Timber (Hades Book 4)

by Tate James

  Her lips parted, guilt flashing across her face. “Dare...” she groaned, throwing herself forward to hug me again. “No, not away from you. I love you; you’re my big sister and the only person who has ever loved me enough to turn into a total psychopath just to keep me safe.” She paused, pulling back with a grin. “Zed doesn’t count; he did it for you.”

  I smiled weakly because I could hear the but coming. “But...” I whispered, hating how badly I’d fucked up our sisterly bond. “You’d probably rather go to Michigan.”

  Seph gave a halting nod, tears in her eyes. “I think I would,” she admitted. “I don’t... I don’t want to leave you, Dare. But.... fuck, I mean this in the least insulting way possible, but I don’t want to turn into you.” Her words were quiet, full of pain, guilt, and regret. “I don’t want to live this life, with all the danger and bloodshed and killing... It’s not me. And I hate that every time someone meets me, they see you. It’s like I’m not even a real person within Shadow Grove, you know? I’m just Hades’s little sister.”

  I swallowed the emotion clogging my throat and nodded. “I get it.”

  Seph chewed her lip, looking pained. “I’ll still be your sister, Dare. But if I have an opportunity at a new life in Michigan”—she paused a moment, turning the idea over in her head for only a moment before nodding—“I’d like to see what that’s like.”

  It’d been my idea and I was the one who’d secured her a place at Michigan Tech, but part of me hadn’t really believed she’d take it. Not that quickly. But I guess I was more right than I’d even known. Seph was miserable here, living constantly in my shadow. And I didn’t blame her one bit for wanting to get out.

  “I just have a couple of catches,” I told her with a quick smile, shoving aside my hurt and feelings of failure and rejection. “Number one is the most important. You can’t leave Shadow Grove until Chase is dealt with. Okay? I can’t risk him targeting you again, and the moment you leave town without protection, he would come after you.”

  She gave a firm nod. “Understood. That’s reasonable. I’m guessing you plan on dealing with him soon, though?”

  “Absolutely,” I muttered. Then I drew another breath. “Before you go, I want Rex’s boys to teach you how to defend yourself properly. You need to get approval from Cass that you’ve learned enough to protect yourself, okay?” I wasn’t doing that to be a bitch, but it genuinely terrified me to think Seph would be hundreds of miles away with no protection detail eventually. She needed to know how to fight back should anyone come after her.

  She wet her lips and nodded again. “Can I ask something in return, in that case?”

  I nodded quickly, overwhelmed by her lack of resistance on those stipulations.

  “Will you and Zed teach me to shoot?” She gave me a hopeful look. “I wanna learn from the best, and that’s you guys.”

  I grinned. “Don’t let MK hear you say that; we’ll end up with Steele and Zed in a pissing contest.”

  Seph barked a laugh. “Let them; you could beat them both blindfolded. You’re the ultimate badass, big sister.”

  This time when she hugged me, I hugged her back.

  “Hey, why don’t we have a sleepover tonight?” Seph suggested, practically vibrating with excitement. “Maybe at a hotel so that the guys here don’t actually piss themselves around you, and your guys don’t suck up all your attention with their magic dicks. We can just hang out and order room service and Google stuff about Michigan? Maybe browse real estate?”

  I smiled. Every word out of her filled me with warmth and reassurance, evaporating the feeling of rejection. My sister wasn’t leaving me. She was simply leaving my territory. It didn’t mean she loved me any less, and I loved her more for taking that courageous step.

  “That sounds perfect,” I whispered. “Go take your car for a spin around the track, first. I have something I need to discuss with Rex.”

  She squealed with excitement as she bounced back to her feet. “Love you, Dare!” she shouted over her shoulder while running back toward the boys gathered near her car.

  I watched as she slipped into the driver's seat, and dark-haired Micah claimed the passenger side while flipping off the other boys in victory. The sooner Seph left town, the better.

  “That’s one happy little girl,” Rex boomed, heading over to where I still waited on the bleachers. “You’re a good sister to her, boss. Even if it doesn’t always feel like it.”

  I gave a short, bitter laugh. “I need you to take a job for me, Rex,” I told him, changing the subject. “I can’t leave town right now and can’t think of anyone better suited to this task.” Especially after seeing how paternal he was with my sister. He was easily my man for this hit.

  “Whatever you need, boss,” he agreed. He craned his neck back toward his other four boys and gave a hand gesture that saw the tallest—Ford—come jogging over to us. “I’d like to take this one with me, if you approve.”

  I arched a brow. “This is a kill mission, Rex. I’m sending you to wipe out a little girl’s family as retribution for selling her into slavery. You think that’s the right time for bring-your-kid-to-work day?” I flicked a glance at Ford, whose brow was tight with irritation at my dismissal.

  Rex knew me better than his boys. He just nodded, knowing I was testing how strongly he believed in this kid. “I absolutely do, boss. Can’t think of a better mission for him to get his feet wet.”

  I bit back a laugh but couldn’t stop the cold smile curling my lips. “So be it. Bring me back evidence of death for the parents; use your own judgment on the sister. If she was involved in any way, do not give mercy. This girl has been through hell and back while she was held captive, and they need to pay.”

  Ford stiffened with rage, but it wasn’t directed at me. It was at that vague description of Diana’s treatment.

  “Leave it with us, boss,” Rex grunted. “We’ll handle it, won’t we boy?”

  Ford jerked a nod to his dad. “Yes, sir.” Then to me, “Thank you for the opportunity, sir.”

  I gave him a grim smile. “Don’t make me regret it.”

  57

  Seph and I ended up staying two nights at the hotel, and it was time we both needed. We found a whole list of possible apartments for her from online listings, and I arranged for my contact at the university to view them all for us. Seph also started working out all her classes and getting insanely excited over the prospect of college parties.

  I bit my lip and didn’t rain on her parade over those. But it would be some time before I could be convinced to relax her security that much.

  When I got home, I was instantly greeted by the sound of enraged shouting and shattering glass.

  Panicked, I raced through to Zed’s office, where I found Zed dripping blood from his hand and broken mirror shards on the floor from where he’d clearly just punched one off the wall. He sucked in a ragged gasp when I burst into the room, his face a twisted mask of fury and... pity.

  My eyes snapped to Lucas, who sat behind Zed’s desk, staring in abject horror at the laptop screen as my own panicked, agonized voice filled the air, begging for death while the slick, wet slap of fucking bodies filled the background.

  Snapping out of my shock, I stormed across the office and slammed the laptop shut. Then I picked the whole thing up, tucked it under my arm, and headed for the door.

  “Dare!” Zed shouted after me.

  Ignoring him, I strode out of the office and took the stairs two at a time, fleeing to my bedroom. Once inside, I slammed the door, locked it, and slid down to the carpet as my heart thundered in my chest.

  With shaking fingers, I peeled the laptop open again, and a low, pained moan escaped my throat as I saw the freeze-frame of the video on the screen. It was a scene I desperately didn't need to relive, so I slammed the fucking thing shut again and threw the computer across the room. Not because I was a moron who thought breaking the device would erase the video, but because I was no longer fully in control of my actions. T
hat video was bringing back all the dark, slippery damage that I truly thought I'd overcome, and I needed to get it away from me.

  A soft thud on the other side of the door made me jump in fright, and my arms curled around my knees tighter than ever.

  "Dare," Zed's voice reached my ears, muffled by two inches of wooden door. "Baby, please, let us in. Please. Please, Dare, you don't have to deal with this shit alone anymore."

  I said nothing back. I couldn't. My whole body was shaking, tears flowing like rivers down my face, and an uncontrollable whimpering sound came from my chest as I backslid into the dark memories. It was still so fresh.

  Throwing the laptop had done nothing to curb the onslaught of mental images. They crashed down on me, one after another, until I was drowning underneath them all. I couldn't breathe. I was back under that water, the bag over my head and Chase slamming his body into mine—

  "...you're okay." A soothing voice cut through the deafening panic. "You're okay, Hayden, you can breathe. Take it slow. Deep inhale, long exhale. Come on, beautiful, you've got this."

  Soft hands stroked my hair back from my face, long fingers combing through my lengths in a comforting way, not a threatening one. My cheek was pressed to the carpet, and when I peeled my eyes open, I locked eyes with Lucas.

  "There you are," he whispered, the relief palpable in his sigh. "Keep breathing with me, babe. Nice and slow, okay? Fill those lungs right up. Just focus on your breath."

  He lay there on the floor of my bedroom for an indefinite amount of time, just breathing with me. His soft words of encouragement coached me down from sheer hysteria, slowing my jagged, gasping breaths to deep, calming ones.

  When the violent trembles finally faded and my pulse no longer raced, I wet my lips and swallowed heavily.

  "I'm okay," I whispered, my voice rough.

  "I know," Lucas replied, stroking his gentle fingers over my wet cheek. "I just like lying here with you."

  I cracked a weak smile at that, then groaned as I pushed myself up to sitting. I didn't remember collapsing to the ground or Lucas arriving. Frowning, I looked to the door we were in front of and found it still locked. Then I noticed the open window.

  "Uh, I freaked out when you wouldn't open the door," Lucas admitted with a slight blush, seeing my sharp glance at the window. "I climbed around from my room and used the fingerprint lock to get in."

  I blinked at him a moment, then threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tight. "Thank you," I whispered against his neck. He hugged me back, pulling me into his lap and burying his face in my hair.

  "Can we let Zed in?" he asked softly. "He's freaking out."

  Shit. I winced. "Yeah. Sorry. That was—"

  "A completely understandable and normal human reaction," Lucas finished for me, pulling back far enough to give me a firm look. "And not one that needs apologies."

  In a smooth motion, he lifted me up in his arms as he stood. Then he flipped the lock and opened the door to reveal Zed sitting right there on the floor with blood staining the carpet where his cut hand had been resting.

  "Dare," he exclaimed, climbing to his feet and reaching out for me. He hesitated before touching my skin, though, a worried frown etching across his face.

  Lucas just gave a head motion into my room, then carried me over to the bed and got comfy with me still in his lap. Zed paused a moment, seeming unsure, then climbed onto the bed with us. He leaned back on the headboard beside Lucas and rested his hand softly on my hair. His eyes locked with mine, but there was no pity, only love.

  "I'm okay," I mumbled again, sounding weak and exhausted.

  "Of course you are," Zed replied, soft and caring as he stroked my hair. "But sometimes it's okay for the cracks to show. We don't judge you for it; we just want to be there to share the pain. To help put you back together again."

  Lucas nodded, his chin bumping the top of my head as I cuddled into his chest. "Exactly that," he murmured. "You're not alone, Hayden. We're here, no matter what. Nothing you could do—nothing we could ever see—will change that. Nothing. Not fucking ever. All Chase achieved here is to make us hold you tighter, to love you harder than ever before."

  Zed huffed a laugh. "Too fucking right."

  "This was payback for my list," I said, voicing my thoughts out loud. Focusing on my revenge was better than wallowing in shame over my panic attack. "Weak payback, if you ask me." My voice was hollow, and I didn't even believe what I was saying. Chase had struck me right where it would hurt the most. My sanity.

  Zed offered me a lopsided smile. "So what are we gonna do in return?"

  Chase had hit me in my sanity, my security with my guys... He’d sent that tape to Zed, knowing it would hurt him the most to see what had been done to me because Zed knew it had all happened before. He'd targeted my biggest weakness. So we'd do the same to him.

  Now that his most valuable contacts were all dead, there was just one thing that could push his buttons like he'd just done to me.

  Sniffing hard, I peeled myself up from Lucas's chest and drew a deep, strengthening breath.

  "Where's my phone?" I asked, looking around for somewhere I might have dropped it.

  Zed pulled his own from his pocket and handed it to me. We had the same contacts saved, anyway, so it was easy to use his instead. I didn't explain myself as I scrolled through his address book searching for...

  "Ah-hah," I murmured, finding the one I wanted and hitting dial. The call connected after only a couple of rings.

  "Zayden De Rosa," the woman answered, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

  "Nikki," I said back, "it's not Zed. Clearly. Do you have plans today?"

  There was a stunned silence before she replied. "Nothing I can't reschedule for you, sir. What do you need?"

  I grinned, meeting Zed's eyes as he smiled back at me with dawning understanding. "I need a photoshoot, today."

  "Absolutely, sir, what am I shooting? New Copper Wolf advertising?" Nikki was our photographer for the ad campaigns on all the bars, as well as our vodka brand.

  "Actually," I corrected her, "an engagement announcement. Zed and I are getting married."

  I caught Nikki's startled gasp before she covered it with a cough. "Wow, sir, congratulations. Yeah, definitely, I can be there in two hours?"

  "Perfect," I replied, then ended the call to hand the phone back to Zed. "Call Hannah; tell her to get hair and makeup out here within half an hour, then call the Shadow Grove Gazette. They're to run a front page spread on this. Tomorrow."

  "Yes, sir," Zed replied, grinning wickedly.

  Lucas looked less convinced, though. "You think that will bother him?" he asked. "Like, as hard as that video hit you?"

  Zed and I exchanged a knowing look. "Oh yeah," I confirmed. "This is on par."

  "I'll get it sorted," Zed assured me, sliding off the bed. He left the room with his phone already to his ear.

  Lucas sent me a small frown. At first, I worried he was reading too much into this engagement announcement with Zed. But then he pressed a soft kiss to my knuckles. "What can I do to help?"

  Smiling, I slid my hand around the back of his neck and sealed my lips to his in a gentle kiss. "You're already helping, Lucas. So fucking much. But... I need to shower and wash that sour smell of panic attack from my skin. Will you join me?"

  "Shit, Hayden," he replied with a teasing grin as we climbed off the bed. "It's a hard ask, but I guess I could manage that."

  I snorted, winking at him as I led the way to the shower. "Something will be hard, anyway."

  By the time Lucas and I emerged from our shower, Zed had everything set up. The hair and makeup artists were waiting downstairs along with Hannah, who was unloading a huge armful of garment bags from her car.

  "Boss!" she called out, beaming. "This is so exciting! I called in some favors and picked up some dresses in your size for the photoshoot. And Leonard Nelson from the Gazette should be here in about two hours to interview you for the article." She hurried up the front s
teps and glared at Zed. "You said you had suits. What the hell is that?"

  Zed was still in his rumpled, bloodstained shirt from earlier with a loose bandage looped around his hand. "I was going to change," he grumbled, peering down at his clothes.

  Lucas glared at the loose bandage. "I’d better sort that mess out for you first, tough guy." He pressed a kiss to my temple, then teased Zed the whole way back up the stairs, leaving me with Hannah.

  "Boss, no disrespect," Hannah murmured, "but you need to stop drooling over your guys’ asses and hurry the hell up. Uh, respectfully. Of course."

  I shot her a smirk. "Of course." I tilted my head to the living room where hair and makeup had set up. "Come on, show me what dresses you chose for me."

  Cass arrived home right as Nikki was setting up her cameras and checking lighting for different locations through the house, and his raised brow told me he was confused as hell. I just grinned and slid off my stool, rubbing my lips together to settle the ruby-red lipstick.

  "Saint, you almost missed all the fun," I teased, rising up on my toes to brush a ghost of a kiss over his lips. My lipstick needed longer to set before making out properly.

  He rumbled a vaguely irritated sound, his gaze sweeping down my black lace dress. It was dramatic, with a fishtail train and ribbon pulling the bodice so tight my breasts were almost falling out.

  "Red..." he rumbled in warning.

  I clicked my tongue and wove my fingers through his to tug him into the kitchen and away from all the people setting up for our interview and photoshoot.

  "Chase took a swing at me," I told him quietly, not meeting his eyes but looking past him instead, "so I'm hitting back with a big, public, splashy engagement announcement. This changes nothing, though. I stand by what I said in the hotel that night."

  Cass said nothing for the longest time—long enough that I got anxious and shifted my gaze to meet his eyes. Only then did his lips curl into a small smile.

  "That's more like it," he muttered. "You look like a fucking dream right now, Red. Like the Queen of the Underworld come to life. What I could do to you if you let me drag you into that pantry right now..." His hand was on my face, his thumb teasing my jaw and his eyes hungry.