Page 12 of Ashes

His green eyes swept over me, a muscle popping along his jaw. “You good?”

I nodded wordlessly. It seemed good enough for him because he nodded for us to follow him.

“We only have a few minutes, but it’s better than nothing. Her mom and stepfather went to get something to eat. Her sister is here. Her name is Cady. She’s a pain in the ass, but nothing we can’t handle.”

“I take it you don’t like her?” Ashes asked as we walked.

“Let’s just say if she weren’t specter’s sister, I would’ve already buried her ass in the woods.”

“That bad?” I muttered.

“Worse,” Church said.

We stopped outside a closed door.

“Listen. Her mom wants to take specter back home. But I think her stepdad has been trying to change her mind. The guy is a grade-A cunt, but it works in our favor here. Cady mentioned he doesn’t like specter at home. So we go in there and be with our girl, and then we show them she needs to be here. Show them she won’t be alone. Don’t fuck this up.” Church’s eyes locked on me.

“I’m a perfect gentleman,” I said, not surprised he’d directed his words at me. I was barely holding my shit together.

Whenever I slipped, I tended to be volatile. I knew that. Fuck. Typically, I didn’t give a shit. This was angel though. I’d struggle through it for my girl.

Church pushed open the door and stepped inside, with Ashes and me following. Seated next to Sirena, who lay in bed, was a girl with dark, wavy hair like angel’s. Immediately, I could tell she was a handful by the way her brilliant blue eyes snapped to us, her mouth twisting into a deep frown. She rose, her small body tense.

If I had to compare her to something, I’d say a damn snake. Filled with venom. Cady Lawrence was both poison and a remedy. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the girl didn’t fuck around.

“Who the hell are you?” she demanded as she moved around Sirena’s bed to block her from us.

“This is Stitches and Ashes,” Church said, brushing past her to sit in the chair by angel’s side.

“I’m Asher Valentine,” Ashes said, stepping forward and extending his hand to her.

She peered down her nose at it but didn’t make an effort to shake it.

“I’m, uh, Malachi Wolfe.” I eased closer, desperate to get the niceties over with so I could go see angel. “They call me Stitches.”

“I don’t care what they call you. Why are you here?” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared us down.

“We’re here for our girl,” I said, a rough edge to my voice.

The vibration of energy was alive and well within me. My body ached like nothing else, but I wanted to see my girl.

“This is unbelievable. Does Rina even know you guys are obsessed with her? She’d never in a million years have given you guys the time of day. She doesn’t communicate with anyone—”

“She talks to me,” Ashes said softly. “On my palm. She writes words.”

Cady’s mouth opened and closed several times. “S-she does?”

Ashes nodded. “She started doing it a few weeks ago when we were together. I know her condition. I know she’s withdrawn and has been for a long time, but I swear to you she isn’t like that with us. We aren’t here to harm her or frighten her. We just want to be with her. That’s all.”

Cady said nothing, her eyebrows crinkled.

I didn’t have time for her to play gatekeeper. I moved past her on unsteady feet and staggered to the other side of the bed where I sat in a chair and took Sirena’s hand in mine.

So cold. Angel was so cold.

I took in her face. Her eyes were open, but they were unfocused. Her lips were parted. I focused on Church, my heart in my throat.

“She’s going to be OK,” he murmured, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it. “She will be. Right, baby?” He brushed her dark hair away from her face.

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