Deep Redemption (Hades Hangmen Book 4) (19 page)

She deserved it.

As I steered the truck around the final bend that would bring me to their gates, I saw the flickering lights of the compound.

Harmony shifted on her seat. I could feel her eyes watching me closely, suspiciously, but I kept my gaze straight forward. I didn’t bother with the turn signal as I turned left and rolled the truck to a steady stop. I studied the compound. Since I’d last been here, a shit-ton of protection had been put in place. The gates no longer had bars, instead they were solid iron. The walls were higher, stronger and thicker. But newer still were the raised watchtowers that looked over the only road in and out of this place.

It was a fucking fortress. Impenetrable. Impossible to break in, and even more importantly, to escape from.

Movement from one of the towers caught my eye and I saw a guy dressed in black staring down at me. The truck’s windows were all blacked out, and I was thankful for that right then. They couldn’t see in, which was the plan.

The guy in the tower had a gun in his hand and was scoping out our truck, but I couldn’t see which brother it was. Harmony’s eyes were huge with fear. “Stay here, okay?” I said.

She swallowed and cast a long look at the black iron gates beyond the windscreen. “Rider . . . I am scared. Something in my heart is telling me this is a bad idea.”

Leaning over the console, I placed my finger under her chin and brought her lips to mine. I kissed her softly, sweetly, and I kept my mouth on hers as long as possible. I knew this would most likely be the last time that I would know her like this, be here like this . . . have any kind of moment with her like this. Harmony melted against my lips. It made me feel so fucking alive. I had been dead before her.

I pressed my forehead to hers and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to move. I would have given anything to stay right there in the truck for the rest of my sorry life. But it was time to face my former brothers.

It was time to start paying for all the shit that I’d caused.

It was time for Harmony to be free . . . of me and the people who had imprisoned her.

The sound of raised voices outside cut through the silence in the truck. It was time. “Stay here until I call for you. Don’t come out before then . . . please,” I insisted. Without looking back at Harmony, I opened the door and got out of the truck.

With my hands held in the air, I moved around to the front of the truck. Light after light came on, lightbulb after lightbulb flaring beyond the compound walls to reveal my presence. I winced at the brightness of the spotlight I was thrust under.

“Holy fuckin’ shit.”

I recognized that voice. My stomach sank as I saw my former best friend. My road brother, the only true friend I ever had in this club.

Smiler.

I stepped to the side, moving from a direct beam of light so I could look up and clearly see his face. Smiler was staring down at me, mouth gaping. When I caught his gaze, I saw a flash of pure sadness flicker over his face. “Smiler,” I said, loud enough for him to hear. My voice seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he had found himself in, and his expression morphed into one of untapped anger.

Smiler leaned over the tower’s guardrail and shouted across the compound, “Get the fuckin’ prez. Now!” He turned back to me again. “Scratch that! Get everyone! Every single brother out here! We got a huge fuckin’ problem!”

“There’s no problem,” I said calmly. Smiler’s head snapped to face me. He drew his gun, aimed it at my head, then searched the road behind him. “What the fuck is this, man? Ain’t y’all pricks already done enough to this fuckin’ club? You got more cult freaks comin’? Tryin’ to steal the fuckin’ bitches again like a bunch of desperate fucks?”

The viciousness in his voice cut through me, but I shook my head. “No. It’s just me. I’m not here for trouble.”

Smiler scoffed, then danced on his feet, his head constantly craning around the bend of the road, searching expectantly for more of my people . . . my
former
people.

The sound of feet pounding on asphalt came thundering from behind the iron gates. “What the fuck is happenin’?” a voice shouted. I couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like Ky.

Shit.

I closed my eyes for a moment, that forgotten fear coming back in full force, eradicating the calmness I had embraced on the ride here.

“The fuckin’ second comin’!” Smiler shouted back. “Open the gates!” My heart began slamming against my chest as the iron gates began grinding open.

I tried to suck in a breath, but the air was too humid and thick. That or my damn chest was refusing to function. Sweat dripped down my neck. I watched with alert eyes as the shadow of multiple feet danced impatiently behind the opening gates. I pushed my hands higher into the air, just as the gates cleared enough for my former brothers to slip through.

The sound of safety catches being clicked off guns echoed off the surrounding trees. Then, like a perfectly organized and fucking ruthless stampede, the Hangmen appeared, a united front.

They stopped dead in front of me.

My eyes tracked over each of my former brothers’ faces. Every one stared at me with a look of utter shock, quickly followed by pure hatred. Ky was the first to burst from the line. “What the fuck is he doing here?” he hissed. His blue eyes speared through mine, and he moved to run at me, but Styx grabbed Ky by the collar of his cut and dragged him back.

“What the fuck!” Ky spat, knocking Styx’s arm from his neck. One of the brothers broke rank and began searching down the road, gun held high. AK, the ex-sniper, checking for any nearby threats.

“I’m gonna fuckin’ kill the pissant fuck!” A familiar guttural, acidic roar ripped through the night. The next thing I knew, I was knocked onto my back, my spine slamming against the ground. Two fists came raining down on me like fucking steel sledgehammers, and my vision swam. “You tried to take her from me, you fuckin’ cocksuckin’ cunt! You and your kiddie-rapin’ fuck of a brother!”

Hands wrapped around my neck and squeezed like a vise. There was enough time for me to look up and see Flame’s black-as-death eyes. I didn’t fight back. There was no point.

Suddenly Flame was kicked off me, and I heard his bloodcurdling roar as he tried to charge back. “Flame, brother. Calm the fuck down.” I didn’t need to see Viking to recognize his loud voice coming from behind his best friend.

I staggered to my feet and held up my hands again. I saw Tank and Bull with their guns aimed at me. Then a huge guy I didn’t know—a guy littered with Nazi tattoos—glared at me, the barrel of his gun aimed right at my head. I saw another two members I didn’t know, a mixed-race brother with bright blue eyes and a blonde beside him with a Stetson on his head. Both regarded me like I was the devil himself.

Finally, my eyes fell back onto Styx. I was sure if a simple look could have killed, I’d be mincemeat on the floor. Styx’s eyes were twitching and his jaw was clenched to the point that his chin actually shook with the effort. But his hawk eyes never left mine. And this time, as his VP broke the line and came charging my way, Styx didn’t stop him. The fucker just smiled. Ky’s iron fist slammed into my stomach, knocking the wind from my lungs. He stepped back, his face red with burning anger. I made myself straighten and saw that the usually easygoing brother looked like shit. His skin was pale, and gone was the fun and carefree glint in his eyes. In its place was the glare of a fucking stone cold killer.

Ky’s lips curled over his teeth. He looked as if he was going to say something. But nothing came out of his mouth. He radiated rage, so much so that tears formed in his eyes. And then I knew. I fucking knew it was about Delilah.

My heart shattered. Because we had taken her. And my brother . . . he had ruined her. I might not have ordered the rape, the torture . . . but I’d let it happen. I was just as guilty as everyone else.

I lowered my arms to my sides, and exhaled a long breath. He would kill me now. I could see that promise on his face.

In a flash, Ky gripped my hair then kicked the backs of my legs. I dropped to my knees, and Ky brought a knife to my throat. He wrenched my head back and brought the blade to my exposed skin.

I closed my eyes.

The blade began to move over my skin. I heard a brother shout, “Ky! Don’t you dare fuckin’ kill him! We need to know why the fuck he’s here! Fuck him up, yeah, but don’t you dare fuckin’ end him!”

Then I heard the sound of the truck door opening and a loud, “NO!” pierce through the commotion . . .

 . . . Harmony.

“Harmony,” I said and tried to turn to face her direction. Ky’s blade had paused over my throat, but his hand in my hair kept me still. “Harmony,” I croaked out again.

“What the fuck?” I heard one of the brothers say, and my eyes closed.

“Shit! She looks exactly like . . .” another voice said, but then trailed off to nothing.

I felt Ky turn his head then freeze. “What the fuck?” He dropped the blade from my throat and kicked me to the floor with the tip of his steel-toed boots. As I landed I saw a flash of white move in front of me.

She was protecting me.

Harmony stood, facing the brothers, her arms out at her sides as if to keep them from reaching where I lay. “Do not touch him!” she threatened. I swallowed at the sudden emotion welling up in my heart, the affection constricting my chest.

I got to my feet and put my hand on Harmony’s shoulder. She jumped, and I saw how frayed her nerves were. She looked back to me and her naturally ice-blue eyes locked on mine. Moving my finger to her cheek, I said, “It’s okay.”

Harmony’s face had paled. She looked at me as though I was insane. “They hurt you,” she said. It was deathly quiet around us. I didn’t care.

“I deserve it,” I replied back. I knew the Hangmen would all have heard, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything anymore.

I took hold of Harmony’s hand. I brought it to my lips and kissed the soft skin on the back. Tears of sadness and confusion formed in her eyes. I dropped our joined hands to my side and faced forward.

I looked directly at Styx and saw the look of astonishment on his face. Viking looked at Styx. “Prez, why the fuck does Prophet Dipshit’s whore look like—”

Styx raised his hands and started firing off sign language. “
Get Mae and the sisters out here fuckin’ now!
”

Bull turned and slipped through the gates. It was deathly silent as I stared my former brothers down. They glared right back. Tension thickened the air, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Harmony’s hand began trembling in mine. Knowing I had only minutes to be with her, I ignored the watching brothers and turned to the woman that had changed my life . . . given me life . . . given me the gift of her. Given me the only few precious weeks of happiness I’d ever had.

Harmony looked up at me and blinked. Her long lashes fanned over her cheeks, and my stomach clenched. I leaned forward and tried to put a smile on my face.

“Harmony.” I took in a deep breath. “Thank you,” I said. “Thank you for showing me who I truly am.” I shook my head, and laughed a humorless laugh. “Or at least who I could have been if everything hadn’t been so messed up.”

“Rider,” she whispered sadly, and a tear fell down her cheek. My heart broke. No one had ever cared for me in such a way. They never would again. I would never forget how it felt. What that care and faith could do to a person’s soul.

I heard the sound of rushing feet coming from inside the compound. Knowing our time was up, I leaned down and kissed her. As our lips joined, our version of prayer, I savored her sweet taste on my tongue, committing her scent, feel and taste to memory.

“I will never forget how you made me feel.” I squeezed her hand. “How this touch reignited my hope when I had none left to cling to.” I let my fingertip drift along her bottom lip. “How these lips made my heart beat, when I was sure it could never beat again.”

“Rider—” Harmony murmured, but I cut her off.

“Thank you . . . thank you so damn much for making me understand what it was like to be normal for a time. I didn’t know until you that I’d been living my entire life with blinders on. You . . .” I sucked in a breath. “You changed all that for me. You made me see the truth. Even though it was too late, I’m glad that I saw it. We should walk into death with our eyes and hearts wide open.”

Panic spread across her face. But when I saw Bull walk through the gates with three women, I stepped back and faced the Hangmen’s wives. Harmony threw her arms around my waist and buried her head in my chest. She was holding me so tightly, so hard that I almost didn’t hear her ask, “Why do I get the feeling that you are telling me goodbye?”

I winced, trying to stop the sadness from consuming me. I held it together enough to reply, “I am setting you free.”

As Harmony’s hold tightened, I looked up to see Mae reach out and grasp Styx’s hand. “What is it, Styx?” her soft, confused voice asked . . . then she looked my way.

As soon as her blue eyes fell on me, her hand rushed to cover her mouth. “Rider,” she whispered, and my heart broke anew. Mae had always called me Rider, even when I was displaying no trace of the man she thought she knew. She had never lost her faith in me.

I realized how good a friend to me she had been. She was my friend, only my friend, and I had screwed it all up for a prophecy that was as real as Santa Claus.