Page 55 of Hades

I nodded before revving the engine and taking off with one of my brothers at my side. The road wove through Vegas proper before it turned to residential streets lined with trees, manicured lawns, and evidence of happy families all around. Then, the residential neighborhoods turned into something else entirely, big ass mansions hiding behind tall fences. Where the fuck were we going?

Sniper pulled ahead and waved his hands to indicate I should follow him, which I did. We circled the block twice and then drove a few blocks away, close to a park. “You turned off your fucking headset,” he accused the moment he jumped off his bike.

I blinked because it took a fucking second for his words to register. The headset. “No I didn’t.” I pulled it out and inspected it. “What did I miss?”

He shook his head and fisted his hands on his hips. “Asshole took her to some mansion in that neighborhood. Slate’s got the address but he’s trying to hack into the surveillance systems in the area, so we don’t go in blind.”

A mansion? That made no fucking sense. “Why would he bring her here? And is Falcon there too?”

Sniper nodded. “I’d bet money on it. But we need to know.”

“Yeah,” I sighed because I did. If we went in there with guns blazing and Falcon wasn’t in there, whoever was holding him would absolutely kill him. “So we just wait?”

He nodded. “We just wait. You could tell me what’s going on with you and Raven while we wait.” His lips spread into a wide, knowing smile. “And don’t even tell me nothing because it’s pretty obvious to everybody, but Falcon.”

My nostrils flared and my jaw tensed in an effort to hold the truth within me, but I crumbled under the weight of Sniper’s gaze. “It just sort of happened.”

“Bullshit,” he shot back. “You’ve been crushing hard for a while.”

I wanted to argue, but I couldn’t dammit. “Even if that was true, I kept my distance.” I had to. Even though I didn’t know what she’d been through, I knew Falcon would lose his shit if I tried anything with his sister.

“Until you didn’t.”

I nodded and looked away, staring at the empty park across the street. “She was so fucking vulnerable. So real when we were alone at the cabin. Still a smart ass but underneath, there were layers. I shouldn’t have touched her, but I did.”

“And it wasn’t just scratching an itch. You felt something.”

I nodded. “She did too.” And there was a good chance I already fucked it up.

“She’s been stuck in her room until today.” It wasn’t a question, but an opening for me to keep talking.

“Yeah.” I shook my head to erase the image of her so fucking sad today. “Shit is complicated, man. I don’t know what’s going on but I know what I want, and as soon as this is all over, I plan to do something about it.”

“Good for you. I’m sure saving his life will go a long way to softening the blow once he finds out you’re in love with his sister.”

In love with his sister.

Hearing it out loud from someone else’s mouth was less scary. In fact, it gave me the confidence I needed to do what needed to be done. After this shit was over.

“How long are we supposed to wait?”

Sniper shrugged. “As long as it takes.”

I hated that fucking answer more than anything.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Raven

My heart had raced as Viktor’s SUV had woven down residential streets that quickly turned into wider streets with ten foot fences that hid giant mansions. I’d almost laughed to myself when we coasted through wrought iron gates and right into a Mediterranean style mansion with terracotta tile roofs, and a stone and stucco exterior. It was over the top. It was massive. It was also exquisite.

Another gilded prison.

I’d been here for almost an hour now. I just hoped that the Steel Demons were coming to save me and Falcon. Though I had no idea if my brother was here too.

“What are you thinking about, Daisy?”

I cringed at the sound of that name. If I never fucking heard it again it would be too fucking soon. “Nothing much,” I answered softly. “Just this place. This is your specialty, isn’t it?”