Anarchy (Hades, #2)

by Tate James

He turned back to face me, shrugging his hood back to reveal a scarred face, partly covered with a leather eyepatch, and a deranged smile. "You have no idea how right you are, pretty boy."

Zed was at her side, as always, and for once I was actually happy to see him. Even if he was head over heels in love with my girl.

She was flipping gender roles like nobody's business, and I was here for it.

"If you fucking die now, kid, I'll personally take a trip to hell, resurrect your ass, and kill you all over again."

I don't have the time or patience to be manipulated by your dick right now."

"No. You listen to me, Hayden Timber. I've stood back and watched you push people away and isolate yourself time and time again, making yourself utterly un-fucking-touchable. For fucking years. Now, in the short time you've been screwing Lucas, something has changed, and I for one don't want to see it change back. You care for him. You're going to the hospital and making sure he's alive. End of discussion."

He shot me an accusing look. "Chase took him to hurt you, which means he knows you care about the adorable little gumdrop."

Zed scoffed. "That's one way to put it. He looked like he wanted to fuck you right there in the hospital bed after nearly dying yesterday. Gumdrop has stamina, I'll give him that." I shot him a sly smirk. "You don't know the half of it." Zed choked on the sip of beer he'd just taken and coughed violently for a moment. Served him fucking right.

His lips curled in a teasing smile. "No shit. You snored too." I pulled away slightly, a little horrified, but he tugged me back into his hold with a laugh. "I'm kidding, you sensitive petal. Hungry?" My stomach howled. "Starving," I groaned. Zed's gaze darkened. "I know that feeling." His words were barely more than a murmur, but the sound of a door slamming startled me out of his embrace.

"I'm not asking you for forever, Red," he murmured in that deep, husky voice that all but dripped sex. "But you'll give it to me anyway."

Alexi's lips tightened, and he frowned at Zed's hand on my shoulder. Actually, why the fuck was Zed's hand on my shoulder? His fingers tightened, and Alexi's face darkened. Seriously?

"What the fuck was that?" I jerked my head toward the door, indicating where Alexi had disappeared. Zed knew full fucking well what I meant and just gave a shrug. "He was eye fucking the shit out of you, boss. I figured it didn't hurt to remind him that you're not interested." I scoffed a laugh. "You're so full of shit. Alexi has been eye fucking me for years; that's nothing new. And last I checked, I wasn't interested in you like that either." In a move that surprised me more than I cared to admit, Zed leaned down and placed his hands on the arms of my chair, getting all up in my personal space. "Maybe you need to check again, Dare. You're usually more self-aware than this," he whispered so softly that if it weren't for the crazy-intense look in his eyes, I'd have thought I’d heard him wrong.

"If you two are both quite finished pissing on me like a tree, I have someone waiting to be tortured in the basement." I levelled a warning glare at the both of them. "Stay alive. Both of you. Or you'll have me to answer to."

Fists clenched at his sides, he took two steps closer. "I said, no. No, I will not sit down. Not about this. I'm not goddamn overstepping, Dare, because I fucking love you. Okay? I love you."

"Alright, I need to go wash some of this paint off," I announced, sliding off my stool and taking my empty mug to the sink. "You two play nice and don't kill each other in some kind of misguided dick-measuring competition." Lucas smirked. "I'm secure enough not to need measuring."

She let out another small sigh. "Look, I'm starting to understand that I don't really know what you dealt with back then. But... I know you, Dare. I know how strong you are and how fiercely you protect the new Timberwolves. And I remember how you were back then when you were dating Chase." Her voice was small and quiet, making my eyes heat and my throat thicken. "You weren't you back then. The look in your eyes got hollower, deader every fucking day I saw you, and I knew it was because of him. I used to sneak into your room while you were sleeping just to check your pulse and make sure you hadn't killed yourself when it all got too much." Her voice broke over that confession, and I could hear the tears in her breathing.

"As much as I love waking up with you like this," I whispered, feathering kisses over his cheek where a tiny tattoo was inked near the corner of his eye. "I'm fucking starving for something more filling than your cock." Cass gave a mock gasp. "You take that back, Red," he growled. "My cock is more than filling." He kissed me back deeply, then released me with a sigh when my stomach continued grumbling. "Fine. Zed's going to blow a gasket when he figures out I broke into his fortress and spent the night buried between his woman's thighs."

Zed rolled his eyes but didn't reply as he headed for the coffee machine. Lucas pulled back to give me a curious look, and I grinned. "Zed carried you upstairs and tucked you in." Lucas's brows hitched, and he released me to turn toward Zed. "Aw, big brother, you do love me after all!" The teasing in his voice was thick, and I vaguely feared for his life when he wrapped Zed in a bear hug.

"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."

Roses are bloody, I’ve been blue, you’re a goddess and I want to fuck you.