Chapter 22 Hades
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
hades
The clubhouse main room smells like stale beer and smoke when I walk into it later that morning. The dim light filtering through the blinds cuts across the war room table where Ghost, Rogue, Sniper, and Tempest are already waiting.
None of us have slept.
"Ethan's gone," Ghost says without preamble. His voice is flat, measured. Presidential. "But he didn't act alone."
I drop into my chair, every muscle in my body still humming with leftover adrenaline. The cabin. The confrontation. Tempest's shot. It all feels like it happened to someone else, but the blood under my fingernails says otherwise.
"Shadow Hawks gave him muscle," Sniper adds, leaning back with his arms crossed. "Question is, are they still in it, or did they cut him loose?"
"We know they were working with Ethan," Rogue says, his jaw tight. "What we don't know is if there's anyone else. Other organizations, other players we haven't identified yet."
I look at each of my brothers in turn. Tempest sits perfectly still, but I can see the weight of last night in the set of his shoulders. The shot he took. The life he ended.
"Doesn't matter," I say, and my voice comes out rougher than I intend. "They laid hands on my woman. That's a declaration."
Ghost's eyes narrow. "Not so fast. War costs lives we can't afford. We need intel before we move."
Every instinct in me screams to hunt down every last Shadow Hawk and make them pay. To paint the streets red for what they did to Evangeline. But Ghost is right. He's always right when it comes to strategy.
That's why he's president.
"Fine," I growl. "What's the play?"
"I've got feelers out to their leadership," Ghost says, pulling up his encrypted phone. "Requesting a meet. I need to know if this was sanctioned or if Ethan went rogue. Need to know if they're planning retaliation or if they're willing to walk away."
"Walk away?" The words taste bitter. "After what they did?"
"After what we did to three of their men and taking out an entire chapter," Ghost corrects. "This goes both ways, brother."
Rogue leans forward. "What about other organizations? Irish mob, Italians, anyone else who might have had a stake in Ethan's operation?"
"Already looked into it," Sniper says. "Ethan kept his circle tight. Just him, his financial network, and the Hawks for muscle. No other players we can find. He took out any one who got close. From what we have gathered, only the Shadow Hawks got close enough."
"Could be hiding it deeper," I point out.
"Could be. But our intel's solid. If there were other organizations involved, we'd have seen movement by now. Money trails, communications, something."
Tempest finally speaks, his voice quiet. "What about retaliation from the Hawks? They lost three men. That's not nothing."
"That's what the meet's for," Ghost says. "To see if they want blood or if they're smart enough to see this for what it was: Ethan's mess, not ours."
"It became ours the second they touched Evangeline."
"Yeah, it did. But we still need to know if we're looking at a war or a truce."
The room falls silent, each of us processing, calculating, preparing for whatever comes next.
"When's the meet?" I ask finally.
"This afternoon. Neutral ground. Just me and their president."
"I'm coming."
"No, you're not. You're too close to this. You'll go in hot and blow the whole thing."
He's right, and I hate that he's right. But Evangeline's upstairs healing from what they did to her. The kids are safe for now, but they won't stay that way if this escalates.
"Fine. But you'll have three brothers on your back. Anything goes wrong, we move."
Ghost nods. "Already planned on it."
Rogue stands, walking to the window. "What about the detective?"
"She came by early this morning," Ghost says. "Took statements, but that's it."
My spine straightens. "And?"
"And she's closing the investigation into Marcus and Calla's murder. DNA evidence ties Ethan to the crime scene. She's ruling it a home invasion gone wrong, perpetrator deceased."
The relief that hits me is physical. Justice for my sister. For Marcus. Not the way I wanted it, but justice all the same.
"She say anything else?"
"Yeah." Ghost meets my eyes. "She said that she hopes she doesn't have any more dealings with us again. Next time she won't be so lenient."
"It's the end," I say. "As long as the Hawks walk away."
"And if they don't?"
"Then we finish what they started."
I climb the stairs to where Evangeline's been sleeping. The door's cracked, light from the hallway spilling across her face.
She's awake, those green eyes finding me the moment I enter.
"Hey," she whispers.
"Hey yourself." I pull the chair close to her bed, taking her hand. "How you feeling?"
"Like I got hit by a truck. But alive."
"That's what matters."
"Is it over? Really over?"
I want to tell her yes. Want to promise her that the nightmare's done, that we can move forward without looking over our shoulders. But I won't lie to her.
"Almost. Ghost is meeting with the Shadow Hawks this afternoon. If they walk away, it's over. If they don't..."
"If they don't, you go to war."
"If they don't, we protect what's ours."
She's quiet for a moment, processing. "And the kids? Are they safe?"
"Willow and Natalia are watching them. They're fine, Angel. They don't know anything yet."
"We have to tell them something."
"We will. When you're ready. When we know what we're dealing with."
Her fingers tighten around mine. "I'm scared, Hades. Not for me, but for them. They've already lost so much."
"I know. But they've got us now. And I swear to you, nothing is going to touch them. Nothing is going to touch you. Whatever it takes."
"That's what I'm afraid of. What you'll have to do. What it'll cost you."
"Already paid the price last night. What's a little more?"
"Your soul, maybe."
The words hit harder than I expect. Because she's right. Every act of violence, every body, every choice, they all take pieces of who you are. Eventually, there might not be enough left to recognize.
"My soul's been damned for a long time," I tell her. "But you? Those kids? You're worth whatever hell I have to walk through."
Tears well in her eyes. "I don't want you to be damned for me."
"Too late. Already am."
I lean forward, pressing my forehead against hers. Breathing her in. Alive. Safe. Mine.
"Sleep," I tell her. "I'll be here when you wake up."
"Promise?"
"Always."
Her eyes drift closed, trusting me to keep watch. To keep her safe.
And I will. For as long as I live, I'll protect this family we're building from the ashes of everything we've lost.
* * *
Ghost leaves for the meet at two in the afternoon. He takes Savage, Renegade, Ruin, and Venom with him. He also agreed to Sniper's request of having Onyx and Inferno go ahead earlier and bug the meeting place.
Rogue, Tempest, Sniper, and I stay at the clubhouse, making sure that our families are safe.
The conversation comes through the mics crystal clear.
"Appreciate you meeting with me," Ghost says.
"Didn't have much choice." The Shadow Hawks' president sounds tired. Resigned. "You took out our Boston chapter, now three of my men are dead. I need to know if this is the start of something or the end."
"That depends on you. Were they acting under your orders?"
"No. Ethan Morrison paid them directly. Hired muscle for his personal vendetta. I didn't know what they were doing until it was done."
"And now?"
"Now they're dead, Morrison's dead, and I've got members asking if we're going to war with the Saints over this."
"Are you?"
A long pause. "No. Morrison brought this on himself. My men made a choice to work for him. They paid for it. I'm not throwing good lives after bad."
"Smart."
"Survival. The Saints have been around longer than most clubs. You've got resources, connections, territory. We'd lose more than we'd gain trying to take you on."
"So we walk away? Both of us?"
"We walk away. But I need something from you first."
"What's that?"
"Assurance that this doesn't happen again. That if one of mine steps out of line, you come to me first before putting them in the ground."
"Same goes for you. My brother was protecting his family. But if your boys come at us again, there won't be a conversation first."
"Understood. We done here?"
"One more thing. Anyone else involved in Morrison's operation? Any other organizations we should know about?"
"No. He kept it tight. Just him and whoever he could pay. No other players."
"Good. Then we're done."
The wire goes silent. Ghost is coming back.
We all breathe a little easier.
"It's over," Rogue says, disbelief in his voice. "They're actually walking away."
"They're smart," Tempest says. "Smarter than Ethan, anyway."
"Or they're just cutting their losses," Sniper adds. "An entire chapter and three of his own brothers dead isn't worth a war. Not over money they weren't even getting."
I don't say anything. I just listen to the silence where there could have been gunfire, violence, more death.
Evangeline's safe. The kids are safe. And we didn't have to burn the city down to make it happen.
Ghost walks in twenty minutes later, looking as calm as ever. "We're good. Hawks are backing off. It's done."
The relief in the room is palpable, brothers who've been tensed for war finally relaxing, finally breathing.
"That's it?" I ask. "Just like that?"
"Just like that. Their president isn't stupid. He knows when to fold."
"And if he changes his mind?"
"Then we deal with it. But I don't think he will. He's got bigger problems than us."
I nod slowly, letting it sink in. It's really over. The threat's gone. The danger's passed.
Now comes the hard part. Living with what we did. Building something from the wreckage.
"I'm going to check on Evangeline," I say, standing.
"Yeah, you do that." Ghost's expression softens. "Take some time, brother. You've earned it."
I climb the stairs, exhaustion finally catching up with me. When I open Evangeline's door, she's awake, watching the doorway like she's been waiting.
"It's over," I tell her. "Shadow Hawks are backing off. No retaliation, no war. We're safe."
She closes her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks. Relief, maybe. Or just the weight of everything catching up.
"Come here," she whispers.
I cross to the bed, careful not to jostle her injuries. She shifts to make room, and I lie down beside her, fully clothed, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.
"It's really over?" she asks against my chest.
"It's really over, Angel."
"And now?"
"Now we heal. We tell the kids. We figure out what comes next."
"What does come next?"
"Life. Family. Building something worth protecting instead of just fighting to survive."
She's quiet for a long moment, her fingers tracing patterns on my shirt. "I love you," she finally says.
"I love you too. More than anything."
"Even with everything that's happened? Everything you've done?"
"Especially because of it. You make me want to be better, Angel. Make me want to deserve you."
"You already do."
I'm not sure about that. But lying here with her, safe and alive and together, I can almost believe it.
* * *
I wake to the Evangeline lying on my shoulder, her eyes wide open. I can hear the kids voices downstairs, excited and scared and confused all at once.
"I should go to them," Evangeline says, trying to sit up. “It’s late in the afternoon and they’re probably worried about us.”
"Not yet. Let me."
I find them in the common room. Mason, Sophie, Jake, Emma, and little Lily. Five kids who've lost everything and are trying so hard to be brave.
They see me and rush over. Mason reaches me first, grabbing my hand.
"Uncle Hades! Where's Aunt Evangeline? Is she okay?"
"She's going to be fine. She got hurt, but Ruin patched her up. She needs rest."
"Can we see her?" Lily asks, her eyes wide and scared.
"In a little bit. First, I need to talk to you guys about something."
I sit down, and they gather around me. Waiting. Trusting.
God, I hope I don't mess this up.
"You remember I told you we were trying to find out what happened to your parents?" I start carefully.
They nod, hanging on every word.
"We found out. It was Ethan. He hurt them because he was trying to hide the bad things he had done."
"Is he going to come after us?" Jake asks, his voice shaking.
"No. He can't hurt anyone anymore. It's over."
"Did you stop him?" Mason asks.
"My brothers and I made sure he can't hurt anyone else. Ever."
They're quiet, processing. Then Lily, the youngest, climbs into my lap.
"You're not leaving again, right?" she asks, her small voice breaking my heart.
"Never. I'm staying right here. Me and Aunt Evangeline both."
"Promise?"
"I promise, little one. You're safe now. All of you."
Mason's trying so hard not to cry. Sophie's clutching her stuffed animal like a lifeline. Jake just looks exhausted, like he's been carrying the weight of the world.
Emma, always the practical one, asks, "Can we see Aunt Evangeline now?"
"Yeah. But be gentle, okay? She's hurt and she needs rest."
They follow me upstairs, quiet and careful. When we enter Evangeline's room, she's sitting up, trying to look stronger than she feels.
The kids don't care about her bruises or bandages. They just see her. Alive. There.
They pile onto the bed carefully, surrounding her with love and relief and need.
"You're okay," Mason breathes.
"I'm okay, sweetheart. We're all okay."
Sophie burrows into her side. "Don't leave us."
"Never. I'm right here. We both are."
I watch them, this makeshift family we've built from tragedy and loss. Five kids who need us. One woman who makes me want to be better.
This is what I fought for. What I killed for.
And looking at them now, I'd do it all again.
"Hey," Evangeline says softly, meeting my eyes over the kids' heads. "Come here."
I join them on the bed, and suddenly we're all tangled together. Kids and adults, broken pieces trying to make a whole.
"We're home," I tell them. "All of us. And nobody's taking that away."
For the first time in days, I feel something like peace. It's fragile, new, uncertain.
But it's there.
Hell's behind us. Home's what's left.
And I'll fight every day to protect it.