ᴀᴘʜʀᴏᴅɪᴛᴇ // $ᴜɪᴄɪᴅᴇʙᴏʏ$

Chapter Twelve

APHRODITE

"Scott? What are you doing here?" I whispered in surprise from the bed.

He didn't answer. Instead, he came to the bed and tugged his cousin's arm a few times.

"For crying out loud, what's wrong with you?" I tried to move, but Ari was on top of me. "Damn it." I hissed as the movements of my body brought the pain back.

"The fuck did you do to him?" Scott suddenly asked angrily in a threatening voice.

"Yeah, sure, the moment I calm one cousin down the other marches in like the king of the world. Help me get up." I put the gun aside and he immediately pulled out his own from his pants.

"Aphrodite! Fucking answer me, what did-"

"Stop yelling, you idiot!" I hissed and Ari moved, mumbling in his sleep.

"Shit, I thought you killed him." Scott said.

I just rolled my eyes and stood up slowly. Light from the street now fell on my face and Scott froze once he noticed the bruises, cuts, and blood. "Aphrodite!" He yelled, staring at me.

"Come out here." I suggested and followed him quietly.

"What the fuck-" He sighed and switched on the small lamp in the living room. "Did Ari do this?"

"No, even though I believe he was close to killing me tonight."

"I'm sorry, I can't look at you. You look like shit!" Scott took me by the hand.

"Thanks, you know how to compliment a woman." I rolled my eyes and followed him through the house.

"Just look at yourself!" He took me to the bathroom and I looked in the mirror.

"Oh." Was the only thing I could say. My face and hair was covered with blood, there was a bruise around my left eye, and a wound and scratches on my temple.

"Come here." Scott said, turning me to him. He took off Ari's shirt that I was wearing and led me to the bathtub. "Get inside." He said softly and helped me as I stepped in wearing only my bra and underwear. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. "Ight, this will probably hurt, so I apologize."

The warm stream of water hurt like hell, but in a few moments the pain had changed into a pleasant feeling. I watched the bloody red water leave the tub, flowing over my numb body and tears filled my eyes again.

"We had a fight. And I did something stupid, Scott." I whispered.

"What did you do?" He watched me strictly.

"Well, I kind of yelled at him in front of everyone in your club."

He smiled. "Ouch, hurting Ari's ego, shawty. I thought you were more clever than that."

"It was his fault, he started it."

"That don't give you the right to humiliate him in front of everyone. When you work for us, you gotta know where your place is, where your free will begins and ends. When it's okay to yell, pull out a gun, and when it's necessary to swallow your pride and be an obedient lil' girl."

"Bullshit." I hissed.

"Oh, you're on fire tonight, shawty. Beaten like a dog but still ready to bite." Scott chuckled and made me tilt my head back a little so he could wash my hair. "I can tell it's not only Ari's ego that's been hurt. Instead of yelling, you could've dragged him home and fucked his brains out. All the anger would be gone and you both would be satisfied."

"The truth is, I agree with you, because if I did that I wouldn't look the way I do now." I whispered. The water flowing all around my body was clear already, so Scott put a stopper in the drain and I watched quietly as the water rose in the bathtub, caressing my skin and healing my wounds.