Darkness Embraced (Hades Hangmen 7)

It wasn’t her.

Styx raised his hands, his body so tense it looked like he was about to snap. “So we’re going in first.” Energy buzzed through the room like wildfire. Styx’s eyes were hard, the Hangmen Mute in full control. My pulse started racing in my neck. “Those assholes think they can touch us. Touch our fucking bitches and land and unborn kids . . .” He gritted his teeth. “They can think again. We’re gonna own those fuckers. Gonna go in before they come for us.”

“We’re getting leverage,” Ky said. He smiled at each of us, a sadistic fucking smile. “We’re taking the motherfucking bride.”

My racing pulse stilled. Adelita didn’t have many friends or family members—Daddy had kept her locked away out of sight apart from to mix with the locals, win them over so they were always loyal. I didn’t know if she was close to this cousin. I didn’t know if it would hurt Adelita if she was taken. I didn’t know shit.

I closed my eyes and took a long breath. I couldn’t keep doing this. I was a motherfucking Hangman. I knew the cartel, and I knew what Quintana was capable of. That sadistic fucker would kill us. And he’d enjoy doing it. I had to push these feelings away. I had to get on board and figure shit out on the fly like I’d always done.

“Tanner?” I looked up. All eyes were on me. My eyes narrowed as I tried to work out what had been said. Ky was speaking for Styx, the prez’s suspicious gaze locked on me. I’d fucking zoned out. Tank shifted beside me. I knew he’d be wondering what was wrong with me. I was fucking up lately. I knew it.

Styx’s hands moved. “We need you on the Klan’s plans,” Ky said. “Tell us where they’ll be and when. Don’t wanna have to deal with them too. Get word out we’ll be on the road that day. Perfect bait for the Nazis to come hunting us.” I nodded. Styx pointed at Shadow. “Shadow will be covering the cartel side of things.”

“I just gotta get plans of Quintana’s place. I never worked with him. I was one of Garcia’s men, not high enough up to meet the man himself.” Shadow cracked his knuckles, lost in thought. “The wedding is on his property. It’s a fucking fortress. Quintana’s being smart. No fucker would dare infiltrate that place. Even the people who live in the villages around there are loyal to him. He gives them food and clean water, helps them be safe. They’d die to protect him and his family. With the war, it’ll be the best fucking protected place in all of Mexico.”

My lips twitched as I fought a war inside me. I squeezed my eyes shut. Saw Adelita’s face beside me on the pillow. Her perfect brown eyes and lashes and perfect lips . . . her hand holding mine.

“Do you trust me?” I asked.

“Si, mi amor. I trust you with my whole heart.”

“I know the place.” Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes and saw the entire room turning their heads my way. None more so than Styx. I stood off the wall, fucking showing my six-four height and two-hundred-and-fifty-pound weight. “I’ve been there. Stayed there on and off for a few months a few years back.”

“And you just thought to tell us this now?” Ky asked.

“There was no plan to go into his place until now. No mention of going onto Quintana’s turf.” The rage from only a few minutes ago flared inside me. “I was the fucking heir to the Klan. I went with my old man on most things. The fucker didn’t let me in to most of what was happening. But yeah, I’ve been to Quintana’s place. Been to a shit-ton of the Klan’s associates’ places.”

“You know him personally?” Shadow asked.

“A little.” I folded my arms across my chest.

“You knew about the trafficking?” This came from Cowboy. I got it. His bitch was taken.

“No.” My jaw clenched. “My old man kept that shit close to his chest. Seemed he had Meister for that. We were drugs and guns. That and preparing for the race war.” A few snickers followed. I gritted my teeth.

“You can draw up the plans of his estate?” Shadow asked.

I pushed Adelita from my mind, her voice telling me not to betray her papa, to betray her, and nodded. “I can do better than that.” Tanner . . . I heard Adelita’s panicked voice sound in my head. No, mi amor . . . But what the fuck was I meant to do? The cartel was on us if we didn’t strike first. I had to keep her safe. I’d fucking make sure they didn’t harm her cousin. If this meant saving Adelita . . . I’d do it. I’d have to figure out a way of making her understand.

I gotta, princess, I said in my head. For us.

The room was waiting for me to speak. Exhaling, I said, “I can tell you the hidden passages.” Shadow raised his eyebrow in surprise. “Quintana’s place is full of them. They lead out to an exit that isn’t as closely guarded. Of course, it might be on that day. But it’s gonna be the only way you’ll get in and out. If you succeed at all.” My neck ached with the tension in my muscles.

“How do you know these passages so intimately?” Ky asked. I could tell by his face he was trying to work it out. When I caught sight of Styx’s dark expression, I was sure he’d already worked it out.

The room was fucking silent. My head told me to keep my mouth shut. But the time had come. The fucking time had come to speak the truth. I kept Adelita’s face in my mind. “The bitch I fell for . . . the one I left the Klan for . . .” I swallowed back the betrayal I felt, choking my throat. “It was Adelita . . . Adelita Quintana. Alfonso Quintana’s daughter.”

I tilted my chin and met Styx’s eyes straight on. I wouldn’t be ashamed. I owned that bitch.

“Shit,” Tank hissed. I turned to Tank to see shock on his face. Shock and then sympathy. “Tann . . .” He would understand. He would understand why it was as fucked-up a situation as a Klansman could get himself into.

Before anyone could speak, I said, “She doesn’t have anything to do with the cartel life. Her old man keeps her the fuck out of the business. She isn’t a threat to us. To anyone. She’s just caught up in the shitshow.” Tank put his hand on my arm, silently telling to shut the fuck up.

“She know you’re with us now?” AK asked, eyes narrowed.

I shrugged. “Don’t know. Don’t know what she knows anymore.” I rocked on my feet. “She’s young. Only twenty-two. Sheltered. She’ll have no fucking idea of the danger she’s in.” My stomach tightened at that fact.

“Nice!” Vike said. “Younger woman. Tighter pussy. I get ya, man. Good choice.” The fucker winked.

“We’re at war with your family. And now your old lady,” Ky said, trailing off. He met my eyes, a question hanging in the air.

“Fuck my family,” I spat. “They ca

n all have their throats slit for all I care.”

“And the bitch?” Bull asked.

“I’m a Hangman. I won’t jeopardize that. Take the fucking cousin. I don’t care.” I was sure the brothers heard the bullshit in my voice. Because nothing or no one was hurting Adelita. I just had to think of a fucking plan. Something to keep her safe. Someway to get her out and make her understand everything I’ve done. “But at some point, I’m getting her. I’m getting her the fuck out of Mexico and having her by my side.”

Styx looked at me. I dared him—any of them—to argue. But he just pointed at Shadow. “You get him the plans. Make sure they’re right.” Styx looked around the room, focusing on some of the brothers. “AK, Smiler, you’re going.” They nodded, excitement sparking in their eyes. “Crow, you too.” Crow smiled wide and bowed his head once. “Need someone to discreetly take out as many of these fuckers as possible.” Styx looked at Edge. “You go too.”

“Say no more,” Edge replied.

“We plan for this. We plan fucking hard. And we don’t fail. We’ve got too much to lose. We take one of theirs, we can negotiate. We don’t get leverage? We all stand a chance of going to the boatman.” Styx slammed the gavel down, and the brothers started leaving the room.

As I went to leave, Tank pulled me back. When the room was empty, he said, “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

I pulled my arm back from him. “I had to keep her safe.”

Tank was pissed. I saw it in his eyes. “You still could’ve told me. We could’ve told Styx and Ky together. Figured something out. Planned to get her out.” He shook his head. “You know how that looked, just dropping a bomb like that? Quintana’s daughter, Tann?” I didn’t speak. Tank stepped closer to me. “It made you look guilty of something.”

“I don’t give a fuck.” Tank ran his hands down his face. “Never thought we’d go to war with Quintana. Never thought Adelita would ever be on the Hangmen radar. But here we fucking are. And I still intend to get her back. When this shit is all over. I’m getting her back. That’ll never change.” I didn’t wanna talk anymore. I was fucking done. “I need a smoke.”