Page 83 of Stitches

“I met with my father last week,” Church continued. “He wants me to be his beck-and-call guy. I’ve agreed in an effort to keep Sirena and the guys safe. I know my old man though. He’s not going to stop there. He’s up to something. I can’t lose her. I’m aware of what happened in the facility with Stitches and her.”

“Are you?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You don’t really know though. You only have half the story.”

“Then give me the rest,” Church urged.

“No.” Stitches interjected, getting to his feet. “Asylum, fucking don’t.”

“Because my life depends on it?” I rolled my eyes. “I’m not afraid, Malachi. There isn’t much in this world that sends me screaming in the other direction. In fact, this is probably for the best. Air shit out and hope the dice lands on snake eyes.”

“Do you know who the person was who fucked our girl?” Church leveled his gaze on me.

“Of course I do,” I said in a soft voice. “It was me.”

STITCHES

“Idon’t blame you. I could never blame you.”The words Church had spoken into my ear had given me a sense of relief, but it only lasted for a moment because now we were sitting in Asylum’s dorm room, and he’d just said something that could get his ass killed.

I knew it was a bad fucking idea. I hadn’t wanted it to get out because I knew how fucking pissed Church would get. The fact he hadn’t already obliterated my ass spoke volumes about his love and patience for me, but I knew it was unlikely he had a backup supply of it or that he’d offer Asylum the same quarter as me.

Church sprang to his feet the same time I did, Ashes following.

Asylum didn’t move a muscle as he stayed seated.

“Do what you feel you must, but I was the lesser of the evils in the facility that day,” Asylum said, his blue eyes flashing. “It was me or them. Ask Malachi.”

“It’s true,” I whispered, his words twisting my insides, the memories still very much raw. “He did what he had to.”

“Tell me everything. No more lies and riddles. I want to know everything from beginning to end.” Church didn’t sit, but he didn’t lunge forward either. It was the best we could hope for in that moment.

“Fine. Where should I begin?” Asylum asked.

“Being admitted into the facility.” Church finally sat down, and me and Ashes followed, but I was sure to remain as close in case he lost it again. As much as Asylum was irritating to me, we were bonded in a shared trauma that I knew had cut him just as deeply as it had cut me. I’d seen the look in his eyes that night. I’d heard the tremor and fury in his voice. I’d witnessed the way he’d taken care of Sirena.

“Well, I was found in the mausoleum with Sirena. You know that. After you punched me in the face, I made it to the facility to ensure she was OK.”

“After you tried to kill her,” Church corrected, his voice filled with anger.

“I suppose I could say I wasn’t in the right frame of mind,” Asylum said. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. Besides, I didn’t really see us dying in there. In my head, I saw Sinclair coming back for us. Of course, shit was derailed by her screaming, so there’s that. So know that I didn’t think we’d die. That part is important, OK?”

Church grunted, and I cast a quick look at Sin to see him staring down at his hands.

“So I made it to the facility. I was taken back. Here’s the fun part, Dante. I work for these sick fucks.”

I blinked at him in confusion. I hadn’t known he worked for them. It was a huge blast of information that made Church tense and Ashes flip his lighter open and closed faster.

The rage I felt wasn’t there. Only confusion at whatever the hell was going on. I assumed the anger would come later once I had all the information. The meds I was given had to be working overtime on me.

“You work for Sully?” I asked.

“Technically…not really. I work for Everett.” Asylum’s gaze moved from me to Church whose nostrils were flared and his chest heaving with each of his angry breaths.

“Since when?” Church demanded.

“Since…always? I have a talent he adores. I’m sure you can guess what that talent is.” Asylum tapped his head and smiled. “Right now it’s on hold though because I really am high.”

“We know you’re high,” Ashes snapped. “We haven’t forgotten.”

Asylum cast a quick, dazed smile at Ashes, but didn’t seem overly apologetic about his current state.

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