by Tate James
Zed snorted a laugh in the kitchen, where he was loading the dishwasher, and I gave him a wry look. To Lucas, I just answered, "Because clearly, I have issues, Gumdrop." Then I changed the subject because it was way too early in the morning for a psychoanalysis. "How is your tattoo healing? Cass will skin you alive if it gets infected."
Lucas leaned back in his chair and lifted his shirt to show the scabbed-over tattoo. "So far, so good," he reported. "Now Cass is going to need a Darling tattoo as well so he can be on Team Hades."
Zed snorted a laugh. "He already has one."
Startled, I jerked my face in Zed's direction. "What? Since when?"
He just gave me a lazy grin, continuing to load the dishwasher. "Uh, same night he did Gumdrop's. After you two went to bed, he got me to put it on his back."
I frowned, my eyes narrow in suspicion. "Cass doesn't have any free space on his..." I trailed off as I took in the way Zed was focusing extra hard on the dishes. Then I snickered. "You tattooed Cass's ass?"
Zed gave an annoyed groan. "No. It wasn't his ass, it was just... his back. Lower back." Yet he still wouldn't meet my eyes, so I definitely needed to check that out for myself.
Lucas grinned like he'd just been given ammunition to tease Zed, but Zed spotted the look before Lucas could get even a word out.
"You'll keep your smart remarks to yourself if you know what's good for you, Gumdrop. Don't make me retaliate in the gym later."
Lucas cringed and held his hands up in surrender. "Not a word, bro." He mimed zipping his mouth shut but sent me a smirk when Zed turned away once more. I just shook my head but had to admit how natural it felt to be interacting with them both like this. It was comfortable, except for that nagging sick feeling in my stomach over Seph's safety.
Fucking hell. I was going to kill her when we got her back. What kind of dumb-shit move did she think she was pulling by running away from the very people keeping her safe?
Growing angrier with every thought, I almost tore the newspaper pages as I turned them. When I found the obits, I took a couple of calming breaths and started reading through them one at a time.
"Fuck's sake," I groaned before I’d even made it through half a page.
Zed braced his hands on the other side of the counter from me—in the exact spot he'd fucked me yesterday. "Let me guess."
I rubbed my eyes. "No guessing necessary. All actions have consequences, my Darling. It's not nice to throw knives." I read the not-even-slightly subtle message from the obituaries and looked up to meet Zed's eyes. "In case there was any doubt, the attack on Seph was payback for me throwing a knife at him."
Zed grimaced and shook his head. "I'd bet he already had this plan up his sleeve. He just tweaks the details to make it seem like it's a direct retaliation."
I folded the newspaper up, having finally lost my desire to read the obits. "Well, whatever. Either Cass and Demi find her today, or—"
"Or nothing," Zed snapped. "You're not fucking going to meet Chase tonight."
Linking my fingers together in front of me, I gave Zed a cold glare and drew my Hades mask on as easily as a pair of old socks. "Don't presume to tell me what to do, Zayden. Just because we fucked a couple of times, that does not give you any power or control over me. Let me be perfectly clear: I wasn't asking your permission. If Cass doesn't find Seph by eight tonight, I will do whatever it fucking takes to get her freed. End of discussion."
Zed glared back at me, his eyes blazing with rage and his hand balled into a fist on the counter. But he knew me. He knew damn well when I could be pushed and when he needed to back right the hell off before shit turned nasty.
So he gave a frustrated, angry snarl and stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the dishwasher door shut on his way toward the gym.
"Shit," Lucas groaned. "He's going to take that out on me, you know." He offered me a small smile to show he was joking, but I was still too hardened to reciprocate.
Zed's voice boomed down the corridor a moment later. "Lucas! Get your ass in the gym!"
Lucas gave me an exaggerated pout with puppy eyes, and it was just enough to crack through my Hades shell.
"You're adorable," I admitted, giving him a weak smile back, "but I'm not rescuing you. Zed needs to learn that I'm not one of his cheap fucks and I won't fall in line to his manly opinion just because he's been inside my panties. Nothing changes; I'm still the boss."
Lucas nodded his understanding, then leaned in to kiss my shoulder where my sleep T-shirt had slipped off. "You sure fucking are, Hayden. Zed will work it out. In the meantime, I suppose I'll let him work out some of that rage on me."
I scoffed. "You secretly love his training. Don't think you have me fooled."
Zed roared Lucas's name again, and I smacked a quick kiss on Lucas's lips. "Go. I'll come join you soon."
Lucas grinned. "Can't wait." He leaned in to kiss me back properly, then took off running toward the gym and his enraged trainer.
I took my time finishing my coffee, staring at my blank phone screen the entire time, silently praying for it to light up. But by the time I got to the bottom of my mug, I had to admit I was being pathetic. With a heavy sigh, I slid off my stool, carried my mug over to the dishwasher, and finished the task Zed had started before his temper tantrum.
Just as I was setting the wash cycle, my phone chimed, and I practically threw myself across the kitchen, my heart racing.
It wasn't Seph, though. Nor was it Cass or Demi. Hell, I'd even settle for a call from Archer and his boys, if Cass hadn't put them all in hospital for letting Seph get taken.
Pressing a hand to my chest in a useless attempt to slow my frantic pulse, I opened the message.
Dallas: Found something about NP.
I frowned a moment before I understood who NP was. Then my eyes widened, and I quickly tapped a reply.
Hades: Come over to Zed's.
Because even though Dallas had worked some impressive security on all our phones, I didn't trust Leon not to have somehow hacked our server. If he had felt inclined to keep tabs on us to make sure we had dropped our guild research, it didn't seem out of the realm of possibility.
Dallas: Yes, sir. Be there in 20.
Tucking my phone into the pocket of my sweatpants, I hurried upstairs to get dressed for business. Maybe my day wouldn't just be sitting around waiting for good news after all. It wasn't the news I'd wanted, but it was better than nothing. I hoped.
Dallas arrived exactly twenty minutes later, and I led him through to the gym where Zed was barking encouragement at Lucas while my Gumdrop ran through a familiar set of speed-punch drills.
The music was up so loud I wasn't going to try yelling to be heard, so I just picked up a yoga ball and pitched it at Zed's head. It hit him perfectly, bouncing off and making him scowl in my direction while Lucas laughed.
"Take a break," I mouthed at him, tipping my head to Dallas in the doorway behind me.
Zed gave a nod of understanding and muttered to Lucas that he could rest for a bit. Sweat dripped from Lucas’s brow, and the smile he sent in my direction was pure relief. Zed really had worked him hard.
"Let's head out to the courtyard," I told Dallas as Lucas tugged his gloves off and accepted a cold, wet towel from Zed. As we passed through the kitchen, I deliberately placed my phone on the counter and silently indicated Dallas should do the same. I was being paranoid, no question. But considering Leon had mentioned we were on the Circle's radar, I didn't want to run the risk.
"Can I get you a drink?" I offered Dallas, feeling far too fucking comfortable in Zed's home.
Dallas noticed it too, sharp bastard, and gave me a curious look before shaking his head. "Nah, I've gotta get back to look after Maddox before Bree leaves for work."
"We won't keep you too long then," I replied, indicating to one of the seats by the cold fire pit. Lucas and Zed joined us a few seconds later, both still in their gym gear and Lucas breathing heavily, but neither had brought their phones with them.
> Zed sat down first, taking the seat directly beside me. It was his usual position, just a whole lot closer than normal. "Dallas, I'm guessing you dug something up on the genetic match?"
Dallas shot me an uncertain look, rubbing a hand over the back of his tattooed neck. "Uh, nah. Hades told me to give that a rest. But I still had some bots running searches that I forgot to switch off."
Zed snorted a laugh. "Forgot. Sure."
"You found Nicholas Porter?" I prompted.
Lucas sat up straighter at the mention of his bio-father, who he'd never even met. But his mom had given me Nicholas as a hint for something, so I hadn't been super firm when I told Dallas to stop searching.
Dallas nodded. "Yep, sure did." He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out some folded papers, which he handed over to me. "Sergeant Nicholas Porter, born and raised in Estes Park, Colorado, enlisted with the US Army at age eighteen."
"That's where my mom grew up," Lucas commented thoughtfully as I unfolded the papers and scanned them. "Maybe they knew each other as kids or something."
Dallas shrugged. "Probably. It’s a small town, and they're the same age. Only one problem."
I clicked my tongue, spotting the detail he was talking about. "Nicholas Porter died during a training exercise gone wrong," I murmured, frustration simmering in my veins.
"Yeah, that's what Mom told me," Lucas confirmed.
I wrinkled my nose, looking up at him. "He died two years before you were born, Lucas. He can't be your bio-dad."
"Unless Gumdrop's date of birth was fabricated and he's actually twenty-one, not nineteen," Zed offered with a casual shrug.
Both Lucas and I swung our heads around to stare at him over that suggestion, but Zed just blinked back at us, unapologetic.
"What?" he muttered, "Cass gets to suggest Lucas is some kind of sci-fi sleeper agent, but I can't make a rational hypothesis that he's older than we think?"
Dallas cleared his throat. "Uh, well, I mean sure, that's maybe possible? But I did also locate all of Lucas's birth records and shit, so... I mean, I don't think that's the right theory." He spread his hands in an awkward gesture. "I'll look into it. I guess?"
Elbowing Zed, I refocused. "Zed's being a dick. I think the plausible explanation, and certainly why Sandra seemed to point in the direction of Nicholas Porter, was that she'd used him as a smokescreen."
Lucas sat forward in his seat, his elbows on his knees. "So... now what?"
Dallas shrugged. "Beats me. I just find the info you ask for. What dots you connect to make a picture, that's up to you guys. Way above my pay grade."
I sighed. "Fair call. Cover your ass, Dallas. I cannot impress this on you enough. Cover your ass. Trust me when I say you don't want the Guild paying a visit. Keep looking, but don't take risks. Clear?"
He nodded in understanding and got to his feet. "Yes, sir. I should have a name off that genetic match by the end of the week."
"I'll see you out," Zed announced, standing as well and leading the way back out of the courtyard, leaving Lucas and I alone for a minute.
He said nothing, his eyes locked on the pavers at his feet until I reached out and nudged his knee with my foot.
"Hey," I said softly when he looked up. "You okay?"
His answering nod was tight and his smile brittle. "Yeah, of course. I never knew Nicholas, so this means nothing to me. Just more lies from my mom, nothing fucking new there."
My heart ached at the sadness in his eyes, and I desperately wished I had the right words to soothe his emotional wounds.
"Lucas—" I started, but he swiped a hand through his hair and stood up.
"I'm gonna head back to the gym," he announced. "Zed was going to teach me some new grappling moves."
He stalked back into the house without waiting for me to reply or follow, his shoulders tight with tension like he carried the weight of the world on them. It might not have been the whole world, but simply carrying his mother’s secrets seemed to be heavy enough.
Fucking Sandra had some shit to answer for.
28
The day seemed to drag out from there. Lucas tried to speak with his mom to ask why she'd lied about who his father was, but her nurse confirmed Sandra wasn't having a good day. As frustrating as it was, we couldn't force answers out of an unwell woman.
No calls came through from Cass or Demi. No updates arrived on Seph. I entertained one very brief, very terse conversation with Archer, who confirmed they were assisting in the search, but otherwise it was just... waiting.
As seven o'clock rolled around, I reluctantly headed into my bedroom to get ready for my dinner date with Chase.
Zed and I had grown more and more irritated with each other all damn day, arguing over whether I would meet Chase on the terms stipulated. I'd ended up shutting my bedroom door on him and locking it while I put on makeup and found something to wear.
"To be clear," Lucas commented from his position seated on my bed, his back against the headboard, "I also don't think you should go."
I arched a brow at him while flipping through the clothing in my closet. It'd all been chosen by Hannah, and I had to appreciate how she had an impeccable eye for my style. "You haven't said much on the subject," I replied. "Not like Captain Opinion out there." I jerked my head toward the closed door, and somewhere down the hall another door slammed.
Lucas gave a wry smile, rubbing a hand over his cheek. "Because I'm not an idiot. You're smart as hell, Hayden. I don't think you'd make reckless choices without thinking them through. Or... I hope you wouldn't." He gave me a pleading look, and I sighed.
"I wouldn't," I confirmed. "Chase isn't going to kill me just for turning up at this dinner unarmed. He's playing a game, and if I want him to release Seph unharmed, then... fuck it. I'll grit my teeth and play along."
Lucas didn't respond for a moment, his worried gaze on my face. Then he sat forward with a sigh. "He's going to hurt you, babe."
I scoffed. "He wouldn't dare."
Lucas shook his head. "Maybe not physically. But he's got something planned to dent your armor again, I just know it. He's going to push just to see how much he can get away with, then—"
"I know," I snapped, cutting him off because, fucking hell, I didn't need to hear it out loud. I already knew what I was likely getting myself into, but nothing either Lucas or Zed could say would talk me out of it. I'd survived much, much worse from Chase before. This would be no more uncomfortable than a root canal.
Lucas was smart enough to shut up then and just sat on my bed with his gaze locked on me as I got dressed. I opted for pants over a dress because I planned to take my Ducati. Also because this wasn't a real date and I had no desire to offer Chase any kind of easy access to my vagina. No fucking thank you.
Out of habit, I picked up my gun holster, then gritted my teeth as I put it back down. Out of paranoia, I held the Desert Eagle out to Lucas to take.
"Keep this safe for me," I said quietly. "I feel weird leaving it behind."
He took it gently from my hand, his fingers brushing mine and his gaze serious. "This was his, right?"
I grimaced, remembering the night I'd claimed it as my own, literally taking Chase's power from him and shooting him in the fucking face with it.
"Sure was." I puffed out a breath. "I have a feeling he wants it back, too." I hadn't missed the covert glances he gave my gun whenever we were in close proximity like he couldn't help lusting for it.
Lucas nodded his understanding. "I'll guard it with my life, then."
I smiled. "Maybe not that hard. It's just a gun, and you're far more important to me." I bit back the desire to pounce on him and turned back to my closet to find some shoes and a jacket. When I was ready, I only had twenty minutes to get to dinner, so I kissed Lucas quickly and made my way down to the garage.
Zed was waiting for me there. His furious gaze swept over my body, and his jaw ticked with tension.
"Save it," I snapped, grabbing my helmet and swinging a leg
over the Ducati. "Just keep your fucking phone on. As soon as Chase gives up Seph's location, I'll call."
"I'm coming with you," he announced, folding his arms across his chest defiantly.
I arched a brow, my helmet still in my hands. "Like hell you are. You'll stay here and follow up with Cass for a progress report. In case there's any confusion, that's an order, Zed." My voice cracked with authority, and his eyes hardened.
Not hanging around to hear more of his arguments, I gave a nod to Lucas, then jammed my helmet on and kicked my bike to life. Both of them watched me go, neither of them even remotely happy about it, but... too fucking bad.
I spent the entirety of my drive into the city rebuilding the walls Zed had worked tirelessly to break down just two nights earlier. By the time I slowed to a stop directly in front of the trendy downtown restaurant Chase had chosen, I was firmly locked inside a mental iron fortress of my own making. Within those protective shields, I was prepared for anything Chase might throw my way.
Possibilities flashed across my mind in quick succession as I slowly climbed off my bike and removed my helmet. Images of ambush, restraints, torture, sexual assault... no matter what I’d told Zed and Lucas, I knew there was a whole lot Chase could do that wouldn't result in death. I was prepared for all of it, just to get my sister back.
Two nondescript guards stood on either side of the main door, both eyeing me up as I strode past, but neither stopped me. Of course, they worked for Chase and he was expecting me. So long as I’d come alone, there was no need for them to be anything more than a looming threat.
Of course, the one thing I wasn't prepared for... was exactly what he delivered.
Striding into the empty restaurant, I looked around with a frown of confusion. The whole place was vacant except for one table right in the middle of the dining room. That table was set up for two with flickering candles and a Champagne bottle on ice to the side.
I paused, not seeing Chase... or anyone. Then he stepped into view with a sly smile pasted over his lips and a single black rose in his hand. Bruises decorated his face from Zed's fists a few nights ago, and one eyebrow looked like it had a stitch in it. Served him fucking right.