Heart Recaptured (Hades Hangmen, #2)(13)

The wailing and crying went on for a f*ckin’ age. At one point her actions became so unnerving I nearly jumped out to grab her, convinced she was having a damn seizure.

But Lilah’s wails gradually began to dim, her hands lowered, and I realized I’d begun to breathe again. I hadn’t noticed I’d stopped. Taking long, deep breaths, Lilah’s eyes fluttered open; they were red and swollen with all the strain of her crying and the amount of tears she’d shed as she’d kicked and screamed.

I could guess what my face looked like—confused. While I watched her pull herself together, I was sure Viking had slipped me a shroom again without my knowing and I was tripping like a hippie motherf*cker at Woodstock, but after what felt like a shittin’ lifetime watching Lilah roll around on the grass, I realized I was copacetic… and Lilah was a full-blown nut job.

How the f*ck does a bitch that hot be so f*ckin’ psychotic?

Lifting my head to the sky and running my hands down my face in exasperation, I moved to get up and finally do what I’d been ordered, but I immediately sank back to the ground, my feet losing their footing in the dried dirt as Lilah freed her long blond hair from her f*cking ugly white head thing and began unzipping her dress from the back.

Blood immediately filled my cock and I hissed through my teeth as the f*cking rancid gray material dropped to the ground, leaving hot Blondie dressed in only a white knee-length slip, the material see-through… f*ck, totally f*cking see-through.

Her fingers reached up to comb through her hair, and I slipped out a groan as she turned and I caught sight of her red nipple through the side of her slip. Lilah suddenly whipped around, searching the cover of trees.

I stilled and held my breath, praying to all that was mighty that she didn’t see me… that she didn’t stop this strip show. I mean, shit! Tiff, Jules, and hookers didn’t have shit on this bitch.

I watched as her bright-blue eyes relaxed and she stepped forward into the river. She waded slowly through the stream until she was waist deep. She spread out her hands, the palms skimming across the top of the water, and she tipped back her head and smiled. I sucked in a sharp breath; I’d never seen anything like that smile in all my life. She was so f*cking beautiful, looking like some siren in that river. She may have thought she was devil-created, but she was flawless. I was pretty damn sure if there was a devil, he had nothing to do with what I was seeing. That was all good, a goddamn f*cking blessing.

Tipping back her long blond hair, she slowly sank under the water. But I straightened when she didn’t come back up. Air bubbles rose to the surface but stopped after a while, the water completely still. Jumping to my feet, I burst out of the line of trees and ran to the edge of the river, searching the dark depths… Nothing.

Fuck! Was she trying to kill herself?

Without giving it much thought, I shed my cut, throwing it to the ground, and ran full force into the water, aiming for the last place I’d seen Lilah.

“Lilah! Lilah!” I shouted, now completely soaked. I waded through the water but couldn’t see her, feel her, nothing. “Bitch, where the f*ck are you!”

Spotting another air bubble rise to the surface a few feet away, I dived and aimed for that direction. I opened my eyes underneath but couldn’t see a damn thing. Just as I was about to come up for air, my fingers caught on something soft… It felt like a thin piece of material. Pushing forward, I found Blondie’s warm body underneath and, gripping her in my arms, pushed us up to break the surface. As soon as we hit air, I dragged in a huge gulp, coughing to clear my throat. Just as I was squeezing the water from my eyes, a frantic scream pierced the air, and I looked down at Lilah. A hand slapped against my cheek, the sharp nails shredding at my skin.

“Fuck, bitch!” I snarled and dropped her ass back in the cold water.

Lilah spluttered and tried to stand, rushing around me to crawl out. Lifting my hand to my cheek, I ran it down the scratched skin… Blood. The f*ckin’ bitch drew blood.

Snapping my head around, I watched Lilah claw her way up the riverbank.

“You f*ckin’ drew blood, you psycho bitch!” I yelled, wincing again as my headache cracked like thunder through my skull, my damn hangover coming into effect.

Lilah gasped at my harsh words and scurried away toward her heap of clothes. Just as I began to move out the river myself, I heard her whimper and my attention went straight to her. She was shaking and talking to herself, mumbling something under her breath. I couldn’t hear what, but all her f*cking crazy was back on full display.

Striding up the bank, I approached Lilah, catching some of what she was saying.

Please Lord, give me strength to endure pain. Help me take my punishment with dignity…

I reached out to pull her from what sounded like a prayer, and seeing my outstretched hand, she cried out in fear and her arm flew up to protect her face. That stopped me dead and I took a step back.

“Lilah! For f*ck’s sake, I’m not gonna hurt you!”

Lilah’s huge blue eyes came into view as she lowered her arm a few inches. Strands of her blond hair were plastered across her stunning face and she blinked.

“Lilah, I—”

“You… you are not here to punish me for my rejection of your advances?” she asked in a frightened tiny voice.

I frowned. “What the f*ck are you talking about?”

Fully dropping her arm, she glanced over her shoulder at me, her big eyes confused, and said, “Back in the… the room for drinking, you wanted me to join with you and I pushed you away… You… you licked my skin and said explicit things in my ear…” She looked at me, urging me to understand.