Athena’s Pov

I squinted my eyes trying to see through the darkness in the shed. To my surprise, there wasn't a single person here. I was confused where Ares went and turned on my flash to look around.

The surroundings looked extra normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Until I spotted a wooden plank on the floor with a handle attached to it.

My pulse raced with excitement and fear as I lifted the plank to reveal a staircase leading down into the basement. This tiny shed isn't so small after all.

I decided it's better to record the evidence of their probably illegally earned wealth, so I pressed record on my phone which also acted as my torch.

I took a step down and an unsettling feeling set in the pit of my stomach. Something was really off and I should go back. But the curiosity was too strong and I continued my descent.

My steps were incredibly quiet and I even avoided breathing too loud so no one notices me. The spiral staircase led me down to the first floor which was heavily lit. I peeked inside and spotted a couple of guards and a few people wearing white coats who looked to be doctors. They would definitely not allow me to roam around so I continued downwards.

The second floor had a hallway. I didn't spend a lot of time there as it only had a few huge rooms labeled gym, boxing, training, shooting, shower and changing room, all probably for their staff. But I don't know why they made this place so sketchy like it's some criminal organization. When I heard a couple of people talking somewhere nearby I quickly descended to the last floor.

This one scared me. Unlike the other two floors, it was completely isolated. There wasn't a single soul here. And it even had the most dim light that I could barely locate my way with as I had turned off the flash to keep a low profile.

The whole place looked like something out of a nightmare but I still went further in.

What bothered me the most was that it smelled like a shithole. The urge to puke was getting stronger with each step I took. I couldn't understand how this was part of such a luxurious mansion.

I spotted a huge room right around the corner and saw light coming through the slight gap of the door. As I neared it I could hear a familiar authoritative voice saying something.

When I looked inside, I understood why the whole floor was empty, because all the guards here were attending a meeting conducted by the Zephyr Konstantinos himself.

“I’ve assigned new roles according to their competence and I believe no one will doubt my decision.” He told the guards who intently listened to him. “We’ll be back by Monday, until then I believe you can keep everything in order. I don't want what happened at the North facility to be repeated…”

Since I was getting bored by this security speech which didn't feel like some top secret information I should know, I decided to move on. To my shock, the right hallway was filled with cells. It literally had prison cell vibes.

I tried calming my nerves and telling myself these must be used for something else. Or maybe these were already built before the brothers bought the mansion.

When I crossed the hallway and turned to the next one, I heard a grunt. Before I could fully understand what it was, I heard it again. As I stepped forwards the painfully moans were getting louder.

For a moment I thought maybe someone's having sex but it didn't sound like it. It sounded like torture and my legs took me towards it.

It was a cell, larger than others. I slowly stepped towards it, trying my best to hide myself behind the brick walls. My phone was still in my hand, recording every second.

A naked man was covered in blood from head to toe. His wrists were chained to the ceiling as his body dangled in the air. Three men in the uniform of guards were standing at the back, silently observing the scene. While someone —who I couldn't see due to the darkness— was repeatedly bringing down a leach in hand to hit the helpless man.

His skin toar from his body as the torture continued. He looked to be on the verge of dying and I wondered how long he'd been enduring this pain.

Tears of fear and sympathy were brimming my eyes and my legs shook from the evil I was seeing. Just then I noticed five dead bodies on the floor and my heart stopped.

All of them had different multiple parts cut off like they suffered a painful death. Each was covered in blood. So was the torturer. It was so difficult to even make out his clothes as all I could see on him was red.

I knew I should run away, get my grandpa, convince him with the proof in my phone and leave this mansion forever. And that's exactly what I planned to do.

But before I could turn around, I heard a familiar voice. “Still not in the mood to talk?”

It was the torturer. I knew him.

I finally saw his face as he stepped towards the dying man to mercilessly stab him in the neck, taking his life. I couldn't believe I had witnessed another murder in just the span of one week.

What has my life come to?

Tristan was right, I trust people easily. The man I had thought to be normal was committing such madness. It was the same man I had spoken about my self image so comfortably. The one I had just gone shopping with. The same man who had made me feel like the Konstantinos brothers were humans after all. They were harmless unless I slept around.

But I was wrong.

As the naked man was finally relieved of his misery, his blood burst out of his throat —in which a knife had just been stuck. All of it landed on Ares who didn't look the least bothered with it and simply wiped it off with his hand.

It wasn't a big deal for him. He was used to it.

He looked so unrecognizable with the blood smeared clothes and the calmness in his exterior. It felt like the man I was living with for all these days, was just a facade. This was his real self.

He was a devil.

I wasn't in my senses anymore to collect proofs but my phone was unintentionally still at an angle to capture the whole scene.

Before I could recover from my shock and think of my next move, my phone was snatched out of my hand. I spun around with a horrified face as I started counting my last breaths.

“I hoped you'd put your phone to good use.” Hades sighed in disappointment.

I instantly took a step back from him and my eyes moved to look down the hallway to find an escape route. Ares must've heard his brother and opened the door to the cell to come out along with his three guards.

My hands clenched the side of my hoodie in a desperate attempt to not pass out from stress. Seeing him in front of me, covered in blood was so overwhelming.

His eyes widened as he looked at me as he slowly uttered, “You're not supposed to be here, baby.”

I knew he fears I'd tell everyone how evil these brothers are. That gentle voice and that bloody nickname was his way to put me at ease. He must be planning on convincing me to forget what I just saw or worse, he could be doing this so I don't run off before they can kill me.

I didn't have any words to say because how am I supposed to negotiate with monsters? So I did the best thing I could. I dashed down the hallway.

I could hear footsteps behind me but I didn't look back and continued to run. Because my life depended on it.

“Athena, stop!” Ares called.

“Let us explain!” Hades yelled after me.

“We're not gonna hurt you!” Lies.

This wasn't the way I had come from and the further I went into this maze-like basement, the more cells I saw. Unlike the earlier ones, these ones had prisoners inside. People who looked starved and hurt.

I knew if I stopped they'd kill me, I've seen too much.

My grandpa won't ever know what happened to me. I hate that he'd have to live without me just because my stupid self was too curious. I hope he moves on from me.

Just then I saw a guard coming out of a cell with someone who looked to be a prisoner. I tried running past them but the guard held my arm when he understood what was happening.

My heart was beating faster than it ever has. I knew my time was going to come any moment. I'd be dead soon. Without saying a last goodbye to grandpa or giving a last hug to Tristan.

I turned to look at the two brothers who didn't look pissed off as I expected. They were awfully calm and just caught their breath as they stood in front of me. They knew they could easily kill me off. They had nothing to worry about.

“Don't you dare run away again. Now let's go back home and talk.” Hades ordered.

I couldn't take a single step forward because suddenly a gun was placed on my temple. But to my utter shock, it wasn't one of the Konstantinos brothers or even their guards.

It was the prisoner who was standing next to us. He had fooled the guard holding me and taken his gun when he was struggling to keep me from running away.

I was frozen in place, not daring to move a muscle in case he takes it as a threat and shoots my brain out. I had planned to beg the brothers for mercy by mentioning grandpa but this was a total stranger, what was I supposed to get him emotional with?

Ares and Hades instantly drew their gun and pointed it directly at the man who now had his free hand wrapped around my waist to keep me in place.

“Don't or I'll shoot her!” The prisoner warned.

“One scratch on her and I'll fucking kill you!” Hades warned in the most deadly voice.

“Who is she?” The prisoner asked amused. “Seems like she's a brat running away... Girlfriend?” Hades' jaw clenched. “Sister?” He didn't get a reply again. “Daughter?” He looked at me then back at Hades and concluded, “She looks a lot like you. I’m going with daughter.”

“Dan,” Ares called him ever so calmly. “Leave her and let's go negotiate something.”

The prisoner; Dan scoffed and held me tighter. “I won't let this opportunity slide. It's not everyday you get your hands on your pass to freedom.”

Ares shook his head and lowered his gun casually. “You think we'll let you go if you blackmail us with her?” Disappointment was clear on his face as he addressed my latest tormentor. “There must be some reason no one has ever heard of her…” He grinned at Dan like he’s got the upper hand. “It's because she doesn't matter to us. Honestly, kill her for all I care. Just finish this drama in ten cause that's the limit of my patience with you.”

His words broke the last hope I had held in his regard. The way he treated me the whole day, putting me to bed, sitting beside me as I slept, waking me up with the most gentle voice and treating me like a princess as we shopped, I had assumed he had some feelings for me. Even if it was pity.

But like he's said before, I don't mean anything to him.

He doesn't care if I live or die today.

“You're lying! You just want me to give her back.”

“I can see why you couldn't keep your hold on one of the strongest gangs in Europe. You lack a brain.”

“Alright then, let me just blow this bitch’s head off-”

“Please!” I pleaded. “Trust me, they don't care about me. Please let me go. They won't give anything in exchange for me.”

“Then you're useful to me, pretty baby.” He muttered as his gun pressed hard on my temple.

“No!” Hades stopped him. “Dan, look, don't do this. You can never leave this place alive if you harm her.” He sounded apprehensive.

“I won't harm her, just let us leave.”

“Give her to me and I promise I'll let you walk out.” Thank God someone cared about me.

“Don't expect me to fall for such an old trick.”

“I'm serious.”

“If you were, you wouldn't be talking bullshit.” Dan turned to look at me and from my peripheral view I saw him thinking something. “You know what… Fuck running away! I have a girl in arms after six years, let me enjoy the moment before my inevitable death takes me.”

My eyes widened and a fear worse than death gripped me. I have gotten myself involved in some pretty fucked up things but I never thought I'd be subjected to rape. I’ve always chosen to consent when the situation looked like it but that was different. I liked those guys for one reason or the other so having sex with them didn't feel like a rape even if I didn't want it.

But never in my sixteen years of life can I convince myself to willingly sleep with a man who's holding me at gunpoint.

His hand slid down from my waist to the hem of my hoodie and my breath caught up in my throat. When I felt him touch the bare skin of my stomach, tears started rolling down my cheek.

Hades looked baffled while Ares still had the same look of indifference on his face. Dan moved to place a disgusting kiss on my neck and my will power was slowly dying.

“Fuck she smells like heaven.” I don't know if he was baiting them or if he was so desperate that my sweat smells nice to him.

“You're dying tonight anyway, why are you making it harder for yourself by doing shit like this?” Ares asked casually like a man wasn't assaulting me before his eyes.

I wish I didn't have to witness this side of him. This was worse than getting abandoned by him. I could maybe forgive him for the former but being so indifferent to my misery is the limit.

“Fucking a teenager has always been my dream. At least I'll die a happy man.”

Bile rose up in my throat and I wondered if he'd shoot me for throwing up on him. That would be better. At least it will all end. But my survival instincts were too strong to let me move a muscle.

“Let me propose a deal,” Hades tried talking more professionally now. “You want to leave then take me. I promise I won't fight back. Just take me and let her go.”

More tears fell down my face but this time those were of relief. I felt so overwhelmed that at least someone was trying to get me out unharmed.

Hades was literally offering himself for me. He was ready to put his life in danger to protect me. I don't care if he was doing it because grandpa loves me.

“That's better. I'll have less people to share assets with.” Ares only cared about himself.

“I'm not a fool. I know you'll kill me the moment you have her.” Dan spat the words at Hades.

“What do you suggest then?” Hades tried negotiating.

“Let us get out of here, I'll return her the moment I'm with my men safely.”

“On my dead body.”

“Fine! I can see what option you'd prefer...” Dan mocked. “Let me pull her into my cell, you can have her in thirty minutes.”

His hand slid down towards the waist of my shorts and right when he's about to grope me, a gunshot rang through the hallway and I flinched hard.

Dan’s body went limp and I barely managed to maintain my balance as the shock courses through me. When I looked in front of me, Ares was now lowering his gun back to the ground with the calmest look on his face.

He wasn't bothered by my fear. He wasn’t relieved that I was okay. He didn't care that the bullet he shot could’ve accidentally hit me. I wasn't his family so he didn't hold any emotions for me. He must've killed Dan because he pissed him off.

Hades stepped towards me and without contemplating anything, I threw myself in his arms. I desperately needed someone and I knew he wanted to provide me the comfort I seeked.