Anarchy (Hades, #2)

by Tate James

"You'd have known if you'd taken the time to finish me off properly, Darling." He tapped his forehead. "I never did tell you that I was born with a section of my skull missing. Doctors fixed it with a titanium plate. Luckily for me, your bullet hit that plate and ricocheted. Took my eye, of course."

"Is this what it'd be like dating a girl with older brothers?"

"Sure, if we're talking non-blood-related step-brothers who get to fuck your girl whenever they want. It’d be just like that." His fingers trailed down my bare arm, making my skin tingle and my thighs tighten.

"Fucking hell," Cass muttered, reminding me that Lucas and I weren't actually alone. "Never thought I'd be down for this poly shit."

"You didn't know that?" He clicked his tongue. "Worst girlfriend ever. His birthday is next Saturday."

"I won't lose her to you, Zed. She already loves you and has since before I met her, so there's nothing to be insecure about. Hayden has room in her heart for both of us and for the grumpy old man snoring upstairs. Either get on board or get out, but I'm locked in for the whole damn ride."

"Bad history?" he asked in a low, dangerous rumble. She jerked a nod and licked her lips. "You could call it that. I have a restraining order against him."

"Because you soften me, Lucas. You make me human, and I can't afford to be soft or human right now. Not here, not with Chase watching."

"You fucking know you don't, asshole." I gave him a long look from the side of my eye. "You strengthen me."

"That was for Hannah, you piece of shit." I didn't think it was possible, but somehow I fell even harder for Cass in that moment.

"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 cupped my face, and his nose brushed mine. "I love you, Red."

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

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 ...

"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.

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.

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

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?

I like that about you, though. How fierce you are, and how you don't put up with anyone's bullshit. Fucking no one scares you and that impresses the hell outta me. I'm gonna be honest with you, Red. I don't have the first fucking clue how to write a woman a love letter. Let alone a woman like you. So I hope you'll excuse the lack of structure and prose, and see this for what it is. Everything I wanna say out loud, but can't. Everything that rattles around in my brain when I look at you, but can't seem to make the words leave my mouth.

Fuck you're beautiful. It's almost painful to look at you and not touch you, not grab you and-- 7th Circle exploded today and for a heartbeat, I thought you were dead. And I thought my whole world was crumbling around me, like my soul had been ripped clean out of my body. Then I remembered who the fuck you are. You’re Hades, for fucks sake...

Roses are bloody, I’ve been blue, you’re a goddess and I want to fuck you. Just two kisses and you've left a pe...

I love when you challenge me. We harmonize, like a...

Sometimes, I swear to fuck Red, sometimes I want to throttle you. You're infuriating! The guilt you're carrying tonight after finding Lucas in such a state made me want to bundle you up in my arms and just let you fucking break for five goddamn seconds. But we're not in a good place yet, you'd never let me offer that sort of support. More to the point, you'd never let yourself break. Not with me, not even with Zed, I'd bet. You're carrying too d...

I hope you know that I'm one of those people. I want to be the one you turn to when it all gets too much. I want to shoulder that weight and offer you a fucki...

You made a flippant comment tonight at the hospital about me writing this letter, and it almost made me laugh. You really didn't think I'd do it, and that tells me you've got no idea how obsessed I am with you. Everything about you. You've consumed my thoughts for five fucking years, Red. Since the moment I met you, no woman has been able to compare. They were all simply place-holders for the real thing. You. Here's the thing, though. I never thought we would ever get to this point. I fig...

Words can't express how glad I am to be wrong. I feel like I owe you an explanation, though, for why I pushed you away when you made your move. In short, you shocked the crap outta me. I don't know why I was so surprised, you aren't exactly the type of woman to sit around and wait for a man to swe...

So, yeah, I handled it badly. I pushed you away because I panicked. You're the woman I've literally dreamed about, and suddenly you were within reach. Problem was, I knew--still know--...

tried to push you away. Look how that turned out, huh? I was totally kidding myself. You're the brightest flame on earth...

I'm bad for you, Red. So fucking bad. I'm damaged, emotionally unavailable, cruel, reckless, and selfish. You deserve so much fucking better. You deserve that fucking stripper. Lucas. He's everything I'm not, and everything that would be good for you. And yet, I can't seem to st...

Love. Fucking hell. Pretty safe to say that's not an emotion I'd ever thought to feel again. I thought that part of my soul had curled up and died a long damn time ago. I thought all I felt for you was obsession, infatuation... lust. But I was wrong. It took these last few weeks for me to see that. It wasn't ...

I love you, Red. And if it takes me another five years to make you see that, for you to forgive my insane behavior, then so be it. I'm not...

Almost every damn night, you're in my dreams. I can't wait to get my hands on you properly. Those few kisses have only made me desperate for more, made my fantas...

I dream about all the ways I want to fuck you. How tight and hot your cunt will be around my cock, how sweet your moans will be in my ears and the salty taste of...

You know what you're getting into with me, I can see it in your eyes. You want it rough, and that's exactly how it'll be. I've thought long and hard about wrapping that gorgeous red hair around my fist, holding you captive as I fuck your ass. Every time you wet your lips, I picture them wrapped around my cock as you swallow me deep, choking on my cum as that sinful eye makeup stains your cheeks. I want to taste your pussy, and make you scream my name as you com...

Red, I want to make you scream until you're hoarse, I want your legs to shake so bad you can't walk, and I want to see those perfect tits heaving as you struggle to catch your breath. There are so many things I want to do to you, with you, for you... but inste...

Zed just called and asked me to come over to his place. You must be in pain, if he's turning to me for help. Yet somehow I can't help but feel glad. Because even though you're hurting, it's giving me an excuse to get closer and trust me, Angel, I won't back down again. I'll g...

If not, I'll just write another. And another. And another. One day, maybe you'll believe me when I say how much I love you, and will always love you. So, fuck it. When you dream of me, make it rough. I can't wait to make it a...