Wrath of Love (Olympus Syndicate #1)

Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

APHRODITE

“ I ’m not surprised that you would spread your legs for this man.” Ouranos seethed, towering over us, his gun against Ares’s temple as I hid my body underneath the sheets.

“Don’t fucking talk to her like that.” Ares’s anger was evident in his voice as he pushed into the gun with his forehead as he sat up, seeming unfazed by the weapon. I scanned the room, noticing that my father had come alone, none of his ghouls present.

“I can talk to her anyway I want!” Ouranos voice was a menacing force, “Get dressed, both of you. Now!” he commanded.

Ares and I moved to get dressed, picking our clothes up off the floor piece by piece. Ouranos had his gun trained on Ares, intently watching his every move.

From outside the motel room door, a voice rang out, “Are they ready to go?” The second I recognized it, my blood ran cold.

Hephaestus.

I hastily threw my shirt back on, heart racing as my eyes flicked to the door. Ares stood, his bare chest gleaming in the dim light that spilled in from the open doorway.

The air crackled with tension as Hephaestus entered the room .

My eyes shot a furious glare toward Ares’s brother, but he ignored me completely, dismissing my presence as if I were invisible. A deep sense of shame flooded through me, helpless as I watched the scene spiral into chaos. The three men stood locked in a brutal standoff, their expressions cold, their bodies coiled with lethal tension, each refusing to back down. No mercy was to be found here.

Ouranos stepped closer, his face mere inches from Ares, their eyes locked in a vicious stare. With deliberate malice, Ouranos pressed the barrel of the gun back against Ares’s temple, his fingers twitching ever so slightly, as if daring him to flinch.

“Please! Leave him alone!” I cried out, trying to get my father’s attention, but he wouldn’t look at me.

“Why the hell would I leave him alone when he’s the one who murdered my son?” Ouranos spat, his voice a venomous hiss dripping with rage and accusation. The intensity of his gaze bore into Ares, a raw, unfiltered hatred that seemed to ignite the very air around them.

The accusation sliced through me like a guillotine, severing any pretense of normalcy. My world seemed to shatter in an instant, leaving me grappling with the fragments of my reality.

My gaze locked onto the man I loved.

“He wouldn’t have killed him,” I pleaded, desperately searching for something to hold onto, a shred of hope. Ares turned to me, his vibrant eyes were filled with desperation, mirroring the turmoil raging within me. My heart pounded against my ribs, its rhythm becoming erratic as panic coursed through my veins. I struggled to breathe.

Ares’s face was etched with anguish. His hands trembled, revealing the inner chaos he was struggling to contain. We were both being consumed by the same whirlwind of emotions.

“No, he wouldn’t kill him,” I repeated, my voice a mix of determination and vulnerability. I was pleading not only to those around us, but to the universe, seeking reassurance that the man I loved was not capable of such an unthinkable act .

Ares reached out his trembling hand and brushed mine. It was a simple gesture, but in that touch, I felt that glimmer of hope, a lifeline. Our connection, once so solid and unbreakable, now felt fragile, as if hanging by a thread. But I knew we had to confront these accusations head-on, to fight against the mounting suspicion and prove the depth of our love.

Ares held my gaze, sincerity brimming in his eyes as he said, “I didn’t kill Titan.” He whirled toward Ouranos, his voice a fierce, guttural roar. “You bastard! That’s a fucking

lie—Titan was my friend!”

“A friend? Is that so?” Ouranos’s voice erupted like a storm, filling the cramped room with chilling authority. “We have the proof.” His words struck with an icy certainty, each syllable heavy with the promise of damning evidence.

“He wouldn’t hurt him! Father, please!” I screamed, my voice cracking with desperation as I lunged toward my father. But Hephaestus’s grip was unyielding, his arms like iron bands clamped around my waist, pinning me in place.

“Let me go!” I begged, my tears spilling over and blurring my vision. The anguish of the moment was almost unbearable as I watched the man I loved being accused of murdering my brother. Ares was a killer, a man forged in darkness and trained to be a relentless force, a nightmare for anyone who crossed him. Yet, despite the horrors he was capable of, I clung to the deep belief that he would never betray me.

Ouranos’s gaze hardened, his voice cold and unwavering. “We have irrefutable evidence,” he said, his tone brimming with accusation. “An informant from the police force gave us the details. Your DNA was found all over Titan the night of the explosion, and on the bomb that was meant to wipe out my entire family.”

Ares’s eyes blazed with a mix of fury and disbelief. “That is a fucking lie, and you know it!” he roared, attempting to lunge at Hephaestus with a sudden, desperate surge of aggression. But before he could reach his target, Ouranos swung the butt of his gun with brutal precision, slamming it against Ares’s head. The impact sent Ares crashing to the ground, his body crumpling with a sickening thud.

“You son of a fucking bitch!” Ouranos roared, his face was a mask of pure rage as he spat the words.

“Stop it!” I cried out, my voice cracking with desperation and fear. “Stop! Ares didn’t do this!”

“You’re a damn fool if you think he’s innocent, Aphrodite!” Ouranos’s voice was laced with scorn, each word dripping with contempt. “You think he’s different? They’re all the same—ruthless, power-hungry monsters!” His gaze flicked to Ares with unrestrained venom. “He wanted to control you, to own you, and you fell for it! You’re nothing more than a pawn to him, a mere tool in his twisted game. Just like your worthless mother. You’re so fucking blind!”

His words hit me like a tidal wave, crashing over me with a force so overwhelming that it left me gasping for air. I barely had a moment to process the weight of his words before his hand flew toward me.

The slap came down with brutal, unforgiving force, the sharp crack of it echoing through the room like a thunderclap. My face stung fiercely, the burn of his hand searing into my skin.

The slap wasn’t just a physical assault—it was a violent assault on my very soul.

It felt like every bitter, hateful word he’d thrown at me was now imprinted on my skin, each accusation a fresh wound. My cheek throbbed with a fiery pain, but it was the emotional onslaught that nearly crippled me. His words, slicing through me with surgical precision, cut into my heart like daggers, leaving me breathless and trembling.

I stumbled back, the room spinning around me, a whirl of chaotic anger and despair. The intensity of his fury was like a storm, lashing out and tearing through the fragile barriers of my resolve. I stood there, stunned and broken, overwhelmed by the crushing weight of his rage and the brutal, unrelenting torment of his words .

Ouranos placed his foot on Ares’s chest, digging the heel of his boot into his bullet wound. The stitches tore open, and his blood began to seep through the fabric of his shirt, staining it dark and crimson.

“Don’t...hit... her..you piece..of shit!” Ares struggled and tried to push Ouranos’s leg off him, but it was no use. He’d been hit hard.

Ouranos drove his heel deeper into Ares’s wound, eliciting even more guttural, anguished screams that echoed through the room.

“I am not a fool,” I declared, pushing through the searing pain in my head, my voice rising with a fiery intensity that surprised even me. The words erupted from deep within, driven by a force I hadn’t fully realized I possessed until that moment.

Raw power surged through my veins, igniting my resolve and sharpening my focus. The sight of Ouranos’s doubting eyes only fueled the fire within me, spurring me on with an unyielding determination.

I knew Ares, and I refused to accept the twisted image Ouranos tried to impose on me. The scent of defiance hung thick in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of my fear, but I refused to let it overpower me.

I could still hear my father’s accusations branding me as a whore echoing in the recesses of my mind, each word like a lash against my spirit. I was a force to be reckoned with, and nothing he said could take that away from me.

“Take her,” Ouranos said to Hephaestus, his gun trained on me, “before I put a bullet in her skull.” The silence that followed was drawn out, amplifying my father’s anger.

Without hesitation, Hephaestus picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I thrashed around, desperately trying to grab onto something to make him stop and put me down. But there was no point. He was stronger and his hold on me was firm, making it hard to breathe.

There was no way out.

Hephaestus stopped abruptly. Shifting my weight to get a better view, I watched him hand a wad of cash to the scummy motel manager. He must have recognized Ares and tipped them off about our location, which is how they managed to track us down.

In the distance, Ares’s screams of agony pierced through the night, each cry a jagged edge of torment. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks, the feeling of helplessness encompassing me.

We approached the vehicle, and Hephaestus moved with unsettling efficiency. In one swift, practiced motion, he yanked open the trunk and tossed me inside, the cold metal slamming shut behind me with a final, resounding thud. The dark surrounded me as I kicked against the lid of the trunk.

Suddenly, the sound of the engine roared through the vehicle.

I kicked and screamed, desperate to break free, my voice lost in the blaring heavy metal music that erupted, drowning out my cries. Adrenaline surged through me, a frenzied pulse of fear and confusion. I had no idea where we were headed or what was happening.

The air was thick with the stench of rusted metal and musty fabric, an oppressive odor that seemed to close in on me. Anxiety clawed at my thoughts, making my body tremble uncontrollably in the dark confines of the trunk.

I forced myself to calm down, my mind racing to devise a plan. My hands searched frantically along the inside of the trunk lid, feeling for the release lever. After what felt like an eternity, I finally found it and yanked with all my might. But the lid remained stubbornly shut, and my fleeting hope evaporated into the suffocating darkness. Despair began to settle in, but I refused to surrender.

Using all my strength, I kicked at the taillights as hard as I could, trying to shatter them and get a signal out to anyone who might be driving behind us.

Hephaestus drove with reckless aggression, the vehicle lurching violently as he took sharp turns. I was thrown sideways, slamming my head against the hard trunk walls.

A searing pain shot through me, and I tasted the sharp, metallic tang of blood, realizing I had split my lip open. The car stopped abruptly, and my body flew forward, slamming into the metal with a bone-jarring impact. The violence of the stop left me gasping. The engine cut and I heard a door open and then slam shut.

I had no option but to fight, even if he was much stronger than me.

The trunk opened and the light of the streetlamp above flooded in, silhouetting an imposing figure before me. Hephaestus yanked me out of the trunk with ruthless force, and I fought back with everything I had. My nails raked across his skin in a desperate attempt to break free, but his grip only tightened. I thrashed about unrelentingly, but Hephaestus’ hold on me was ironclad, offering no freedom.

He slung me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing, the force knocking the wind out of me. I struggled to get a glimpse of my surroundings, but all I could see were dark, towering trees looming like silent witnesses to my fate.

The ground crunched beneath his heavy boots as he trudged through the snow, each step taking us closer to a dilapidated barn that rose from the shadows like something out of a nightmare. I realized he wasn’t taking me back to the compound. The most unnerving thoughts ran through my mind.

I was going to die.

“Hephaestus, let me go!” My voice was sharp, cutting through the cold air. “You’re making a mistake—this won’t end the way you think it will!” I held onto that defiance, even as his grip bruised my arms.

I couldn’t show him my fear, couldn’t let him see how desperate I truly was.

He dragged me into the barn, and the smell of damp wood and rust filled the air, making it harder to breathe. The walls, splintered and aged, seemed to press in, shrinking my space, choking the life from me. My chest tightened, panic rising as his hands yanked me toward a pulley system hanging from the ceiling.

“No!” I screamed, thrashing with every ounce of strength I had left. My legs kicked wildly, but Hephaestus was relentless. His fingers dug into my skin, refusing to let go. I twisted in his grasp, teeth bared, trying to bite him, but he only tightened his grip. Pain shot through my limbs, but I refused to give in.

My throat burned from the effort of screaming, yet I kept fighting. Hephaestus's silence was more terrifying than anything he could have said. His determination was like a wall of ice, cold and unmovable, and I felt it sinking deeper into my bones.

With a savage tug, he grabbed my wrists, binding them tightly before moving on to secure my ankles. With one lift, he strung me up from a hook. My arms stretched painfully above my head as I dangled a foot above the ground. I bit down a scream as I lashed out, my foot connecting with his ribs in a sharp, desperate kick.

The force sent Hephaestus stumbling backward, his body crashing into the old barn wall with a heavy thud. He groaned in pain, his shout echoing in the cold barn.

I gritted my teeth, trying desperately to hoist myself up, muscles trembling as I strained against the ropes digging into my wrists. My arms screamed in protest, my fingers numbing from the effort. I felt the rough fibers tear into my skin, but no matter how hard I pulled, I couldn’t break free.

Panic surged through me, thickening my throat. I thrashed, trying to find any leverage, any hope of escape, but it was useless. The ropes wouldn’t budge. I was trapped, suspended, as Hephaestus recovered from the blow.

He stormed towards me. “You fucking bitch.” He sneered as he delivered a punch to my stomach. Air whooshed from my lungs. I wheezed from the sudden pain in my gut as my weakened body dangled from the hook. A chilling realization crept into my mind.

This would be my judgment day.

“Why are you doing this?” I gasped, my voice raw with fear and anger as I lifted my head to meet his cold, unfeeling eyes. Sharp pain radiated through my stomach, each breath sending waves of agony through my body. The pressure in my skull built with every heartbeat, blood pounding in my ears as I fought to keep focus.

“You were just a pawn, Aphrodite,” he hissed, his hands gripping my chin, lifting my head so that I had no choice but to meet his merciless stare. “I could never love the bastard daughter of Ouranos,” Hephaestus said coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion. “I knew all along you were in love with my brother. You were the perfect distraction, really, keeping him occupied while I executed my plans.”

“I...I don’t understand.” I said with a raspy voice as I tried to catch my breath.

Hephaestus’s lips curled into a wicked smile, his eyes glinting with dark satisfaction.

“I always knew I was meant to lead the Olympus Syndicate,” Hephaestus continued, his tone sharp with arrogance. “My father was too distracted, always chasing after a new wife, looking for his next conquest, instead of focusing on what really mattered. He was blind to the empire crumbling under his feet. But I saw it. I’ve always seen it.” He circled around me, his gaze predatory and calculating. “And Ares? He’s nothing but a thorn in my side – more trouble than he’s worth. I was tired of taking care of everything. I was tired of being the leader when no one paid attention,” He stepped closer, the shadows deepened around him as he continued. “So, when I saw an opportunity, I took it.”

I struggled to process his words, my mind racing as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a syringe. The world around me seemed to blur, nothing making sense anymore. He methodically twisted off the cap, the sharp metal gleaming under the dim light, and I felt a surge of dread tighten in my chest.

“What are you doing?” I snapped, trying to swing my body away from him, but it was no use. He gripped my waist tight.

“Hold still,” he said, his voice chillingly calm. “This will give you some short-lived relief. Get some rest, Aphrodite,” his gaze boring into mine with a menacing intensity. “Because the real show is about to begin.” He grabbed my chin tightly as he sank the needle into my neck.

I tried to scream, to fight back, but his hand covered my mouth, muffling any sound I could make. The effect was almost immediate.

A wave of numbness surged through my body, as if icy tendrils were wrapping around my nerves, erasing all sensation. My vision blurred and darkened at the edges, flickering briefly before succumbing to the overwhelming darkness. As consciousness slipped away, the last thing I managed to utter was, “Ares will kill you.”