Hades
Fifty-Nine
Icrawled out of her bed and scurried to the bathroom.
It took two minutes for me to finish and wash my hands before getting back to her.
She slept for a long time, but Rory was always running on autopilot to avoid her trauma.
I could see it the first night we were together.
Sex and art were her ways of staying busy and keeping her mind silent.
I didn’t want her to be alone in this state; not because I thought she was fragile or weak, but because she needed someone to lean on for support.
Loss was difficult, and until I could prove it, Rory would believe Cinder was dead because of the gunshot and the boy from her past. What I was gathering was her stalker, whoever he was, wanted to hurt her and he knew enough about Rory to target her via her trauma and relationships.
Something told me Cinder wouldn’t be his only target. This was a game, and we were the pawns.
We all needed to watch our backs because Rory had feelings for all three of us, even if the other two didn’t reciprocate the same feelings or show their emotions that well.
I’d been in Briarwood for a few days, and I could already read them like a book.
They both wore a mask and used aggression to hide their true feelings.
I knew it wasn’t my job to help grown women express themselves, but they hurt my girl when they put themselves in a box.
Rory stirred in her sleep, her body jolting and a hoarse scream escaping her lips.
She was on the verge of a panic attack, but I reassured her and pulled her back to reality.
Rory stayed in my arms, breathing evenly out as her tears soaked into my shirt.
I kissed her temple, running my fingers up her arm.
“Was it a dream?” she mumbled, her voice low and broken.
I didn’t want to break her heart more, but I knew giving her false hope wouldn’t help her. “It was real, valkyrie.” I wasn’t going to confirm or deny what we heard.
I saw her reaction instantly. Her entire body started to shake and her lip trembled.
Rory’s fingers tangled into my shirt with surprising strength.
Her sobs were broken and incomplete, causing her breathing to stall as warm tears soaked into the fabric of my white tee.
This sound was something I never wanted to hear again.
She wasn’t just sobbing, she was shattering, everything she held in breaching the dam and flooding her.
She hiccupped, her sad, blue eyes filled with anguish. “The last thing I told her was I hated her and she was just like our mother. I compared her to the woman that abused me, Hades.”
I combed my fingers through her hair in slow, steady motions, giving her comfort the best way I could.
“C’mon, breathe for me. She knew…She always knew you loved her.
” Cinder’s tactics weren’t the best, but she loved her sister.
Just from what I’ve heard, her overprotection was a reaction to the fear of losing Rory.
I couldn’t confirm it because I never met the woman, but it was something I knew in my bones.
She wiped her face against my shirt and peered up at me. “I didn’t mean it. She was…I can’t do this without her.” More tears filled her eyes.
I leaned forward, pressing my forehead to hers.
She could use me to gain strength and reassurance because I wouldn’t leave her, but I also wouldn’t hold her down.
“Listen to me, my valkyrie. You’re the strongest damn woman I know.
She’s part of you and now you live for her.
” She buried her face into my chest once more.
I wished there was more I could do for her, but I could only hope my presence brought her some comfort. “Come with me to Crestview?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to right now.”
“You just say the word, okay? However long it takes. I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”
She stumbled out of the bed and made a beeline for her bathroom. I left her alone momentarily so she could have a moment of peace, and then she came back out with more tears streaming down her face. When I went to her to comfort her she stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself.
“C’mere and let me check you out? You passed out.”
She smiled. “You wanna play doctor now?”
“Pretty girl, I don’t have to play when I am a doctor,” I joked playfully before taking her hand. “Let’s take a bath?”
An hour later, I helped Rory out of the bath and slipped her into an oversized T-shirt before putting her back in bed.
I did a quick check-over and made sure her vitals were okay before tucking her in.
I wanted her to get out and do things, but I would give her the day.
When Widow or Vesper got back, I would have them check on her, but I needed to get back to Crestview and to my clinic for a few days.
She fell asleep quickly, and I slipped from the bed to find Widow or Vesper.
I didn’t want to leave her, but I had other responsibilities back home.
Here, I knew she would be safe until I could have her in my bed.
Hell, she wouldn’t be much safer in Crestview with the Primal Predators, but I wanted her with me.
As much as I loathed Widow’s existence, we needed to talk about this so we could work out a plan, and once when Rory woke up, we would talk about it with her.
I hated having Rory involved because I didn’t want to get her hopes up about her sister being alive, but not telling her would cause more problems.
Vesper would act as a buffer between us, but the tension in the room was palpable.
Widow glared at me as I stood next to Vesper.
“You two need to stop acting like children fighting on a playground,” Vesper grumbled, annoyance lacing her tone.
“We have one goal to achieve, and that is protecting Rory.”
“What are you planning?” Widow questioned.
“Nothing yet, but we need to look for clues or verification that Cinder is dead.” Widow looked at Vesper like she grew two heads. “I know it sounds crazy, but we don’t have a body. We heard a gunshot, but it could be anywhere and it could have been staged.”
I stepped closer, folding my arms across my chest. “No body, no proof. Just ‘cause he wants us to believe she’s dead, doesn't mean she is.”
Widow narrowed her eyes on me. “Why do you care?”
“‘Cause my girlfriend sobbed in my arms for her sister. She’s fuckin’ heartbroken.
Do you want me to sit around fiddlin’ my thumbs while she breaks?
” I snapped. I knew this was treading dangerous waters.
Widow didn’t like me? Well, the feeling was fucking mutual.
“I don’t enjoy seeing her in pain. “I’ll do what I can to make sure she is happy, even if it means chasin’ a ghost.”
“And you think you can protect her?” Widow hissed. And that was their problem. They all thought she needed to be protected.
I let out a humorless laugh. “Honey, she can handle herself just fine. She ain’t the defenseless damsel in need of savin’ or some broken porcelain doll.”
Her fists clenched. “If you hurt her…”
“I’m not going to hurt her. I see how valuable she is. Besides, you don’t need me to break her heart.”
The room fell silent. The insult was like a knife hitting her in the chest and made her falter for a moment. Her eyes went wide for a second, flashes of anger and the smallest hint of guilt peeking through. It was gone fast and replaced with a burning rage.
Widow’s hand slammed against the wall, her stare ripping into me. She didn’t intimidate me. I had to deal with bigger assholes than her in Crestview. All she did was piss me off. “Shut the hell up before—”
“Before what? Can’t handle it? You shattered her heart, and she still loves your sorry fuckin’ ass for some reason.”
“Enough!” Vesper hissed through the tension. Widow stepped back, but her fists were still clenched. “We don’t have time for petty bullshit. Rory is a grown-ass woman and can do whatever she wants, and that includes fucking with Hades. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like it.”
“Her father kil—”
“I don’t care. Right now we need to focus on Rory.”
I knew Widow would mention my father. Fucking cunt. “I wanna take her to Crestview. Get her away for a little while and keep her safe.”
Widow’s gaze narrowed on me. “She is safe here. Someone tried to shoot her from Crestview. Why would I let her go there?”
Someone shot at her? She didn’t tell me that. Regardless, I would protect her and find out who it was. “She was taken and assaulted after her wreck on your territory. That sound safe to you? He knows things about her.” My voice cut through the tension. “She needs to get away from Briarwood.”
Vesper put her hand against Widow’s chest to keep her from charging at me. “And you think you can keep her safe?”
“Yes, I can. She needs a break away from here.”
“No.”
“You aren’t her fuckin’ mother. You can’t control her. You can’t love her.”
I stepped closer to her, the anger radiating off us like a furnace, but Vesper stopped us. “Jesus Christ. Can you two fucking stop? This isn’t helping. Hades, get back to Rory. Widow and I will talk.” I glared at her as I quickly left the room to get back to my girl.