Page 39 of Hades

“For what?” Cash asked.

“My asshole brother. I don’t understand what his problem is.”

Indie looked at the floor, but Diana’s focus had already moved to her sister. “Was that Regina?”

Aspen nodded.

“Gosh, she grew up beautiful.” Diana’s eyes widened. “Not that she wasn’t pretty as a child,” she quickly added.

Aspen chuckled.

“She and Kane, huh?”

“I guess so,” Aspen conceded. “It must have been after I left, or she would have told me. I just can’t believe she has a son, and Zeus never noticed.”

“Zeus doesn’t leave the clubhouse much.” I brought the tray of cups to the table with cream and sugar, then turned to grab the coffeepot. “I’ve actually only met him once before now.” I poured coffee into each cup and handed them out before asking, “Do you think he would hurt her?”

Reggie was the closest thing I had to an actual friend, and if I needed to, I wouldn’t think twice about protecting her. Wouldn’t hesitate to brew something that would put Zeus in the ground if he laid a hand on her.

“I’d like to say no, but he’s not the same person he was when I went to college,” Diana said. She stared into her cup as Bane rubbed her back.

“That wasn’t your fault, baby.” Diana nodded, but I could tell she didn’t believe him. She was carrying guilt that didn’t belong to her.

“Indie, what did you whisper to him that made him let go of her arm?” I asked, taking a sip of my own coffee.

I choked and spat it on the table when she answered, “That I would slice his throat the same way I did his father’s.”

“WHAT?” Diana and Aspen both screamed.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” Indie squeezed her eyes shut, and Mimic pulled her into his chest.

“They need to know the truth, babe,” he said against her hair.

“What truth?” Diana asked. Aspen stared at her nephew, her eyes welling with tears. Fear and understanding began to dawn across her face.

“What did he do?” Aspen asked. Her trembling voice told me she would believe whatever they said, and I wondered again what her story was. What horrors she’d survived.

“Did you know?” Diana asked her husband.

“Yeah, baby.”

Cash and Kytten stood quietly in the corner of the room. Cash held Kytten against his chest while she wrapped her arms around his waist. Protective. Shielding her from whatever was coming.

“Let me give you some privacy,” I said, standing up from the table.

“No, Lettie. You live next door to the club. You should know what the risks are,” Cash said as he led Kytten to the table. He sat down and pulled her into his lap.

“I spoke to King earlier, and we both agreed it was time you ladies knew the truth.” Cash rubbed Kytten’s back and looked at Diana. “It’s up to you what you tell your mother. But Kytten and Aspen are both old ladies in my club, and since Kytten and Mimic are your children, we made the decision to tell you as well.”

Cash turned to me. “As for you, we want to make sure you’re safe living so close to the club. We don’t believe Zeus was involved in this shit, but we don’t know about the others.” He looked back at Diana. “She needs to hear everything, and that starts with you.”

Diana nodded and told me her story. For the next hour and a half, they shared their secrets with me, ending with Indie explaining how Kronos fit into the story she’d already told me. The words painted pictures I didn’t want to see. Violence. Rape. Trafficking. Evil so deep it made my stomach turn and my hands shake with rage.

“Oh my God, how do I tell my mother?” Diana cried. “This will devastate her.”

I’d met Kronos a few times, and if I were being honest, I didn’t get that vibe from him. Either he was innocent and Indie was mistaken, or the man was a damn good actor. A monster hiding behind a mask of respectability.

“Aspen, are you okay?” I asked, placing my hand over hers.