Page 23 of Brutal Mercy

“Yes, I’ll do it. I’ll marry you,” she responds with a trembling voice.

Victory washes over me. My chest fills with rabid determination. It’s the end of their time on this earth. I’ll bury the fucking cartel. They will never be allowed to show their faces in my city ever again.

And I’ve got my future bride to thank for it.

Chapter seven

Luna

Ohmygod!What did I just agree to?

Hades wants me. The truth bomb he dropped has my head swimming. He wants me enough to marry me, have children with me, and for the marriage to be real in all aspects. With our bargain, he is demanding that I welcome him willingly in bed.

I’m finally going to lose my virginity.

To the most gorgeous man on the planet.

How is this my life?

The thought of being with him, of having his big body draped over mine, of having him touch me that way, feels like I’ve been tossed into a firestorm. It boggles my mind that he is going to this extreme.

And he’s going to save Lyla in exchange for my hand in marriage. I don’t doubt his ability to accomplish a rescue mission to save my sister from Diego’s clutches. He exudes confidence. It’s embedded deep in his personality. And it makes me trust him to do exactly as promised.

And the real kicker?

I’m not opposed to marrying him. Which proves I’ve lost my damn mind. Who the hell marries a man she just met, no matter the reasoning behind it?

I’ll tell you who. Women who are batshit crazy.

And I guess it means I’ve become the mayor of Crazytown. Because I’m marrying him. I need him to get Lyla back. And it might not be bad.

On the plus side, he’s rich. So no more struggling to pay bills. He’s going to help me get the store and house fixed. And is willing to hire people to help me run it. I can live a life of leisure if I want from this moment forward.

And anytime he’s near, like now, I feel like I’ve stuck my finger into an electrical socket. There’s an elemental yearning inside me that aches to feel those massive hands touch me. I’m obsessed with his mouth, the shape of it, how it forms words as he speaks, the way it curls at the corners in amusement. I crave this man’s kiss. And my body’s reaction to him has me totally tangled up inside. “How old are you?”

“Forty-one. I know there’s an age difference between us, which means I will most likely die long before you. But rest assured, once we’re wed, changes will be made to my will that will ensure you are taken care of in the event of my death, and you never have to work another day in your life.”

Nineteen years. It’s a pretty huge age difference. But he’s one of those men who gets more attractive with age, not less.

But there’s a crucial part of this bargain that I don’t understand. And I need to before any vows to love, honor, and cherish are spoken. “Why do you want to marry me?”

Hades’s icy gaze scorches a trail over my body. Flames rush through me and pool in my abdomen. I throb with desire from a mere look. “You’re a beautiful woman, Luna. I like having you in my bed. And I want you.”

His sister, Athena, mentioned when she was helping me get ready that this was Hades’s bedroom. And she watched me like a hawk, gauging my reaction to the interesting tidbit. I don’t have a poker face. I wear my thoughts like a beacon. The knowledge I was in his room made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Because I’ve been sleeping inhisbed. And I’ve never had a man make me feel even a tenth of what Hades does.

“Except you don’t have to propose marriage if all you want is me in your bed. You’re a handsome man. And I can’t deny I’m attracted to you. But I don’t understand why you want to marry me.” I press a hand against my chest.

“Why does it matter? Are you backing out of the deal we just struck?” He sternly peers at me. And there’s an annoyed tick in his jaw.

“I’ve offended you. I’m sorry. That’s not my intent, nor am I reneging on our agreement. I’m just curious because you don’t have to marry me to have sex with me.”

His stern expression morphs into a heated forge, simmering with wicked delights, and everything in my body goes up in flames. “I’ve seen enough to know that one night with you won’t be enough. And I know my own mind. I want you. I will make you happy and give you whatever your heart desires.”

It still feels as if he’s hiding more from me, that there’s a deeper ulterior motive I don’t fully understand. But I infer from the way he holds himself that he’s not going to offer me a further explanation. And then I ask the question that’s been burning in the back of my mind. “So when you mentioned that you would end anyone responsible for taking and hurting my sister, you meant you’ll kill them?”

“And if I said yes, would that make you want to run?”

When I think about what Diego attempted to do to me, what he did to our house and the store, and now what he’s done to Lyla, Hades killing him is a mercy. “No, it doesn’t. Make it hurt.”

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