Page 18 of Ashes

Church and Stitches would eventually get over it. They always did.

I slowed to a stop as Seth came into view.

Asylum.

“They let him go,” I murmured, watching as he turned his head and spotted us.

His eyes were still mostly black and blue, only just beginning to fade to an ugly shade of yellow and purple. Stitches had beaten him good in that mausoleum.

“Fucker,” Stitches growled, tensing beside me as Seth took a step toward us.

“Brave fucker,” I added, waiting for him. I had a lot of questions for him. I’d hoped to question him in private, but this would do if I could keep Stitches from pummeling him again.

“What the fuck do you want?” Stitches demanded when Seth stopped in front of us.

“I’ll be brief. I made Sirena scream. It’s my victory. I’m coming to collect.”

I bristled at his words and immediately grabbed Stitches’s arm because I knew he was going to launch himself at him.

“You didn’t fucking win. She screamedforChurch,” Stitches spat, lurching forward.

Seth didn’t seem the least bit phased. “She screamed his name, but it was me who made it happen. It’s my win.”

“You’re insane if you think we’re going to just hand her over to you,” I said, keeping a firm grip on Stitches.

“I won’t deny who and what I am. What you say changes nothing though. It’s my win, my mental illnesses aside. Right, Sin?”

Sin stepped up beside Seth, a frown on his face.

“It’s his win,” he agreed gruffly.

“What the fuck, man?” Stitches tugged out of my hold and glared at Sin. “Have you lost your fucking mind too? You know she screamed for Church. We told you. She made her choice—”

“She doesn’t get a choice. It wasn’t part of the original agreement,” Seth interjected. “The deal was whoever could make her scream. We did. It was us. I won. I’m not going to argue the fact though. I’m simply giving you the courtesy of knowing that I’m claiming my prize.”

“Don’t you dare even think about going near her,” Stitches said with a snarl, shoving Seth in the chest.

Sin immediately intervened and pushed Stitches back, getting between them.

“Are you on his side?” Stitches demanded. “Is that it?

“Now isn’t the time,” Sin said. “We can talk about it later.”

“How when that fuck is staking claims to our girl?”

“She’s not ours,” Sin said. “He won. He’s right. That was the deal.”

“Oh, you’d like that, huh?Fucking asshole.You’ve been trying to shove her away since she got here. What the fuck is the matter with you? Why do you hate being happy?” Stitches was shouting now.

We were drawing a small crowd.

“Man, chill. Sin’s right. Not here,” I said, taking hold of Stitches’s arm again.

He shoved me off and stormed across the courtyard without another word. He didn’t need to say anything. The anger oozed from him. We didn’t need this shit right now.

I glanced back at Seth, who met my gaze with his curious one.

“I think we should discuss this before anyone makes public claims. OK?”

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