemis POVThe night air was cool under my feet as I stepped outside the garden, and everything was cast under a silvery glow by the moon. I could not shake the unnerving feeling pressing at my heart since dinner. Aidan's father and his expectations were hovering like a dark cloud above us, and I felt like a puppet in their great play. There was some magnetism in Aidan that drew me toward him, something I could not quite put a finger on. I found Aidan leaning back against a marble pillar, the phone still clutching in his hand. The air was thick with tension as my heart fluttered at the thought of going up to him. Did he feel it too? "Aidan?" I softly called, stepping closer. His head rose, and those piercing green eyes locked with mine. For a moment, everything ceased to exist outside this sphere that encapsulated both of us in limbo and yearning."Artemis," he said, his voice low and sultry, making me shiver. "What are you doing out here?""I needed some air," I swallowed, hoping
Aidan POVThe night hung heavily as we drove back to my family's estate, enshrouded in tension. The showdown with Kane had jolted us, and I could feel the pall of uncertainty over Artemis. I glanced at her: her jaw was set in a determined line, though fear, I knew, lurked beneath the surface. "You okay?" I asked after I parked the car, breaking the silence. "Just trying to process everything," she answered, her voice steady, but her eyes were full of worry. "What do you think Kane meant? That we were in over our heads?""Don't know," I said, raking my fingers through my hair. "But we cannot allow him to scare us. We are stronger together, and we need to focus on Hera."As we stepped inside, it was like suffocation; the grand foyer resounded with the silence of empty echoes. I felt my father's wishes bearing down on me as his wildest expectations presented themselves. I had gone against him, and I was wise enough to know that my father would not bear it lightly.''Let's go talk to hi
Artemis POVI felt each whisper of conversation thrum through the room. Every eye seemed to be trained on me in anticipation of what would unfold next. I noticed that Aidan's jaw clenched, trying to gain control over his anxiety. Hera walked further forward into the party and her smile lit up the room like a bolt of electric tension.“Aidan, darling,” Hera said sweetly, slicing every air with her voice. “I didn’t expect to find you with someone who looks so… so… different from me.” Her eyes shot over to me, and as they did, the rush of anger and insecurity combined in me."Aidan, is this the woman you have chosen to be with? I only hope she understands what she is getting into," she continued mockingly.Aidan spoke with a low but firm voice, "Enough, Hera. You have no rights to be here.""Oh but I do," She moved closer. "See, I came here to remind everyone of that little agreement." She pulled out a document from her purse and waved it like a trophy. "This says you owe me, Aidan. And
Artemis POVI felt each whisper of conversation thrum through the room. Every eye seemed to be trained on me in anticipation of what would unfold next. I noticed that Aidan's jaw clenched, trying to gain control over his anxiety. Hera walked further forward into the party and her smile lit up the room like a bolt of electric tension.“Aidan, darling,” Hera said sweetly, slicing every air with her voice. “I didn’t expect to find you with someone who looks so… so… different from me.” Her eyes shot over to me, and as they did, the rush of anger and insecurity combined in me."Aidan, is this the woman you have chosen to be with? I only hope she understands what she is getting into," she continued mockingly.Aidan spoke with a low but firm voice, "Enough, Hera. You have no rights to be here.""Oh but I do," She moved closer. "See, I came here to remind everyone of that little agreement." She pulled out a document from her purse and waved it like a trophy. "This says you owe me, Aidan. And
Artemis POVThe next few days rolled into a blur of work calls, meetings, and strategizing: Aidan and I finally reached out to our closest friends, determined to spend anxiety-ridden hours seeking out enough people to build a network of support able to help us resist Hera's power. With every discussion, one more layer of the web unfolded before us, and, with the feeling of growing tension as we neared the time of confrontation, I could feel the strands beginning to coil tighter.One evening we had gathered in my apartment. The air buzzed with anticipation, and Aidan, Emily, and Ryan comprising the rest sat serious in the living room discussing what would be the next move with me."I know it's a risky affair," Aidan said in a very firm tone. "But we've got to confront Hera directly. If we let her decide the narrative, we'll never free ourselves from her dictation."Emily nodded with her brow knitted in thoughts. "But what if she tries to retaliate? She has connections in places that ca
Artemis POVNights like these trail, having turmoil and kept whispers that swung clouds around Aidan and me. Hera's oculus, I could feel her weight, and every time I spotted her, a shiver disturbed my bones."Are you alright?" Aidan asked, coming closer and lowering his voice."I am fine," I said while forcing a smile, "just trying to grapple with all of this."With his expression raining, he answered. "I know it's quite some taking in, but remember, we have each other."As the gala went on, I tried focusing on the talks we were having, but my mind would attach itself to the topic of threat on us, as Kane's echoed himself in me. Somehow, it all felt like we were walking on a tightrope, one misstep away from disaster."Let's get some air," Aidan said, finding my hand with his.I nodded, relieved to get a moment away from the crowd. Together we stepped out onto the balcony where the coolness of the night air felt revitalizing against my skin. The sounds coming from the gala disappeared