Page 50 of Hades

“Are you going to cry?” Vivian’s lips tilted into a smile.

I shook my head. “I don’t cry.”

Her brows shot up, disappearing behind her new bangs. “Never?”

I shrugged. “I used to cry, but he, Viktor, got off on it so I trained myself to stop. It took about a year, but it happened.” And right now I really wanted to cry, but I wouldn’t let myself.

“Holy shit, Raven.”

I shrugged again. “I have no plans to give up, I can promise you that.” I would live, I knew that now. I didn’t want to die. I had reasons, well I had one reason to live, and that was enough for now. I would live, but I would be gone from their lives. From Steel City altogether.

“A perfect non-answer.” She laughed to herself. “No offense.”

“None taken.” I sighed again and turned back to TJ, handing him more blocks since he now had a stool to climb to make his wall of plushy blocks even taller. “Things are complicated right now and all I can say is that I don’t plan on sacrificing myself, but I also won’t let anyone else get hurt because of my mistakes. Katya was too much as it is.”

“Did you think that when I came here and I had all those people coming after me?” Vivian asked.

“Yeah,” I answered honestly. “I did. I was angry that you were willing to put so many people in danger, but I got it. You have a kid and you’re a good mom, so you were willing to do whatever it took to make sure he lived. I understood then, and now.”

“So because you don’t have kids, you’re not allowed to do what’s necessary to live?”

I didn’t know how to answer that. I wanted to live, but I refused to burden anyone else with my problems. Thankfully, my phone vibrated in my back pocket before I came up with an answer. The screen flashed with an unknown number, but I knew who it would be before I answered the call. “Hello?”

There was a long silence before I heard the deep timbre of a voice I often heard in my nightmares. “Your boys play a good game, Daisy.”

I flinched at the use of that name that was never mine, but it was what Viktor always called me. “Fresh as a daisy,” he would say. “Pretty as a daisy,” he would say when I got all dressed up in one of his fancy dresses and gowns.

“I will meet your demands. A public meeting. Lavender Leaves. Noon. Tomorrow. Don’t be late.” The call ended before I could gather my shit and say something. Anything.

I felt sick. Just hearing his voice after so much time brought me right back to that world and that life. To that time in my life when I was powerless. I jumped to my feet and rushed to the bathroom where I gripped the sides of the toilet and emptied everything that was in my stomach. It wasn’t much since I hadn’t had much of an appetite, but I was officially worried.

This was the third time I’d been sick this week, and the last time before that was my twenty-first birthday after about twenty-two shots. “Shit, I must be coming down with something.” I muttered, trying like hell to convince myself that this was just nerves.

Vivian laughed behind me. “Could be a nine month flu. Want me to get you a test?”

I frowned and then all the blood drained from my hands and face. “Nine month… why would you say that?” I mean, it had occurred to me but given all the fucking stress I was under, I figured that was the issue.

“Well,” she sighed heavily and pointed at the toilet. “Sensitive stomach is a key symptom. Check your period too. My offer for the test stands.”

I couldn’t be pregnant, not now. It was the worst time. I might die tomorrow. “No thanks,” I finally answered. “I’m not sure I’m ready to know one way or the other.” I had too many other things to worry about right now. Things like a Russian trafficker who’d stop at nothing to get back something—me—that belonged to him.

The meeting was set for tomorrow.

Today would be the last normal day of this life.

After tomorrow, or whenever, I’d have a different life altogether.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Hades

“Where the fuck is Falcon?” He was supposed to be here at the clubhouse an hour ago, and he was still no-fucking-where to be found.

“He texted me about thirty minutes ago to say he was running behind. Promised he’d be here as soon as he could.” Gio shrugged, smiling to hide the worry in his eyes.

I was already stressed the fuck out because today was the day. The day Raven was willingly dangling herself like bait just so we could get to the asshole who spent years brutalizing her. I didn’t like it, and to make it all even worse, she was avoiding me. For six goddamn days she’d stuck to her room, not even coming out for meals.

There was no fucking way in hell I’d let her go meet with that asshole without speaking to her. There were things I needed to say to her, things she needed to hear. Today. Now.