The ancient woman who owned Rodent-Rid Pest Control hopped out of the driver's seat and followed her staff up the main steps as she pulled on a pair of industrial-thickness gloves. She was already neck-to-toe in a blue coverall, and I knew from experience that she'd pull the hood up and wear a full face mask before entering the crime scene.
"Hades, Zed," she greeted my second and I. Her wrinkled lips pulled in a wide grin as she ran her gaze over me. "You look good, boss. Red is your color." She cackled at her own joke, then passed us to get on with business.
"She scares me," Zed murmured as we made our way down the steps of the old church, heading for his car. "But you probably should clean up before you get in my Ferrari."
He popped the passenger door open, then pulled a packet of baby wipes from the glove box and tossed them to me with a smirk.
"Seriously?" I deadpanned.
"Seriously. I don't want to have my car stinking of blood, thank you. Just hurry up. I had a date with Emily tonight, and I'm already about nine hours late." The lazy smile on his face said that he was feeling the small amount of weed already.
I rolled my eyes and used the pathetic little wet wipes to wipe the worst of the blood from my face and neck, then slid into the passenger seat of Zed's car.
"There's no way that girl is still waiting for you," I told him with a mocking headshake. "By the time we make it back to Shadow Grove, it'll be almost dawn."
Zed just gave an easy shrug and wide smile. "Perfect. I'll creep into her bed, wake her up with my face between her thighs, blow my load all over her perfect tits, and then leave before she goes to class."
"You're a class act, Zayden De Rosa," I muttered in a dry tone, relaxing back into my seat with a yawn. That easy, comfortable sort of chat between us was few and far between these days. Most of the time I was so caught up in my Hades persona I couldn't even let myself relax around my oldest friend. Most of the time, he treated me like a grenade with a loose pin.
But not now. I could almost picture us as we used to be. Before the massacre. Before I made the choice to become a mass murderer. Before Hades.
We drove most of the way home in comfortable silence, and Zed didn't even speed much. For a guy so eager to get his dick wet, he was really in no hurry. It wasn't until we were almost back to my apartment building that our idle chat turned back to business.
"Dissolving the Wraiths won't be an easy task for the Reapers, you know." Zed's comment was an echo of what'd run through my mind right before I’d made the decision.
I let out a long, tired sigh and nodded. "I know. But Cass has the experience necessary and the loyalty of his Reapers. He can handle it. And there were far too many cooks in my kitchen as it was."
"No disagreements here," Zed agreed. "I'll just keep a close eye on things to make sure it doesn't raise any unnecessary scrutiny from SGPD. Want me to offer any assistance if the Reapers need it?"
I snorted a laugh. "Fuck no. If Cass needs our help, then maybe we should dissolve the Reapers too."
Zed gave me a sidelong look. "So you're not killing him, then?"
"Cass?" I arched a brow at Zed. Then shook my head. "Not today. But fuck, he's on thin ice."
Zed slowed his Ferrari and glided to a stop directly in front of my building. It was an old one with no concierge to monitor people coming and going, but I loved it. I had enough security on my actual apartment; I didn't need anyone stopping people in the lobby.
"Speak of the ice-skating elephant himself..." Zed muttered, nodding across the road.
Sure enough, there was the Reapers’ leader himself, seeming like he was just waiting for me as he leaned against his sexy fucking motorcycle.
"Fucker has a death wish," I commented, unbuckling my seat belt and climbing out of the low car. Zed started to follow, his gun already in hand, but I waved him off. "I can handle this alone."
My second snorted a laugh. "No doubts about that. I'll go make sure Seph is home safe."
He waited until I jerked a nod of approval, then disappeared into my apartment building while Cass crossed the street toward me.
"What's happened?" I asked as he got closer. I didn't miss the way his eyes ran over my exposed skin, taking in my crappy cleanup of Joseph's blood. Weird.
His dark brows furrowed as he took a step closer than necessary, making me crane my neck to look up at him. Bastard was six-foot-five, so even in my high heels he towered over me.
"Nothing happened." His growly voice was in full effect, and I stiffened my shoulders to stop the thrill it sent through me. Goddamn moronic hormones were taking control of my life.
I folded my arms under my breasts, cringing inwardly as I felt the tightness of dried blood in my cleavage. "So, why are you here?"
His frown deepened, if that was even possible. "Can I come up so we can talk?"
I shook my head, firm. "Hell no. We're allies, Cass, not friends."
He scoffed a humorless laugh. "Bullshit. I'm as close to a friend as you've got outside of Zed and Archer's boys." He swiped a hand over his half-shaved head, and I couldn't help following the movement.
So damn sexy.
"You're a business associate at best," I snapped back, letting my anger get the better of me for a rare moment.
Fucking Cass must have been drinking from the idiot fountain, though, because he took another step closer. I was still standing beside Zed's car, and if I'd been inclined to back up, I would have ended up with my back against the Ferrari’s door. I didn't back up for anyone, though, not even a sexy-as-sin mountain of a gangster.
"You make a habit of kissing all your business associates, Hades?" he asked in a low rumble, his neck bent so that his lips were right beside my ear. All I could see was the broad expanse of his black T-shirt, and the rich scent of his leather jacket filled my nose. I couldn't even be mad, because he smelled delicious.
Still, he was pushing his damn luck. "Maybe I do," I retorted, placing a hand against his chest and applying a little pressure to remind him that he was walking a tightrope with my temper. I'd already dissolved one gang tonight; I could easily make it two.
He didn't take the hint, though. Far from it. If anything, my hand on his chest was taken as an invitation, and his rough fingers grasped my hips as he pushed me into Zed's car.
"I don't believe you," he whispered, all husky and...
But his rejection from Saturday night was still fresh in my mind, barbing me with embarrassment every time I thought about it. No way was I giving him more power than I'd already provided.
"Believe what you want, Cassiel," I told him in a sultry sort of purr, "but if you don't take your hands off me, you'll find out real fast what I do to people that don't respect my personal boundaries."
He didn't immediately step away, not like he would have a week ago, prior to me making a move on him. Instead, his thumb teased the bare skin between my lace top and leather pants, and his breath warmed my neck as he sighed. Then, slowly, he released my hips and stepped back.
I almost wished he'd refused.
But that wasn't Cass's style. He was easily the most respectful-around-women gangster I'd ever met. It was half the reason I trusted him to keep Seph safe when Zed and I weren't around.