Heart Recaptured (Hades Hangmen 2)

“Mae’s different to Lilah. She ran. Li wanted to stay. Mae tried to learn this life, wanted to for you. Li is scared of her own damn shadow. Mae don’t have her faith no more, Styx. Li still lives for that shit, sprouting scripture like a pastor.”

“Sh-she n-needs t-time. Sh-she’ll g-get u-us eventually,” he assured and punched me on my arm. “G-go be with h-her. W-we got l-lookout in a f-few.”

“Yeah,” I replied and pushed off the wall.

Styx suddenly turned around. “D-don’t f-fuck her o-over,” he warned.

My jaw clenched. “Fuck off, Styx.”

He grinned again and said, “Cunt-struck!” then fuckin’ walked off.

If I didn’t wanna fuck my woman again so bad, I’d have gone after the cunt just to shove my fist in his cock-sucking mouth. As I entered the bar, the place was getting busy, brothers and bitches everywhere.

Lockdown, what a fuckin’ treat.

Practically running to my room to get to Li, I burst through the door. “Baby, I’m back. Time to get buck-ass naked again!”

Shutting the door, I turned toward the bed, but Lilah wasn’t there. The sheets were all over the damn place from where we’d made love, but she was nowhere in sight. “Li? You in the washroom?” I shouted to the partially shut door.

No answer. Frowning and a tight feeling beginning to coil in my chest, I strode to the bathroom and pushed open the door.

Nothing.

Lilah’s clothes that she’d left on the floor were gone—her dress and that god-awful fuckin’ headdress.

Mae. She’d be with Maddie or Mae.

Shooting out the door, I ran down the hallway to Styx’s room, hammering on the door. I could hear moans and groans coming from inside, then Styx swearing and storming to the door.

The door flew open and Styx was buttoning up his fly. “Wh-what?” he growled at me, a pissed expression on his face.

“Is Lilah in here?” I demanded.

Styx frowned and shook his head.

“She’s not in my room. I came back and she wasn’t in bed and her clothes are gone. I thought she’d be with Mae.” Styx’s frown turned to concern, and suddenly Mae was at the door, wrapped in a sheet, her black hair messed up and her face flushed.

“What is wrong? Where is Lilah?” Mae asked, panicked.

Running my hands down my face, I looked up and down the hallway and said, “Maddie?”

Mae nodded nervously and gripped Styx’s arm. “You go and look there now, Ky, and we will dress and follow.”

I didn’t stick around a second longer and took off for the back stairwell. Smashing through the metal door, I rounded the stairs to see Flame sitting on his chair at the top. Hearing my approach, he jumped from his chair, his blades at his side ready to strike.

“Calm the fuck down. It’s me,” I said and climbed the stairs two at a time. When I made it to the top, I said, “Is Lilah in there with Maddie?”

Flame stared at the door like he could see through it and said, “Not that I know of.”

Spinning, I pounded on the door. “Maddie! It’s Ky. Open up.”

Flame moved behind me until he was practically flush against my back.

“Flame, back the fuck off. I ain’t got time for your crazy right now.”

“I ain’t moving nowhere, fucker. Making sure you don’t scare the bitch.” Flame spun his blade in his hands past my face. “She screams, I make you scream.”

Gritting my teeth, I moved to tackle Flame, but footsteps on the stairs pulled my attention.

“Flame! Please move!” Mae shouted, running up the stairs dressed in her usual tank and black jeans, Styx following behind.

“Maddie won’t open up, and I’m about to kill this cunt if he doesn’t back the fuck off!” I hissed, never breaking Flame’s glare.

“Flame! I need to get in there for Maddie and Lilah. Please let me past!” Mae shouted.

The psycho grunted in response and stepped back, his back hitting the wall.

Mae turned the knob and pushed through. Maddie was in the middle of the room, staring timidly toward the doorway. “Maddie! Is Lilah in here with you?” Mae asked. Maddie shook her head, her green eyes huge as she stared at the group gathered in the hallway.

Mae looked back at us and she’d turned white. “Styx?” she whispered, a fuckin’ desolate expression on her face.

“Sister?” Maddie whispered from her place behind Mae, dressed like Lilah in her gray long dress.

Mae looked to Maddie. “Yes?”

Mae swallowed and tears built in her eyes. “Where is Lilah? Has something happened to her?” Maddie’s breathing hitched and she stumbled backward. “Are they back for us? Has Prophet David returned and come to take us back to be saved?” Her voice built in volume and she cried. “Have they taken Lilah? Have they recaptured Lilah?”

Mae jumped forward and held a shaking Maddie in her arms. “No! They have not returned. They are gone, sister.”

Maddie pulled back and shook her head. “No! Prophet David said he would return if he were to ever be killed. He was to be resurrected to seek retribution on those that wronged him! He has returned, Mae! I know it, and he has taken Lilah! Mae, they will kill her. They will make an example of her desertion!”

Maddie was almost screaming now, and Flame was losing his shit behind us, pacing, a constant fuckin’ growl under his breath. I wasn’t far behind, hearing the shit spewing from Maddie’s mouth. That cult had completely head-fucked those bitches.