Page 74 of Grave Games

“He never belonged toourclub. I honestly don’t think he’d be loyal to the Gravediggers, because let’s face it—Josh never really wanted this life. He’s on his own now, though if he’s smart he’ll either join us for the sake of safety in numbers, or he’ll get the hell out of Chicago, change his name and do all he can to become the invisible man. Until Hades joins his son in the hereafter, Josh and everyone else involved with Marvel’s death needs to be on high alert.”

“Including you.”

“This is the life of a Gravedigger, baby. Most days are good—better than good, really. But the bad days are the worst, because they usually mean war. We’re now in it, and it’s not something you’ve ever experienced.”

I took a slow breath to calm my racing heart. “If you’re telling me this to freak me out, it’s working.”

“I’m not telling you this to freak you out. I’m doing my best to prepare you for any shit that might come down the pike. I’ll do my damnedest to shield you from it, because I don’t want you to think I’m a bad bet, or wish you’d never met me.”

The mere thought was so shocking I gasped out loud. “I would never do that.”

“You never know what the future holds, so I want you to make me a promise right here and now—if you ever get to that point,tell me. I’ll pull up stakes that same day and move us across the continent, if that’s what it’ll take to make you feel secure in being my woman.”

For a second I was sure I hadn’t heard him right. “You’d leave the Gravediggers?”

“You’re my family now, so yeah,” he said, nodding. “You’re the one I have to take care of. My brothers can take care of themselves.”

Oh, this man loved me. Seriously, utterly loved me. I was so blessed. “I want my man to be happy and know where he belongs in the world. And he belongs with both me and his fellow Gravediggers. If I start to get stressed out, I’ll tell you about it and that’s a promise. But somewhere along the way I made a decision—I’m not going to let Hades run me out of my own life. Not again. Besides, nothing lasts forever, not even Hades. We can get through anything, even a war with that monster, as long as we’re together.”

The smile that bloomed on his face was a smile I was sure I’d remember for the rest of my life. “Then that’s how things will be, Shy,” he said just above a whisper, his head dipping to gently rest his forehead against mine. “The two of us against the world. But you’re wrong about how nothing lasts forever. The two of us, we’re forever.”

The vow in his tone startled a laugh out of me. “You sound pretty sure about that.”

“Damn right I am. The jacket’s one way of announcing that, but only people who are in the life know what it means. The civilians of the world have no clue you’re my woman, which means some guy might come along and think you’re up for grabs. You’re not, so I want to make it official in every way.”

I could feel my eyes widening until I was sure I looked goggle-eyed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, this is the worst possible place to even talk about this, but I don’t give a damn. I nearly lost you a few days ago and I’m still not over it, so fuck it. I’m not going to wait for a more suitable time or place. Marry me, Shiloh.”

Oh, dear God, it was happening. In agraveyard, of all places. Then again, a graveyard was probably what one should expect from a Gravedigger. “Marry you?”

“Yeah. Today.”

“Today?”

“We’re at war, so let’s not put off what we can do today. Vegas is just a quick flight out. We both have the day off for the funeral. We can officially be Mr. and Mrs. Valentine by sundown.”

I searched his eyes, suddenly wishing for the ability to read minds. “I’ve never wanted anything more, Romeo. But I need to know that becoming a husband—myhusband—is something you want as well. Not just for today, or because there’s a war coming. You need to want to be my husband because you love me, and you won’t regret being tied to me the next time some cute club girl catches your eye.”

“Shy.” Again he graced me with a smile that seemed to wrap the warmth of the sun around me. “I’m a man who’s not just been around the block a few times, I’ve been around the whole frigging world, sampling everything I could get my hands on. I’ve seen things I’ll never forget, and done things I’ll never talk about, but that’s okay, because that’s what living life is all about. Make no mistake, all that living’s made me a connoisseur of what is rare and beautiful in this world. Of all the things I’ve come across, and all the women I’ve met along the way, there isn’t anything or anyone more heart-stopping than you. You challenge me. You brighten my world. Just thinking about you makes me smile. When I’m with you, I know what peace is. I know where I belong, and it’s withyou. You’re already my home, so now I want to make you my family. I love you, and I know you love me, because you looked me right in the eye and said you loved me just before you stabbed Marvel. You thought those words were going to be the last ones you’d ever say in life, and those last words were your final gift to me. I’ve never felt more terrified and blessed all at the same time, so now I need you to replace that memory with one that has no fear in it. Give me the one word that will bind us together forever. Say yes.”

“Yes.” The word whispered out before I could consciously give it a push, but that was okay. It was the only answer I had to give.

I rolled up to my toes and just managed to brush my mouth against his in a promise more profound than words, when the ever-present grumbling of motorcycles suddenly went up a hundred-fold. A large knot of bikes—completely out of the single-file formation that had been streaming in—roared up to the gravesite. Confusion set in as the ear-splitting revs were clearly deliberate and, to my mind, intensely disrespectful.

Then I saw the Chicago Gravediggers patch, Hades’s patch, and two thoughts hit at the same time. One, the in-your-face show of disrespect suddenly made sense, and two, a graveyard was an embarrassingly cliché place to die.

*

Romeo

Without a word, I picked up Shiloh with one arm, wheeled around and deposited her behind the nearest cover, a freaky-looking Dr. Who nightmare of a weeping angel set on a four-foot-high block of granite. My other hand was full of Sig Sauer, and as I thumbed the safety off I saw every Gravedigger brother arming themselves as well, all but guaranteeing the next few minutes were going to make the legendary Old West shootout at the O.K. Corral look like a minor disagreement.

“Keep your head down and stay hidden behind this block, you hear me?” As I spoke, I did a quick head count—one, two… twelve of Hades’s men in all, plus the old man himself. Well, well. A personal appearance. Too bad we didn’t have a red carpet to roll out for the evil prick. “Hades knows your face and who you’re related to. If he can’t vent his wrath on Josh, he’ll have no problem venting it on you.”

“Hades? Is he actually here in person?”

“I’m looking right at him.” God knew it was a face you didn’t soon forget. In his youth Hades had probably looked a lot like Tyr and his younger brother, Loki—square-jawed, carved cheekbones, thin lips. Age had taken those angles and crushed them into a solid block, reminding me of a bulldog or boxer-type dog, complete with a growing set of jowls and a complexion that was the epitome of the term “weathered.” Like all Colgrave men Hades was a giant, though age had hunched his back and shoulders since I’d last seen him half a decade ago. And like Tyr, Hades’s hair was on the longish side, ruler-straight and blonde. Or at least it had been, but even wearing his Prussian-style pickelhaube helmet with its distinctive spike on the top, I could still see that the thin ponytail straggling down the old man’s back was now more gray than blonde.

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