Page 111 of Stitches

I grunted. “I’m protective. Big difference. I’d hate to light your boy up like the Fourth of July. That’s all.”

“I think you’re jealous,” she sang in a sing-song voice.

“Shut up and give me that stick, you damn menace.”

She laughed and handed me the stick before darting back to Adam and kissing him. I caught his eyes open and on Sirena though.

Definitely not jealous.Cautious.There really was a difference.

Irritated, I went to Stitches and Sirena and twisted my fingers in her hair and turned her away from kissing Stitches. Pressing my lips against hers, I kissed her long, hard, and deep, earning a soft laugh from Stitches who seemed to be in a far better mood than I was. He’d been better lately, but not quite himself. While I knew it would take him time to get back to himself, it still pissed me off that he was hurting. I’d been burying down my fury at the entire situation since it had been aired out. I’d snapped my lighter closed and gotten to my feet more than once with the intent on setting Sully on fire and roasting his eyeballs like fucking marshmallows, but each time, Church had been there to talk me down and remind me we had to play the long game.

I hated the long game right now.

I hated all the shit we were going through. In a perfect world, Sin would be here. Sirena would smile more. Talk to us more. Stitches wouldn’t have been hurt and we’d all not be so fucked in the head.

This wasn’t that world, so we made do with what we had.

“I’m ready to leave,” I said, looking over at Church after releasing Sirena.

He gave me a look of surprise. “So soon?”

“Yeah.” I shot a look over to Adam to see him darting quick glances to Sirena. I’d heard he had a personality disorder. Like, multiple. Something similar to what Asylum had. In all honesty, Asylum was a hell of a lot more tolerable than this guy was though. At least he didn’t sneak around trying to peek at Sirena. He was forthcoming with it all.

“OK. Let’s go.” He reached out and took Sirena from Stitches and wrapped his arm around her. Without so much as a backward glance, he put her in the front seat of his Bronco. The rest of us squeezed into the backseat after Stitches helped me put out my fire, Cady sitting on Adam’s lap.

I was grateful Church had put Sirena in the front.

“This is a nice ride,” Adam commented as Church pulled out of the clearing and onto the two-track.

“Thanks,” Church said.

“Did your dad buy it for you?”

“My father hasn’t bought me shit since I was a child, and even those things I don’t particularly count.” Church glanced at Adam in the rearview mirror.

“I see. How did you get a new car without your dad buying it? Your mom?”

“My mother is dead,” Church said, his voice growing lower.

I cleared my throat. “Church bought this himself with his own money.”

“Oh. I see. Where did you get the money?”

This guy was stupid as hell. No one asked Dante Church twenty questions without consequence.

“I killed for it,” Church said, making the car go awkward with silence.

He wasn’t lying though. He earned that money fair and square.

“So, Adam,” Cady said brightly. “Tell Sirena about your treatment and how great you’re doing on it.”

“Sirena,” Adam’s voice grew silky, making me cringe.

Stitches must have noticed because he stiffened next to me.

“I’m doing therapy twice a week. I’m on some new experimental drugs. I haven’t had issues in weeks.”

“What sort of issues did you have?” I ventured.

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