Page 44 of Hades

Maverick’s eyes twinkle. “Is she single?”

“Yes, he is, but you aren’t his type. Right plumbing, but too pretty,” I toss back, making my guys laugh.

Maverick touches his hand to his heart and gasps. “Baby, I’m everyone’s type.”

“Don’t call her baby.” Hades scowls.

“So touchy.” Maverick smirks.

“Are you guys from Chicago?” Colt asks.

Both men nod.

“Yeah, we grew up with Remi and Hades. All joined at the same time,” Rebel says.

Trigger’s phone goes off. “Excuse me.”

He pulls out his phone and scowls at the screen.

“Everything okay?” Reaper asks.

Trigger shakes his head. “Yeah, sorry. I was supposed to have some work done on my place, but apparently that isn’t happening now. The contractor just backed out.”

“Do you think Dansworth is behind it?” Wrath asks.

Trigger thinks for a moment before he speaks. “I’m not sure. I vetted the company, and they came up clean, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that something hasn’t happened since then. I’ll look into it, though.”

“What were you going to have done?” Rebel asks.

“I bought the unit next door to mine, and I am going to have them combined.”

Reaper frowns. “You never said anything.”

Trigger pushes up his glasses. “It’s a recent purchase.”

“Wait, so you don’t live at the clubhouse?” Maverick asks.

Reaper shakes his head. “We all have rooms at the clubhouse, but most of us have our own places. Either on the grounds or close by. Several of our men have families of their own, and we didn’t want them to feel pressured to choose.”

Wrath nods. “Like our brother Honk. He and his late wife settled in a house nearby. It was nice when their daughter was little because we didn’t have to worry about what she would see.”

I laugh, making everyone look at me. “Sorry, I just find it funny that said girl is now a grown woman who is officially an old lady of one of the brothers. It’s kind of ironic.”

Everyone smiles.

“You aren’t wrong.” Reaper smirks.

Wrath leans his elbows on the table. “So you two grew up with Hades. How did he get his name? I’ve asked before, but he’s never told me.”

I feel the man in question tense next to me, and without thinking about it, I reach over and touch his thigh.

Maverick’s eyes dart to Hades for a moment as Rebel looks down.

“Hades got his name because he’s a lot like the man he’s named after. He ruled our underworld with an iron fist and kept people in line for Remi. True to his namesake, he is neither good nor evil. He’s just…impartial. At first people assumed that he would fight to take over as president, but that wasn’t something he wanted,” Maverick says slowly.

“I just wanted to protect those around me and had no issue dealing the death blow if they deserved it.” Hades shrugs.

He says it so casually, but something about his tone tells me the confession cost him.