Deep Redemption

We walked out the door and past the painted Hades patch on the club’s wall that had first met me long ago, and I sighed a deep sigh. So much had happened in the five years that had passed. Some good, most bad. But I was fucking here now. I used to look at Hades’ soulless eyes and feel nothing but darkness and sin. Now, when I looked at his evil face, all I saw was liberation.

Freedom.

Survival.

Love.

Bella squeezed my hand, staring up at me with those fucking ice-blue eyes. A smile pulled on her face.

I cupped her cheeks in my hands. “Let’s go home.”

Hours later, I lay with Bella’s head on my chest as I tried to catch my breath. Our bodies were slick with sweat as we lay on the floor—we hadn’t even made it to the bed. The floorboards were uncomfortable under my back.

I didn’t much care about that.

I ran my hand through Bella’s hair. Bella sighed and lifted up on her elbow. She smiled as she ran her palm over my buzz cut. “You’re gonna give me a damn rash if you don’t stop doing that,” I joked.

Smiling mischievously, she moved her fingers to do the same over my short beard. “I like the feel of them both,” she said breathlessly. She kissed me, withdrawing only to drop her body onto my chest. “We should endeavor to make it to the bed,” she said, but I could hear the reluctant smile in her voice.

“Soon,” I rasped. “Soon.”

Bella tipped her head to the side and her face lit up with love.

“Bella?”

“Yes?”

“Are you happy? Is everything you were put through, that we are still going through, worth it to you?” I sighed. “I couldn’t bear it if I was robbing you of a better life.”

Bella’s expression grew serious and she reached for my hand. My left hand, with my wedding ring still firmly on my finger—I had never taken it off.

Bella lifted the ring to her mouth and kissed the band of gold. She smiled as she ran her thumb along it. She stole my fucking heart. “Mrs. Bella Carter,” she said, and I froze. Her eyes met mine as she said that surname. I wanted to hate it, everything it stood for . . . but the pride on her face made that impossible.

Mrs. Bella Carter.

I swallowed. “You know that our marriage wasn’t legal, Bella. We were married in The Order. It’s not even real.”

Bella clutched my hand tighter. “It is real,” she argued. “Our marriage is real. I believe it, we live it.” She glanced at the ring again. “And if this is not enough of a vow from me to you, know this. It is my eternal right to love you. And I will fight for that right until the sun sets on my life.”

“Bella,” I hushed out.

“It is true, Rider. I am happy, and I am yours. This is my dream.”

Bella’s breathing hitched as I rewarded her with a smile. Because it was true. She was mine.

She was my fucking wife.

I guided Bella to lie back against my chest and closed my eyes. I treasured this moment. I treasured every single second I took breath. I had survived when many had died. And I had a love I never thought I would gain.

I had no idea what the days ahead would look like. I had no idea how things would go with the club. But right then, in that moment, I only let myself feel the beautiful woman in my arms. The woman who won my heart through a wall of stone. The one who fought for me with an unrivaled intensity . . . and one I would die to protect.

I focused solely on the moment, letting the past drift away. Because only this was important. No religion, no duty, no club . . . just us. Just her.

The woman in my arms.

My heart.

My soul . . .

. . . my deepest redemption.

The End

DAMNABLE GRACE

Hades Hangmen #5

AK and Phebe’s Story Coming Soon!

Hades Hangmen Series

It Ain’t Me, Babe (Hades Hangmen #1)

Heart Recaptured (Hades Hangmen #2)

Souls Unfractured (Hades Hangmen #3)

Deep Redemption (Hades Hangmen #4)

Upcoming Hades Hangmen Novels

Damnable Grace (Hades Hangmen #5)

Crux Untamed (Hades Hangmen #6)

Darkness Embraced (Hades Hangmen #7)

And many more…

Playlist

The Sound of Silence—Disturbed

Same Old Same Old—The Civil Wars

Murder Song (5,4,3,2,1)—Aurora

I Got You—The White Buffalo

First Light of Winter—Miranda Lee Richards

Save Yourself—Claire De Lune

Darkness—Bobby Bazini

Rise Up—Andra Day

Up We Go—Lights

Dearly Departed (feat. Esme Patterson)—Shakey Graves

Burden—Foy Vance

House of Mercy—Sarah Jarosz

River—Leon Bridges

One More Chance—Ira Wolf

Heaven’s Gate—Dawn Landes

Devil May Care—Half Moon Run

The Warpath—Conner Woungblood

Salt in the Wound—Delta Spirit

Gethsemane—Dry the River

Devil We Know—Lily & Madeleine

My Love Took Me Down to the River to Silence Me—Little Green Cars

I Followed Fires—Matthew and the Atlas

The Longer I Run—Peter Bradley Adams

Come on Home—Pharis & Jason Romero

Demon Host—Timber Timbre

Hades Pleads—Parker Millsap

Bless Your Soul—The Bones of J.R. Jones

Raise Hell—Dorothy

At Night—The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers

Hammers & Nails—The bones of J.R. Jones

Barton Hallow—The Civil Wars

Lost in the Light—Bahamas

Whole Wide World—Bahamas

If I Needed You—Matthew Barber & Jill Barber

From Me To You—Ane Brun

From This Valley—The Civil Wars

The Squeeze—Fears

Contrast Crow—Fears

Try, Tried, Trying—Bahamas

Ain’t No Cure for Love—Ane Brun

Just Like a Dream—Lykke Li

Broken Glass—Sia

Unsteady—X Ambassadors

To listen to the playlist click here

Acknowledgements

Mam and Dad, thank you for all the support. Thank you to my husband, Stephen, for keeping me sane. Samantha, Marc, Taylor, Isaac, Archie, and Elias, love you all. Thessa, thank you for being the best assistant in the world. Liz, thank you for being my super-agent and friend.