Chapter 28 Hades
Hades
I’ve been through some shit in my life. I mean, death row… come on. Not much tops that on the fear scale.
Or so I thought.
Waiting for Willow to say whether she loves me or not is a brand of torture all on its own. I don’t know if I’ll survive it.
“I do.”
I lift my head quickly to look into her eyes. “What?”
“I love you.”
And I survived.
“Thank fuck.”
Willow throws her head back and laughs, then groans when the action causes her pain. I hate seeing her hurting.
“Dammit, that hurts,” she complains, holding her side. “Did Stitch say how long I’m gonna be stuck here?”
“No, but I imagine you can get up for a little bit as long as you don’t overdo it.”
“Before I do anything, I want him to tell me it’s okay. We’ve got more to think about than just how things impact us now.”
I can’t stop the tilt of my lips. “Yeah, we do. Man, I hope it’s a little girl.”
“Nope,” she quips. “I want a boy just like you.”
“Trust me, Princess, you do not want that.”
“Sure, I could do without the death sentence part,” she teases, and I take no offense. I’m glad we can joke around about the big things. “Even more than that, though, I can do without the monthly highs and lows of a teenage girl with her period.”
“Oh, yeah. I’m with ya on that one,” I say. “A little boy, it is.” Willow yawns, and I get to my feet. “Before you pass out, I have something for you.”
“Does it involve me leaving this bed?”
“It does.”
“Then get Stitch because that’s not happening without his approval.”
I send a text to the club doc, and he enters the room two minutes later. “Are you okay?” he instantly asks Willow.
“I’m fine. Can I travel?”
“Can you what?”
“Travel,” she repeats. “Hades says he has something for me, but I have to walk to get it.”
Stitch rolls his eyes at her. “Yeah, you can walk as long as you take the IV pole with you. I don’t want any of your medications interrupted.”
“That settles it, then,” I state. “Stitch, you’re coming with us.”
“Where are we going?”
“Yeah, where are we going?” Willow echoes.
I stare at Stitch for a moment, silently begging him to figure it out on his own. After a second, his eyes widen.
“Seriously, man?”
“Yeah. It’s time.”
“Fine. But if she pukes, you’re on clean-up duty.”
“Why? You’re the doctor,” I counter.
“And you’re the dad, so suck it up, buttercup.”
“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood,” I mutter.
“Would the two of you stop bickering like an old married couple,” Willow gripes. “If we’re going somewhere, let’s do this thing because I’m tired.”
We both help her out of bed, and rather than let her walk, I lift her into my arms. Stitch pushes the IV pole and walks beside me.
“Where are you going?” Zodiac asks when we step into the common room.
“Where the fuck do you think?” Stitch asks, his brow arched.
My best friend darts his eyes to mine. “Right now?”
“Yep.”
“Then I’m coming.” He hollers over his shoulder. “Officers and Levins, follow us!”
“I wasn’t intending for this to turn into a party,” I say from behind clenched teeth.
“Maybe not, but this isn’t for you,” he counters. “It’s for her.” Zodiac nods at the woman in my arms.
And that’s how ten bikers and one spitfire of an injured woman wind up walking across an industrial property like some unstoppable force of nature.
“Isn’t this The Factory?” Willow asks quietly when we stop outside the door.
“It is,” I confirm.
Before she can ask any more questions, I nod at Zodiac to open the door. We step inside, and Willow gasps once the lights come on and illuminate the containers.
I carry her across the room, setting her on her feet in front of the third one. K.C. is still alive, although he’s barely recognizable. Stitch ended up putting in an IV to deliver him nutrients to keep him alive because he couldn’t eat with the damage I did to his mouth.
“Is that…”
“K.C.,” I say when she doesn’t finish her question.
“Wow. I really wasn’t too far off in my description, was I?”
I grin at her. “No, Princess, you weren’t.”
She looks around the space, taking in each container, and then her eyes light up. “Wait a second, I know what that is!” she exclaims, pointing at the last one.
“You do?” Zodiac asks.
“Yeah. It’s an acid chamber, right? Like, acid will come out of that sprinkler above it and dissolve the body. And then the liquified remains go down the drain, never to be seen again, and leaving no evidence behind.”
“Pres, how the fuck does she know that?” Butcher asks suspiciously. “I mean, I get why she’s in here right now, for K.C., but we don’t tell anyone about The Factory. Ever.”
“Oh, he didn’t tell me,” Willow assures him.
“Then how did you know all that?” Boa asks, as confused as Butcher and the rest of us.
“Seriously? None of you watches Criminal Minds?” she counters with a laugh. “You really should because you’d get so many ideas.” She waves a hand dismissively. “Anyway, I saw it on an episode and loved it.”
I groan. “Have I told you how much I love you?” She gives me a cheeky smile, clearly proud of herself. “All of you, go stand by the wall like you did for mine and Z’s initiation. Stitch, you can stay since you’re medically necessary.”
“Oh, gee, Pres, thanks,” he mumbles.
“Willow,” I begin, wrapping my arms around her from behind as we face K.C. “As far as the club is concerned, this is your initiation. But as far as I’m concerned, this is your revenge and justice all rolled into one disgusting package.”
“Okay.”
“This man violated you, and I will always regret that I couldn’t protect you from him.
I promise that it’ll never happen again.
I will give my life for you.” I lean close to her ear and whisper, so the others don’t hear.
“And for our child.” She sniffles and nods.
“I made him suffer as much as I could, and now it’s your turn.
He deserves to die, and the only true justice and revenge will happen by your hands. ”
“What do I have to do?” she asks, her voice so soft I almost don’t hear her.
I guide her to the lever between chambers three and four. “Pull that.” She does, and the conveyor belts carry K.C. to his final resting place. I then lead her to the button that activates the acid shower. “Push that button. You can leave it on for as long as you want.”
Willow squares her shoulders and steps out of my embrace. I’m so proud of her when she slams her palm on the button.
“Good fucking riddance,” she says darkly.
I fully expect her to turn the acid off quickly, but she surprises me by waiting until K.C.’s skin is almost completely dissolved. It takes almost an hour, and by the time she finally does turn it off, she’s exhausted. Her knees buckle, and I lift her back into my arms.
“Levins, come here,” I order. “Zodiac and Stitch, you can stay, but the rest of you, out.”
“Whaddya need, Pres?” Levins asks.
Before I answer him, I shift my attention to encompass only my two patched brothers. “Can the two of you get her back to bed, please?”
Zodiac stretches his arms out so I can place her in them. I’m not at all okay with another man touching her, but I trust him with my life, which means I can trust him with her.
“I’ve got her, Brother,” Zodiac assures me.
“I know. Thanks.”
Levins and I watch them walk out of The Factory. Before focusing my attention fully on him, I take a deep breath, knowing I’m either going to make or break him as a club brother.
“Pres?” he prods.
I harden my expression and slowly spin to face him. “Do you think you have what it takes to earn a DOAMC patch?” I ask.
“Yes,” he replies, the word drawn out.
“Is that an answer or a question?” I bark, embracing the sense of déjà vu.
I remember every single thing about the night of my initiation.
What Bodybag and Shifter required of Z and me was brutal, yet it was the only option as we were born into the club.
Levins wasn’t born into the club like me, but he’s family, all the same.
Unfortunately for him, that means he gets the same initiation.
“It’s a fucking answer,” he shouts.
I nod toward what remains of K.C. “He’s not completely liquified yet, which means you’re here for the duration. Only when there’s nothing left are you permitted back at the clubhouse.”
With that, I turn on my heel to exit The Factory. Before I open the door, I pause and glance over my shoulder.
“And Levins?”
“Yes, Pres?”
“Don’t worry about Jilly. She’ll be taken care of while you're here.”
It’s two days later when he strides into the clubhouse, declaring The Factory ready for the next visitor.