Darkness Embraced (Hades Hangmen 7)

by Tillie Cole

Moving to the nearest car, I smashed the window and opened the door. Once it was hotwired, I pulled out onto the road. I hit the lights in case anyone saw me. And the closer I got to the chapel Luis told me to meet him at, my heart fucking pounded.

  The sky was starting to lighten. Dawn would break in a couple of hours. That was enough time. The minute I saw the small chapel, nothing else around for miles, I pulled the car to a stop around back. I stared at the old bricks that looked like they’d fall if touched. The stained-glass windows barely gripped their rotting wooden frames.

  Inside, I saw candles. I ran my hands down my face and got the fuck out the car. Moving to the small blue side door Luis had told me enter from, I knocked twice. It took less than ten seconds for it to open. I ducked inside and looked around. The room was small, wooden pews occupying most of the stone floor. A large crucifix hung on the main wall. Candles were lit on their stands—the only light in the entire place.

  “She okay?” I asked, my voice echoing round the old room.

  Luis smiled. “More than.” My pulse slammed in my neck. Luis sighed, smile fading. “I never thought we’d get here, Tanner. I never thought this day would come.”

  “I never gave up hope.”

  “Nor did she.”

  A young guy came through a door to the side of the chapel. I went to draw my gun, but Luis put his hand over mine and said, “He’s my trainee priest. He’s safe.”

  Then Luis looked behind me, and I fucking froze. I knew Adelita was there. I could fucking sense her. Luis smiled at her. We were in front of the altar. The priest-in-training moved to the piano. He started to play some song I couldn’t name.

  Then I heard Lita walking toward me. I heard her feet padding on the stone floor . . . getting closer and closer. My head spun. My heart beat fast. We were here. We were fucking here. After years . . . we were here.

  I smelled her rose scent behind me and closed my eyes. I thought back to meeting her that day in Mexico. Of how she stood up to me when I looked down on her. When she broke through my fucking defenses . . . when she came to me when my old man had hit me. And how she made me lose the hate that ran as thick as tar in my veins. She made me change . . . she made me love her.

  And by some fucking miracle, she loved me too.

  Seconds later, she was beside me. I could feel her warmth to my right. I breathed a deep breath . . . then opened my eyes. My head turned straight to her, like she was a magnet I couldn’t help but be drawn to. Her head was bowed, her dark hair covering her face. But I saw her dress. A purple silk dress. I fucking loved her in purple. Always had. The light was low, the candles not giving off much light. But I tensed when I saw the bruises on her bare arms . . . when I saw dried blood on her dress.

  Adelita lifted her head and showed her face. I almost lost my shit when I saw her black and swollen eyes. When I saw her cheeks were scratched. Her lips had been split.

  “Lita . . .” I whispered and moved my finger softly down her injured face. Adelita’s eyes filled with tears. She caught my hand, then did the same to me.

  “They beat you too . . .” she whispered.

  I fought the lump in my throat. “I thought you were dead.”

  Adelita’s lip trembled. “No . . .” She smiled. “It seems like God wanted us together after all, Tanner Ayers. It seems we were destined to be.”

  “I love you,” I rasped and cupped her face, careful not to hurt her.

  “Ti amo, mi amor.”

  As I stared at her, it was like I’d never seen her before. I’d thought her dead. I’d believed she was gone. But she was here, a fucking miracle. She was beside me . . . telling my unworthy ass that she loved me.

  She fucking loved me.

  She was marrying me.

  Luis cleared his throat. He held a Bible in his hand. “I never thought we’d be here today.” He spoke in English, clearly for my sake. Luis shook his head. “When you fell in love, I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it.” Luis looked at me, then Adelita. “The White Prince and the cartel princess. It made no sense. Two people, who were never meant to be, found in the other their soulmate. The half of their heart that had yet to be claimed.”

  Luis’s eyes watered as they landed on Lita. “I have married many people. Yet I don’t think I have ever rejoiced in a union more than this . . . more than yours.” He cleared his throat again. “You deserve one another. You’ve fought harder than anyone I have ever met. God will reward that. Has rewarded that. Right here, right now, is your reward.”

  I squeezed Adelita’s hand. It was shaking. But I knew it wasn’t from nerves. It was from happiness . . . because I was feeling it too.

  Luis read from the Bible. I didn’t hear it. Just stared at Adelita. She had no makeup on. She always wore makeup. But she was perfect without it. Even with bruises and cuts and wounds, she was the most beautiful bitch I’d ever seen.

  “And now your vows.”

  I faced Adelita and took hold of both her hands. “Lita . . .” I rasped, my heart echoing in my chest. “I’m not good with words.” I shook my head, not knowing what the fuck to say. Adelita squeezed my hands. I looked into her eyes. She nodded her encouragement, silently telling me to try. So I fucking tried. “You changed me, baby,” I said. “Everything. The minute I met you, you changed everything for me. I never knew anyone who was kind. You showed me that. I never knew anyone who was loyal. You showed me that too.” I took a deep breath. “I never knew anyone who fought so hard when they loved someone.” I dropped my forehead against Adelita’s. “You gave me a home, princess. You gave me a family when I barely knew what that was. And after this, I’m never leaving your side again. Not until I’m dead . . . and even then, I’ll take on Hades himself to get back to you.”

  Tears poured down Adelita’s cheeks. I wanted to wipe them away, but she held on tightly to my hands. “Tanner . . .” she whispered and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. “I love you. I love you more than I ever dreamed I could love another person.” Adelita smiled. “You challenged me when we first met. You challenge me still. But when I first met you . . . I felt something in my soul shift. I didn’t know what that shift was. I believed it to be hatred. But the more I got to know you . . . when I saw the cracks appear in the heavy armor you wear like a shield, I realized it was more.” Adelita’s thumb ran over the back of my hand. She met my eyes. “My heart was kindling. You were the naked flame that caused it to ignite.” I swallowed at her words. “I’ll never leave you again. I’ll never walk in this life without you by my side. I’ll follow you anywhere you go. My hand in yours.” Her head bowed. “You claim I fought hard for us. But Tanner, you fought harder. So much harder.” She lifted her eyes. “Without you, we wouldn’t be here right now.” She laughed through her tears. “Free, mi amor. Free and able to love without punishment. Our dream come true.”

  I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to take her mouth right then. But Luis handed me a ring before I could. It was just a plain gold band. “Repeat after me,” Luis said.

  “I, Tanner Ayers, take Adela Quintana to be my lawfully wedded wife.” I repeated all of what Luis instructed, and then slid Adelita’s ring on her finger. I couldn’t look away. She was mine. That ring on her finger told the world she was mine.

  “Adelita, repeat after me.” Luis guided Adelita through the words, then she slid the ring onto my finger.

  I didn’t look away from that fucking ring, until Luis said, “And by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” I took in a long breath. Then I released Adelita’s hands. Cupping her cheeks, careful that I didn’t hurt her bruises, I kissed her.

  When I pulled back, I pressed my forehead to hers and just breathed. There was no sound but the candle wicks burning. Only silence . . . until the deafening sound of a gunshot thundered around the chapel. Adelita’s body suddenly tensed and her eyes widened. I staggered back when she went limp in my arms, her lips parting like she was struggling to breathe. I didn’t even get a chance to turn around, to s
ee who was there, when another shot rang out. Red-hot pain immediately shot through my side. Trying to keep hold of Adelita, I slumped to the ground, taking her with me, when my legs gave out. Another shot fired, and Father Reyes hit the floor. Another shot; the priest-in-training dropped. I managed to look up and saw Diego Medina. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had his gun aimed back at Adelita.

  Lifting my numbing hand into my jeans, I pulled out my gun and, even with fading strength, lifted my torso from the floor and fired a single shot his way. The bullet sailed through Diego’s neck, but not before his gun went off again too, firing a bullet into my chest. The shot knocked me back onto the floor. I blinked, I tried to fucking blink, but the world began to blur. My heartbeat was too slow, my blood as thick as tar. Everything was moving too fucking slow!

  My mind fogged with confusion. I tried to think why I was here . . . where I was . . . then I saw her. I saw the purple dress . . . I saw her arm stretched out toward me. I recognized her immediately. My wife. I would always recognize my wife. “Lita . . .” I whispered and started to crawl toward her. Pain fucking stabbed in my side and chest, numbness sweeping through my limbs. But I had to get to her. “Lita . . .” I said again. Her eyes were closed, and there was blood pooling beneath her.

  Reaching out, I took hold of her left hand. I gripped it as my eyes started to close. I felt her wedding ring on her finger. And I held on tight. Held on even though I couldn’t feel a single part of my body anymore . . . until my eyes closed.

  Until, together, we sank into darkness.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Adelita

  I was thirsty. I tried to swallow but my throat hardly worked. “Lita?” A female voice called my name. I opened my eyes, but the light was too bright. I flinched, and panic started to set in. A hand slipped into mine—it was a comfort. I felt weak. I could barely lift my arms. “Shh, everything’s okay, darlin’. You’re safe. Y’all are safe.”

  My brain was foggy. I tried to remember. I thought about what had happened. There’d been a chapel . . . candles . . . a stone floor . . . I hitched a breath when I remembered Tanner. Walking toward Tanner, his strong body waiting for me in front of the altar. His blue eyes, misty with tears . . . rings . . . two wedding rings . . .

  Then gunshots.

  Pain.

  Fear.

  My eyes opened, and I flinched as daylight pierced through my skull. My heart was racing too fast. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t . . . “Tann . . .” I tried to speak. Tears built in my eyes. “Tann . . . er?”

  “It’s okay, darlin’. You’re okay. You’re safe.” My blurred vision cleared enough that I saw Beauty. Beauty was beside me. She was the one holding my hand. “You’re okay, darlin’. Try to keep calm.”

  But I couldn’t. All I could hear were gunshots echoing around my head . . . see Tanner falling to the stone floor . . . his determined face as he fought to crawl toward me . . . then nothing. “Tanner?’ I pushed out through a raw throat. “I . . . need . . . Tanner . . .”

  “He’s here, darlin’. He’s alive. Look.” Beauty pointed to my left. I rolled my heavy head in that direction. Tanner was in a bed beside me. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but he was too far away. That’s where my relief ended. His eyes were closed. His naked torso was covered in bandages.

  He wore an oxygen mask and sported an IV, attached to his hand. My lip wobbled, concern and sadness consuming me. “Tanner . . .” I tried to move to get to him, but a red-hot slice of pain cut through me. I gasped and held my side. I felt bandages there too.

  “Don’t move, darlin’,” Beauty said, and gently guided me to lie back down. But I couldn’t keep my eyes off Tanner. He’s here, I told myself. He’s alive.

  Beauty must have seen that I needed an explanation by my lost expression. “He looks worse than he is. He’s healing. I swear. You’ve both been out of it for a couple of days. It took Edge some time to get y’all transport home.” I frowned. I didn’t understand. Transport? “Styx wasn’t gonna leave y’all in Mexico, or even with the Diablos. He wasn’t gonna risk it in case anyone had escaped from either the Klan or cartel and were tracking y’all down. Prez paid a shit-ton of money—under the table, of course—to get you both medically transported.”

  He did? Why? Why did he care so much?

  “What . . . happened?”

  Beauty sat on the edge of the bed. “Tanner came to that chapel to marry you, darlin’.” I glanced to my left hand and saw the ring there. Images of candles flickering on an altar filtered into my head. Of vows and Luis . . . “Luis?” I asked, panicked.

  “He’s here.”

  “He’s here?” I asked in shock. Beauty handed me a glass of water for my hoarse voice. I sipped it down, the rawness ebbing some.

  “He was shot too. But only in the shoulder. He hit his head when he fell and was knocked out cold. The bullet went straight through.” Beauty smiled. “Styx brought him back too. Luis was kinda refusing to leave y’all.” I smiled at that. Luis was such a good friend. So caring. A true man of God. “The young priest who was there as witness survived too. He was escorted home by Valdez’s men after he was patched up in Mexico.” I breathed a sigh of relief.

  My smile dropped when I asked, “It was Diego?”

  Beauty’s nodded. “Yeah.” She looked around as if checking for anyone listening. “I don’t know if I should be telling you this. Club business and all. That, and I was eavesdropping.” She smirked. “But fuck it. You deserve to know.” She squeezed my hand. “Valdez’s men were on Diego’s tail. Asshole must’ve known he was on borrowed time. Apparently he saw Luis leave the hacienda with you, but in the takeover, he couldn’t get to y’all. So he followed y’all to a remote chapel. Luis contacted Tann through Valdez. Valdez had men watching the chapel. Diego was hiding. When Tanner arrived at the chapel, he flipped his shit.”

  “Is . . . is he dead?”

  “Yeah, darlin’,” Beauty confirmed. “Tanner shot him through the neck. But not before he shot y’all.” I glanced across at Tanner. I loved him so much. All he ever did was protect me. I needed him to wake up. I needed to see his blue eyes and hear his voice.

  “Tank, Beau, Styx ,and Ky found y’all.”

  I turned back to Beauty. “Beau? Beau Ayers?”

  Beauty smiled. “Tanner has a lot to explain to you . . .” She trailed off, her expression changing to something I couldn’t read. But before I had time to question her on anything, she continued. “Tanner left early. We now know it was so Luis could marry y’all before the rest of the Hangmen arrived. Tank had suspected he was gonna try to get to you without telling anyone. When he checked on his room in the camp, and Tann wasn’t there, he woke Beau, Styx and Ky and came straight to the chapel. They arrived not long after y’all had been shot.” Her face suddenly looked angry. “Diego paid off the men watching the chapel. Valdez caught his men only a few miles away.” Beauty smiled a cold smile I never expected her to wear. “Killed them for their betrayal.”

  “So . . . it’s over?” I asked, trying not get my hopes up.

  Beauty kissed my head. “It’s over, sweetie. You’re both finally free.” A big smile took over her face. “And y’all are fucking married! Once you’re both better, that calls for a fucking party.”

  I laughed; Beauty’s happiness was infectious. But when I did, pain sliced through my side. I sucked in a sharp breath. “Sleep, darlin’,” Beauty said. “Tanner should wake soon.”

  Her words were like a command to my heavy eyelids, and they began to close. I next woke to the sound of low voices. When my eyes fluttered open, I saw Beauty talking to Styx and Mae. Mae noticed I was awake first. I cast a quick glance to Tanner, but he was still asleep.

  “Adelita.” Mae’s voice was filled with relief and affection. She came toward me, Charon in a baby sling on her chest. I saw his little eyes were closed.

  “Hello, Mae,” I greeted, and tried to move.

  “No. Please do not.” Mae reached for my hand. When I looked up
at her in surprise, she was staring at me with tears in her eyes. I frowned, wondering what was wrong. “You are safe here, Adelita. We promise. No one will hurt you ever again.” Mae looked behind her. “Will they, Styx?”

  I looked at the Hangmen president. His hazel eyes were locked on me. All I felt was confusion. What was happening? Why were they here? Why did he pay so much money for us to be brought here to Austin?

  Nothing made sense.

  Styx nodded in response to his wife’s words. His arms were crossed over his chest. And I couldn’t even begin to decipher what his expression was. Why was staring so intently at me?

  “We will let you rest,” Mae said, pulling my attention back to her. “We wanted to check on you.” Mae kissed my head. “We will talk soon. When you have healed. When Tanner is well and you are stronger.” Unease swept through me.

  Talk about what?

  Mae joined her husband, and they went to leave. “He . . .” I cleared my throat. It caused Mae and Styx to pause and look back at me. “Tanner . . . he loves this club.” I cast my eyes to my husband. “He . . .” I chased away the lump that was building in my throat. “He has had a hard life . . . a loveless life.” My voice quivered with sadness, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want them to doubt Tanner’s allegiance for this club. “But he has found a home here, amongst you all.” I smiled. “He is a protector. That’s what he does. He protected me. He came to Mexico to protect you. He is a man you want in this brotherhood. He is loyal and brave, and I hope you see it.”

  Styx’s face was neutral as he listened to me. Mae turned to her husband, some silent communication occurring between them. Styx lifted his hands. “Y’all aren’t going anywhere.” Mae spoke Styx’s words. His hands froze, a pause. Then he signed, “Y’all are family.” Styx dropped his hands and walked out of the door. With a small wave, Mae followed her husband.

  I exhaled in relief. He wanted Tanner here. He wanted us here. But as I lay in my bed, I couldn’t get the visit from Styx and Mae from my head. It seemed more than a simple check-in.