Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

ATHENA

“Thank you for coming early.” I glance at Phoenix wearing the rare tuxedo perfect for tonight’s party. “And for agreeing to come to the party. I know it’s not your thing.”

“We aren’t staying long,” Phoenix says, his arms across his chest. He appears angry, but it isn’t directed at me. Being away from the four walls of his attic puts him on edge. I know this, which is why I appreciate him making the effort.

“What is this place?” Apollo asks. “You bought a mansion outside of Seattle? This doesn’t fit your style. And why the fuck did you just decide to quit Medusa?” His eyes go to my stomach. “Are you pregnant or something?”

“No, of course not,” I say, running my hand over my belly and wondering if there is reason for him to say that. Do I fucking look pregnant? “And I didn’t quit Medusa. I simply took a leave of absence.”

“You told us this was urgent,” Phoenix adds.

I release a deep breath. The only way to say this is by spitting it out. Godwins don’t sugar coat things, and there is no reason for me to start now.

“This was our mother’s house,” I begin.

Apollo and Phoenix both look around the room with fresh eyes now knowing it isn’t my new house. The confusion washes over both their faces.

“She was alive. The entire time.” I look to Phoenix. “Just like you thought. She didn’t jump off that cliff and commit suicide like we were led to believe.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Apollo asks. “Alive?” He looks at Phoenix. “And you knew this? You knew Mother was alive this entire time?”

Phoenix shakes his head. “I didn’t know anything, but I’ve been reading her journals, and there was a line in one of them that made me think there was a possibility.”

“So I dug into it,” I say. “And long story short, I found out she lived in this house.”

“Lived? As in she’s not alive now?” Apollo asks.

“She died about a month ago,” I say. “She left me the house in the will.”

“Will?” Apollo shakes his head and runs his fingers though his hair. “She was alive, now dead, and there is a will? Journals? And this is the first I’m hearing of this? What the fuck, Athena!”

“Does Dad know about this?” Phoenix asks.

I nod. Our father knows everything. Stupid question.

“And no one felt the need to share this information to her fucking sons?” Apollo’s face is reddening, and I can’t say I blame him.

“I know it’s a lot,” I begin in a soft voice. “I’m still trying to process it all myself, but she wanted out of the marriage or something, and our father decided to banish her from our fucked-up kingdom instead.”

“So, she’s been living here the entire time? While we all believed she died?” Phoenix takes a seat on the nearest chair. I can almost hear the wind being knocked out of him.

“It appears so.”

We aren’t a huggy type of family, but a part of me wants to console Phoenix by taking him into my arms. Instead, I open Pandora’s box fully and tell my brothers everything I now know. I rattle off about the ridiculous rules of the will, the terms of madness, and the assholes that I now have to live with. I tell them every little detail of every single thing to help ease my guilt for keeping it from them for so long. There’s pain in their eyes, rage in their movements, and the stench of betrayal is thick in this room once I am done.

“I don’t care what that will says,” Apollo finally says after pacing the room in silence for several long moments. “We’ll contest it. We can argue she wasn’t sane. Or she was held here against her will and forced to make it. Frankly, who cares? It’s not like any of us want her money. We’ll do it just to fuck with that Perseus guy and his band of shitheads.”

“I considered that option,” I say.

“Then pack your shit. Let’s go.” Phoenix rises from his chair. “Come to Heathens Hollow. Some time on the island could be good to clear your mind. All of our minds.”

I shake my head. “There’s a party about to start.”

“Your point?” Phoenix asks.

“Don’t ask me why, but for some reason I want to follow the terms of her will. I want the house,” I confess.

Apollo extends his hands at his surroundings in disbelief. “This is like some haunted mansion out of a bad horror movie. Why the fuck would you want this house?”

I shrug, not knowing the answer myself.

“To win,” I finally say. “I won’t walk away and let those men think they got the upper hand on me. I refuse.”

Phoenix reaches for a bag I hadn’t noticed before. “Her journal I mentioned is in here. If you read it, you’ll see just how fucked up our parents were. We need to step away from this. Not dive into it.”

I take the bag, unsure if I’ll read the journal. “I’ve never been afraid of the dark before.”

Apollo and Phoenix exchange a look. “All right. We’ll stand by you. Not like we have a choice,” Apollo says. “But tell me more about these men.”

“Just your basic thugs,” I say. “My PI dug up that they have some money, they act as investors, but really are just low-level sewer snakes. Nothing I can’t chew up and spit back out.”

Phoenix smirks. “I have no doubt you can handle yourself. The question is, why bother? Our mother stayed away for a reason. You want my opinion? Fuck her. Fuck her for making us believe she died for all these years.”

“I get it,” I say. A part of me feels the same way as Phoenix. “But something inside of me tells me I need to finish this. I don’t know how this ends, or what is in store, but I don’t want to just ignore this one.”

“What does our loving father say about all this?” Apollo asks.

I roll my eyes. “What you expect. Very little. He’s not ever going to tell any of us the truth, and you know it. We could get angry, make demands, and then what? He’s not going to change.”

“Fuck him, too,” Phoenix adds.

“Fuck them both,” I agree with a nod, “but that still doesn’t answer questions I have. It doesn’t take away this feeling in my gut that I need to remain in this house and follow her stupid rules.”

Apollo sighs. “What can we do to help?”

“Run Medusa while I’m away. I can’t check in. I can’t do anything. I know they are watching. One of the asses is savvy on the computer. I know he’s hacking into my shit.”

“I’ll stop it,” Phoenix snaps.

“Yes, get on it, but regardless, I’m not going to give them anything to use on me. Especially something as simple as that. I see through their weak plan to break me, even though they think I’m blind. They are digging, they are trying to push me to hate them, and I know they are going to try to seduce me as well. They think I’m a weak-willed girl who will cave to their every desire if my pussy is pleased.”

“If they so much as touch you,” Apollo starts.

I smile and try not to laugh. “My dear ol’ brother, I’ve gotten this far in life taking care of myself.” I wink. “Maybe I’ll seduce them right back.”

Phoenix groans, clearly being pushed to his comfort line.

I inhale deeply. “I need a vacation anyway.”

Apollo smirks. “This place is far from a vacation.”

I give an evil giggle. “I don’t know. I think I may have some fun while here.”