Page 2 of Underworld

Fuck! I rummage through my bag, trying to find my maps. I have to find them! On them, I’ve written down every place I have looked for my boys after running away from my father. He wanted to sell me off to the highest bidder to get pregnant, so he would have a male heir to take over for him. Instead, I said fuck you and left once I graduated from school. He has certainly made something of himself over the years, finally becoming the governor of our territory. He’s had some competition, though. The rulers of the Underworld have taken over the territory, and word on the street is they are coming after him. I’d tip my hat off to them if I had one. I do odd jobs here and there to make enough money to travel around this Territory. Most I’m not proud of, but others have given me the tools to live independently and survive.

I finally find the map I was looking for and pull it out. Looking around, I notice I’m on the edge of Districts One and Two of the New York Territory, also known as the Atlantic Republic, but whatever. I sigh when I realize I have officially looked everywhere in New York for my boys. Grumbling, I shove the map back into my bag and heave it over my shoulder. Looking around, I pause when something on the electronic billboard catches my eye. Hum. I read the small words. “If you wish to for an audience with Hades, follow the UV skulls.” What? I look around, and that’s when I notice the random UV lights throughout the city. Should I follow them?

Before I can think better about it, I follow the skulls. They lead me to a tavern. Odd location to set up an audience, but whatever. If anyone can find my boys, it would be them. They have their fingers in everything and are slowly branching into the surrounding territories. Steeling myself, I open the doors of the cavern and look around. It’s a bit dusky but warm. There is a bar maiden in the corner washing cups. I head in her direction and sit on the stool facing her. I sigh before I say, “I need an audience with Hades.” Way to just get to the point there, Jane. Fuck!

Looking up, she raises a brow. “Is that so?” She eyes me up and down before smirking. “You willing to pay the price?” she asks.

That has my brow rising. “What price?”

She grins as she walks over to a slick, black cell phone with the Hades symbol. “He’s going to have fun with you, little girl.” Her words make me bristle; I’m not a fucking little girl. A low, sexy male voice answers after a few rings. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but I can hear the bar maiden’s side of the conversation. “Hello to you too, Charon. I have a girl here who wishes for an audience with Hades.” She pauses for a moment before continuing, “I didn’t ask her name. I didn’t know it was necessary.” She huffs out a sigh. “I don’t fucking know! She’s probably twenty or so.”

My eyes widen. This is getting interesting. Finally, she looks back at me and asks, “What’s your name, girl?”

I roll my eyes. No one goes against the men who run the Underworld, and I’m not about to get on their bad side when I need their help. I sigh and reply, “Jane.” She repeats the name over the phone but rolls her eyes. Looking at me again, she grumbles, “Last name, dear?”

Well, this gets even more interesting. “Alexander. Jane Alexander.” She repeats the name over the line, and I wish I could hear the other side of the conversation because her eyes look like they are about to bug out of her head. But then she looks back over at me, licking her lips.

“Very well, Ferryman. I’ll let her know she needs to stay here till you arrive. Is there a time to expect you, sir?” She nods at his answer and lays the phone down beside her as she stares at me.

I raise a brow, slightly uncomfortable by her constant staring. “What?” I ask, slightly more aggressively than I meant to.

She just shakes her head. “Fuck, girl! I don’t know what you did to get on their radar, but good-fucking-luck! Anyway, he will be here in about twenty minutes to take you to the caves.” She sets a shot of whisky in front of me, arching a brow in question. Rolling her eyes, she says, “If you are old enough to fight for our country, you're old enough to drink is my motto. Plus, you are going to need it.” She walks off, cleaning the tavern while I wait in silence.

Exactly twenty minutes later, there is a knock at the tavern door, and it opens. I jump slightly at the knock but turn in my chair to see who this Charon is. Holy. Fucking. Shit. Is all I can think because this dude is fucking fine! Not many men can pull off silver hair, but it looks incredible on him with his slightly tanned skin. His hair is styled in an angular comb-over, leaving a few strands to fall in front of his face. His eyes make me pause my ogling because, holy mother-of-pearl, they are entirely black with a red slit down the middle. They must be those colored sclera lenses. He also has a black hoop in his right eyebrow. A glint catches my eye, and that’s when I notice the diamond studs in his ears. Mhm. Sexy. I continue my perusal down his body to find him wearing a white button-up with the sleeves cuffed at his forearm and a black vest with a red tie. I bite the inside of my cheek, trying not to smile because, man, that shirt is hugging him in all the right places. He has to be ripped under there, and his black slacks make me wonder if they embrace his ass too. I look back up at his face; he’s got a brow raised and is trying not to grin. I just shrug.

He smirks slightly before saying, “I’m here to deliver you to Hades as requested.”

Pulling myself off the stool, I lift my shot glass to the bar maiden with a smile. “Thanks for the drink.” She nods to me and then bows her head slightly to Charon. We walk out the door and find an aqua Dodge Challenger parked in front. I let out an appreciative whistle. He opens the passenger door for me, and I slide inside. Damn, these guys sure know how to ride in style. I turn toward him as he starts the car. “So what’s this price I have to pay?”

He asks, “Who said anything about a price?”

I point back at the tavern. “The lady inside said I would have to pay the price.”

He grunts. “Yes, well, she tends to deal with less than moral people when it comes to an audience with Hades.”

Narrowing my eyes at him, I ask, “So, no price then?”

He lets out a gruff laugh. “Oh, there will be a price. Nothing you won’t be willing to give, I’m sure.” I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t. So I turn to face forward, trying to psych myself up as much as possible before I enter the Underworld. Fuck, I hope I didn’t make a huge mistake! Looking at Charon out of the corner of my eye, I hold my breath for a few seconds before letting it out. Maybe I should pray that I don’t die? Hum. Fuck that shit. Praying never helped me before.

Chapter Three

Jane

Sitting silently in the front seat, I’m forced to deal with all the thoughts running through my brain, constantly playing tug-of-war with whether or not this is a good idea. Thoughts of the guys funnel through, and I grin. I can only imagine what the guys would think now if they were here. Jace would probably be screaming at me. He would tell me that this was a horrible idea and to call him immediately so he could pick me up. Howe would be even worse, yelling at Jace to bring him as backup in case they need to kick anyone’s ass. I can’t stop myself from giggling softly.

“What are you giggling about over there?” The gruff voice enters my thoughts, and I jump, coming back to the present. I turn to find my driver looking briefly at me before facing the road again.

I clear my throat. “Um, nothing.” He raises a brow at me, and I huff a sigh. Then, realizing I am not going to get out of this, I decide to tell him half the truth. Better than the whole truth, right? “I was just thinking about my friends. Well, I suppose they aren’t exactly my friends anymore.” He grunts and nods for me to continue. Seriously? I’m just supposed to open up to this random guy I have never met? Fuck, Howe would have my head for this. “Not much else to say.”

He turns to me, a question on his face. “I doubt that very much. There’s something you want from us, correct? We will get to know each other very well if we decide to accept.” I sneak a peek at him and see a hint of mischief in his gaze. Ugh, he reminds me of Alec. He would always get into trouble for practicing martial arts on the other guys. I smile at the memory.

I grunt as I say, “I was thinking about what my friends would say if they knew I got into a car with a stranger, heading to the headquarters of the gang that runs this territory. You are basically the mafia.” I see the corner of this mouth tilt in a grin.

“And what would they say?” he asks with a hint of amusement.

Without thinking, I mutter, “Well, Jace would scream at me and say I’m asking to be kidnapped.” Fuck, did I seriously just say his name? Fuck it. I suppose they will need to know their names to find them. I notice a hint of surprise light up his face before he quickly shuts it down.

“The others?” he asks. I stare at him a bit longer, wondering why he looks surprised but shake my head to clear the thought. I must be seeing things. I shrug as I continue, “Howe would volunteer to beat your ass if you hurt me. Um . . . Zane would just stand there looking intimidating, I suppose, but he would be Howe’s backup. And,” I pause at the thought of Alec. A smile takes over my face thinking about him because he was my teddy bear, the one who always held me when I cried. The one who would nurse me back to health after my dad beat me. His foster dad did horrible things to him, which I think was why we bonded so quickly. We helped each other through the pain. I’m pulled out of my thoughts again by Charon’s deep voice. “What?”

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