Page 57 of Hades

“But you do.”

I sigh. “I do.”

“What changed?” he asks.

“I’m not sure. I was fucking pissed that Reaper assigned him to me. I was sure we would try to kill one another. I hated the way he lingered and followed me around like a puppy while I worked, but when Pembrooke and HR came down and said it had to stop, I kind of missed his presence. Remember when you told him to make sure I showered and ate before bed? He listened. He forced me to take a shower and had a meat and cheese tray waiting on me when I finished. He didn’t hesitate to step in when I needed another hand when Lemon got hurt. It’s like as much as I tried to hate him, he wasn’t hating me. He was learning me and how to be the partner I needed at my side. He wormed his way into my life, and now I don’t know if I want him to leave.”

“He’s been steady,” Travis adds.

I nod. “He really has. I don’t know. Somewhere along the way I started looking at him differently. Like a man more than a brother.”

“Do you like what you see? Besides looks, obviously.”

“I do,” I admit softly.

“You know what I think?” he says after a beat.

“Tell me.”

“I think you should go for it. I mean, let’s be honest, Reaper should have seen this coming. He put an attractive man and a beautiful woman together to keep each other company. If he didn’t approve, he would have assigned someone else to you and he didn’t. So go for it. Step out of your comfort zone and see where this goes. We both know you want to fall in love. What happens if this is your chance and you’re too scared to try?”

“Sometimes I hate how well you know me,” I mutter as I think it over.

“You just hate that I’m right.”

He’s not wrong about any of it. If Reaper didn’t trust Hades, he wouldn’t have accepted him into the Vegas chapter, he wouldn’t have assigned him to me, one of the three women he cares about most. So did my brother plan this? Does he know something I don’t know?

Before I can think too deeply on it, our pagers go off.

Travis groans as he looks at the screen of his as he sits up. “Let’s go, beautiful. There was a pileup, and we’re needed.”

He holds out his hand, and I take it as I get off the bed.

As much as I would love to overthink this thing with Hades, there’s an ER full of people who need me more.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Hades

Once again, I let myself into Mav’s apartment and pause when I see who’s already inside.

“I didn’t know you would be here already,” I say as I shut the door behind me.

Rebel nods. “Got let off early today because of the heat. Figured I would use this opportunity to talk to you.”

I walk across the room and sit down, bracing myself for whatever he has to say.

One thing I’ve always respected about Rebel is his loyalty. He believes in the brotherhood above all else. So when a brother betrays another, he takes it personally, even when it has nothing to do with him. Back when I was a part of the Chicago chapter, I watched him give brothers the cold shoulder for less than what I did.

“I fucking hate what you did. I find it absolutely disgusting,” he spits at me.

“Way to jump right in,” I sigh.

“How could you do that to him?” he asks, not bothering to hide the venom in his voice.

“For fuck’s sake, Rebel, you saw her! You know that she made moves on me. You know I told Remi, and he didn’t fucking believe me. Then when he brought up making her his old lady, I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t let him marry her. It would have ruined him and the club. I did it to protect him. To protect you all.”

“So you fucking slept with her?” he snaps.