Page 139 of Ashes

“I-I couldn’t. Mom said you were dead. She cried for weeks over it. She knew. She knew Asylum had done it. She never told, just like you never told. I-I shut down after it happened. I didn’t want to live anymore.” I held up my other wrist to show her the jagged scars. “But I kept on breathing. If I would’ve looked and found you alive, I know I would’ve done something terrible. So I let it go to keep you safe from him,” I whispered. “From Asylum.”

She frowned and tugged her hand from me.

“He’s not bad. He’s not. He’s just. . . misunderstood, but he loves you. I know he does because I can feel him. Everything. I feel it all.” I pounded my chest. “You’re safe with us. I swear to you that you are. It’s me, Rinny. It’s your Seth. You’ll always be safe with me.” Tears prickled my eyes as I gazed at her. “Please. I need you to believe me.”

“Where is Asylum?”she finally asked softly, her words swirling in my mind.

“Nearby. Always nearby.”

“I-we. . . in the facility.”

“I know,” I said thickly. “I’m sorry. Fuck, I’m so sorry.”

A tear trickled down her pale cheek. I scrambled to my knees before her and swiped it away with my thumb.

“Look at me,” I whispered, tilting her chin up.

Her glistening eyes locked on mine.

“They’re all going to pay. I swear it to you. We’re getting the names of the men behind the mirror. We’ll kill them all.”

“Promise?”

“Fuck yes.” I pressed my forehead against hers, taking in the way her chest moved as she breathed quickly. “You like when I touch you.”

She remained silent.

“I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. Neither will Asylum now that you’re free. The ball is in your court, Rinny. For us. All of us. I want us together if that’s what makes you happy. I just want. . . you. My little ghost.”

“Dante says I’m his specter.”

I let out a soft chuckle. “I know. He loves you just as much as I do. Do you. . . love him?”

“I-yes. But I’m also mad.”

“It’ll fade eventually when you realize just how much he adores you. He’s been going crazy trying to get to you. But we made a deal—”

“I belong to you. You won me.”

“You’ve always belonged to me, Sirena. Not death nor distance nor time will ever change that. Do you understand me?” I pulled away and stared at her. “Tell me.”

“You’ve always belonged to me too, Seth.”

I couldn’t help myself. I went for it. Fuck the ball and the court.

I pressed my lips to hers in a soft kiss which quickly turned dangerous when she parted her lips for me, allowing me to claim her mouth.

With both my hands cradling her face, I kissed her so deeply she let out a soft whimper against my lips before her tongue slid along mine.

Tender. Ravenous. Delicious.

I hauled her against my body as I explored her mouth with my tongue, my heart in my damn throat.

So this was my Rinny.

“Ours,” I whispered as we broke apart, both of us breathless. “You’re ours.”

“Y-yours,” she whispered back to me, the word falling from her lips.

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