Timber (Hades, #4)

by Tate James

"Get Lucas up to speed on gang politics, then deliver him back to Shadow Grove to run my empire."

Because despite how much he'd hurt me, despite his betrayal and everything it had caused, I still fucking loved him with my whole sullied soul.

"I love you more than life itself, Angel.

"Hayden," he murmured. "Words quite literally can't express how much I love you. There is no doubt in my mind: You're it for me. You don't just own my heart, babe, you are my heart. Without you, nothing matters. Every minute of the twelve days, four hours, and fifteen minutes you were gone, I was dead inside."

Right down to keeping it all a secret. Faced with the same choice... I'd have kept my mouth shut too. His love meant that much to me.

At the end of the day, he had done it. And now he needed to kiss my ass until the end of time if he wanted to have any hope of redemption.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered in my ear. "No matter how long it takes, I love you, Dare. That will never change, and I'll never stop waiting for you."

There was an odd note in his voice as he said that, but maybe I was imagining things.

"Because when you were lying there in my bed, naked and so fucking serene... I knew that you were my whole reason for existing. My whole damn reason. Then I started thinking about all your enemies, all the threats to your empire, and the bastards who would constantly be challenging the woman in criminal power. I sat there for hours, letting the worst scenarios play out in my mind, and I just..." He trailed off with a frustrated head shake. "I had to do something to keep you safe. Even if you didn't know about it."

"I'd burn the whole fucking world down for you, Angel."

and really, when licking someone's genitals, could we be squeamish about sweat?

"Nah, we had to do about sixteen rounds of rock paper scissors. Handled it like men, beautiful."

"I love you, Zed," I whispered against his lips. "You're my best friend. My fucking soulmate.

Fuck, Cass was hot.

"She said she knew." Now that was unexpected.

"Rude," Cass muttered, cutting me off. "I'm not a fucking senior citizen, Red. I think I proved that when I fought Johnny Rock."

A few moments later, Archer passed the fuck out, and the spectators lost their damn minds.

"I'd hoped you might have died in your sleep," he drawled back. "I guess we're both disappointed."

"Dare has business to do, and it doesn't involve your dick down her throat." Lucas quirked a brow. "But could it?"

rolling his shirtsleeves up to reveal his tanned forearms. Goddamn, did he know how hot that was? Rolled-up shirtsleeves with strongly muscled forearms are to women what great cleavage is to men.

a marriage certificate or how it was totally impractical given we were now a polyamorous heterosexual foursome. At least... I think that’s what we were defined as. Maybe just reverse harem.

I knew that the love I felt for Zed, for Lucas, and for Cass were entirely different things, yet each just as important and just as deeply woven into the fiber of my being.

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.

Okay. So it was just me and Zed, with Lucas and Cass watching and playing with their dicks. Actually, that was even better.

they did so well as a team. All three of them. I’d be walking funny for days, no doubt about it.

“And I love you, Hayden Darling Timber. Always have, always will.”

“Some might find that an odd thing to promise an eight-year-old, but from you to her? Cutest fucking thing ever.”

“I’m not late for my dick appointment, you fucking child.

“Fuck yeah. Alright, tell me the plan, and make it bloody.” If I wasn’t already head over heels for this man, that’d do it.

Sex and death. What better combination was there, really?

“I can still feel your cum dripping out of my pussy,” I confessed, and his lips parted in shock. “Holy fuck,” he whispered on a laugh. “That just instantly got me hard.”

“Kinda irrelevant now, though. I’m alive and he’s dead, so, like, Rodney can suck my spirit dick.”

comfortable, naked, cum-soaked pile.

"You look like a fucking dream right now, Red. Like the Queen of the Underworld come to life.

"I don't like children." The little girl scoffed. "You adore me, but nice try."

My turbulent soul was finally calm. Finally at peace.

For the first time in my whole life, I was completely happy.

Lucas draped his arm over the back of my chair and placed a soft kiss on my cheek before whispering one of the sexiest things on earth in my ear. “I’ll get you coffee, babe.”

“Does this mean I call you Mom?” she asked, sniffing back tears. I peeled her away far enough to glare. “Call me ‘Mom’ and I’ll sign you up for ballet classes.”

She grinned, then hugged me tight once more. Over her head, my guys all gave me soft smiles. We were a family, and now we had the legal paperwork to prove it.

this time, the only thing rising from ashes was my future.