Page 21 of Hades

“There are two rooms down here, take one of those. It’ll be easier to stay close. Just in case.”

Just in case. “Right.” I picked up the bag the prospects left for us and tossed it into the first empty bedroom I spotted. It was a basic room with a queen-size bed, one dresser, two nightstands and a small window with a nice view of the trees. “Good enough,” I told myself before stripping down for a quick shower.

***

“Goddamn it smells good in here.” Hades stepped into the kitchen with a smile that made my nipples harden instantly. “What did you cook?”

I smiled, letting his complimentary words wash over me. Compliments were rare in my life and coming from Hades, it felt like high praise. “The boys stocked the place nicely. Garlic and shrimp pasta with a hearty red sauce.”

“Fuck, yes.” He moved to the sink and washed his hands before joining me at the table. “When did you learn to cook?”

I closed my eyes for a moment before I spoke. Talking about the past was never easy, even if it wasn’t that part of my past. “The reason I was looking for a job when I was, um, taken, was because I had a job in a restaurant kitchen. I left because the sous chef was handsy, but he was talented so they wouldn’t fire him. I had to go.”

His jaw clenched and he shook his head. “And you learned to cook like this?”

I nodded. “The few hours that Viktor let me leave his side, I spent with his chef. She was an older woman, a classically trained French chef.”

He smiled. “You were friends.”

I nodded again, thinking about Camille. “We grew close and I told her about the Steel Demons. She’s the reason I got rescued.” I shook my head thinking about those lonely months. “She left and I was sure she’d been killed, but then I saw Rocky and he smiled and said, ‘Camille says hi’.” My heart had never felt so full, so fucking relieved in my life.

“Damn. I hope you get to see her again.”

“Thanks,” I grinned. “Me too.” I watched Hades as he dug into the food, moaning with his eyes closed after every bite. I shouldn’t be feeling turned on, hell, I hadn’t been turned on by a man for six years, and before that I was a nineteen year old with minimal experience so what the fuck did I know about arousal and sex, really?

A comfortable silence settled between us while we ate, and I was all right with that. Being quiet with Hades was better than conversation with most people and I leaned into that comfort. I appreciated that he didn’t see a victim when he looked at me, which made it easy to talk to him.

“I recognized one of those guys,” I finally admitted to him.

He froze and looked up at me, his expression patient as he waited. “Okay.”

“The bald one,” I clarified. “He’s basically a fixer for Alexei—he’s Viktor’s number two. When they need a job done but they don’t care how it gets done, he’s who they call. If the order is bring her back dead or alive, he’s who they call.” My eyes slid closed and I shook off the images in my mind. “Plenty of girls were brought back too messed up to be useful, if you get my drift.” Those girls were brought back, usually immediately tortured and then killed.

“I get it.” He pushed the words out through clenched teeth. “How are you with a gun?” he asked, seemingly out of the blue.

I smiled at the question, hoping to surprise him again. “I can shoot a rifle or a handgun. Plus I’m a damn good fighter, not that it’s a fair fight with Viktor’s men, but I know how to even the odds, don’t worry.” It would be a fight to the death, but that was on the table either way and I refused to go down easily.

“So you’re scrappy on top of being mouthy?” he said with a smile and it was a smile I’d never seen before. Hades was a serious guy, and he usually wore a bland expression or a scowl, but even when he was hanging around with my brother and the other guys, his smile never came so easily. Never seemed so relaxed.

I thought about his words and shrugged. “I’m not mouthy.”

He barked out a laugh, and I knew I’d say anything to hear that sound again. “But you are delusional. Good to know.”

We shared a laugh and for a few seconds I forgot why we were here in the middle of nowhere, eating dinner in the middle of the night. “So, what are we gonna do while we’re here?” There was no TV and I didn’t see a router anywhere.

“Hang out,” he answered as he finished his second plate of food. “Get to know each other. Maybe even become friends.”

Friends. I rolled that word over in my mouth and it seemed too bland for what we were already. “I thought we were friends.”

He smiled, leaning back in his chair. “And here I was thinking that you hated me.”

My lips parted but I bit back the smile and shrugged instead. “I hate everybody.”

“Now I know why. Beer?” He stood and crossed to the fridge, grabbing two bottles.

“Maybe it’ll help me sleep.” I already knew it wouldn’t but having a beer with Hades was better than staring at the ceiling and trying to sleep. “Maybe some fresh air will help,” I nodded to the front porch and he grinned.

“Come on, then.”