Page 35 of Hades

“Yo, Prez. Had a weird call from a Grigori Kuznetsov, or however you say it. Some foreign cunt with an unknown number, asking for ya. I did like you say, to call back. He wasn’t happy ‘bout that.”

Hades turned dead eyes towards the door to look at T-bone. The title of second in command was loosely given just to keep the guy in line and to puff up his ego, Bracketing broadly in the doorway, his lanky frame better suited to a desk job than that of hard man, but what Hades had learned about T-bone over the years, that shithead was crazy and would do anything for him.

The Russian name resonated somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled whispered rumors from the Mexican’s on their last drop off about the mafia spreading through the states in recent months. He’d thought they were talking of the Italians who Hades, wisely, didn’t mess with, didn’t even try to make a deal with, those mad fucks were not worth a dollar if it meant he’d be wearing concrete boots. Besides which, he liked the upper hand and the Italians were a far bigger conglomerate.

“What did he want?”

“Said to tell ya to call ‘im, he left a number. Area code is New York. Said he could do business with ya.”

With a tickle of interest in the back of his throat, Hades grabbed the piles of green notes into his hands and tossed them into the safe, keeping his back to the room so T-bone couldn’t catch the combination. Not that he thought the guy was idiot enough to steal from him, but habits were hard to break. Holding his hand out, he took the piece of paper with the number, staring at it for a minute as if it held all the answers. He knew some of the business the Russiansbratvawere involved in, mainly arms and fraudulent stock investments if the press were correct. Some said they ran all the drugs in prisons, but Hades wasn’t sure about that, he wouldn’t mind a piece of the action, though. Now his interest was piqued, he pocketed the number.

“And some kid is here, wants to join up.” Cackled T-bone, showing off his blackened teeth. T’s left shoulder twitched, an echo of his past drug use, the damn tick got on Hades last nerve, it looked like T was at a rave of one. “Should see ‘im, Prez. Tall as fuckin’ Everest and dozy as a mule. Wet behind the ears, said he wants to prospect. You gotta see this to believe it. He looks like he should be in Kindergarten for slow kids wearin’ one of them helmets.”

Huh. He didn’t have fucking time for this. Or the patience. Hades eyelids lowered as he rounded out from behind the desk and grabbed his bike keys. It was that time of the month again and his mom would be pissed if he was late.

Normally he recruited his men right out of jail, literally sometimes, they’d walk out the steel doors carrying their worthless, meagre bag of possessions and one of Hades’ men would be there waiting to entice them to a better life if they came to his MC with offers of money and a roof over their head, some only wanted a full belly and to fuck shit up for the system. Mostly it was the crackheads and lowlifes, never had there been a walk in before. So, despite him being late this he had to see.

The kid was easy to spot since he was a skyscraper, easily six-eight and built like a damn square wrestler. With a sweep of brown hair falling in his eyes he kept shoving out of the way he was standing off in the corner of the entrance like a puppy waiting to be scolded. Right away Hades knew this kid was notRebelsmaterial. Too damn soft behind the eyes, would he even be able to point a gun with intent to use it? This kid was made up of kindness and emotion, he reeked of it.

“What do you want?” he asked in a hard voice. The kid’s eyes pinged up, the show of nerves clear to see before he rounded those massive shoulders and let his arms hang down by his sides. He was wearing a fucking Incredible Hulk T-shirt for god’s sake. “And tell me who the fuck you are, kid?”

“I. eh. I’m Jonah. But most call me Tiny.” Hades vaguely recognized his face from somewhere. Maybe he knew his brother if he had one. “And I wondered if you were taking new members? I don’t mind any job. I’m a hard worker, sir.”

Sir. Hades grinned and kept right on walking, expecting the boy to follow behind. Maybe this lanky piece of piss could teach his men some manners.

“And what makes you think you have anything to offer my MC?”

Color dyed the tips of the tall guy’s ears and he shifted from foot to foot. Jesus. What the hell was he doing at any MC if he couldn’t take a simple question? Hades mentally rolled his eyes as he clipped on his black helmet and swung his leg over the Harley seat.

“I just wanna join. “

“How old are you, Jonah?”

“Twenty-two, sir.”

“Ever been in an MC before?” Hades wanted to know if he’d touted himself to theSoulsorKingsmenfirst. What the kid didn’t know was he was more likely to take him on if theSoulshad rejected him, too.

The big head shook from side to side. “I live a few streets away. Came here first. I’ve seen y’all ride through town.” His cheeks were ruddy, stained with uncertainty and self-doubt. The damn wrong thing to bring to Hades door. He already knew his decision.

As he roared his bike to life, letting it sit idle he turned his eyes on the younger man, held the unblinking stare until the other gaze dropped. So weak.Never fucking back down.

“Jonah is a biblical name. Did you know that?”

“Eh. Yeah, my mom is into all that shit.”

“So, then you’d know Jonah ran from God at the first hint of hard work. That’s not something I want in my place, kid.”

Jonah blustered, turning a deeper hue of red. Fucks sake, it should be illegal to be built like a brick shit house and to have the temperament of a teenage girl. Irritation tingled Hades nose. He had good instincts for people, and this guy was all wrong. He’d piss himself at the first sign of trouble and Hades was no babysitter.

“I’m not like that. Gimme a chance, I’ll prove it.”

“Go home and play football. Marry your cousin and spend the next fifty years blending into society, kid. My club isn’t for you, and you certainly aren’t for us.” It was probably the nicest rejection Hades had ever offered anyone. Usually his form of rejection came with a lot of blood and begging to live.

Those massive shoulders rounded, and the guy slunk off back to the SUV parked over by the sheds he assumed belonged to him, muttering as he did. “Fuck this club then.”

Internally Hades laughed the kind of insane laugh, the noise deafening because sometimes it was the smallest, inconsequential things that triggered the side of him that snapped. His thick neck cracked from side to side, fingers tightened on the handlebars.

“Yo, Jonah….”

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