Chapter 28 Hades
Hades
We lie like that for a while. One of my hands in her hair, the other tucked around her waist. She closes her eyes and burrows against my chest, lying her thigh atop mine and tracing the whorls of hair as her fingers cross my chest in random patterns.
“Fuck,” I say, after a long time. “I think I’ve needed that since the very first moment I laid eyes on ye.”
Her eyes open and she looks vaguely amused. “I think that goes for me, too. That was…” She sucks her teeth. “The word explosive comes to mind.”
“Aye.” I nod, absently stroking her hair. “This complicates things, of course.”
Penny sighs, looking up at me. “I don’t even want to ask what you are thinking. Could we… could we just save that conversation for another day?”
I purse my lips, shrugging. “If that will make ye happy.”
“It will.” She smiles, reaching up for a kiss. “Especially if— “
My hackles rise even before I hear a faint, faraway noise. I shush her, my eyes on the door.
In an instant, I am bolting up from the bed, hunting for the gun I keep in a drawer of the bedside table. I hear the noise again, muffled but less distant.
“Fuck,” I whisper. “There is someone in the house.”
I grab my trousers, hastily climbing into them and zipping them up. Penny moves around behind me, rustling.
“Shh,” I warn her.
I look back to find her wrapping the navy coverlet around herself, her eyes wide and afraid.
I hate to see that look on her face.
“It’s okay,” I whisper. Jerking my head to the door, I raise my brows. “Get down on the floor and prepare to get under the bed. I’ll see who our visitor is.”
She swallows, nodding and getting to her knees. I nudge open the bedroom door, peering out.
“We should’ve called,” drones a familiar voice. “Ye know Hades doesn’t like to be surprised.”
I step out into the hallway, my gun raised, my expression grim. Eros and Ares turn the corner and stop, their faces showing surprise.
“What the fuck!” I shout at them.
Eros hides his surprise with humor. “Hello, big brother. We thought we would see how ye were getting on. It seems like you’re doing all right for yourself.”
“Eros,” Ares says, throwing an elbow into his ribs.
“Ow!”
I lower my gun, fury rattling around inside me. “Eros was right. I hate surprises.”
Ares strides forward, clapping me on the shoulder. “We didn’t mean to catch ye half dressed.” His gaze slides away, catching on the bedroom door. “Should I ask where the girl is, Hades?”
The back of my neck heats. I have been caught with a girl. It shouldn’t be a big deal; both of my brothers are absolute man whores, fucking different girls at any and every hour of the goddamn day.
And yet, because it is me, I still feel the sting of their judgment.
“The two of ye should go wait in the study,” I snap. “I’ll be there shortly once I’ve got myself properly attired. Yes?”
Ares and Eros share a little laughing look between themselves. I growl, stepping toward Ares with my teeth bared.
“Okay, okay,” he says, raising his arms and backing away. “We’ll be in the study, not talking about how we came home to find ye banging the help.”
They both burst into childish giggles. My whole body tenses with the need to reprimand them.
Except they aren’t exactly wrong. Not about what I’ve been doing, anyway.
I glare at them until they turn the corner, vanishing once more. Then I tuck my gun in my waistband and head back into the bedroom.
I hear the sound of water running and see the light on beneath the door to the en suite bathroom. Walking over to it, I rap lightly with my knuckles.
Penny opens the door a crack, her expression unreadable. “Your brothers are here.”
I bob my head. “Yes.”
“Hm. So much for this being an impregnable fortress.”
My brows rise. “They are Lyon blood. There would be no point in trying to keep them out, lass.”
“Yes, well.” Fatigue shows on her face. “I’m going to take a bath. Maybe with some bubbles and scented bath oils…” She wrinkles her nose and cuts her eyes toward the other room. “I’ll… catch up with you all later. I’m sure you have plenty to catch up on.”
Then she shuts the damn door in my face. For a second, I stare at the dark wood, blinking.
Her retreat is a little unexpected. Then again, what would I have asked her to do? Probably exactly the same.
“Fuck,” I say, although no one is listening to my opinions just now.
I walk over to my clothes, putting my shirt and boots on. All the while I am ruminating over what exactly I could say to Penny that would…
Well, I don’t even know what effect I hope to get out of it. She just throws me off my game, in every way possible.
God damn it.
Shaking my head at myself, I stomp out of the bedroom and down the twisting halls to the study. My brothers are waiting not-very-patiently for me. Ares is sprawled in dad’s chair, Eros standing by the window. I slam the door, wiping the smirk off both of their faces.
“So?” I demand. “What have ye got? It had better be good, ye complete idiots.”
Ares gives me a look. “It is, as a matter of fact. That’s why we flew straight here.”
I glare at him, stalking up to the desk. “Spill it.”
He rocks back in the chair, a smile splitting across his face. “We know how to ensnare Constantine. With a little help from Persephone, we think that we have the perfect plan.”
“Lure him out with a juicy piece of bait…” Eros adds. “Then lead him into a trap of our own devising. Once he’s in, we crush him.”
He makes a fist, grinning.
I look back and forth between my brothers, my mind spinning. “Constantine would be gone? For good?”
“If our plan works, he will die.” Ares looks extra pleased at the very thought of spilling blood. “And we will slide right into place as the arms dealer of choice.”
“Sit down,” Ares says, sweeping his hand. “Hear us out.”
I cross my arms, glancing between my brothers. For several seconds, silence reigns.
Then I walk over to one of my father’s chairs, collapsing into it. “I’m listening.”
Ares and Eros both lean forward, excitement shining in their eyes.