Through My Window (Hidalgos #1)(15)

I’ll prove to him that I don’t forget anything, and that even a Greek god can have a taste of his own medicine.

Seductive Raquel mode: activated.





EIGHT


   The Candle Room




With so much alcohol in my veins, it’s very hard to focus on being sensual.

I have to try anyway. I need to get revenge on Ares. He’s played with me twice already, and he can’t go through life inciting innocent souls like mine and leaving them wanting.

Innocent souls . . .

I really am drunk. My stalker soul is not innocent, not with the things I do in the dark of my room when no one sees me. I blush as I remember all of the times that I’ve touched myself, thinking about Ares. In my defense, Ares was the first male presence I had access to when I hit puberty. It’s his fault for being in my field of vision when my hormones were raging.

I turn my back to him to give him a good view of my body. It’s not a spectacular body, but I have a good figure and a decent ass. Sweat rolls down my forehead, the sides of my face, and the neckline of my dress. I’m immediately thirsty, and I find myself licking my dry lips more often.

I don’t know how much time has passed, but when I turn again to look at Ares, he’s gone. My heart races even faster as I look around for him.

Did he come downstairs and come after me? What was I supposed to do in that case?

I haven’t worked out my seduction plan to that extent.

Stupid, Raquel, always getting into games you don’t know how to play.

But this isn’t going to stop here. Determined, I walk back to the staircase where the guard is.

“VIP area,” he says, giving me a tired look.

“I know,” I answer reluctantly, “but a friend of mine is up there, and he told me to come up.”

“Do you expect me to believe that?”

“It’s the truth. He’s going to be angry if he knows you have me waiting here.” I lift my chin in defiance.

“If your friend wants you up there, he should come and get you, don’t you think? That’s the way the rules are.”

“Just a second,” I beg him, but he doesn’t listen. I try to pass by him on the side, and he stops me, grabbing my wrist. “Let me go.”

I struggle to get free, but he just tightens his grip on me.

“She said to let her go.” A sweet voice fills my ears from behind, and I turn to look over my shoulder to see Apolo Hidalgo standing behind me with his jaw set.

“This is none of your business,” the guard says rudely.

Apolo’s expression is kind but assertive. “A lawsuit for assault is pretty serious; I doubt you can come out of one unscathed.”

The guard snorts in derision. “If you’re trying to scare me, you’re just making a fool of yourself, brat.”

Doesn’t he know who he’s talking to? Apolo may look like a child, but he’s a member of one of the most powerful families in the state.

Apolo lets out a laugh. “Brat?”

The guard maintains his stance, and I try to free myself, but he tightens his grip again. “Yes, brat. Why don’t you go away and stop meddling where you’re not wanted?”

“Apolo, it’s okay,” I say, looking over my shoulder. “I tried to go up even though he told me not to.” I turn toward the guard. “Could you let me go?”

The guard’s expression turns guilty, and he finally releases me. “I’m sorry.”

We walk away from the guard and Apolo lifts my arm and inspects it. It’s red but not bruised.

“Are you all right?” he asks.

“Yes, thank you.”

“If he hadn’t apologized, I would have fired him.”

“Fired him? You own this bar?”

“No.” Apolo shakes his head. “It belongs to my brother.”

I stare at him with wide eyes. “This belongs to Ares?”

Apolo shakes his head again. “Ares with a bar? No, Mom would die. It belongs to Artemis.”

Oh, the big brother.

“Don’t worry. I’ll text Artemis. He’ll deal with it when he gets here later.”

Part of me feels sad for the guard, but then I remember how rude he was. He doesn’t say anything when we pass by him this time. Our little argument sobered me up a bit, but I still have a long way to go before I’m fully alert. I realize just how drunk I am when it’s difficult for me to climb the short staircase to the VIP area. A lump rises in my throat at the prospect of meeting Ares.

It’s beautiful up here, with glass tables and plush armchairs. Waiters are serving the wealthy groups spread out across the lounge. At the far end, I see crimson curtains blocking what lies beyond.

Apolo guides me to one of the armchairs in front of an empty table. “Sit down, what would you like to drink?”

I search my brain, trying to remember what I was drinking with Dani, but she has already given me so many different drinks that I don’t even remember most of them. I only remember one by its peculiar name: Orgasm. But there is no way in this life or the next that I will ever say that word to Apolo.

“What do you recommend?”

“I don’t drink, but my brothers love whiskey,” Apolo says kindly.

“A glass of whiskey, then.”