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Serenity

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

I'm almost at the house, walking distractedly and looking at the ground, when I hit a concrete wall.

Except the wall has strong arms, it's warm, and the smell of it acts as a kind of numbing agent on my senses.

It takes me a few seconds to look up at him, and at the same time I wonder if he doesn't mind them seeing us like this, because now Ares has one of his arms around my waist.

The white dress shirt he wears, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, has the top two buttons open. I can see some skin, and I close my fists to control the urge to open the rest one by one.

"Did you lie when you said you weren't together anymore?"

I seriously consider telling the truth about the dating scam, but I don't want to embarrass Otis in front of the person he views as his rival, even though, truth be told, there is no rivalry at all. On a planet where Ares Kostanidis breathes, I will never be able to pay attention to another man.

"No," I say simply, but he doesn't look satisfied and grabs my chin to make me look at him.

"I’m taking you home."

"What?" That's not what I was expecting to hear. I was super excited about Madison's idea of us going to SIN .

"My sister-in-law got it into her head that she wants to go dancing at SIN, and my brothers will go with their wives."

"And you?"

"It's my place of work."

"Well, have a nice time, then," I say, letting go of him and heading for the door.

"Say goodbye to Eleanor and the rest of the family," he commands, as if I were a little girl.

I don't know what irritates me more, that he thinks he can boss me around, ordering me to say goodbye to his family, or that he’s decided that I can't go to SIN without even consulting me. I know, however, that standing up to him alone is a bad strategy. I need an ally. Or two.

I run up the stairs, without looking back, and almost collide with Cici and Madison.

Brooklyn says goodbye to me, as does her husband, who is holding one of the children on his lap, already asleep. The rest of the troop is taken away by their bodyguards.

After they pass us, Madison says, not at all discreetly, "She knows about our plan." She nods to Cici, who smiles. I feel like I'm part of a secret society working on a conspiracy.

"Know what?" I say, pretending ignorance, and she rolls her eyes.

"About you and Ares."

I open my mouth to deny it, but then close it.

“Be cool, he's coming,” she whispers to me.

"He wants to take me home."

"No way. I got it." She smiles the biggest smile, which I'm sure must work on Zeus, but I don't think it will have any effect on my guardian. "Ares, I asked Serenity to come with us to SIN and?—"

“No," he says with his usual arrogance, cutting her off.

"Why not? Are you saying your club isn't a respectable place?"

"Have you explained to her what SIN is about?"

Madison shakes her head, and I can tell she's trying not to laugh.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"Could you excuse me so I can speak privately with my ward?"

"No," they both say, almost in chorus.

"Let me explain," Cici says. "SIN is a place to fulfill sexual fantasies, but without the sex itself, unless you are with a steady partner."

I try to pretend that hearing this is no big deal. I summon all the training I received at the German boarding school and keep my expression calm, but inside I am experiencing a turmoil of emotions.

Jealousy is the main one.

Does he go to a place that’s centered around sex every night?

God, I really am an idiot! Did I believe I had a chance with a man like that?

"Um... I think he's right, Madison. I better go home." I could stop there, but I can’t help myself and I do the stupidest thing in the world, adding: "I want to get to sleep early because Otis said that as soon as he gets to Germany, he will call me."

Ares' posture changes. "Afraid to face the real world, little girl?" he asks, walking in front of me, and at the same time, I notice that Madison and Cici disappear inside the house.

"Are you kidding me? A few minutes ago you wanted to take me home."

"I changed my mind. Maybe you need a reality check."

"What will I find there?"

He gives me a smile that doesn't show the slightest bit of humor, almost cruel, and I know he's not going to take me to SIN to educate me but rather to shock me.

"Why tell you when I can show you?"

I don't know what I expected. The press created a fuss around SIN, but the truth is that, inside, at least in the lounge we are in, it is very reminiscent of a nightclub that Debra took me to once, in Paris.

The decor is all in black, with some purple details, and I can't express how much I love it. Purple is my favorite color.

You don't need to be an expert to realize that the place is made for the very rich, a tiny part of society.

Where we are, there's a small dance floor, and just now Madison told me that she’s performed at SIN before . That is how she met her husband, Zeus.

Two waitresses come to serve us drinks, but despite being scantily clad, there’s nothing explicit.

Ares told me he would come to work, but he hasn’t left his brothers' side for a second.

"Let's dance!" Madison calls.

Cici grumbles, "Ah, that's so unfair. One of you was born for this, and the other is considered the world’s greatest ballet dancer."

"Don't be silly," Zeus's wife says, pulling us both onto the dance floor.

The lounge is quite big, but it's just us here.

I enjoy the music, getting totally engrossed in the beat, and I forget about the rest of my problems, as always happens when I immerse myself in my art. I let the rhythm control my body, enveloping me, but at a certain moment, when I open my eyes, Ares is focused on me. He doesn't even hide it. While his brothers are talking, he turns his body towards me.

Like our first meeting, I can't see his face, but even so, a shiver of excitement runs through me. The problem is that I don't know how to get the attention of a man like him, and after about five minutes, I excuse myself and go to the bathroom to splash some water on my face.

I know I need to go down some steps because Madison kind of explained where the bathroom was, but when I test the door I thought it would be, instead of the toilet, I find a room with dark walls. In the background, there is glass, like those in interrogation rooms.

When I take a few steps inside, I open my mouth, completely shocked. On the other side of the glass is a couple. Both are naked, the woman lying on a high bed and the man massaging her body with oil.

I should go back, but I'm fascinated by the look of pleasure on her face, so I move closer to the glass, planting my palms on it, because I don't trust the strength of my legs.

Suddenly I realize that if they turn, they'll catch me in the act of watching them.

I take a few steps back, but my escape is cut short when I crash into a hard body behind me.

I know it's him without needing to turn around, and I almost die when his hands come to my waist and he whispers in my ear, "They can't see you, naughty girl."