Page 224 of Trick or Stalk

“What about me?”

“I've been talking for about ten minutes. Tell me something.”

“You know things about me.”

“I know your name is Hades, you have questionable taste in books until I intervene, and apparently every dog in Vermont thinks you're Disney princess material.”

He chuckles.

“Your turn to tell me something I don’t know.”

He stares into the fire for a moment before his raspy voice says, “Wilder and I didn't have the best childhood.”

My smile fades. “I'm sorry.”

He shrugs. “We survived.”

Something about the way he says it makes me think survived wasn't a casual word choice.

“Are you close?”

“He's my brother.”

“That's not what I asked.”

Hades looks into the fire. “I'd do anything for him.”

The tone of his voice reveals far more than his words do.

He’s loyal to a fault. And he loves his brother.

“Is he your only family?”

Hades hesitates before saying, “Yes.”

It’s short. Clipped. Indicating he doesn’t want to talk about it.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and change out of your costume?” he says.

I look at his pinstriped suit. “What about you?”

“I have a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt in the truck.”

I stare at him.

“What?”

“You keep clothing in your truck?”

He grins. “I like to be prepared.”

I glance out the front window where I saw the Masked Man. A shiver rolls over me.

Hades grabs my hand. “What is it?”

“Can I come to your truck with you?”

His expression softens. “Of course.”