Damnable Grace (Hades Hangmen, #5)

by Tillie Cole

“It was my fault.” I looked down at the ice melting in my tea. “I fucked up. I fucked up, and all the shit that came to Dev and Tina—fuck, to Zane—was all on me.”

“He had PTSD, Xavier,” Claire said, and I lifted my head. “I had to have a lot of counseling. It took me years to deal with her death.” Claire

“She was my baby sister. And he killed her. Dev, the boy she had loved since high school . . . I couldn’t comprehend it. Couldn’t believe it.” She pulled herself together. “But over the years I had it explained to me in such a way that I do understand now.” She sniffed. “What Dev went through in Iraq . . .”

“The little help he got when he returned, left to fend off the darkness alone . . . I can understand how it happened. He never truly came back. He re...

“It still hurts. And there isn’t a day goes by that I don’t think of Tina, especially if Zane does something that she would have done—a gesture, an expression, saying a certain w...

“But I was wrong. That boy didn’t cope well with losing Dev and Tina.”

“But you were his best friend. He idolized you above anyone, and he knew you were out there somewhere. He didn’t understand why you weren’t coming to see him.

“I told him it was me. I told him I had sent you away because I was angry. And he hated me. For a while t...

“But he is a good kid, Xavier. A kind boy. Smart boy.” She broke down, and I held out my hand and covered hers. It was trembling. “They would have been so proud of him.” She laughed sadly. “...

“He begged us to look for you. He wanted you so badly, his Uncle X. We cashed in every favor we could with friends in the police, government, but it was like you had fallen off the grid.” “I had,”

“We had to give up eventually.” Claire shook her head. “But every time we go out anywhere, he looks for you. We believed you were in Austin, so he never stops looking.” Claire’s eyebrows came down. “And here you are, at our door.” “It was time to come find him,”

“I’ve missed you,” he said and I clenched my eyes shut. “Missed you too, kid,”

don’t blame you,” he said. I had to turn my head from his gaze. “I know he was sick from the war. But I don’t blame you for anything you did. You tried to help him.” “Fuck, kid.”

“There is only one man’s touch I ever want on my body again—given freely, and lovingly.” I met his dark gaze. “Yours.”

“I love you.” I needed him to hear it as many times I needed to say it. “Love you too, Red.”

“Before this, I did not know that home was a heartbeat. Or two, in my case. Beating in perfect sync with my own. Yours and Sapphira’s, the cleansing lullaby to my sins.”

“Repentance is a form of sorrow, AK. Grace is a form of joy. We have shed tears for every sin we have sowed. It is now time for us to smile. Smile and chase the light. Embra...

let him go. “I am forever thankful for the day you tied me to that tree.”

“It was the first act of grace I had ever been given. And as I stared into your eyes, I saw myself. My reflection looking back at me . . . my wounded soul.”

“The devil’s man with the angel eyes.” I breathed. He breathed. We kissed. Broke apart. “The damned souls who together found grace.”

“Red,” he whispered and held me close to his heart. And I closed my eyes and smiled. Because for once, there were many things to feel happy about. At last.

“That wasn’t the first time we’ve encountered Garcia in Mexico.” Ky shifted in his seat, and Styx nodded at him to continue. “Y’all didn’t know I had a sister until I got hitched to Li. Elysia, or Sia as we call her.” He shrugged. “She wasn’t brought up in this life, so we never talked about her.” He paused. “But when she was seventeen, me and Styx had to get her out of some trouble . . . trouble caused by Garcia.”

“She got involved with him. Then he took her. Y’all saw what he deals in. Trafficking motherfucker. Me and Styx got her out before it was too late.”

“He’s been looking for her ever since,” Styx signed, then took a shot of his Jack. “Sia’s been in hiding all this time. That’s why she ain’t here often. We can’t risk it.”

“He wants her back,” Ky said, and I had to give the brother credi...

“Diablos have been in touch. Garcia’s sniffing around again since our little trip to Mexico. Trying to get intel on us.” Styx paused, then met each o...

“What does that mean?” Cowboy asked. Ky’s eyes narrowed on our two Cajun brothers. Fucker didn’t like them sn...

“Means that fucker’s not done wit...

“And if he comes back to Austin for her, I’ll be slicing the prick’s dick off and ...

“Graphic, brother.” Vike wiggled his eyebrow...

“For now, we protect her. Watch the situation and see how it plays out. But y’all needed to know w...

“We ever gonna get the full story on what went down years back with him?” I asked, and Ky sat back in his seat. “Ev...

“We should know,” Hush said. “I wanna know what she went through.” Ky’s suspicious eyes were back on Hush and Cowboy. Neither brother eve...

“Any other news?” Styx signed, stopping Ky from castrating the Cajuns for their...

“Going to my lodge this weekend for a cookout. Y’all are welcome. Bring tents and shit if you wanna stay over.” I heard their silence. I had...

“My nephew is coming. Zane. Wanna introduce him to y’all. He’s . . .” I cleared my throat. “He’s a good kid. Love...

“Future fucking H...

“Then we’ll be there,” Ky said. “Grace is at yours almost as much she’s at ours anyhow.”

“Saff ain’t met none of y’all either. Gonna try and get her to come out too. She’s kinda fucking shy. Hasn’t dared meet no one yet.”

“One more thing,” I said as Styx went to slam the gavel down. “I’ve invited Rider too.” The silence was thick. “Fucker did wrong. I get it. But he saved my bitch and her daughter. Wouldn’t have either of them if he hadn’t stepped the fuck up. He took out Klansmen at the shootout and, fuck, Phebe likes him, and Bella.”

“I get he ain’t a brother, but I vote for him being allowed back onto the premises for cookouts and shit. He’s a good doc, saves us from having to go to the hospital and raise the suspicion of the cops, and he can fight. Don’t patch him in again as a brother, couldn’t give a fuck. But that’s where I’m at. Thought y’all should know.”

“Second it,” Smiler said. No surprise to anyone. “Ah, fuck. Me too,” Vike said, shrugging. “And me,” Flame said. I hid my smile. The fucking P...

“Us too,” Hush said, pointing at himself and Cowboy. Cowboy rolled his head toward me, lif...

Styx slammed the gavel on the table. Church was done. No decision would be made anytime soon. I di...

They were in the second bedroom, with the walls now bright white and a new bed just for Saff. Vike and Flame had helped me get this place together. New paint, new staining. New everything. We had to start again.

Phebe wrapped her arms around Sapphira’s shoulders from behind. I saw Sapphira’s eyes duck at the gesture, a fucking small smile on her mouth. These two fucking killed me on a daily basis.

“No one will judge you. And Lilah, Mae, Maddie, Bella and Grace will be there too. We are all of the same background. You like them, feel safe with ...

“You are so beautiful, sweetheart,” Phebe said with tears in her eyes. Sapphira was dressed in a long purple dress. Phebe was in her white off-the-shoulder dress that I fucking loved. Both bitches were stunning. Both mine to protect.

“Thanks, Mama,” Sapphira said. I took that as my cue to go. But not before I saw the fucking blinding smile that came on Phebe’s lips. She never got sick of that word: Mama.

“Had that fucking photo with him every time he went on tour,” I said and heard Zane’s slow release of breath. I fought back the tightness in my chest. “Would stare at it for hours. Missing you.” My gaze moved to the one beside it.