14. Persephone

Chapter 14

Persephone

I knew as soon as Sophia pulled to a stop in front of Trevor's house that this had been a bad idea. But I was tired of being alone at the house. I was exhausted from thinking of Hades constantly.

I wanted to see and feel something that didn't revolve around him.

People overflowed out of the three-story mansion.

I leaned forward and looked out the windshield, seeing a drunk guy stumbling across the landscaped front yard, girls running topless as guys chased them, and a group of dudes singing as loud as they could while holding their plastic cups high in the air.

"This one's wild tonight," Sophia said with almost this excitement in her voice.

"I thought these were low-key?" That was what Trevor had said, anyway. Clearly, that wasn't the case.

"Low-key?" She started laughing and shook her head. "These get so out of hand. Normally, the cops are called a few hours into it. But Trevor's dad is friends with them, so the police just give everyone a warning and tell us to keep it down."

I looked over at her just as she pulled her phone out. She started typing out a text, her fingers working furiously over the screen.

"Jacqueline and Ariel are already inside. They snagged us a couple of drinks." She tucked her phone into her clutch and looked at me, grinning. "Come on. It's time we pop that party cherry of yours."

I internally groaned but followed her into the house.

Guys started throwing out lewd comments our way, and Sophia just lifted her hand and flipped them off as we kept walking.

There were a few more catcalls in the distance, the sound of girls talking in slurred tones, and then giggling, even some excited screams piercing through the air.

It wasn't as if I'd never been to a party before, but the ones I'd gone to had never been like this. Wild and reckless.

Once inside the mansion, we weaved around the bodies, shoulder-to-shoulder. We made it into the kitchen just as Ariel and Jacqueline came out, swinging their hips as they danced to the music, arms above their head, and two bottles gripped in each of their hands.

I didn't know Jacqueline and Ariel very well, and I was pretty sure they didn't care about being friends with me. But I had a feeling they tolerated me because Sophia was clearly the head of their group.

They were grinning at Sophia before giving sloppy hugs to her and shoving a bottle against our chests.

"Bottoms up, bitches," Ariel shouted and lifted her drink, which ignited a roar from the surrounding crowd.

After popping the top off my beer, I took a small drink, the flavor bitter as it washed across my tongue and down my throat.

I wrinkled my nose. I'd just milk it for the time I was here.

Half an hour later, I felt more like a piece of furniture than someone enjoying the party.

I stayed back as Sophia and the other girls flirted with some guys, danced, and tossed back more drinks. I kept pressed to the wall, the same beer in my hand. It was warm and completely full.

I found an artificial plant, edged my way toward it before stealthily dumping the beer into the pot. Not something I would normally do, but I didn't want anyone giving me a hard time for a "party foul."

"Persephone."

I heard my name shouted and glanced around the crowded room. I couldn't see much of anything. All I saw were bodies packed together like sardines.

"Hey. Over here." The voice sounded closer, and I looked to my right just as Trevor lifted his hand and waved me over.

Even if I wanted to move closer to him, there were too many people crammed close to me.

"Hey, move out of the fucking way," Trevor shouted but was laughing as he lifted the bottle of vodka he held. The surrounding people yelled, clapping him on the back.

I couldn't even hear myself think over how loud the music was. The heat was oppressive, and I couldn't breathe. I wanted out of here. I wanted to leave and curl on my bed and bask in the stillness, the silence.

How crazy was it that I now craved the quiet?

Trevor was right beside me a second after, his bigger body up in my space as he pressed his shoulder to mine.

"I can't believe you're here." He shouted to be heard over the music. A light sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and his eyes were red-rimmed and glossy.

I smiled and shrugged, not sure what to say in response.

He brought the vodka bottle to his mouth and took a long drink. When he pulled it away, there was only about a fourth left. Trevor tipped it in my direction, and I shook my head, declining.

Trevor finished it, and I lifted my eyebrows. It felt like they were all the way to my hairline.

He showed me the empty bottle and grinned, his cheeks red, the stench of all the booze he'd consumed wafting around him. I was pretty sure at this point he was sweating vodka.

A few guys came up and started talking to him, and I looked for Sophia, but she'd moved more toward the center of the room with Jacqueline and Ariel.

Before I knew what was happening, Trevor grabbed my wrist and was pulling me away from the wall.

"W-what? Hey. Wait," I shouted, hoping he heard me, but he either didn't or didn't care.

Trevor glanced over his shoulder and grinned, his eyes taking on this heavy-lidded look as he eyed me up and down. My skin tightened and prickled. I didn't care for the way he kept hold of my hand, and I tried to pull away.

"Just trying to get away from the crowd so it's quieter. I can't even fucking think in here." He kept walking, his fingers gripping my wrist so tightly it was bordering on painful.

"Trevor, let go."

He rounded a corner, then another before we made it to a more secluded back hall where he finally let me go. I stepped back several feet and rubbed my skin, glaring at him.

"What the hell? I asked you to let me go."

He ran a hand over his face. His gaze swept over my breasts, my belly, and lower still before he dragged them back up to my face.

"I'm sorry," he slurred. "I drank way too much of my father's vodka." He started laughing and came closer. "I'm so glad you're here. We don't really have time to talk at school."

I kept rubbing my wrist and watching him, but he just stood there staring at me with this almost goofy smile on his face.

"I should probably get home. This isn't really my scene, if I'm being honest."

"Nah, stay. Please?" He gave me this faux pathetic look as he came closer.

"No, I think I should probably go. I'll call a Ride Share cause Sophia brought me, but she's getting trashed." Before I could even get that last word out, Trevor was in front of me, boxing me in.

With my back to the wall and him in front of me, I suddenly felt trapped and suffocated.

"You're drunk," I said and tried to push him away.

He leaned in closer, pressing his body hard against mine so I was wedged between him and the wall. "You smell so good. Sweet. Like candy." He moaned, and panic seized me.

"Please stop." He wasn't listening.

"I want you, Persephone. The fact you act so indifferent toward me makes me want you more."

I turned my head. "For real, Trevor. Back up. Give me some breathing room." I placed my hands on his chest and pushed with all my strength.

He only moved an inch before sinking back against me, his hands braced on the wall on either side of my head.

The party was right around the corner. So close but far enough away we were secluded in this corner of the house. It didn't matter, anyway. Everyone was trashed. They didn't give a shit about what was happening around them.

"No one ever plays hard to get." His hand crept along my waist, and I pushed at him. "They give in, like I impress them because of who my father is and how much money I have." His voice sounded even more slurred now. "But not you." He was breathing so hard now. "You act like you couldn't give two shits if I paid attention to you or not."

Because I don't.

I was suffocating, unable to breathe. All I smelled was alcohol and sweat. I felt disgusted with his sticky body pressed to mine.

The heat was oppressive, and I gave another shove against him.

But before I knew what was happening, he gripped my wrists and pressed them hard against the wall.

I was so shocked by the sudden act of violence, by the snarl on his face, that all I could do was stare up at him in shock and disbelief.

"You're scaring me," I whispered, hating that I allowed fear to take hold instead of anger.

And just like that, his anger vanished. That was when I knew without a doubt Trevor wasn't who I thought he was.

Although I didn't need to see his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act to know he wasn't the easygoing—maybe even a little shy at times—guy I'd first met.

He clearly didn't give a shit about my consent.

"Let me go. You're hurting me, Trevor." I tried a different tactic. Placating. Soft demeanor. His grip was unforgiving, and I knew there'd be bruises on my flesh.

"Just let me taste you," he said as he started leaning in. But I had nowhere to go, not with the heavy weight of his body pressing into me.

"Get the fuck off," I yelled, but the sound was drowned out by the heavy bass of music. I tried lifting my knee to kick him in the crotch, but I couldn't get enough room to bring my leg up.

And then I heard this sudden commotion. Shouting and yelling. A deep, muffled voice, followed by vulgar swearing.

"Where is she, you little motherfuckers?"

My heart pounded, as the deep voice that roared out was familiar. I instantly felt relief.

There was a crash and a bang, which drew Trevor's attention enough that he looked over his shoulder.

But he still kept his body pressed to mine, locking me in.

I turned my head, and just when I thought he'd kiss me, lick me, or do some other disgusting, forcible act, his body was suddenly wrenched away from me.

Hades had his hand around Trevor's throat and had him pressed against the wall across from us. He towered over Trevor, like a massive redwood. All hard angles and roughness.

Hades was breathing heavily, his shoulders rising and falling, the violence and aggression barely contained. I could feel it swirling around him, slowly filling the hallway like poisonous gas.

"What did I tell you?" Hades' voice was controlled. Contained. But I could hear the rage seething in the undertones. "I said if you touch her again, I'd break your hands."

Faster than I expected, Hades slammed the back of Trevor's hand against the wall. He howled in pain, but Hades didn't care and clearly wasn't done.

He reared his arm back, all that unleashed animal strength bubbling forth, and brought his knuckles to the center of Trevor's face. The sound of bone crunching was so sickening that bile rose in my throat.

Trevor's head whipped to the side so violently I couldn't contain my gasp. There were a couple of people who congregated in the hallway's opening, their mouths hanging open, their eyes wide.

I knew I wore the same expression.

But no one stopped Hades. No one dared.

The visual of blood spraying from Trevor's mouth and nose was as beautiful as it was brutal.

And then Hades grabbed Trevor's other hand, and no amount of struggling compared to the power and strength that Hades wielded.

Hades did the same with the other one, smashing it against the wall and causing a few pictures to get knocked down. They crashed to the ground, glass breaking.

He moved back and Trevor sank to the ground, sobbing incoherently as he cradled his hands to his chest, blood pouring from his nose and down his chin.

The knuckles were cut and bleeding, and it was very clear a few of his fingers were broken, given the unnatural angle of them.

"Piece of shit," Hades growled. "Just like your fucking father."

I was standing there panting, eyes wide, mouth slack-jawed when he turned around. Hades smoothed his hands down the front of his suit, the blood on his knuckles a stark contrast, but looking like it belonged with all those tattoos.

He was so… ominous at that moment. I slowly slid my gaze up to his neck, seeing red splatters of Trevor's blood on the collar of his shirt and marking the column of his tanned throat.

He'd just broken someone's hands and, most likely, Trevor's nose, yet he stood there wearing an expression like it was just another day at the office.

Hades appeared like he hadn't just become a savage. He stepped up close, and I was frozen in place. He dipped his gaze to my wrists, and I followed his line of vision.

The skin was red and angry, and I knew they'd show finger-sized bruises come morning.

Hades bared his teeth before breathing out slowly, as if trying to control himself.

"Come on, Bunny. Let me take you home before I kill the motherfucker."

He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulled me snugly against his side, and together, we left the party with everyone staring at us with enormous eyes, slack jaws, and inaudible whispers following us.