Page 30 of Ashes

“We’ll honor the terms. She’s yours.For now,” I said, my words carrying softly into the night.

Stitches jumped to his feet and glared at me before stomping back into the house. I knew this would hurt him, but to save her, we had to let her go. I’d explain it to him as soon as Asylum left.

“He won’t listen,” Asylum murmured. His gaze was fixed on me.

Fucking weirdo.

“And if you try to take her from me, you won’t win,” he continued. “So consider your next move very carefully, Dante. If you break the terms of our deal, I will breakyou. I’ll tear apart everything you thought you had protected. Your friends. What’s left of your family. Hopes. Dreams. Desires.Nothingis safe from us. Do you understand?”

“You don’t scare me,” I said, my words laced with honesty. “You and your fucking voices.”

“That’s because we haven’t tried.” He cocked his head at me. “Let’s pray we don’t have to.”

I studied him for a moment before I spoke, “So we have a deal? You get her and will bring her out of whatever mess she’s in then return her to us?”

“We have a deal.” He rose to his feet with me and shook my hand. He pulled me in closer, his lips at my ear so no one else could hear his words, “When we return her, I will be taking something with me. Trust me. It’s for the best. Will you give me anything for her?”

I swallowed thickly. “Yes.”

“Perfect.” He chuckled softly in my ear, making goosebumps erupt along my skin.

“Don’t hurt her.” This time, my voice shook.

“I would never,” he whispered before pulling away from me. He turned to Ashes. “Keep that anger in check with those flames. We’re going to need both later.”

Ashes glared at him wordlessly.

“It was a pleasure doing business with you. Tell Stitches hanging himself won’t fix the mess. I’d tell him quickly though since he’s tying the rope now.” He stepped down the stairs and looked over at Sin. “I’ll be seeing you soon, Sinclair.”

“Fuck you,” Sin grunted.

Asylum let out a soft laugh. “Go cut your boy out of his closet. You have about thirty seconds.”

And with those words, he departed into the night.

I glanced at Ashes and then Sin before darting into the house, something telling me just maybe Asylum knew what he was talking about.

SIN

Iraced into the house after Church, Ashes on my heels. Church didn’t bother knocking on Stitches’s door. He burst through it, me and Ashes nearly crashing into him as he stopped and stared at Stitches’s closed closet door.

I could feel the fear radiating from him as he lunged forward and yanked the door open.

He let out a garbled sob as Stitches hung from the bar in his closet, his face red, his body twitching.

I nearly fell to my knees at the sight, my guts twisting in fear and sickness. Church dashed forward and pulled the knife from his pocket, cutting through the rope quickly as Ashes and I jumped into action, holding Stitches’s body so he wouldn’t hit the floor.

We laid him flat, the ligature marks on his neck ugly and swollen.

But his chest was moving. He was breathing.

“Malachi. Fucking wake up,” Church shouted, slapping him in the face before shaking him. “You stupid motherfucker. You promised. You fucking promised, man!” Church’s voice broke as he slapped him across the face again.

I was going to throw up.Fucking Stitches. What the fuck?

“Wake up. You can’t go. You promised. We don’t break promises.” Church gave him another shake while Ashes checked his pulse.

“His pulse is strong. We need to get him to the medical unit. Call the wards,” Ashes said.

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