Page 30 of Hades

I hate how my eyes sting at his words.

Not only did I lose my blood brother, but I lost the brothers that I had grown close to like Mav.

It was a necessary sacrifice. At least, I thought it was at the time. If I hadn’t done it, would he be married to her by now? Would we be stuck with that cancer?

I move toward the opening and glance out at Evelyn.

No, I made the right choice. It brought me here to be what this chapter needs. This is my second chance.

I can’t blow it. Even if I’m starting to think she would be worth the risk, I can’t lose another set of brothers when I eventually fuck shit up.

Evelyn can star in my fantasies, but that’s where she will live.

It has to be.

Evelyn

“You look like you had a fun night last night,” Travis teases as I walk into the doctors’ lounge the next day.

“Girls’ night. I maybe let go a little bit too much,” I admit.

It was worth it, though. Letting go with the girls is what I needed to relieve some of the tension I have been carrying. Between work being shit with Pembrooke and the missing girl I can’t stop thinking about and home not feeling like home with the interloper living there, I haven’t had much time to relax.

Still, Hades isn’t always all bad. Even after I drank so much, he drove me home in my car and put me to bed. I would have thought he would have had someone bring him his bike or left someone else to watch over me while he retrieved it, but this morning, it was still missing. He hitched a ride to work with me.

“Did you finally ride that Hades Express? You have to tell me about his dick. Girl, I’m living through you,” he whispers.

I roll my eyes. “I am not going to have sex with him. I told you I don’t mess with guys from the club. It’s hard enough to keep my association clear with Harrison being the president, but if I were messing around with one?”

“What? You might actually pull your panties out of your ass crack and have fun? The administration cannot do anything to you for dating someone in an MC,” he taunts me.

“Whatever, I would rather not. Shit here is complicated as it is.”

He cringes. “Pembrooke still chasing your tail?”

“Yes, and I don’t get why. I mean, I’m not dumb enough to say I’m not pretty, but pretty enough to warrant his harassment? I think there would be more women willing to jump on him than chasing me wouldn’t be worth the hassle.”

“Or maybe he enjoys the chase.” He quirks a brow.

“Gross. Enough chit-chatting. I need to get to work. Lunch later?”

He nods. “If we can both get away.”

It’s the one part of working in the ER that I both love and hate. It’s unpredictable, which can be exciting, but it also means sometimes we don’t get breaks.

I regret trying to escape the conversation with Travis the moment I step out of the lounge. Dr. Pembrooke is at the nurses’ station talking with Jackie like they are old friends. It’s the first time I have really noticed it before, which makes me wonder if Jackie didn’t pull me from that room to distract me so Pembrook could take Melanie from the hospital.

I turn away from them to go voice my suspicions to Hades, but as I step through the doors to the waiting room, I hear Dr. Pembrooke call my name.

Hades looks up at me, his eyes narrowing, but I shake my head as Dr. Pembrooke steps through the door.

“Where are you going?” Dr. Pembrooke asks.

“Oh, I wanted to get something from the vending machine. Can I help you with something?” I ask, keeping my tone light and friendly.

“Yes, actually. This weekend there is a lecture at the university. I would like you to attend with me.”

I force a smile. “Thank you, but I’m not available.”