“Let’s go do something,” Stitches said, coming into the house and shaking the snowflakes off him.
“What’s something?” I averted my attention from the show I was watching on TV and pulled my cherry vape out. I’d been trying to quit, but I knew I’d just smoke more weed if I did that. I supposed, in the long run, weed was better for me. At least, that’s what I’d been reading lately.
I’d been trying to distract myself from burning down the house. Or at least a portion of it. Stress typically put me right on the cusp of a forest fire. I was teetering on that delicate line. Knowing Church was most likely going to explode when he got home, I was losing it. Once he found out about Sin and Sirena, we’d have World War III in this bitch. Someone always died when Church lost it. I really didn’t want it to be Sin.
Inhaling, I sucked in the sweetness of nicotine before blowing out a cherry-scented ring.
“I don’t know. Something. Anything. I need to get out of this fucking house. I hate winter. I hate being stuck here. I hate worrying—”
I got up and went straight for my jacket and boots. The last damn thing I needed to deal with was Stitches falling again. Plus, I needed a distraction too.
“Come on.” I looked back at him after pulling my boots on. “Let’s go set something on fire and then get some food.”
He grunted and followed me out, having already been dressed for the outdoors because he’d been getting high on the patio overlooking Lake Superior.
“Nice,” I commented as we stepped onto the walkway.
In our yard was a decapitated snowman with pinecones for ears.
“That’s fitting,” Stitches muttered. “Maybe Sirena is psychic.”
I sighed. “Let’s hope not.”
“Hey, where’s Rina?” Cady called out, trotting up to us, her breath puffing out in white clouds.
“Uh, she’s with Sin,” I answered. “Why?”
“Damn. I was thinking we could do a scary movie night and some hot chocolate. She makes really good hot chocolate, and I had a craving for some.” She frowned and pushed a dark piece of hair away from her face. “Where are you guys going?”
“Out,” Stitches mumbled.
“Cool.” She fell in step with us.
I glanced at Stitches to see if he’d protest, but he looked deep in thought.
I cleared my throat. “So, what’s been up with you lately?”
“Nothing. Just hanging out,” she answered.
“Different dude every night?” Stitches came out of his thoughts and looked to her.
She smirked. “Sometimes. I don’t fuck all of them.”
“At least not at once,” he shot back. “You have a sign-up sheet or something?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re being an exceptional cocksucker today, stranglehold. What’s going on with you?”
He shook his head and didn’t say anything.
“It’s Sirena,” I said as we trudged to the small shed near our house. I pulled out a key and unlocked the door before stepping inside.
“What about her?” Cady’s voice had an edge of concern in it.
“Well, she wants Sinclair now, and Church has threatened to murder him if he touches her. And he’s definitely touching her,” I said, stepping into the shed. I went to the box on the wall, then pulled out two sets of keys and tossed one to Stitches.
“Wait. And you guys are OK with this? After the shit he did to her?” Cady didn’t bother to keep the anger out of her voice.
“She’s capable of making her own decisions.” I glanced to Stitches, who scrubbed his hand down his face but nodded.
“Yeah, but it’s that fucker. He hurt her—”
“He loves her,” Stitches said. “We know he does. He’s just a fuck-up is all. I think he’s over that hurdle, though. Now, he’s fallen into the same deep abyss the rest of us have. Only he’s still falling.”
“What’s that mean?” Cady looked from Stitches to me.
“It means when Sin falls, he falls hard. He’s. . .” my voice trailed off as I thought about Bells, Sin’s ex.
“He’s what? A fucking nutbag who should stay away from my sister?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Look. He likes her. Hell, he loves her. Church will be back in a week. All hell will break loose. We’re all aware of it. Sirena will tell Church she wants Sin. Church will lose his shit. He’ll try to kill him. Hopefully, all ends well with Sin managing to get out of it. But understand this. Once Sin makes his mind up about loving someone, he goes all in. And he’s in with Sirena. We’ve seen him.”
“If he hurts her,” Cady warned.
“He won’t,” I said firmly. “We trust him.”
“Mostly,” Stitches muttered as he got on his snowmobile and started the engine.
Cady sighed but didn’t pursue the subject. Instead, she climbed onto my ride.
“Uh, I don’t think so,” I said. “Get off.”
“I want to go with you guys. I’m bored. Let me drive that one if I can’t drive this one.” She pointed to the black snowmobile next to mine.
“Absolutely not. That’s Church’s. He’d string me up next to Sin,” I said.
“Then the other one.” She raised her brows at me.
“That’s Sin’s. No.”
“What the hell, Asher? What am I supposed to do then?”
“Stay here?” Stitches called out, offering her a half-assed smirk.
She gave him the finger and turned back to me. “Please? I promise I’ll be good. I want to go with you guys.”
“You don’t even know where we’re going or what we’re doing,” I pointed out.
“Doesn’t matter.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m coming with you guys.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Stitches called out. “Is this what having an annoying younger sibling is like?”
“Yep.” She grinned at him.
I sighed and motioned for her to slide back.
“Can I drive?”
“Claws, you’re lucky we’re letting you come at all. Just be quiet and move back,” I said.
She rolled her eyes at me but obeyed. I got on and fired up the machine before we moved out of the shed and onto some snow.
“Hold on,” I called out over my shoulder. “If you fall off, that’s on you. We’re not coming back to pick you up.”
She wound her arms around my midsection and clung to me like a baby opossum.
Stitches rolled his eyes at me as I shook my head.
She let out a squeal as I hit the throttle. We roared out onto the trail, ready to set some shit on fire.
“That was fun,” Cady said as we walked back into the house several hours later. Night had long fallen, and my nose felt like it was going to fall off my face despite my face mask. I loved snowmobiling, though. It was my idea for us to get them. If I didn’t have my bike, I needed something to cruise on during the winter months.
“You tried to set my fucking coat on fire,” Stitches snapped at her.
“But I didn’t.” She rolled her eyes at him, then flopped down onto our couch and grabbed the remote.
“Motherfucker, I was in it!” Stitches yelped, snatching the remote from her. “Asshole.”
“You’re too sensitive, stranglehold.” She grabbed the remote back and turned the TV on. I went into the kitchen, in a feeble attempt to ignore their bickering, and opened the fridge. After grabbing a bottle of water, I returned to the living room to see Stitches threatening Cady with a pillow if she didn’t return the remote.
“I’m not watching that B-movie shit,” Stitches said. “I’ll suffocate your ass if you put it on, Claws.”
She raised her brows at him in a challenge. They were driving me nuts.
I reached out and stole the remote from her, making her cry out.
“Asher!”
“Claws.” I turned the channel to some feel-good movie about second chances.
“For fuck’s sake, Ashes. I’d rather watch that shitty horror movie than this garbage,” Stitches groaned. “You know what? Fuck it. Set me on fire. Put me out of my misery.”
“Gladly.” Cady pulled her lighter from her pocket and flipped the lid, the flame glowing moments later.
Fuck my life.
This was going to be a long night.
I couldn’t wait for Sirena to come home. I’d do whatever I could to get a moment alone with her, even if it meant taking time away from Sin.
The alternative was letting Cady set me on fire too. It would be a hell of a lot better than listening to her and Stitches antagonize one another all night.
