Page 37 of Ashes

“Sirena isn’t well,” I said, ignoring the proper social constructs to get to the fucking point.

Sadness morphed across his face. “I-I know. They won’t let me see her. I’ve been trying—”

“Were you there? The night it happened? Don’t lie to me. I need the truth.”

He blinked at me. “What? No!”

I surveyed him and saw the fear and honesty on his face. “So you don’t know who helped Seth put her in that fucking coffin?”

“So it’s t-true?” His voice trembled.

I nodded tightly. “Someone lured her to the cemetery and put her in the fucking tomb in the mausoleum with Asylum. He’s not really talking about if he had help. But I’m inclined to believe he did. There’s no way she’d go out there with him alone. It had to be someone she knew. Someone she trusted.”

“I swear it wasn’t me. I’d never do that to her. Never,” Bryce said fiercely.

I studied him again. “Get me information. You’re always in the office working. See if you can find out what happened. If anything comes to Sully’s desk. If anyone talks…I want to know everything.”

“I’ll do everything I can,” he said evenly. “And if I find out who did this to her, I hope you make them pay.”

His words surprised me. Bryce had always struck me as the nonviolent sort, but finding out he wanted retribution and punishment as much as I did was something I didn’t expect. I knew he and Sirena were close—too close for my liking—but if he felt this way, then I had no reason to suspect him. Bryce was a smart guy. Easy to read most of the time. He was angry on her behalf.

Good. Hopefully, it would get us somewhere.

“They’re already dead,” I said before backing away.

* * *

“He saidwe needed to say our goodbyes tonight. That he’s taking over.” Ashes stared at me as I sat in my chair in the living room later that night.

Sin was on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the floor.

I steadied my breathing to keep from losing my mind at Ashes’s words.

“So that’s it? We’re doing it?” Ashes asked, his voice soft as he gave me a hopeless look from his spot next to Sin.

I breathed out, hating he was hurting. That we all were. And Stitches. . .

Fuck, my brother.

“We don’t have a choice right now,” I said. “Not until we figure out what happened that night. Not until he decides to give her back to us. He’s dangerous, and we don’t need her being punished because we couldn’t honor our end of the deal.”

Ashes nodded morosely.

“Sin?” I called out.

He looked over at me slowly.

“You haven’t said shit about any of this. Care to fucking weigh in?”

He was silent for a moment before he spoke, “I think we lost. I think we’re doing the right thing.”

“Of course you do,” Ashes said sourly.

Sin sighed. “I told you guys it was a bad idea from the start. I was right. Now look? Everyone is heartbroken, and Stitches tried to kill himself. See where all of this shit has gotten us?” He shook his head. “Sirena Lawrence will be the death of us. If we want to live, then we let her go.”

“Tell that to Stitches,” Ashes snapped, glowering at Sin.

Sadness washed over his face, and he said nothing else, opting to go back to his fascination with the floor.

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