Page 105 of We Are All Sinners

“No, leave it on. Evie loved her music. She would blast it and not let anyone talk until there was a pause between songs.” I say, wanting to feel her in some way.

“She used to drive us crazy with that as kids. Do y’all remember when she downloaded Stevie Nicks greatest hits and made us listen to it on repeat for months?” Noah laughs.

“Hey, Emily loves that I know all the words to all of her favorite songs. Pipsqueak loved her music.” Liam gives a sad smile realizing he said loved. Past tense.

I don’t know how to keep going. I am still waiting to wake up from this nightmare. She told me exactly how it was going to happen. I never should have left her alone. It’s all my fault.

I wanted to believe that we had beaten this. That we were going to have it all. Now I have nothing. Why did it have to be her? I would gladly give my life to give hers back to her. She deserves to live.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, I pull it out, opening the screen to a text.

Nadia: It took! We are going to be parents!

I look up to see Liam looking at his phone. He snaps his eyes up to mine. We both nod in understanding that everything we had planned is now in motion.

There is no going back now.

One life taken, two given.

I guess in the ancestor’s eyes, they see that the curse just won again. Nothing was broken except my heart. Evie took my soul with her. I have nothing left.

Noah pulls up to the Devereaux compound, putting the SUV in park, he looks back at me, “You got this or are we allowed our pound of flesh?”

“You both were Evie’s brothers, you get your pound of flesh, just leave some for her gators to.” I reply, letting them know that they have just as much right as I do to do whatever the fuck we want to do to these pricks.”

We all exit the SUV and head towards the brick tunnel, not knowing what we are walking into.

Sin greets me at the gate with an emotional hug.

Not exactly what I was expecting, but I see the torment in his eyes and crumble, holding onto him for dear life letting the emotion surface again.

“I’m so sorry I failed her.” The words fall out as I let go and brace myself for impact.

“I know this was not your fault or anyone else’s besides the two fuckers we have in the caves. Take it out on the ones who deserve your wrath. I’ve seen the surveillance video, there was nothing that you could have done that wouldn’t have ended the exact same way. You did everything you could.” He pulls back from our hug as he attempts to show me mercy that I don’t deserve, keeping his hand on my shoulder.

“I can’t stop watching it happen over and over again, trying to see what I could have done differently. Thank you for saying that, but you don’t understand. It was all my fault. I’m the reason she was in that store, and I wasn’t there. If I had just let her do her thing this morning, we would be in bed together right now. She would still be alive in my arms. No matter how it wentdown or who pulled the trigger, it doesn’t matter, it’s my fault. So, please don’t try and make me feel better. Nothing anyone says can change it.” I explain, breaking again, admitting out loud what I know to be true.

“Brixon, you can’t put the blame on yourself. I did that for years. When I lost Lottie, my first love, on our wedding day, I lost who I was. I worked, cracked skulls when needed and kept my head down. I shut everyone out and vowed to avenge her death one day. My day took years man. You get yours now. Take it out on them, I already started their punishment. The fuckers have already told us everything we want to know; you can end them the way you want.”

I realize now how much about Sin I missed when I was getting intel on him. I was always so focused only on the man he had become since finding out he was a Saint, not just him as a man. I had to make sure he wasn’t a threat to Evie.

“There is only one way I’m going to take these fuckers out. How do you feel about gators?” I ask, knowing exactly how this has to be done.

“I like to eat them, not the other way around.” he replies, eyes going a little wider.

“You’ll be safe. Do you have a vehicle big enough to transport the bastards out to the bayou?”

“I think I can manage. How do we want to do this? Include everyone or keep it between us?” Sin asks, looking back at the gate where Noah and Liam stand with their heads down.

“Her body will be delivered to the crematory at six, it’s about four now, that gives the four of us two hours to fuck up the pricks and let me watch the tapes. Noah and Liam were her brothers too, they get to be there. We will give her the parade she deserves, before we take her, and them to the bayou. The girls can consecrate her body the way that she wanted. Would it be okay to put some of her ashes out here in the courtyard? She loved it here.” I explain, letting him know that Liam and Noah will take part, along with the rest of her family.

“I would be honored to have part of my sister here with me, thank you. Let’s go have a drink before we get started.” Sin motions for us to follow him through the house back to the library again.

I sit on one of the plush high-back barstools. Liam and Noah sit on either side of me while we wait as Sin pours us all a rocks glass of bourbon.

“There is nothing like a good bourbon before handing out a little torture in the caves. We can take our drinks down with us.” He says as he places the tumblers in front of us.

I down mine, place it back on the bar, and stand from my barstool, “Let’s go.”

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