He was overcome with how beautiful she looked. A wicked transformation to blend in with the rest of the sordid crowd dancing through the club. He guided her to the floors color changing edge and let go of her hand. When he turned to walk to the bar, she pinched the sleeve of his jacket.
"You're not dancing?"
He couldn't help but laugh. "I'm more of a fan of observation."
"Creepy," she returned.
Pei took her hand and pulled her into the crowd swaying her hips. Hades was relieved and made his way to the overly crowded bar. Five bartenders stood behind its classy marble edge, busy making complex drink orders. Hades caught the eye of one man and lifted two fingers. The bartender instantly stopped the drink he was working on. A minute later, two scotches were laid on the bar, Hades slid a few bills from his chest pocket and handed it to the bartender.
He returned to the VIP area where Cerberus and Desi were now both sitting. Cerberus comfortable with his arms stretch out on the black couch. Hades joined and handed Cerberus a drink, congratulating Desi on a successful night.
Desi's bright smile was illuminated in the club lighting. He looked greatly pleased. "Red hot!" he said. Hades couldn't help but roll his eyes. It was the fifth time he had heard the reference in the past hour, it was growing 'ice cold'.
While Cerberus and Desi fell into conversation, Hades scanned the room. Across from their own roped off spot was a large area with three men Hades didn't recognize. But one did look oddly familiar.
He felt instantly paranoid and double checked on Persephone; Annoyed at how protective of her he had become over the past few weeks. She was becoming a hinderance. He needed to get rid of this girl.
"I can't remember the last time I saw you out, mate," Desi stated. Blue lights ran through the VIP area, girls danced and kissed guys behind their own velvet blue ropes. Hades took it all in and shrugged.
"A work entanglement has had me more . . . restricted than I had anticipated."
"Yes," Cerberus added. "This particular acquisition has left many of us enraged. A particular pain in the ass."
"Or arm," Hades corrected. The two friends clicked their drink and chuckled.
Desi watched them both and scoffed. "Be careful you two," he warned in a lowered tone. "Now that you're letting that 'acquisition' get more air than she's used to, you need to be cautious. Her face is still all over the news with a hefty reward attached to it. Geez, I even considered turning you in."
Cerberus waved off the comment while Hades brooded, biting on his lip. "How much?" he asked.
"Half a mil, dead or alive."
"Don't tempt me," Cerberus said and was instantly distracted by a group of young woman dressed for a bachelorette party. Cerberus waved them over and focused himself on the bride. The more off limits something or someone was, the more Cerberus wanted it. He started dancing with her and poureed a shot into the glass hanging around her neck. One of the bridesmaids rubbed Hades' arm and whispered an invitation into his ear. When she pulled back to hear his answer, he met her with a dull stare and waved her away.
The woman promptly moved to Desi who already had his arms full of a tanned blonde.
Hades peered back to the dancefloor where Persephone had been and saw her talking with a man. The Sirens were oblivious, dancing and laughing while Persephone stood still and talked to this guy. The two of them were forced to practically nibble each other's ear when they spoke. Something the man said made Persephone throw her head back with laughter, her hand pressed to her chest. When she did this, Hades saw the man fixate on her heavy cleavage, but then masterfully calm his expression when she faced him again.
Fury built in Hades' core, but he steadied himself. She had proved to him just the other day that she could hold her own. If he made a scene now, he would be attacking a guy for wanting the same exact thing most of the males in that, including himself, wanted. He made the effort to stay seated, not involved with his friends or the bridal party that stood in front begging for his attention with large sways of their hips.
Regardless of staying put, he was still watching the two's interactions like a hawk. He broke his restraint when the guy guided Persephone to the bar and slid something out of his back pocket, nodding his head to a friend that was station at a nearby table. Hades stood and made his way to the stairs where he could get a better view. Standing on the steps, he watched Persephone make an order to the bartender. When they both got their drinks, Hades watched in disgust as his wingman came over and asked the two to smile for a picture, the man put his arm around Persephone and flawlessly dumped a powder into her drink while simultaneously saying cheese and raising his own glass.
The time for any rational thinking was far behind him. The vibe of the club was ruined the instant Hades smacked her drink out of her hand, sending it shattering against the ground. He then lunged himself at the attacker. Pure rage driving him. He only desired more as he bashed his fist into the idiots face over and over. Screaming broke out around them and he was eventually pulled off by Cerberus. The wingman that staged the distraction stared down at his friend and then to Hades before running away.
"Get him," Hades demanded. Cerberus jetted after the guy and out of the club.
The music stopped and a crowd started to form. Hades muttered a profanity and grabbed Persephone's wrist, pulling her behind him.
Back home, he locked the door behind them and removed his suit jacket, tossing it onto the counter and sliding his fingers into his disheveled hair. Persephone was silent behind him, she had run out of the club without any objection but cried most of the way.
Without a word, she moved passed him and toward the stairs.
"Are you okay?"
She said nothing, just continued into her room.
Hades took a long hot shower, the water stinging his bleeding and bruised knuckles. Before he went to sleep he climbed the stairs and stood outside her door, which he was surprised to see cracked open.
Just before he knocked, he froze. What was his plan? She didn't want to speak to him an hour ago. Why the hell would that change now? He hung his head and sighed, turning to leave.
"Hades?"
He cursed under his breath and searched for the right words. "I'm sorry, I just came to check on you . . . again, I guess?" What a freaking idiot.
She opened the door and stood against its frame. Her hair was down and her face clean and refreshed. She was wearing a sweatshirt and leggings.
"I'm okay."
He nodded and the two of them stood in silence for a few long moments. Onyx pawed his way up the stairs and slid behind Persephone's legs.
"Good. I'll let you get some rest then. Goodnight."
"Wait," she said, touching his hand.
The moment he turned to face her, her lips were against his. As if by instinct, he instantly moved his hand to the small of her back pulling her to press against him. Sliding his tongue into her mouth she moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. They continued in this act of unleashed passion. His hand moving to her hips and into her hair. Her hands moving underneath his shirt and grazing his toned back.
Eventually finding control, the two of them pulled apart. His forehead resting on hers. He let out a low rumbling laugh.
"Glad you're okay," he breathed.
She laughed, her cheeks flushed, and gave him an assuring nod before slipping back into her room and closing the door.
Making his way downstairs, mind fuzzy with pleasure, a knock sounded against the door.
Cerberus waited on its other end, stone faced. "He's in the basement."
Hades raised a brow. "Conscious?"
"He should be by the time you get down there."
Hades closed the door and quickly changed into a black tee shirt and jeans. Grabbing his gun, he jogged down thirteen flights of stairs and into a dank, poorly lit hallway. Two guards stood in front of a closed metal door, opening it for their boss the moment he approached.
Inside, the wingman waited. On his knees with a blindfold. His head was bleeding and his pants were soiled. The man was scared shitless. Good.
The metal door closed and Hades motioned for Cerberus take off the blindfold. The man looked around the room frantically, visibly shaking. He squinted his eyes at Hades, who stepped into the light. He could tell the moment the man recognized him, because he started to sob.
"Please, please, don't kill me. We didn't know she was yours."
Hades kept calm. Waiting for the man to finish his desperate pleas. When he was done Hades bent down to his level and looked him in the eyes.
"Do you know who I am?"
The man nodded, his face squishing into a scared and pathetic sight as he started to cry again.
"You killed my friend, Roman five years ago."
An illuminated expression crossed his face. "Ah, yes, I remember him. He was running a sex trafficking ring if I remember correctly. Tried to bring his business to the Underworld. Drugging innocent women, raping and enslaving them. This was your friend?"
The wingman was speechless. He merely shook his head. "I didn't do any of that."
"Don't lie to me."
The man nodded. "I- I can tell you anything you want to know."
"Where did you get the drugs?"
"Some guy off Elm, said he worked for the dark market." He answered.
"That's bullshit. I know the ins and out of that market, I don't push that!"
The man's voice quivered, his bloodshot eyes grew wide. "All I know is that it's being sold outside most clubs. It has the market seal and everything."
Hades stood and walked to Cerberus.
"Get Desi and a couple of our guys who station around Elm. I need to hear more about this."
"And him?" Cerberus nodded.
"Cut him loose but keep someone on his trail."
"She's that girl everyone is looking for isn't she?"
Hades and Cerberus stopped talking, both of them shocked at the tragic stupidity. Did this guy have any idea how deep in shit he was?
Apparently not, because he smiled at the both of them and added: "You're a total badass for walking around with that on your arm."
A shiver of rage wriggled through his body. Hades turned and kicked the guy in the back of the head sending his body slamming to the ground.
"If you ever mention her to anyone, I'll make sure to you reunite with your friend soon." One more kick to the man's chest sealed the conversation, Hades turned and left. Climbing the stairwell back to his floor, he was consumed with fear over what was happening on his streets. Someone was impersonating him and even worse, people were recognizing Persephone. He yelled in the stairwell, his voice shattering up the concrete wall.
The following morning, he had slept in, dreaming about Persephone crawling onto his bed and fulfilling every one of his desires. The touch of her skin against his washing away every single one of his concerns.
When he woke, he noticed that the coffee hadn't been made. It was a bit odd because Persephone always woke up earlier than he did to make herself a pot. Onyx was lying stretched out on the couch, so she had to be awake.
Making coffee he peeked up the stairs and called for her. There was no answer. Her bedroom door was wide open and when he looked in, he saw clothes were thrown to the ground in a mess, her bed unmade. She was gone.