Page 11 of Hades

Harley let out a deep sigh, understanding already that Hades wasn’t going to allow her to dance around her response. “Yes,” she whispered, praying that Hades didn’t harm Drew or mess her house up. Drew would only take it out on her, and that terrified her. He’d never hurt her, but he could make her life a living hell.

She blinked, and then her eyes popped out when she saw Drew slumped onto the floor. Hades’s fist was so quick, she missed him knocking Drew out. Harley let out a yelp, but Hades ignored her as he used one hand to lift Drew by the throat like a damn rag doll before he walked toward the front door.

“Get dressed.” It was all Hades said before opening the front door and tossing—like literally tossing—Drew out.

Drew was not a small man. He towered over her and had a good amount of muscle on him, but he was no match for Hades.

Harley stood in the middle of her living room, in a towel, and dripping wet with wide eyes. Finally, she found her voice as Hades sat down calmly, cocking his legs and looking over at her. “Hades, why did you do that? Do you know how bad you just made things for me? Drew is going to?—”

“Drew ain’t gon’ do shit.” His tone sounded so sure and final. She couldn’t argue, even if she wanted to. “He better be lucky I didn’t kill his ass for putting twelve onto my motorcycle club. Now hurry up before that punk wakes up and calls his lame ass crew over here.”

Harley’s mouth dropped open as she registered the fact that Drew and Hades already knew each other. She had so many questions, but the last thing she wanted to do was walk out thatdoor and be met with Drew’s people, so she scrambled into her room and made quick work of getting dressed.

After triple checking that she had everything for herself and Pixie and tossing a few more clothes into her suitcase, since she no longer wanted to come home any time soon out of fear of Drew, she rushed back into the living room.

Hades stood, but she didn’t miss his eyes sweeping over her first. She wore a pair of black leggings with a pink crop top. It was nothing special, but the way he looked at her made her blush.

“Let’s go get your mut.”

She nodded and then found herself cowering beside him as he opened her front door with no worry in the world. Her eyes ballooned at the sight of Drew crumpled on the ground several feet from her door.

Hades snatched her keys from her and locked her door behind them, since she was too busy looking at Drew. As they walked past him, Hades kicked him in his ribs, causing Drew to groan. Harley absentmindedly clung to Hades’s arm until she was safely at her car.

He unlocked her car before he handed her keys back. After opening her door for her, he waited for her to get in while he put her bags in the back seat. “I’ll follow right behind you. Don’t worry ’bout dude.”

That was all he said before he closed her door and walked away. She watched in her rearview as he got onto his bike, started it, and backed out.

The only thought she had as she backed out of her driveway was that she wished he would wear a damn helmet and leathers when he rode that death trap.

“Uhh… Lady Bug? Who is this big scary man?” Blair asked as she eyed Hades, who stood right behind Harley with a frown on his face.

Harley’s eyes were only for Pixie, though. Her baby wiggled around in Blair’s arms, trying to get to her mama, and Harley wasted no time grabbing her from her best friend.

“Hi, mama’s baby!” Harley squealed. “Did you miss me?”

Pixie tried to lick Harley’s face, but she pulled away while still petting her long, brown, and black spotted fur. She was all of three pounds and the cutest teacup Yorkie she ever laid eyes on. Harley was absolutely obsessed with her.

“Harley, are you going to answer my question?” Blair asked, still staring up at the mountain of a man in her doorway.

“It’s a long story, friend. I promise to call you and Sage later, okay? I have to go now though. Thank you for watching Pixie for me.”

Blair popped her hip out and placed her hand on it as she diverted her eyes to her best friend. Normally, Harley would come in and chill with her for a while, especially after ditching on her birthday plans. Harley knew Blair had a million questions, and she silently promised she would answer them all, but not right now.

Blair must have seen the pleading look on her face because she finally said, “Okay…” The word dragged out like she so desperately wanted to say more to Harley, but she quickly looked up at Hades and said, “You better take care of her.”

A low growl sounded from behind Harley, and she knew it was coming from Hades. She turned her head and looked up at him, and he was staring at Blair with a look of disgust. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, shorty, but?—”

When Harley felt him trying to step around her, she shut it all down. One thing she wasn’t about to play about was her best friend.

“Hades! Let’s go.” It was her turn to grip his arm as she adjusted Pixie in her other one. She tugged on him roughly as she called over her shoulder, “I’ll call you later.”

Surprisingly, Hades allowed her to pull him along, and Harley would take that as a small win for the day.

Hades satin his office in complete silence as he stared down at his sleeping nephew while twirling his obsidian ring around his middle finger.

When they had gotten back to his house, Harley and her mut went up to the room she was staying in to get her situated. Hades was fine with that because he had some shit to think about. After making a pit stop in the theater room in the basement, where Eris, Cade, and Lucifer were hanging out while Dante slept in his portable bassinet, he made his way up to his office. Dante tagged along with him… Well, technically, he stole him from his bassinet, but that was beside the point.

It was his first time holding his nephew, and he was completely enamored. He stared into his peaceful face andbasked in his pure innocence. To think that he had once been a baby this small blew his mind. He couldn’t grasp that idea. It seemed as though life had spit him out as an adult and handed him situation after situation that only furthered his maturity.

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