“I can’t believe you let Sirena hang out at Cady’s,” Stitches stewed, pacing the living room a few days after we’d returned from my night of burning. It had gone well, and we’d returned home to find Sirena sleeping on the couch, her head on Sin’s shoulder while he sat beside her, watching TV. Something told me he hadn’t really been paying attention to the TV, however. Seeing her sleeping and so peaceful against him solidified what I already knew.
She cared a hell of a lot for the grouchy asshole, and that might cause some problems later on. Her feelings were growing exponentially, and so were his. I meant what I’d told her, though. I could be on board with it all. I only wanted her happiness.
I was going to try to fix things because if she wanted Sin, I was more than willing to let it happen. It just had to be something that happened with everyone on the same page.
I’d have my work cut out for me.
“She wanted to go. Cady looked like she was going to eat my soul if I said no. I can’t say no to Sirena, and I definitely wasn’t going to with Cady staring me down,” I said.
“She goes to you because she knows you’re a pushover,” Stitches muttered.
“I’m not,” I argued. “I want her to be happy. She needs a little freedom.”
Stitches grumbled but didn’t push the subject. His phone rang, and he quickly pulled it out.
“Hey,” he answered.
I went over to him and saw that Church was video calling.
“How is she?” Church demanded without fanfare.
“She’s good. Perfect as always.” Stitches glanced at me, his face saying everything he wanted to say with the look.
We should have kept Sirena home because now Church was going to be pissed.
“Good. Where is she?” Church pressed.
“Uh, she’s with Cady right now,” I said. “They wanted to do their nails.”
Church’s expression hardened, and he reached for a napkin and quickly wiped at the dots I’d noticed on his skin. It took me a moment to realize he was wiping blood off his face. Even his knuckles were stained with it.
That could only mean he was already in a shitty mood.
I took out my lighter and began my ritual.
“Why the fuck aren’t one of you with her?”
“She needs time to grow, man. We can’t be with her all the time. She hates feeling suffocated,” I explained. “She’s in Cady’s room. The door is locked. It’s only for a couple of hours.”
“Why couldn’t she be at the house doing her nails?” Church threw the bloody rag aside and gave us his stern glare.
“Because she’s here all the time,” I said. “Classes or here. She needed a change of scenery.”
“Unacceptable—”
“Dante, man. Seriously. I don’t want to argue,” Stitches broke in. “What’s going on? We haven’t heard from you in forever.”
“I’m probably coming home soon. I’m waiting to meet with my father this evening. I’ve done everything he’s asked of me. He seems pleased.”
“How many did you kill today?” I asked thickly, the bloody rag still hanging out on the edge of the screen.
“Only three,” Church answered stiffly.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I started, but he cut me off.
“What I want is for you to get your ass over to Cady’s and get our girl home.”
I sighed. “She hates being controlled like that—”
“I understand,” Church said through clenched teeth. “But she needs to understand some prick is probably still running around out there. We don’t know who he is or what else he’s capable of. Don’t you think you should be watching her? Our home is the safest place. You know this. You promised her safety. Just get her home.”
“Fine.” I gave in. He was right. We did have the safest place. Even though I knew Cady would protect Sirena with her life, it wasn’t right to leave her alone the way we had. Or rather, I had.
“Good.” Church unbuttoned his shirt and sat with it open. The blood spots weren’t visible on the black, but I knew they were there. He lifted a glass of alcohol to his lips and sipped before lighting up a joint and taking a deep hit. “How has everything else been?”
“It’s been fine,” Stitches said. “No noise here. Haven’t even seen Sully.”
“It’s because he’s been in and out here,” Church grumbled. “Saw his prick ass yesterday. Father let him watch me disembowel someone. I wanted to wrap the entrails around his fucking throat like a necklace.’
I winced at his description.
“I assume it was a way to remind him to stay in line, but you know Sully. The twisted fuck has dick for brains.”
I couldn’t argue that. The guy was trash.
“Vice Headmaster Atkins hasn’t been around either. I think Emerson and the nuns are holding it down,” I said.
“He’s not here. He’s never been here, that I know of, so whatever the piss he’s doing doesn’t concern us, at least outwardly.” Church took another hit.
“To be fair, you didn’t know Adam or Asylum were involved with your old man,” I pointed out.
Church blew out the smoke. “You’re right. So who the fuck knows. I’m only saying they aren’t here, to my knowledge.”
We were quiet for a beat before Church spoke again.
“What’s up with Sinclair?”
Stitches and I looked at each other.
“What do you mean?” Stitches asked.
“You know what I mean. Has he been spending time with Sirena?”
“He has a few times. Asylum. Him. It’s not been substantial. He’s been helpful taking over when we have therapy and all that bullshit,” I said, feeling on edge at Church’s terse tone.
“Shit better not happen there. We’re already dealing with this third rabbit shit. We don’t have a name. She was meeting Asylum, Mirage, whatever fucking name he’s using now, in the woods, then was hurt by another who wasn’t Mirage or Bryce. So some shit is going on. What have you found out about it?”
“Nothing,” I mumbled, hating that we hadn’t. If it was someone on campus, they were remaining tight-lipped on it. It was frustrating, but we weren’t exactly actively looking. Our concern was simply keeping Sirena safe and happy.
“I see.” Church’s face was emotionless. “Get your asses out there and get some kind of information. Sinclair is a last-ditch fill-in. He’s not coming back. I won’t allow it. He fucked everything up with his shit. I’ll let Asylum and his twisted white prick rabbit alter ego in before I fucking allow Sinclair back.”
“Right,” I said tightly, hating the way he was behaving, but I knew arguing wasn’t the way to win this, so I let it go.
“It’ll be handled,” Stitches broke in. “We’ll do more digging. Everything so far has been radio silence.”
Church said nothing, opting to simply smoke and drink more.
“How close are you to getting this horsemen shit taken care of?” I pressed. “Won’t it set off a chain reaction and bring hell to our doorstep?”
“Well.” Church sat forward. “Let’s hope we can just pin it on my old man, and I walk away without a scratch. I don’t give a shit what any of them do. They can go feral and tear each other to pieces, but I still wouldn’t care.” He paused. “But if shit goes south and they come for us, I’ll kill them all without hesitation, and I’ll own the fucking city. I don’t have time to look over my shoulder. I prefer to look forward.”
I said nothing, knowing Church tended to grow darker the longer he was in the Underground with his father. It was how his life was. He had to adapt or get eaten. Quite literally.
Didn’t mean I had to like it.
“Keep yourself in check,” Stitches said, clearly on the same page as me. “You tend to fall a little into the black when you’re there too long and exposed to all that shit.”
Church let out a soft chuckle that sent chills down my spine. I hated him like this.
“I’m the king of the black. I invented it, brother.”
“Church, we worry,” I said. “Life is hard enough without trying to tug you back from the brink.”
“I’m fine.” He sat back abruptly. “I’ll be fine. I always am.”
“Don’t forget who you are,” I said evenly.
He eyed the camera for a moment. “I’m the King of the Underground.”
I sighed, knowing he was in one of his moods. “I’m going to duck out. You and Stitches have a good talk. I’m going to go check on Sirena.” I turned and made to leave, needing to get out of there before I lost my shit.
“Asher,” Church called out.
I sighed and turned to face the phone.
“I will be home soon. I better not come back to find Sin has tried to make a comeback, or I’ll finish what we started in the cemetery with him.”
I clenched my jaw and said nothing while Stitches let out a soft curse in Spanish.
Turning, I swept forward, grabbed my jacket on the way out, and stepped into the cold air, praying for some damn peace.
If not for me, then for Sin.
I felt he deserved it.
