I Do, Babe (Hades Hangmen #5.5)

Just me and Mae and the fucking sand and sea.

“What is the ocean like?” she’d asked months and months ago. “What does the sand feel like on your feet? What does it feel like when the tide rushes over your bare legs?”

“It’s the ocean,” I’d said and shrugged.

“It is my dream to see it,” she’d said, lying on my chest. “I have read about it in books. It would be a dream come true to smell the salty air and walk on the golden sand.”

I knew I had to bring her here when Beauty started giving me shit about a honeymoon. A fucking honeymoon. I was the prez of a motherfucking outlaw MC. There were no fucking honeymoons to tropical islands. We had enemies sniffing the fuck around twenty-four-seven, waiting for a chance to strike. I had runs to make and guns to trade. But I could do this. Texas. Beach. Mae acting like I’d just given her the fucking sun.

“G-Get in the tr-truck,” I’d said to her this morning. “Got s-somewhere I wanna t-to show you.”

Mae came. Lilah had packed her bag and shit for the week. I just needed my cut, my shirt, and my jeans.

“Where are we going?” she’d asked.

“Just s-somewhere,” I’d replied, and I’d driven us the four hours it took to get here.

When I’d opened the door five minutes ago, the windscreen showing us nothing but a cabin and a private beach, Mae had gasped and stayed stock still in her seat. “Styx,” she’d whispered then opened the door of the truck and stepped outside. Her hands had covered her face, then dropped as she tipped her head back and closed her eyes as the breeze ran over her skin.

And then she was off. Running onto the sand, kicking her sandals to the side. She’d laughed aloud feeling the sand beneath her feet. And then she was running toward the rolling tide.

I’d followed and lit up a smoke, and here I was now.

A happy fucking scream came from Mae when the water ran over her feet. She was dressed in a long white dress, her black hair down. The wind kicked up the jet-black strands, and when she looked back at me, laughing and smiling with those pink lips I loved so much, her blue eyes shone brighter than I’d ever seen them before.

She stopped and held out her hand. Like a fucking moth to a motherfucking flame, I walked over the sand until I was beside her at the water’s edge. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and she fell back against me, covering my hands with her own.

“I cannot believe that you have given me this,” she whispered, her voice trembling as she watched the sun dip in the horizon.

“Yeah,” I rasped.

“You always give me my dreams, River. Everything. Every day is a blessing with you.” She turned in my arms. “Every day with you is a dream come true. I can scarcely believe this is my life.”

“Yeah,” I said again and kissed her lips.

When I broke away, Mae took my hand. “Shall we go into the cabin? I very much want to show you how much I love you. I want to show you how much I cherish you. And I want to make love to my husband, the one who gives me the world in ways I never believed were possible.”

Mae smiled, the wind blew her hair across those wolf-fucking-eyes I adored, and I simply answered, “Yeah.”

With her, it would always be motherfucking yeah.





  The End





  Pronunciation of Charon — (Care-RON), (Keir-RON) or (Kare-RON). Inspired by the Greek mythological boatman of the River Styx, not the moon of Pluto which is pronounced differently.





  Up next . . . Crux Untamed (Hades Hangmen #6).

  This is Elysia’s story (Ky’s sister).

  As for her love interest . . . that’s a secret for now!





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) Damnable Grace (Hades Hangmen #5) I Do, Babe: A Novella (Hades Hangmen #5.5)



Upcoming Hades Hangmen Novels

Crux Untamed (Hades Hangmen #6) Darkness Embraced (Hades Hangmen #7) And many more…





Playlist



It Ain’t Me, Babe — Jonny Cash I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You — 10,000 Maniacs Lemon Drop — Pistol Annies On That Day — Asgeir

I Shall Cross This River — The Black Atlantic Boys From The South — Pistol Annies Time After Time — Iron & Wine Dream In Blue — The Stray Birds Sweetly — The Show Ponies Dreams — Caroline Glaser

You and Me — You+Me

Can I Be Him — James Arthur Falling — Joshua Radin

Tomorrow Never Comes (Acoustic Version) — Zac Brown Band Home Is In Your Arms — The White Buffalo Bride — San Fermin

Dance With Me — Jaye Bartell First Time Ever I Saw Your Face — Jonny Cash I Won’t Back Down — Jonny Cash Last But Not Least — Zac Brown Band

To listen to this 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. You make the best edits, keep me organized and are one kick ass friend to boot!

Liz, thank you for being my super-agent and friend.

To my fabulous editor, Stephanie. I couldn’t have done it without you.

To my trusted beta readers, you did it again. Thank you!

Neda and Ardent PRose, I am so happy that I jumped on board with you guys. You’ve made my life infinitely more organized. You kick PR ass!

To my Hangmen Harem, I couldn’t ask for better book friends, thank you for all for everything you do for me.

My Flame Whores, you make each day that little bit more special. Thank you.

Jenny and Gitte—you know how I feel about you two ladies. Love you to bits! I truly value everything you’ve done for me over the years, and continue to do!

Thank you to all the AMAZING bloggers that have supported my career from the start and the ones who help share my work and shout about it from the rooftops.

Thank you to all my wonderful author friends. It would be a scary world without you to lean on. And lastly, thank you to the readers. Without you none of this would be possible.



Live Free. Ride Free. Die Free!





Author Biography



Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.