Page 12 of Hades

“And you won’t regret it.”

She looked up then, her eyes met mine without that usual steel she held up in front of her. She was all fear and vulnerability in that moment and it hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting.

I’d protect her with my life, without a doubt, but in that moment, I knew I’d go a hell of a lot further than that. Some urge rose up within me, something I’d never felt before, and it scared the shit out of me. Whatever this was, I needed to shut it down.

She was mine to protect, that was all.

She wasn’t mine, not in any other way.

No matter how it felt.

Chapter Seven

Raven

“We’re not there yet.” I crossed my arms, pushing the words through gritted teeth while I stared down half a dozen bikers determined to keep me safe.

Diesel sighed heavily but it was the only sign of frustration, even though I felt the tension radiating from his shoulders. “If we wait until we’re there, it might be too late.”

My shoulders sank a little at that undeniable logic. “I’ll give you that,” I began, pointing at my brother with a narrowed stare, a silent warning to shut the fuck up. “But I still think there’s no need to shuffle me off to a safe house. Yet.” The truth was I really didn’t want to run off while shit brewed all around me and because of me.

“Goddammit, Raven!” Falcon roared so loud it echoed off the walls. Veins stuck out in his neck and forehead and his face was an alarming shade of red. “Stop being so fucking stubborn and just let us keep you safe.”

I let out a long, pissed off sigh and glared at my brother. I knew he wanted me safe, but I also thought they were all being too cautious. “I’m not being stubborn, I’m being practical.” My gaze bounced across my brother, landing on Diesel, and then Rocky, Maverick, and Rebel, before settling on Hades. “They haven’t found me yet, so it makes no sense to be down a man before you need to be.”

“Fuck,” Rebel grumbled. “I hate it when she makes sense.”

My lips quirked into the smallest hint of a smile, but I suffocated it and fisted my hands on my hips, feeling helpless, which annoyed the ever loving fuck out of me. “I’m not trying to be difficult, but I think we need to be reasonable here. Be cautious without going overboard.”

Falcon stepped forward, pinching his nose, which he seemed to do a lot these days. “I appreciate what you’re sayin’, but this isn’t up for debate.”

“Bullshit!” I spat, feeling my anger and frustration churn into a cocktail of pissed off woman. “I appreciate that you, that all of you, want to keep me safe.”

“Alive,” Falcon growled.

“Yeah, I appreciate it,” I muttered in response. “But I can just stay at the clubhouse around the clock just to be safe. The community center is out of commission for a while and I’m pretty sure the members of the group got spooked and scattered to the four corners after news of Katya’s death. I’m safe as long as I stay here.” My heart raced because I knew this could become a big fight. I stood tall and jutted my chin high in the air, ready for the next fight.

Diesel stared at me for a long time, the weight of his studious gaze lingered for a lot longer than I was comfortable with. Eventually, his hands unfolded across his massive chest and fisted at his hips. “Fine. You stay at the clubhouse morning, noon, and night. If you leave, you do it with Hades. Only Hades. The moment you’re no longer safe, you leave. No questions and no arguments. Got it?”

“Fine,” I answered quickly. “No problems. Thanks.” I rushed from the office before anyone, namely my brother, changed their minds. I felt victorious in that moment for no other reason than I was able to stay at home. My home. The clubhouse wasn’t much in terms of comfort, but to me, it was home, and there was no fucking way I’d give it up unless it was absolutely necessary.

After what happened when I was Viktor’s captive, I didn’t do too well with being confined to one place, even if it was for my own good and I wasn’t an actual prisoner. On day two, I finally ventured outside of my room, determined to keep busy enough that my mind wouldn’t rot from boredom. “Want some help?”

Most of the club girls spent the morning in the kitchen, prepping and cooking breakfast for the whole club. The guys and their old ladies wandered in and out of the clubhouse with or without kids throughout the day, and the girls made sure breakfast and dinner was always available.

Simone looked up from the flat grill with a smile. “I’ll never say no to help. Get the toast going, would ya?”

“Yeah, sure.” I spent close to an hour toasting bread and cutting it in half before I moved on to chopping fruit and then transporting trays against the wall. It killed about ninety minutes, so I moved on to Steel City Motors, where I spent a few hours checking in customers and working the register. The club’s auto repair shop was right next to the clubhouse, so it was deemed to be safe. During the lulls I laughed with the guys, mostly prospects, and stayed until the afternoon rush was over.

When day three rolled around I helped out in the kitchen in the morning and spent most of the day at Demon Head Guns, cleaning and putting away firearms. I was going stir crazy at the clubhouse, and Diesel finally relented, figuring that being at the gun range was probably as safe a place as any. Spending the day surrounded by gunfire wasn’t my idea of a good time, but it was something to do that kept me busy.

***

“You’re losing your shit, aren’t you?” Macy dropped down on the grass beside me and bumped my shoulder. “It’s okay, you can admit it to me. I won’t tell a soul.” Her eyes gleamed with amusement.

I watched a few of the kids running through the grass, laughing and squealing with joy. It was one of my favorite things to do, watching kids being kids. I never had a normal childhood and watching them do so in the middle of a motorcycle club was incredible. “Maybe a little but being here is better than being imprisoned in a safe house somewhere.”

“Imprisoned? Didn’t know you were such a drama queen. You hide it well,” she laughed. “Hardly a hardship to be trapped in the middle of nowhere with a hot biker.”