Page 23 of Hades

“Violet Foster.” I offered my hand, and she took it, her grip firm, her palm warm against mine. “But everyone calls me Lettie.”

“Would his sister and her old man be able to stay as well? Mimic and Kytten are kind of inseparable.” Indie chuckled, and I turned as the young girl walked over.

I stared at her, then glared at the man behind her, my protective instincts flaring hot and immediate. “I… um...” My eyes darted back and forth until Kytten smiled.

“I’m not as young as I look,” she said. “I’m twenty-one. And yes, Cash is thirty-four, so there’s an age gap, but I didn’t even know him until I was twenty. I promise he’s not a predator.”

I wasn’t sure I believed her. Thirteen years was still a huge difference, especially for someone so young. But the way she looked at him, like he hung the moon, made me pause. Made me wonder if maybe I was wrong.

“Lettie, I would really appreciate it if my children could stay with you.” I turned and found Diana standing there. “If you had more room, I might ask to stay with you too,” she said, glaring at her brother.

Zeus stood to the side with his arms crossed over his chest, unwilling to budge.

“I wish I had more room for all of you.”

“Thank you.” Diana turned to Kytten. “I’ll have your father drive you over and bring the van back.”

“Oh, no need. I have a truck. She can ride with me.”

“Are you sure?” Rhea asked. “How will your mother feel about company?”

Shit, I’d forgotten about her. “It’s not her house.” I shrugged. “I apologize now for the woman who gave me life.” I chuckled half-heartedly, but inside I was dreading the moment my mother found out what I’d done. The screaming. The accusations. The guilt trips that would last for days.

“We don’t want to be a burden,” Kytten said.

“Nonsense. She rarely comes out of her room anyway.”

Cash and Kytten followed me to my truck. He opened the door and lifted her off the ground, and she laughed as he set her on the seat and secured the seat belt around her. His movements were careful, reverent, like she was something precious he was terrified of breaking.

Then he kissed her.

I looked away, uncomfortable. Not because of my earlier thoughts about their age gap, but because of the intimacy. The way this man kissed her like he needed her to breathe. Like she was oxygen and he’d been drowning his entire life until he found her.

“I’ll be right behind you, Rosie.”

She placed a hand on his cheek. “I’ll be okay.”

“I won’t,” he said with a sigh, and I was stupidly jealous. I wanted a man to look at me that way. Someone so overcome by my presence that even a moment apart felt like death. Like being ripped apart at the cellular level.

Cash closed the truck door without taking his eyes off Kytten. Then, with a heavy sigh, he walked to his motorcycle. She watched him in the side mirror and smiled when he started the bike, the engine roaring to life, loud and powerful.

“I can’t wait to ride again.”

“He won’t let you?” I asked, fishing for information. The love they shared aside, my desire to protect this girl was strong. Primal, even. Like something in me recognized something in her that needed protecting.

She rubbed a hand on her belly, barely noticeable now that she was sitting down, and sighed. “Not while I’m pregnant.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Hades

I might have to kill my president.

I’d grabbed the chair from the van and carried it inside to set up for Apollo. He hated the damn thing, but he didn’t have a choice. When the door opened and Kraken walked in carrying him, I tried not to look.

My brother deserved dignity. As much as we could give him, anyway.

Apollo had just settled into his chair when I heard the yelling. Rhea’s head snapped up at the sound of her son’s voice, and I groaned. I knew letting them come with us would cause problems, but Mimic and Kytten were Diana’s children.