Timber (Hades, #4)

by Tate James

Cass seemed speechless, as well he should. He wasn’t thinking with his brain. Not ...

They didn’t leave me there for long—I knew they wouldn’t—just long enough to show they respected my need for a moment alone, but nowhere near long enough that I ever felt alone.

His nose booped mine gently as he turned my face toward his, then his lips were on mine in a kiss that warmed me all the way from the inside out.

He kissed me with all the messy, soft emotions that we both struggled so hard to express. All the love and devotion that, for us, came out as frustration and stubborn defiance. Cass kissed me until my cheeks were wet with tears once more, then he kissed the tears away and dragged me into his lap to hold me tight.

Oh Cass

“I’m sorry,” he whispered against my neck. “I’m an asshole.” I huffed a watery laugh. “No joke.” His chest rumbled. “I never want you to be anyone but you, Red. I wouldn’t change you for the fucking world.” His lips moved on my neck, kissing me between words and making my breath catch. “I saw Zed’s ring on your finger and... lost my damn mind for a minute.” He kissed my neck harder, his teeth scraping my skin as I sighed.

“Why?” The question came out a little more than an exhale as he sucked a mark on my throat. He kissed the mark, then shifted back to meet my eyes. “Because a small part of me still thinks you’re going to choose. Eventually, you’ll only ke...

There was no way I could tell him his fear was unfounded, because it has always been Zed. He was my soulmate. But the human heart was capable of so much more than just one great love. And they could all sit equal in importance. I knew my own heart. I knew that the love I felt for Zed, for Lucas, and for Cass were entirely different...

“Cassiel Saint,” I whispered, full of sincerity and promise, “I swear to you I’m not choosing. Not now, not ever. You’re a part of me now, all three of you. We’re in this to the end, the four of us. We don’t need a legal document to confirm what we already feel in our hearts.”

“Saint. I love you. Even if I believed in the construct of marriage—which I don’t—I still couldn’t marry all three of you. So, can we just cohabitate? Is that enough for you?”

“Shit, Red,” he whispered back, his gaze soft, “of course it is. You are enough in whatever way you’ll let me have you.”

“No more jealous bullshit?” I asked, my eyes narrowed suspiciously. He huffed a laugh. “Now that, I can’t promise you. But I want to be clear, my issues with Zed and that fucking, massive-dicked teenager out there, they’re with them. Never you. You’re my angel.”

“We’ve got our whole lives ahead of us, babe. I’m in no hurry to tick boxes. Are you?” In other words, let’s agree to disagree for the time being. I had no doubt this would be a heated discussion with him one day, but that day didn’t need to be today.

It was only then, with Zed and Cass towering on either side of me and Lucas on the couch in front gazing adoringly up at me, that it hit me. This was the first time I’d been totally naked with the three of them since my arrest.

It was also the first time that I felt completely comfortable in my own skin and with my own sexuality. These three men loved me unconditionally. They would lay down their lives for me, as I would for them. I had nothing to fear, not here, not with them. I’d never felt safer or more powerful.

Cass dragged a chair over from the corner of the room, positioning it near the end of the bed, then slouched down into it with his hand inside his pants. He caught my eye, arching a brow with silent command as Zed kissed and sucked at my breast. I grinned and hiked my foot up to rest on the edge of the bed, giving him an unobstructed view as Lucas stroked his fingers into me. Cass’s lips tipped up in a smile as I moaned and arched my back, and I caught the way he mouthed good girl before Zed claimed my lips again.

Obsessed

When Lucas’s tongue found my clit, I shuddered a long moan into Zed’s kiss. Cass just reached out with his foot, nudging mine wider on the edge of the bed. Then he gave an appreciative murmur as Lucas sat back once more to show off how wet I was.

“You see something you like, Saint?” I teased, my voice a breathy gasp as Lucas slowly pumped his fingers in and out of me, torturously slow.

Zed danced his hand down my naked body and found my soaking core, which Lucas had just abandoned to... drag another chair in from the living room. Oh. Oh.

I’d mentioned to Cass several days ago that I was hitting roadblocks with Zed when it came to sex, thanks to the drugged mess of horrible memories crowding my brain. Clearly, he and Lucas had discussed it and decided it was important that Zed be the one to help me cross this line.

Omg

Just him. Zed. My best friend. He’d once told me that if I took a leap of faith, he would catch me.

Yeah, I was fine. No dark shadows were clawing out to ruin sex for me. No monsters were jumping out from under the bed and tearing my face off. It was just me and Zed.

Oh yeah... those weren’t Zed’s fingers. Only Lucas played my clit with such fluid strokes, like my vagina was a tiny, complicated instrument.

Panting heavily, he kissed me—not bothered by the taste of Cass in my mouth—then collapsed beside me on the bed.

“Whatever it is, Lucas,” I said in a throaty whisper as I looked up at him, “I’m game.”

“Yeah, Gumdrop,” Zed teased, flicking my clit with his thumb and making me writhe, “she’s game.”

“Spank her,” Cass growled, and my pussy throbbed just hearing him say it.

“That’s it,” Cass murmured. “Spank her again; make those cheeks glow, Zed.”

“Remind me why I tolerate your shit?” “Because you love me.” He pulled me out of my seat and perched me carefully on his lap, dropping the jokes. “And I love you, Hayden Darling Timber. Always have, always will.”

“Yup. We need to plot three more executions, and I promised Diana I’d kill her parents for her.” Lucas gave me a lopsided smile. “Some might find that an odd thing to promise an eight-year-old, but from you to her? Cutest fucking thing ever.”

It reminded me of when he told me how Nadia had been gifted the Fabergé Egg by her one true love, a Russian thief. I needed to get that whole truth of what happened out of her one day, but while I had no doubt it would be an incredible one, I already knew how it ended. She never married the thief, her love. Her husband had died, her daughter been murdered, and now her grandson was a gangster. Nadia’s tale wouldn’t be a romance. It’d be a bittersweet love story with no true happily ever after.

“Speaking of retaliation for last night, someone shot up the KJ-Fit in south Shadow Grove this morning.” My mood instantly soured. “Was anyone hurt?” Lucas shook his head. “Doesn’t sound like it. Steele just said Kody was pissed and out for blood.” “Tell him to get in fucking line,” I murmured.

Zed was already pulling his phone from his pocket to check in with Archer, and I gave Lucas a curious look. “When did you and Steele become friends?” His answering look was flat. “Maybe the other night while you were sucking these two off beside Wayne’s bleeding, bullet-riddled body and I needed to stop him checking in on you?” I tilted my head, grinning. “Fair call.”

These moments sitting around with the three of them, eating, drinking, or smoking, they were my favorites. Okay, second favorites. But in moments like these I could see us all being together forever, even as farfetched as that seemed.

“Done.” I frowned, confused. Then Cass started laughing his low, husky laugh. “Sneaky fuck,” he muttered. “You bought it in Red’s name, didn’t you?”

I whipped my head around to stare at Zed, who looked way too fucking smug for his own good. “Zayden De Rosa, you wanna tell me you didn’t steal this?” “Bought and paid for, boss. Paperwork is all in your name too, so consider the rightful owner back in possession.” He closed my fingers and kissed the ring. “So quit your bitching about it.”

“It’s just a ring, Dare.” I sighed, knowing he’d already won this battle. He’d won it the second he chose the most perfect-for-me ring ever created.

So I looped my arms around his neck and kissed him back, but deep down, all four of us knew he was lying. It wasn’t just a ring. It was so much more, and that was something we’d need to work through. Together.

I had vaults in loads of banks, in loads of cities, and even in other countries. That was just smart, in my line of business. But this one was the first I’d used and still the most accessible.

All four of us had stayed up way too late again the night before. So much for giving my cunt a break. Maybe she’d just get used to the constant traffic, instead. I, for one, was willing to give that a try.

“Don’t worry; I covered my bases on bank robberies too. This isn’t my only stash.” I sighed quickly. “That was one of the very few good things I learned from my father. He used to lecture me on the importance of splitting up assets. His rule was to never store anything more than you’re willing to lose in each location. If one was lost, would it ruin you? If so, don’t leave so much in that place. It makes you vulnerable.”

“Sorry, I’ll make it quick. I’m at Guardian Bank in Cloudcroft and just saw someone I thought I recognized. But he disappeared before I could verify. Any chance you can pull some security footage and get me a freeze frame to confirm?” Dallas huffed. “From the Guardian Bank? No chance. They’re tighter than Fort Knox. You could ask me to break into the Pentagon, and it’d be easier than them.”

I presented my key to the concierge desk. It was old fashioned as hell, but most criminals I knew had a bit of a dramatic flare. Ancient keys on ribbons to access hidden vaults was right up there on that list.

“The bars are just... a novelty. You know how hard it would be to actually try and trade in one of those bastards? Nightmare. Coins, on the other hand, hold significant value in a compact, easily transported size. They also continue to rise in value, so coins that I bought four years ago at, say, four hundred dollars per ounce are now worth over two thousand. And they’re a physical commodity, not an intangible idea of wealth like printed paper.”

“Gold sovereigns—coins—are usually a quarter ounce each. So one coin can be worth four hundred dollars or so. Hell of a lot easier, and less attention grabbing, to trade in than a ten-ounce bar.” I tucked my bag over my arm, and Lucas opened the door for us to leave. “Not to mention if society ever collapsed and the internet disappeared, gold will still hold international value. Paper money? Not so much.”

“The sharp, savvy businesswoman. Hayden Timber might have seized control over the Timberwolves and gotten her hands dirty to maintain that seat of power, but Daria Wolff is the reason you’re sitting on an actual goldmine. I somehow doubt your father, or the previous Timberwolf leaders, ever built an empire like you’ve done.”

He understood me and didn’t cast judgment over why I was the way I was. More than anyone I’d ever met, Lucas loved me exactly as I was.

Motherfucker was watching me. My gaze darted around the parking lot but found no one. He could be anywhere, though. With his skills, he could be in a different country and still be watching me.

There was no point denying I’d been hurt; the Guild knew everything.

It was a quick reminder of what was important: Lucas. Spitting curses about his selfish, cowardly mother wasn’t going to help him, and she was gone and couldn’t hear me.

Casting another long look at the house, I padded over to the Mustang, my feet sinking into the damp grass. When I’d gotten his call, I hadn’t paused to get dressed, leaving the house in my men’s sleep shirt and cutoff sweatpants. No bra, no shoes. Hell, even Zed had barely tugged on a pair of sweats over his boxers.