Chapter 19
“Who is that man?” Harley asked, looking at a painting hanging on the wall in Hades’s office. She had just woken up, though it was really late in the afternoon, and the first thing she did was seek out Hades. A part of her worried that he might push her away again after such a beautiful night together, but he welcomed her with open arms, and she was happy to see he went to pick Pixie up from Cati’s house already. She squinted at the new painting before her eyes widened. “Is that… is that Mayor Ashford? That’s your dad!”
Hades put Pixie down on the floor and stood before slowly walking toward Harley. She felt his large hands move around her waist before he nuzzled his nose in her neck before biting down. She yelped before twisting around in his arms.
“What I tell you about talking about that nigga?”
She cocked her head to the side. “You’re the one that has a painting of him hanging in your office.”
Hades licked his lips and looked down at her, admiring the way his black T-shirt hung loosely on her small frame. “I think it’s a nice photo. Don’t you?”
Harley craned her neck to look behind her again before she looked up at him. “He looks terrified.”
Hades chuckled menacingly, causing the hairs on her arms to stand at attention. “I know.”
He said the words kind of dreamlike as he admired the painting, and Harley shook her head, deciding to drop the topic. “How did you sleep?”
“After you finally got tired of fucking on me, I slept like a baby.”
She giggled and slapped his arm. “Sir, that was all you. I was the one trying to sleep.”
Hades shrugged as he gazed down at her. She smiled up at him, looking happy and at ease, but he still had to ask. “You good?”
Her smile slowly faded, and she took in a deep breath before stepping out of his arms and walking over to his desk chair. After she dropped into it, Pixie ran over to her and placed her front paws on Harley’s shins, prompting her to pick her fur baby up. She petted Pixie absentmindedly as she responded. “I’m okay. Last night feels like a bad dream, honestly. I can’t believe Drew was about to…” She shook her head. “And then you… did you kill him? His neck…”
Hades shrugged. “All I know is if I did, the police better stay the fuck away from me.”
He doubted his father would allow the police to come for him at this point. Seeing that he took his threat seriously, Hades would bet his last dollar that Henry would do anything to keep his deepest, darkest secrets within the family.
“Hades—”
“Nah.” He walked over to her and dropped down to his knees in front of her, moving Pixie off her lap. “I ain’t worried about him, and neither should you.”
Harley watched as he lifted the T-shirt she wore, showing off her bare thighs and pussy. “What are you doing?”
He spread her legs and looked at her. “Asking you out on a date.”
She tilted her head back and giggled. “That’s funny. I didn’t hear you say anything about a date.”
“I know. I’m about to ask you now.” His head dipped between her legs, causing her to grip the arms of the chair.
“Hades…”
“You can say my name after you say yes to a date. I don’t want to ask again, Tink. I’m not really one for asking women on dates and shit, so rock with me.” His tongue connected back to her clit, causing her to push her pussy into his face.
“Y-you still didn’t ask me, Hades.” He suctioned his lips around her clit as he slid a thick finger inside her, sending her a message loud and clear. He wasn’t going to ask her again. “Yes! Yes, I’ll go on a date with you.”
The vibrations of Hades’s laugh sent her over the edge, causing her love to spill out of her and onto his beard as he soaked it all up happily.
Moving around freely without the threat of Drew felt odd to Harley. She still half expected him to pop up at her house, but she had to keep reminding herself that wouldn’t happen.
After sleeping the afternoon away, having sex with Hades, and checking in with Cati, Blair, and Sage, Hades gave her the green light to go home and get ready for their date. Her home felt different now though. It felt empty and lacked the security that Hades brought into any space she was in with him.
The sound of her front door opening caused her to still. She had been looking at her reflection in the mirror, admiring her outfit.
Slowly, she inched her way toward her bedroom door when an imposing figure stepped through it. She screamed before grabbing her chest. “Hades! You scared the hell out of me. How did you get in here?”
His eyes slowly traveled up her body and then back down again as his cologne invaded her senses, awakening her arousal. She wondered if she would ever get enough of him. Her body felt sore from last night, but she suddenly felt excited at the thought of doing it all over again tonight.
She wore tight black jeans with a black bodysuit that dipped low, exposing her cleavage. Her hair was down with slight curls on the ends, and she even took some time to do her makeup. She knew she looked good, but Hades confirmed it by the way he looked at her.
“Come here.”
She only had to take two steps to get within arm’s reach of him, and as soon as she neared, he pulled her into his chest. It had only been two hours since she saw him, but she could tell he missed her just as much as she missed him. Harley didn’t know when this switch had been flipped. Or had it always been flipped? Did they gradually fall in love, or had she known since the first moment she saw him yelling at her coworker Kat? She couldn’t pinpoint it. What she knew was she was happy that she found this sort of intimate love with this menace of a man.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I made a key a few weeks ago.”
Harley could only shake her head at him. Not much surprised her anymore when it came to him. “Of course you did.”
He smirked, causing her panties to soak. “I love when you smile.”
Still with the smirk on his face as he looked at her like he wanted to know every thought she ever had, he said, “I don’t smile.”
She giggled. “Okay. Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“No, but come on. I got something for you.”
Harley huffed, admiring his black attire as he pulled her out of the room. She knew she would match him perfectly. He only ever wore black—sometimes blue.
After she put her heeled black leather boots on, Hades opened her door and then locked it before walking her toward his bike. The sight of it didn’t send her into a panic anymore. She realized when she was a child, she never trusted the men who made her ride with them on their bikes. As she slowly started trusting Hades, she realized riding on the back of his bike wasn’t so bad.
When they got to his bike, he pulled a couple of items off it, and she realized maybe she could still be surprised by Hades. In his hands was a black leather jacket with the Obsidian Riders crest on it along with two patches. He handed the jacket to her so she could inspect it. The first patch that sat right on the shoulder was purple and said First Lady . The other patch was black and blue, and she had to laugh at the words on that one. Taken by Hades. Try me and die.
“Hades, I love it,” she cried out as she jumped into his arms.
When she pulled away, Hades handed her a black helmet with pink flames before grabbing his own black helmet with blue flames from the handle of his bike. “I know you’re always fussing about helmets.”
“Hades!” Harley gushed as she tugged on his beard so he would lean down. She kissed him all over his face, over the moon happy. “I love these. Thank you so much. You know I just worry about you.”
“Oh yeah?” he asked with a raised brow. “Is that what you do?”
She giggled. “That’s exactly what I do.”
Hades nodded with a slick grin on his face, as if he was happy he had someone to worry about him, before he got onto the bike and put his helmet on. Harley put her jacket on and then her helmet before he helped her on.
Harley rested her helmet covered head against his back as he started the bike. The lurch she felt when they took off didn’t startle her as she settled in for the ride.
They had been riding for ten minutes when she felt Hades jerk to the right. She yelped and held onto him, suddenly alert and shaking like a leaf. Relief filled her as soon as they stopped on the side of the road.
“Hop off, baby,” Hades demanded.
Harley did as she was told on shaky legs. As soon as Hades stood beside her, he took his helmet off and then hers before asking, “You okay?”
“Yeah. What happened?”
“There was a racoon or some shit on the road. Almost hit the mothafucka.” Hades frowned as he looked back on the roads, squinting his eyes since nighttime was falling upon them. There was something on the ground several yards away, and Harley’s nurturing heart wouldn’t allow her to leave it there without checking first. She started moving forward, and Hades had to take long strides to catch up with her. “Girl, bring yo’ ass back over here.”
He tried to stop her, but she pulled away. “Wait. If the animal is still alive, we can call animal control. I can’t just leave it.” Hades grumbled behind her, but she didn’t care, and she was glad she didn’t give into him. When she was close enough, she realized it was a small brown puppy lying on the road. She immediately dropped to her knees and tried to assess the situation. “Oh, honey.”
Tears immediately clouded her vision as she carefully reached a hand out to the puppy, trying to see where it was hurt. Relief filled her when the puppy used its nose to nudge her hand weakly, as if he wanted her to pet him. She did with no hesitation, simultaneously checking for injuries.
It looked like it was a Pomeranian, if she had to guess, and its fur was matted. Underneath, she could feel its ribs. The poor thing was extremely malnourished. Gently, she lifted the puppy and was glad when it didn’t whine or yelp. It didn’t seem to be hurt, other than extremely hungry and not taken care of.
“Harley, you probably shouldn’t be picking that thing up.”
He used her real name, which meant he was serious. Still, she ignored him. “It’s a boy. A sweet little boy, Hades. Who would ditch him like this?”
Tears streamed down her face as she looked at the poor baby. Her heart ached, and she wanted to get the dog some water and food and a bath as soon as humanly possible.
Hades sighed behind her. “You’re taking that thing home, aren’t you?”
Harley looked back at him with her brows raised. “Of course I am!”
Hades chuckled as he tapped away on his phone. When he finished, he kneeled next to her and peered down at the puppy, who cowered away from him in Harley’s arms. “You’re fuckin’ up our date, lil nigga.”
Harley scoffed. “Hades, please. This is the best date I’ve ever been on. It was meant for us to find this poor little baby.” Her eyes lit up as she thought of something. “Where were you going to take me tonight?”
Hades’s face scrunched up in frustration. “Gotham Grill. I been wanting to check that place out. They’re supposed to have some good prime rib.” He said it longingly, and if the moment hadn’t been so sad for Harley, she might have laughed.
“We’ll name him Gotham, to commemorate our first date.”
Hades grunted. “Whatever. I called an Uber for you already. It’ll be there in a minute. You can’t safely ride with me while holding that mut.”
Harley smiled as she stood, trying to soothe the shaking puppy in her arms. Tilting her head back, she puckered her lips and waited for him to kiss her. He did happily, though she could tell he wasn’t happy about their failed first date.
“Can you stop at the store for me? I’ll send you a list of things I need for him. We can take him to the vet tomorrow, but if he’s micro-chipped, I’m not giving him up, Hades. This might be the only time I give you the go-ahead to raise hell. Whoever ditched this lil guy does not deserve him back. Poor thing.”
Hades wiped her tears as she rambled on and on about this new addition to their little family. Finally, a car pulled up beside them, and before Harley could take a step toward it, Hades stepped to the driver’s window and knocked on it so hard it almost shattered.
Harley watched as the poor old white man cracked his window, and Hades spoke before he could. “Stan?” The man nodded, looking shaken. “Aight, look, this is my girl, and she needs to get back to my house in one piece. If you don’t make that happen, I will find you, and I will shoot you right between the eyes.”
The man paled as Harley stepped forward. “Hades!”
He looked down at her. “What?”
“Stop it. We will be fine.”
Hades looked at her for a moment longer before looking back at Stan. “I ain’t pay for Uber pet, either. I’on even know that lil nigga she’s holding yet. I’m not about to pay extra for him to ride in your shit.”
“I-it’s okay,” Stan choked out.
“Oh, and don’t be driving all crazy, either. You see that lil nigga ain’t doing so good.”
“Gotham, Hades. His name is Gotham!”
Hades blinked down at her and then used his knuckle to run down the puppy’s trembling head. “It is a cool ass name.”
He opened the door for Harley and waited until she was tucked in safely before kissing her lips.
“I’ll send you that list,” she said, already pulling her phone out and tapping away.
Hades shut the door and watched as the car drove away, already knowing it was going to be a long ass night, and he wanted to make sure he had time to talk to Harley about something he’d been thinking about all day.