Chapter 20

"Who's the most handsome boy in the whole world? It's you. That's right, don't let anyone tell you different. You got that big dog energy."

I watched Hades, the king of the underworld, baby talk his bichon. The tiny, teacup-sized puppy was on his back in the middle of my bed as my tall, dark, and dangerous mate massaged a moisturizing balm into the pup's toe beans.

There was no stopping my giggle before it escaped.

Hades pinned me with glowing blue eyes. "You laughing at me, baby doll?"

"Nope," I said with a shit-eating grin before I averted my gaze and returned my focus to Kiki's notes.

I definitely was.

"The winter air is hard on his pads. I gotta make sure he's looked after."

"Uh-huh."

"I'd do the same for you if you needed it."

One brow raised as I glanced at him again, this time finding the man using a—I shit you not—steam brush on Asshole's face. I didn't even know what that was supposed to do, but the little pup was eating up every second of his pampering sesh. Hell, I would, too, if Hades was the one giving it to me.

Heh. I loved when Hades gave it to me.

"Are you offering? I could use a massage," I said, reaching my arms into the air and stretching my sore muscles. I knew what I was doing, the movement arching my back and pushing my tits out so he'd have a better view.

But my lord Hades didn't answer me because he'd already turned back to the dog. Now he was using tiny cotton swabs to clean out the puppy's ears. Wow. Cock blocked by an Asshole. Who would've thought?

I couldn't find it in myself to be jealous. Hades just looked too damn cute catering to his familiar's needs. For as grumpy and rough around the edges as he could be, he had a soft spot for that dog. And there was something undeniably sexy about a man who took care of the ones he loved.

"Tell him if he needs a wee bow tie, he'll find one in the top drawer of Joffrey's dresser." I jumped at the sound of Myrtle's voice from behind me. I'd gotten so accustomed to the soft hum of her energy I hadn't even noticed she'd materialized.

"Jesus Jones and the Apostles! Myrtle, don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry, I thought you sensed me. Your handsome man there clocked me as soon as I came in."

Hades didn't spare her a glance; he was now rubbing ointment on Asshole's little black nose.

"Perhaps the beastie would look better with little pink bows for the ears."

Asshole opened one eye and growled.

"Don't help me, spirit. He's just fine as he is." Hades put the cap on the salve and snatched a small bottle of what looked like dog cologne.

Asshole barked once in what I could only assume was agreement. Not for the first time, I wished I had a doggy translator. I was dying—no pun intended—to know what that pup had to say.

"Fine. I was just trying to help." She began to fade away, but I stopped her with a cry of her name. I'd been stumped over my ghost-helping issue for days, but maybe she was just the ghost I'd been looking for.

As soon as she heard me, she popped back into her mostly corporeal form. "If you're going to holler at me, you might try using my real name."

Uh... fair point.

"What is your name, Myrt... I mean..."

The sassy ghost rolled her eyes. "Nellie. Nellie Brown," she said, bobbing a curtsy. "Now, what is it you're after?"

"You're not a former resident here, right? I mean, you didn't do anything to get stuck here, did you?"

"Besides live and die here, you mean?"

I knew the moment I had Hades's full attention because there was added warmth on the side of my face. "What are you up to, baby doll?"

"You told me I was trying to help the wrong sort of ghost, but what if Myr—Nellie, here, is the right kind of ghost? If she wasn't a resident, that means she should have some redeeming qualities, right?"

"Gee, what a ringing endorsement. I'll be sure to add that to my tombstone if I ever get one. Nellie Brown, she had some redeeming qualities."

I waved a hand. "You know what I meant. You're not stuck here because you did bad, bad things like the other ghosts in the cemetery. Why were you at Blackwood, Nellie?"

Hades pulled Asshole onto his lap and settled in to listen, his shadows shooting out and wrapping around my waist before yanking me to sit next to him. Apparently my desk chair was just too far away for his liking.

I didn't think it was my imagination that Nellie's form glowed a little brighter as she clasped her hands in front of her and began recanting her life's story. "Long ago, I worked for the Duke of Canterbury and his family. I was a simple scullery maid, just a human working for nobility, as was my lot in life. I didn't know they were vampires until I fell in love with the handsome duke. I was a bloody fool, letting him feed from me whenever he wanted. I'd naively thought I'd become his duchess one day. We talked of him turning me so we could be together forever. It's the oldest story in the book. Naive girl, older man, he promises her the world to get beneath her skirts. I knew better, truly I did. What could a nobleman want with a no-name girl like me? But I was blinded by love, see?"

"Who among us," I whispered, my chest tight with empathy for her. "So then what happened?"

"What always happens in these sorts of situations, I'd expect. He was intended for another. We were going to run away together. We had a plan, and I was all packed. I was waiting for him in the spot we'd picked, but he wasn't the one who was waiting for me."

The gasp I gusped. This was up there with my favorite romantic thrillers. I was practically salivating for the big reveal.

"Oh my God, who was it?" I breathed.

If there'd have been popcorn, I'd have been choking on it.

"The dowager duchess. She was so fast I almost didn't see her coming. She snapped my neck and tossed me down the well, along with all my worldly possessions. They sealed it the next day, and I've spent the past many centuries waiting for someone to find me."

"Unfinished business," Hades murmured.

"What's that?" I asked, tearing my eyes away from poor Nellie to look at him. I felt like a bag of dicks for taking her presence here for granted. All this time, she'd just been stuck and I could have done something about it. No AITA post needed. The answer was clear. Yes. I was the asshole.

"Her unfinished business. We need to find her body. Bury the bones. It's what she needs to be ready to cross over."

I glanced at Nellie. "Have you really gone this long without people being able to see you? Surely someone else has."

"They've seen me in fits and bursts. I'm not usually strong enough to manifest. But you, miss. You can see me even at my weakest."

"And why are you tied to this room?" Hades asked.

"It was mine. I can only visit the well and my room. I'm not powerful enough to roam the halls."

God, that was depressing. I couldn't imagine being trapped in one room for the rest of my immortal days. Okay, a room or my murder scene. Somehow that was even worse.

"Well, Nellie," I said, slapping my hands on my thighs after releasing a deep breath. "Today's your lucky day. I'm sorry it took me so long to get my head out of my ass to think of helping you, but we're making up for it now, okay?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, you're only just figuring all of this out," Hades said.

Nellie nodded her agreement. "I've already waited centuries, miss. What's a couple more months? And I'd be lying if I said watching you hasn't been the most fun I've had in ages."

Hades grumbled something unintelligible under his breath, and I ignored the last part of her statement out of sheer self-preservation.

"Well, let's get you out of here, then, Nellie. I don't know about you, baby doll, but the only audience I want is one we consent to."

"I'll meet you at the well!" she chirped.

"Wait! Where's the well?" I asked, but Nellie was already gone, just winked out of existence.

Asshole barked and leapt off the bed.

I raised a brow, feeling a bit like I was a cast member in an old episode of Lassie. "You know where she's going, boy?" I asked, feeling like it was somehow my line and really leaning into the cheese of it.

Asshole barked again and did a little spin.

"You're gonna take us to the well?"

Hades stood and curled his arm around my neck, reeling me into him so he could place a kiss on my temple. "That's enough of that. Asshole, lead the way."

We followed the fluffball outside and to a secluded, overgrown spot I'd never have realized was a fucking well. That was dangerous. Someone could fall in, and we'd never find them.

Oh.

"I should have grabbed my gardening gloves," I muttered, eyeing the thorny branches with a grimace.

"Don't worry, I've got you covered," Hades said, sparks already dancing along his fingertips.

"Burn, baby, burn," I said, waving my arm for him to go ahead.

"Mmm, I think I like it when you call me baby." Fuck me, the warmth in his voice made tingles dance down my spine.

He sent his fire into the brush, setting the entire thing ablaze in moments. We stood beside each other, Asshole sniffing his way along the path and Nellie's ghost hovering next to the flames.

"A wee bit dramatic, don't you think?" Nellie's voice floated on the wind, a little more detached than it had been before. She was weakening after all her conversation.

"Do you want to be at rest or not?" Hades snapped.

I stepped closer to the well, my heart in my throat as I glanced down into the dark pit. Nothing but a black hole greeted me.

"I didn't think this through, did I? Do we have a ladder or a rope or something?"

"Baby doll, when are you going to stop underestimating me?" Hades asked, his palm warm on my lower back.

Before I could sputter an apology, he released a stream of shadow down into the inky depths. Watching him show off had me feeling a lot less guilty.

I stood back, arms crossed over my chest, as I watched him work his magic. His brows were furrowed and lips pressed into a tight line as he focused, but mere moments later, his shadows returned, laden with what most certainly used to be Nellie. Blackened, waterlogged bones were cradled within the shadow tendrils, a skull clearly visible on top.

I don't know what I really expected to feel watching Nellie come face-to-face, or spirit-to-skull if you will, with her remains. It wasn't a happy moment, but it wasn't sad either. It was more of an inbetween. An acceptance muted by grief.

"The servants have a kirkyard just beyond that copse of trees there. It's hidden so the duke and his family never had to see it."

Of fucking course. "Royalty," I grumbled. "A bunch of pompous assholes."

Asshole barked in protest.

"Sorry, buddy. I meant musty scrotums."

Hades cleared his throat.

I threw up my hands in exasperation. "What's wrong with that one?"

"You do know I'm royalty, right? As are at least two of your other mates."

"Yeah, well... something."

"I do love to render you speechless," he said before lowering his lips to my ear. "But my preferred method is to fill your mouth with something other than words."

For once I was certain I had the perfect comeback. "If you render me speechless, I don't have any words. So there!"

He chuckled and shook his head. "That one went right over your head, didn't it, pretty girl?"

"I... you... Stop flirting with me! We have a body to bury, Hades."

"Oh, by all means, please go on. I have so few pleasures left." Nellie's teasing tone made me feel a little less guilty about not heading right for the kirkyard.

Once again, Asshole led the way, using his doggy expertise to find the perfect spot. He took care of most of the digging for us, Hades stepping in with his shadows when the hole got too deep for Asshole to carry on.

"Can I take them from you?" I asked Hades, gesturing to the bones.

"Are you sure you want to?"

"I need to do this. It's important to me that I lay her to rest."

Nellie's death had been filled with cruelty and a blatant disregard for her life. I wanted to give her final moments the honor and dignity she deserved. That every living soul deserved. Well, except for scumbag murderers and the like.

Hades kept them aloft with his shadows while I carefully selected them one at a time before placing them into the fresh grave. A tear slipped down my cheek when I rested her skull just above her bones.

Using his shadows, Hades filled in the grave, and when it was done, we stood in silence, waiting for something to happen.

Maybe I needed to say something? "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Nellie."

She gave me a nod as if to say it was fine, then began glancing around the area, clearly looking for her way out.

"Hades," I hissed. "Why isn't the light lighting?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You know, the big glowy light? Or the door that opens so she can cross over? I'm supposed to shed a few tears as the ghost thanks me, and then the music swells and she's, you know, sucked off."

Hades choked on a laugh. "That's not what happens. There's no sucking off, I promise."

Asshole let out a series of enthusiastic yips, and I was certain he was asking for a suggestion box. Especially when Hades shook his head and muttered, "No, we cannot make that a reality."

Hades turned his attention to Nellie. "When you died, did a reaper come for you?"

She nodded. "I was so confused. She tried to get me to go with her, but all I wanted was to find my love. He was waiting for me. I didn't realize I had died, not until it was too late."

"I see."

"Are you telling me there's no way to help her cross over now? She missed her chance, so she's stuck here forever even though I helped her with her unfinished fucking business? If so, you suck."

Hades met and held my infuriated stare. "King. Of. The. Underworld." Each word was bitten off and growled. "Seriously, stop underestimating me. I'm a fuckin' god, baby doll. There are always loopholes."

I blinked a few times, not wanting him to see how damn hot that was. "I'm waiting. Explain these loopholes."

Hades glanced past me at Nellie, his expression going gentle. "I can take you over. Just follow me."

"W-wait!" I shouted, grasping his arm and tugging him back. "Where the hell do you think you're going, mister? You are not just taking off and leaving me behind. I remember what you said about Asshole. How if he left, he might not be able to come back. And you were just going to what, prance off without so much as a by-your-leave? Or even a goodbye kiss? What the actual fuck, dude?"

He opened his mouth as if to protest, but I stopped him. "And another thing! What if you can't get back? You had your whole fucking rant about how I was your destiny and your soulmate and goddamned Persephone. You think you can just leave me here? No way. Not today, Hades."

As with most of my rants, he just watched me with a small, amused smile. "You done?"

"Not remotely."

"Too bad," he murmured, taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger and laying one on me. Once he'd rendered me speechless, this time with his tongue in my mouth instead of his dick—no, his earlier joke had not gone over my head—he whispered, "I already told you, you're stuck with me. If you can't go with me, then I'm coming back to you. The end. There's no other option, baby doll."

Asshole barked as just beyond us, a portal opened, the swirling energy the same flame blue as Hades's eyes.

He laced his fingers through mine, his grip firm and strong. "Come on, then," he said, giving my hand a squeeze. "It's past time you got to see what your home looks like."

I glanced from the portal to the estate in the distance, a little bit of panic racing through me at the thought of leaving my other men. But Hades promised we'd come back, right?

No, actually, he hadn't. He'd just said he'd come back if I couldn't go with him. Not exactly the same thing.

As we walked through the portal, Nellie at his side and me trailing behind him with our hands linked, I knew something wasn't right. I could feel the magic of Blackwood rooting me to the grounds. Apparently the underworld was a bit too far away. Hades didn't waver, though; he continued walking confidently toward the portal. Then he was stepping through it, and I...

I was standing in the same place. The portal was gone, along with my mate, his dog, and my ghostly roommate.

"Well, shit."