It Ain't Me, Babe (Hades Hangmen #1)(102)

The war had begun.

I stood firm in the aisle as I was buffeted by scattering witnesses fleeing the gunfire. I scanned the Hangmen for Styx, but I could make out very little. Everything was moving too fast.

“Styx?” I screamed. Somehow I hoped he could hear me. The noise of the battle and the sound of panic was deafening. I stood transfixed as men began falling to the ground, writhing in pain from being shot or, worse, dead. The Hangmen were well equipped and stormed forward, taking out disciple after disciple. It was rapidly turning into a massacre. Most of the Hangmen were ex-armed forces; the disciples did not stand a chance.

And I was glad. Lord, forgive me, but I was glad.

“Styx?” I tried to move, this time with some success and I reached the end of the altar when I saw him, Styx. Dressed all in leather, his dark hair messy and his muscled arms held out, two guns in his hands rapidly firing out bullets—bullets that ripped through the flesh of the disciple guards. He did not stop. He kept on coming, taking out disciple after disciple. Bullets shredded through limbs, stomachs, and heads.

But all I could think through the carnage was, He has come back for me…

“STYX!” I screamed as he scoped the area, I hoped, for me. He stilled, obviously hearing my call, then his hazel eyes connected with mine.

Babe, he mouthed as relief spread across his face. Then he stopped dead and his expression hardened with murderous intensity.

Dropping my flowers, I lifted my dress, ready to run to my man but I was suddenly grabbed around the chest and I yelped as I was aggressively dragged away.

“Mae, calm. It’s me, Cain. I’m getting you outta here.”

“No! Let me go!” I struggled to get free. I could see Styx running like a man possessed toward me and I knew he had seen Cain. Styx’s nostrils flared and he picked up speed but Cain was pulling me back too fast and I was unable to get away. Then I watched in horror as Styx was tackled to the ground by a disciple.

With Styx on the floor, fighting, I then spotted Ky, Tank, Bull, Viking, AK and Flame sprinting out from the cover of the forest. Cain stiffened on seeing his former brothers, then two arms hooked under my legs and Cain lifted me clean off the ground. He began to run for the fence, but not before I heard a roar and Styx scream out, “MAE!”

Cain stilled and turned us around just in time to see the elders trying to stealthily get Prophet David to safety down a secluded trail. “Styx! Over there!” I shouted, pointing to the decrepit old leader.

“Mae! No!” Cain hissed as Styx followed the direction of my finger and his eyes narrowed in rage. Cain and I watched as Styx searched around the Hangmen, fixing his attention on AK. Putting two fingers in his mouth, Styx let out a piercing whistle and AK’s head lifted up. Styx signed something; what, I could not make out. AK nodded in understanding, looked toward the prophet and the elders, propped his rifle into position, and fired a single bullet with perfect precision into the back of Prophet David’s skull.

Stunned, the elders shrank back in horror as the prophet’s body arched and dropped to the ground. Glancing back briefly to Styx, the elders ran into the cover of the forest.

Styx then turned back toward me and I mouthed, thank you.

Prophet David was gone forever. I was freed from being the seventh wife.

“Shit! SHIT!” Cain spat as he held me. His arms tightened around my chest and legs, and with a strong jerk, he carried me from sight until I could no longer see Styx or the Hangmen. I knew exactly where we were heading: the perimeter fence.

“Cain, put me down!” I protested.

“Shut up, Mae! You’ve just helped them kill our f*ckin’ prophet!” he snapped, trying to pick up speed. I began thrashing around in his arms, fighting to get free. Cain increased his hold so I dug my nails in his shoulders, but still he kept hold. Finally, I bit into his arm… as hard as I could.

“Fuck!” Cain hissed as he dropped me to the ground.

I scrambled to my feet.

Cain made toward me.

I thrust out my hand. “NO! Cain. You have to stop this!” I said breathlessly.

He darted his gaze around us, the sounds of bullets approaching. “Mae, come with me. I’ll get us out.”

“I don’t want to go with you. I want to go with Styx.”

“Mae, please. I’m begging you. They’ll kill me if they find me here. We must go now.”

“Where are my sisters? They were taken away. Where are they being kept?”

“Mae, forget them—”

“Tell me where they are!” I shouted hysterically. I would not leave them again. I made them a promise.

Cain sighed in exasperation. “In the cell. They were taken to the cell.” The cell… the cell where they had imprisoned Bella… the cell where Bella had died in my arms.

“SALOME!”

Our heads whipped around toward the sound of my name being called somewhere in the shelter of the surrounding trees. Hope blossomed in my chest for a brief moment. It quickly gave way to mortal dread when I recognized the voices of elders, barking out commands, hot on our trail.

“Fuck!” Cain spat out and grabbed my arm. He yanked me into step, only to stop dead when Brother Jacob stepped out from behind a large oak tree, gun aimed squarely at Cain’s chest.

“Brother Cain, where are you taking Salome?” Jacob asked, knowing full well we were trying to escape.