Page 104 of Hades

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Hades

Ashrill siren wakes me in the middle of the night. I shoot straight up, looking over at Evelyn. She is coming awake as well.

Then the sound triggers in my head.

“Fire, we need to get dressed. Quickly,” I tell her, helping her from bed.

I grab my phone, dialing Reaper. “We need backup. Right now.”

I don’t wait for him to answer as I go to the window and open it. Evelyn is right behind me.

“You first,” I tell her, helping her out the window. I’m thankful she only has a single-story, one-bedroom house right now. If we were on the second level, this would be much harder.

I grab some clothes, making sure to get my cut, putting them on as I sniff the air. There is definitely smoke, but I can’t tell where it’s coming from. Not wanting to risk my life to see, I climb out the window and pull Evelyn under my arm.

“We stick together,” I tell her.

She nods as I lead her around the house. It’s not until we are in the front that I can see the damage. The kitchen is on fire. I know we didn’t leave anything on, so I’m not sure how it’s on fire.

I dial 911, knowing I need to report it even if I don’t trust who comes.

“911, what’s your emergency?” a female voice asks.

“We have a fire at 6534 Applebrooke Street,” I tell her.

“Fire is on the way. Is there anyone inside?” she continues.

“No, we were able to get out.”

“Good.” She clears her throat. “Are there any injuries?”

I narrow my eyes. “No. We got out.”

She almost seems like she is taking instruction from someone else. She pauses before she asks the next question.

“Do you know the cause of the fire?”

“I think we will wait and speak with the police. Thank you, ma’am.”

I hang up, feeling like this is all a setup.

That feeling is proven right when Reaper and several other brothers show up seconds before the firefighters. Before they can come check on us, the police have them in cuffs.

“What are you doing? They are our family. You can’t arrest them,” I growl.

One of the officers grabs me, pulling my arm around my back.

I don’t even fight him. Fighting them only gives them another charge.

“I’ll call Atticus,” I hear Evelyn say.

How shitty of the police. This woman is about to lose her house after everything else she has lost, but they are more concerned with some cuts.

I’m seething with anger as they lead me away from the house and sit me in a cruiser. I hate that all I can do is sit there and watch as my girl is interrogated as her house burns behind her.

When I realize they sent a whole army of police, I know the truth. Dansworth somehow set fire to her kitchen. He sent all these police. This is his elaborate plan, and now Evelyn is all alone.