Anarchy (Hades Book 2)

by Tate James

  "Where do you want this guy?" Rodney asked, nudging the near-naked man with his toe. Blood coated a large portion of his upper body and face, and he looked like he was about three seconds from pissing himself.

  "Basement," I decided. "Secure him there until we can deal with this, then we can find out what he knows." Even if he had nothing to do with Jessie being drugged, he didn't stop fucking her when she was screaming and hallucinating, so he deserved what he had coming.

  Zed hauled the guy up and dragged him along to a staff staircase at the back of the corridor while I turned to Rodney with a sigh.

  "We anticipate cops here any second," I told him. "Head back downstairs and give your staff a quick briefing. Let them know that if anyone utters a word about this, they'll be answering to me. Personally."

  "Understood," he responded and departed to do what I'd ordered.

  I turned back to the cleaning crew in the bedroom and watched them work for a couple of moments. "Get some sheets back on that bed and set the room up as normal," I told them as they packed up their supplies. "Then get out of here."

  They silently did as they were told, and I tapped out a quick text to all the gang leaders under my rule. Given so many of them had been at the fight, it shouldn't be a hard task to call them into an emergency meeting tonight. Ezekiel might not be able to attend, and Archer definitely couldn't, but I could conference call both of them in.

  Alexi's team finished up and pulled out of the parking lot all of three seconds before two SGPD cop cars pulled in with lights and sirens on and an unmarked car behind them. FBI I'd be willing to bet. The agent they'd had tailing me all week was laughably incompetent, and I'd ditched him earlier in the day. But at a glance through the club’s window, it looked like his car.

  I passed Alexi on my way down to the main floor and told him to wait for me in the basement and keep our guest quiet until the cops had gone.

  He gave me a grim smile in return. "Yes, sir."

  When the cops entered my club, I bit my cheek to keep my expression cool and neutral. It was Lieutenant Jeffries again with a couple of less familiar faces, and he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

  "Hades," he greeted me with a grimace. "This is a surprise. We heard you had a big event over at Anarchy tonight."

  I pursed my lips, my arms loosely linked under my breasts and my index finger tapping my forearm. "I just bet you did. I found the need to visit some of my other venues tonight. What can I do for you?"

  He cleared his throat. "We've had another anonymous tip."

  I said nothing, letting the stupidity of that sentence hang in the air between us, and watched Lieutenant Jeffries sweat on it.

  "I have to do my job, Hades," he told me with an edge of frustration.

  I raised one brow. "And what does your job require you to do this evening, Jeffries? I seriously doubt you have the required paperwork to conduct another drug search of my club." I was playing dumb because I'd be an idiot to do anything else.

  "We've had a report of a murder here," he told me, his expression tight. "Eyewitness says one of your, ah, dancers was stabbed to death."

  "Eyewitness, huh?" My sarcasm was heavy. "Same witness who tipped you off about planted drugs at Pink Panther, I'd bet." But I stepped aside, inviting him further into the club, nonetheless. "You're welcome to come in anyway. You'll see for yourself that there are no dead strippers here."

  One of the other cops sneered in my direction. "You've probably already cleaned the scene."

  Lieutenant Jeffries cringed like he was imagining throttling his officer, but I just gave a polite smile in return. "That would be awfully proactive of me. When did this tip come through?"

  "Ten minutes ago," Jeffries replied, shooting a death glare at his officer. "I don't think even Hades can clean a stabbing murder in ten minutes, Dickson."

  I quirked a brow at Dickson and filed his face in my brain for later. That was a dirty cop if I'd ever seen one and on Chase's payroll I'd bet. And Jeffries was entirely right, ten minutes would have been a pinch. Fifteen, though? With a solid head start prior to the crime? Yeah, that was doable. Just.

  "We've got nothing to hide, Jeffries, see for yourself. But we are in the middle of a staff meeting so I'd ask you to be quick."

  The lieutenant assured me they'd be quick, and his cops scattered through the venue, searching for a murdered girl who was currently on her way to be dissolved in acid well away from Timberwolf territory.

  It only took them ten minutes before an embarrassed-looking Lieutenant Jeffries returned to me with his hat in hand. "Hades, I apologize for the intrusion. Again. I hope you understand, I—"

  "Need to do your job. Yes, I understand. As do I." I kept my expression neutral and let him draw his own conclusions from that.

  The cops cleared out, and I gave Rodney the go-ahead to send his staff home. I had a meeting to conduct, and none of my legit staff needed to get mixed up in that crowd.

  "I'll stay on," Rodney offered. "You look like you could use a drink."

  That was an understatement. In the wake of the cops departing, and with the FBI douche still parked outside with his crappy little binoculars, I was ready to collapse from stress.

  But falling to pieces was a luxury I couldn't afford, so I accepted his offer of a drink and ordered one for Lucas and Zed while I was at it.

  Cass arrived not long after the staff had left, his jaw tight and his eyes blazing with anger as he looked around the empty club.

  "What fucking happened?" he demanded.

  Zed gave him a sharp headshake, and I slid off my barstool. "Cass, follow me; we can speak privately."

  I trusted Rodney, to a point. But as Chase had proven time and time again, he was awfully good at flipping loyalties, and I wasn't going to take chances. So I led the way out of the main bar and through to a private lap-dance room down a short corridor. Cass followed me inside, and I jerked the heavy velvet curtain shut before falling into his arms.

  He grabbed onto me, understanding what I needed without being told. His mouth found mine, his lips caressing me and easing the heavy tension on my mind as his arms banded tight around me and took my feet off the floor.

  Eventually, though, he lowered me back to the carpet and released my lips with a heavy sigh. "I could have fucking murdered Zed for that kiss during my fight," he growled, anger and frustration shining bright in his eyes.

  I smiled. "I'm pretty sure that's the reaction he wanted." I wrinkled my nose. "I forgot to turn the security system off in the garage earlier."

  Cass's scarred brow twitched, then his lips curled in a smug smile. "Good."

  I rolled my eyes. Cass and Zed were giving me whiplash with how fast they switched from bromance to petty jealousy. "Whatever. We have bigger issues tonight."

  Cass's expression sobered. "I saw the meeting invitation."

  I gave a sigh. "Yep. It needs to happen. Chase tried to frame someone for a murder here tonight. Sounds like one of the girls was overdosing on PCP and stabbed herself to death while fucking a client. I'd be willing to bet that, somehow, the knife has the fingerprints of one of our staff on it and that the customer would have conveniently disappeared after leaving here."

  Cass grimaced. "Creative."

  I rubbed my eyes. "It's starting to give me a migraine."

  "Boss," Zed called from outside the curtain, "Vega just arrived. I'll take him downstairs."

  "Thanks," I called back, then gave Cass a pained look. "I guess it's time for business. You got Roach coming?"

  He jerked a nod. "Yeah, he should be here soon."

  I reached for the curtain, but he stopped me with a hand on my wrist. With a deep frown, he pulled me back into his embrace and tilted my chin up so our eyes could meet.

  "Before we leave this room, I need to be perfectly fucking clear with you about something." His voice was low and rough, barely above a whisper. "I said it in my letter, but I need to say it again, aloud, to make sure you believe it." His rough hand cup
ped my face, and his nose brushed mine. "I love you, Red."

  My heart raced, my pulse fluttering uncomfortably fast, and I swallowed heavily. "Don't give me that end of the world crap, Saint. I've got this shit handled."

  But I still closed the gap between us, kissing him with all the emotion I was too stubborn and too broken to convey in words. Then I peeled myself out of his grip and jerked the curtain open. I had a meeting to conduct and yet another message to send to Chase fucking Lockhart.

  Cass shadowed me out to the main bar, then murmured something about waiting for Roach while I headed for the basement.

  "Lucas," I called out. "You coming?"

  He looked over at me from where he'd been waiting at the bar. "Am I allowed to come?"

  I gave him a small smile. "You're upper management now. We can sort out your Timberwolf tattoo another day." I flashed a quick wink at Cass, seeing as he was the best tattoo artist in Shadow Grove.

  Lucas grinned way too hard at that and hurried to catch up with me as I headed down to the basement level. Zed was already down there, his shirtsleeves rolled up to the elbows, his tie gone, and extra guns on display. Vega and his new second, Diego, were at the long banquet table in the wine cellar, and someone had already set up a Zoom call with both Ezekiel and Archer.

  I entered the room and gave a tight smile to everyone. "Gentlemen, thanks for joining me this evening. We're just waiting on the Reapers and Vipers, then we'll get down to business. I'll keep it quick; I know you all have better things to be doing tonight."

  I looked around for Alexi, then waved at him to join us at the table as well. "Alexi, sit in on this."

  "Who's your new friend, Hades?" Ezekiel asked, staring at Lucas with far too much interest.

  Zed answered for me, though. "Shut the fuck up, Ezekiel," he barked. "If Hades wanted to introduce him, she'd have done it."

  Amusement rippled through me, and I turned a cold smile to the laptop camera. "He's mine, Zeke. That's all you need to know."

  Goddamn Lucas and his gorgeous face were going to give me gray hairs if he kept attracting attention from dangerous parties because I could and would slaughter the next person who laid unwanted hands on him. He was mine, and I was more than capable of defending that claim.

  "Understood, sir," Ezekiel replied, holding his hands up defensively. "No offense intended."

  Archer, on the other side of the screen, just shook his head in disgust.

  A moment later Cass entered the room with his second, Roach. He took a seat across the table from me, and a minute later Maurice arrived with his own second in tow.

  "Excellent fight tonight, Cass," Maurice commented as he sat down at the table. "You won me some pretty money."

  Cass just glared in response, and I sensed Lucas fighting a laugh.

  I let silence build the tension for a moment, then drew a breath. "Thank you all for attending on short notice. We've had an incident here tonight that I feel needs to be addressed. First and foremost, I think it's pertinent to inform you who is responsible for the recent disruptions to our business." I paused, letting my gaze trail over each and every man in attendance. "Chase Lockhart is back from the dead and waging a twisted little war on me. You're all pawns on the board, so sharpen up or you'll be knocked over."

  Stunned silence met my announcement, so I continued.

  "As I think most of you are aware, angel dust was the Lockhart family trade, and that's what he's been using to make his presence known within the Timberwolf territory. I understand from speaking to several of you in the last week that you've been having more incidents of PCP on your streets and in your communities. Has anyone traced the supply chain for me yet?"

  More silence. Archer—calling in from Demi's house in Italy—looked shell-shocked at my news, and Cass was a goddamn statue across from me, his gaze locked on the wood grain of the tabletop.

  "No one?" I prompted, looking at Vega and Maurice, even sparing a glance at Ezekiel, despite him being so far removed from Shadow Grove. "No one can tell me how the drugs are being distributed in our zones?"

  Footsteps echoed down the stairs, then an uninvited party entered the wine cellar. "Oh, pick me," Chase suggested, his grin wide and smug. "I know."

  Fury burned through me. The temptation to shoot him was so high, but he'd more than proven he wouldn't make it so easy. He survived the first time I’d thought I killed him, and he'd have put considerably more contingencies in place to royally fuck me over if I tried again now.

  A muttered curse came from the laptop screen, and Chase ducked down to peer at the display. "Oh, hello baby D'Ath. Zeke. It's been too long, don't you think?"

  "Chase," I said with an irritated sigh. "This is a closed meeting; you weren't invited."

  He shrugged. "Whoops. I might have let myself in by shooting your guard upstairs. My bad." He gave another unhinged grin. "But don't you want to know who’s been peddling my dirty drugs in your streets, Darling? You know I couldn't possibly have set up that much of a network under your nose. You know I had to have help from someone in this very room, especially since you wiped out the Wraiths." He clicked his tongue, mocking me.

  I ground my teeth together, biting back all the violent curses sitting on the tip of my tongue. Then the words dried up entirely with Chase's next confession.

  "Good thing the Reapers stepped up to the plate, huh? Where would I be without your help, Cassiel Saint?"

  My whole body stiffened, ice forming down my spine, and my chest ached like I'd just been stabbed. Cass slowly raised his eyes from the table, meeting mine with pain and guilt etched across his features.

  "Bullshit," Archer scoffed from the video call. "Cass would never—"

  "Actually, sir," Alexi spoke up, "the douche from upstairs started talking already. He said it was a guy with a Reaper tatt that gave him the drugs Jessie took."

  Chase's grin was so wide it was practically climbing off his face. "Uh-oh. Do I smell trouble in paradise, Darling? You and Saint were fucking recently, weren't you?" He gave a low chuckle, his one-eyed gaze darting between Cass and I with glee. "Well, this is awkward."

  I drew a couple of deep breaths, desperately searching for my strength, frantically clinging to my steel walls and neutral expression, but I could feel it slipping.

  "Cass," I started, then stopped myself when I heard how raw my voice was. Shit. Shit.

  His eyes were dark as he stared back at me, his frown drawn deep, and his hands balled into fists on the table. Instead of denying the accusation, he just shook his head.

  "I'm sorry, Red," he croaked, resigned to his fate.

  No one else in the room spoke. They all knew what happened when someone crossed me. They'd seen it before.

  My mouth was bone dry, but I needed to swallow the lump of emotion choking my throat. I could scarcely breathe for fear of losing my shit all over the place, so I just closed my eyes in a drawn-out blink, blocking Cass's tortured face from my gaze.

  I extended my hand to Zed, silently asking for his gun, but he didn't give it to me.

  "Zed," I snapped, glaring at him.

  He just shook his head, though. "Don't do this," he told me in a quiet voice. "Chase is lying. He's always lying. At least investigate this first."

  "He's not," Cass spoke up, his rough voice full of regret.

  Roach's eyes bugged out, staring at his leader in horror and silently shaking his head with denial. I noted that and ground my teeth together. I had to handle this just like I'd handle any other betrayal of this scale.

  "Roach," I barked, "you've got one chance and once chance only to tell me the truth."

  The young gangster gaped at me like a fish for a moment, then frantically shook his head. "I had no idea, Hades, sir. None. I swear to you—"

  "He wasn't involved," Cass interrupted. "This was all me."

  I turned my attention back to Zed, ignoring Chase still standing in the doorway like a kid waiting for Christmas. He'd get what was coming to him, sooner or later, but tonight he h
ad the upper hand.

  "Give me your gun, Zed," I ordered, hardening myself against the pleading in his eyes.

  When he didn't move to hand it over, I reached down and pulled one directly from the holster at his hip. He didn't stop me, but he turned his gaze away in clear disgust.

  "Hayden, don't," Lucas muttered beside me. "Don't do this; you'll regret it forever."

  But that's where he was wrong. I never regretted killing those who betrayed me. So I raised the gun, aimed it straight at Cass across the table from me, and fired three shots as he mouthed the words I love you.

  His body jerked backward, tumbling out of the chair and smashing several bottles of wine behind where he'd sat. For a long moment, no one moved. No one spoke. I didn't even breathe. Then Chase started clapping and laughing.

  "Get out!" I roared, slamming the gun down on the table. "All of you. Out."

  The stunned gang leaders all did as they were told, murmuring polite thanks as they hurried out of the wine cellar. Vega and Diego needed to step over Cass's body and the mess of blood and wine all over the floor.

  Eventually, it was just Zed and Lucas left with me. And Chase. The sick fuck sauntered over to Cass's body and crouched down to dip his fingers in the spilled wine mixed with blood.

  "Well, this was entertaining," he commented, wiping his bloody fingers on his shirt as he straightened up once more. "One down, two to go."

  To Be Continued

  in CLUB 22

  coming June 11th, 2021

  Turn the page to read Cass’s letter, and if you want to chat spoilers for Hades? Join us in my dedicated SPOILER group on Facebook:

  www.facebook.com/groups/wtftate

  CASS’S LETTER

  Red,

  You told me tonight to write you a love letter. I'm at least eighty percent sure you were joking, but whatever. Here it fucking is. I'm not great with words, you already know this though. So, I dunno. This might take me a while to write. Hopefully you won't shoot me in frustration before I ever finish, but with you... who knows?