Apollo (Contemporary Mythos Book 2)

I swiped my forearm across my forehead, ridding it of sweat beads. The line cook clanked plates together, stacking them in the kitchen, and I slipped the next order onto the turnstile, spinning it toward him.

He snapped it off and grimaced. “Who orders a burger extra rare?”

“Vampires?” I shrugged. “I don’t judge ‘em, only write it down, Hugh.”

He shook his head.

“I’ll be back in ten. Taking a break.” I slipped my phone from the front pocket of my apron.

Ducking into the back room, I claimed a chair with a sigh. There were seven texts from Kate.

“What the hell?”

Kate: Are you mad at me?

Kate: Seriously, I didn’t tell u cuz I thought u’d be mad.

Kate: u hated Ace before now. Sooo…

Kate: r u at work?

Dear Lord, this was ridiculous.

I dialed her number.

“Laurel! Did you get my texts?”

“Yes, you psycho. I’m at work. I’m not mad at you. Calm down.”

“Okay, okay. I know I should’ve told you I’ve been talking to Teeg.”

“How did it happen, anyway?”

“The day we went backstage. I gave him my number, and he actually texted me back. I literally almost died when I saw it pop up on my phone.”

“Have you guys gone on a date yet?” I stared at my feet, imagining the orange glow around them from Ace.

She sighed. “No. I’m terrified, honestly. Texting and talking are all we’ve done.”

“Why are you scared?” I ran a hand down my arm, missing Ace’s warmth.

“He’s a rock star.”

“He’s also a human being, Kate. If you like him, just do it.”

She was silent for a beat. “You’re right. I’m going to text him as soon as we hang up. How are you?”

“Confused. Irritated. Other than that, I can’t complain.”

“Are you going to elaborate or let me guess?”

“You know.”

“He too is a human being and has a name.”

That was the thing…he might not be a human being. And Ace wasn’t his real name.

“Hey, I gotta get back to work, Kate. Go get your drummer.”

“Rude, Berg. Real rude. What are you, on a ten-minute break? We’ve been talking for six.”

“Bye, Kate.” I hung up before she could whine anymore.

Walking past the kitchen, I scooped up the plate with a burger and fries, carrying it over to table eight. I’d been halfway kidding when I said a vampire would order a burger extra rare. The customer was pale enough to be one. Like he hadn’t seen the sun for a decade. Now I really was being rude. I set the plate in front of him with a smile.

“Burger. Extra rare. Extra pickles. Can I get you anything else for right now?”

The man looked up and gave his short brown hair a toss. “Your number?”

If I had a nickel…

“I’m flattered, but I’m already taken. Did you want another lemon water?”

He leaned back in the booth, resting his arm across the back. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

He wasn’t going to stop.

“He’s in a band.” Considering Ace was in my every waking thought lately, especially after yesterday, it didn’t surprise me my made-up boyfriend was him.

He tossed a fry in his mouth. “Any I’ve heard of?”

Come on.

“Apollo’s Suns?”

“I’ve heard of them. He the bassist or something?”

“The singer.”

The man’s eyes widened, and he leaned forward, pressing his forearms against the table.

“Ace? Uh, wow. Sorry.” He picked up the burger and took a huge bite. He sunk into his chair and looked around like Ace would pop out of nowhere and punch him in the face.

Maybe he would.

I cocked an eyebrow at the man’s sudden change in behavior. “Just holler for me if you need anything. I’ll check on you in a bit.”

He shook his head. “No need. I’ll be fine. You don’t have to come back over.” He took another bite. “But don’t worry—” Bits of bun and lettuce flew out of his mouth as he tried to talk. “I’ll leave you a big tip.”

What in the ever-loving hell?

“Alright.” I slowly walked away, giving one last glance at him over my shoulder.

A redheaded woman sat down in my section. She ran her finger over the table and grimaced, wiping her hand on her crisp leather jacket.

After grabbing a menu, I waltzed over and placed it in front of her. “How can I—”

The woman lifted her head, familiar hazel eyes boring into mine.

Ace’s sister.

“—help…you?” I finished, staring down at her.

Ace was Apollo…that would make her…Artemis. Artie. Diana.

My stomach gurgled.

“Well, hello, Laurel.” She folded her hands atop the table and wiggled in her seat.

I tapped a pen against my notepad. “Diana. This doesn’t seem like your kind of place.”

“You’re right.” She scrunched her nose. “It’s not. I’m here with an ulterior motive.”

“Can I get you anything to drink or eat to go along with said motive?”

“Water is fine if you need to get me something to look busy.”

I narrowed my eyes before retrieving her water. When I returned, she pointed at the seat across from her.

“Could you sit for a minute?”

After glancing in the kitchen to make sure the boss was busy, I sat down. “Okay. You have exactly a minute.”

“I wanted to warn you about my brother.” She swirled her finger through the water in her glass.

You mean the tiny fact he’s a Greek god? What else was new?

“What about him?”

“He’d only end up hurting you.” She caught my gaze.

I stopped tapping the pen, balling my hand into a fist. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look, you seem like a nice girl. My brother is—well, let’s just say he’s not a one-woman show.” She flicked the water with her finger. “Understand?”

“What I don’t understand is where this is coming from. Ace and I aren’t a thing.”

She pressed a hand to her chest. “Aw. Naïve too. I saw the way you looked at him, Laurel. You want it to be a thing.”

How would she know? I wasn’t even sure I knew what I wanted.

“Are you finished?” I stood up in a huff.

She blocked my path. “You’re a conquest to him. As soon as he reaches the end, he’ll lose interest. You think you’re the first?”

I was done with this conversation about thirty seconds ago.

“I’ve got to get back to work. Please move.”

She stepped to the side, putting one hand on her hip. “You’re a sweet girl. You can find better boyfriends. Trust me.”

“Goodbye,” I said through gritted teeth before walking away.

As if I needed anything else to be confused over. Her words stung. How much truth was behind them? What reason would she have to lie?

The rest of the night rolled by in a blur. I kept playing Ace’s confession and Diana’s words on a loop in my head. I was thankful for the silence now that the diner was closed. Pulling the shade over the door, I sighed and pressed my forehead against it, shutting my eyes.

The faint sound of a bow sliding over strings floated from the back room. My head shot up, and I squinted into the darkness. With cautious steps, I followed the music—Wicked Game. As I rounded the corner, Ace sat with a cello between his thighs. He looked up at me with heavy lids, his lips seductively curving as he played.

I dragged a hand down my chest, my insides screaming at the sight of it.

He held the bow in his hand and plucked the strings, running his finger down the neck. The sound was rich and flowed like a silk stream.

My hips took on a life of their own, swaying to the music. He watched me with his bedroom eyes, continuing to play, and I tossed my apron in a corner. There wasn’t a lot of space in the break room, but I took every square inch to my advantage—sashaying, twirling, and moving my arms like they were submerged in oil.

I locked eyes with him, feeling the emotion radiating from him through his playing.

Things were different when we were both silent—communicating solely through art, not muddying it up with jabs and jokes.

I worked my way behind him and pressed my hands on his shoulders. Closing my eyes, I felt his muscles tense with every stroke of the bow—the vibrations from the strings pulsing through him, landing on my fingertips.

The music stopped, and he motioned with his head. “Come here.”

I moved to the front, and he coaxed me to sit on his lap, facing away from him. He wrapped his bow-holding arm around my waist and continued to play. Only now, the instrument and I were one. With every whisper across the strings, my skin pulsed. It was like being teleported to another realm.

He could’ve made the orange magic swirl again, but he didn’t—not this time. It was simply me, him, and the music. I leaned back, intending to show him how much I appreciated his sentiment. He dropped the bow and spun the cello away, wrapping his hand around the back of my head to accept his prize.

Our lips crashed against each other. His warmth coursed down my neck and into my chest. I moved from his lap, turning to face him and straddling his hips. I cupped his smooth face in my hands. The music had me ravenous, and I wanted to devour him. He dragged his hands down my back until they reached my butt, grabbing it.

He peeled away from the kiss, staring up at me through fallen strands of hair. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to taste you again since the other day.”

Diana’s words plagued me.

He leaned in to continue what we started, and I pushed against him.

“You knew exactly what you were doing.” Strain laced my words.

He furrowed his brow. “What?”

I slid off his lap. “You know what that song does to me.”

“Laurel, I just thought you’d like to hear it on the cello. That’s all.” He sat motionless, like one wrong move would send me spiraling.

Tears blurred my vision, and I gripped my head. “I’m a game for you. I always have been. And you wait until I start falling for you to lay your cards on the table. Enormous cards, mind you.”

He stood and held his hands up. “You’re right. I should’ve told you sooner, but I wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it. I wanted a chance to get to know you. For you to get to know me.” He took a step forward. “And I’m not going to lie, at first, I did see you as a challenge. But I’m telling you that’s changed. Everything’s changed.”

So, Diana was right. I wanted to scream. Instead, I started crying.

“Laurel—” he frowned, taking another step.

“No.” I pointed and shuffled backward. “This is too much, Ace or Apollo or whatever the hell your name is. I need to think. To—”

“I get it. It’s a lot to take in.” He rolled his shoulders, gaze dropping to his feet. “Why do I feel like I lost you before I even had the chance to have you?”

That’s the part that scared me the most. He hadn’t lost me. Not in the slightest, but my internal battle with myself kept me away.

“The others. Did you tell them who and what you are?

“If by others, you mean women…no. I’ve never told any other mortal. I’ve never wanted to be with any other.”

“Your sister doesn’t seem to think the same of you.”

He gave a quick shake of his head. “My sister? What does she have to do with this?”

“She came to the diner today. Told me I was just another conquest to you.” My bottom lip trembled.

His head tilted back, and he wiped a hand over his mouth. “I’m going to kill her. She’s full of shit. Artemis can be a great sister, but the worst when she gets bored.”

Artemis. He came out and said it.

“Bored?”

“When you live as long as we have, you tend to find ways of amusing yourself. In my case, I became a rock star. In Artemis’ case, she likes to screw with people. Even me.”

Live as long—he was immortal. Everything he said only made things worse. The world’s worst headache formed in my temple.

“You’re not a conquest, Sparky. I wouldn’t have told you I was a god if I planned to kick you to the curb.”

“But you have? Kicked women to the curb?”

“I’m not proud of it.” He winced.

“I’m not sure my brain has accepted it, Ace—er, Apollo.”

“You can call me Apollo. I miss hearing it, to be honest.”

My breathing quickened. I was seconds away from blasting straight into a panic attack. “Calling you by your real name makes everything too real. I—I have to go. I’m sorry.”

His expression turned pain-stricken. Like he’d been defeated for the first time in his life. I tried to slow my breathing, but it only made it worse. I ran out of the break room as the anxiety settled in and didn’t stop running until I got to my car outside.

An arrow had breached my wall, and Apollo held the bow.