Page 99 of Stitches

“She loves the watchers. She’s back with them. Her and Malachi are closer than ever.”

“Now him she’s fucked. She’s spread her legs for all the watchers except for this pain in the ass.” Asylum jerked his thumb at me.

“Fuck you,” I snapped, my throat tight.

Asylum smirked at me. “It kills you, doesn’t it?”

I glanced to Mirage who stared back at me while munching his fucking carrot.

“I made an arrangement with them. It doesn’t matter. I agreed I’d not be part of her life past making sure she was safe.”

“You’ll need to really work at it to get back in with her,” Asylum said.

“I’m not interested.” I looked away from him.

“Get a load of this guy,” Asylum sniggered, jerking his thumb in my direction as I shot him a scowl. “Take it from someone who has fucked Sirena, she’s tight. Hot. Sweet.”

“Shut the fuck up,” I snarled, moving forward and shoving him in the chest. He took a step back, the smile never leaving his crazy ass face. “Don’t say shit like that about her. You fucking forced her—”

He shoved me back hard, sending me stepping back.

“Let’s get one thing clear. I stole nothing that wasn’t already mine, Sinclair. Don’t get it twisted. I was going to fuck her eventually anyway.We are destined.”

“You’re fucking cracked in the head.” I shoved him back, the urge to punch him in the face strong. “You tried to murder her. You don’t fucking deserve her.”

“Enough.” Mirage got between us, his fucking rabbit ears bouncing, and the carrot held beneath his teeth as he placed a hand on each of our chests. His words came out weird because of the carrot. “This is over. Do you understand me? What happened in the facility was disgusting and fucked up. Asylum, fucking tell him you didn’t mean any of it.”

Asylum shot me a sour look. “I didn’t mean any of it. We were forced to do it. I did the best I could given the circumstances, but I stand by what I said. She will be mine, and it will happen again.”

I swallowed down my fury and backed away. I didn’t want to fight. I mean, I did because the urge to still clock him was strong, but I wasn’t exactly in a situation where I could make more enemies.

I had to breathe.

I took in a few deep, fortifying breaths.

“Anyway, like we were saying,” Mirage continued. “Sirena is back with the watchers. She’s seemingly happy. From what I’ve heard, Sully is bringing in some new drugs from Everett Church to try on anyone admitting into the facility. I urge you to consider your actions so you’re not the next one gettingfucked. Get me?”

I knew he was referring to the shit that had happed to Stitches. It was killing me to know he’d suffered like that. All I wanted to do was murder the pricks who had raped him. Who had forced Sirena to suffer.

But fuck, I had a hand in it too. If I hadn’t been such an asshole, she’d never have been with Asylum in that fucking box and Stitches wouldn’t have tried to kill himself.

“You think too much. It would have happened whether you were a part of it or not,” Asylum said softly. “Stop beating yourself up over it. There are certain paths set before us. They all ultimately lead to the same damn place. So just fucking stop, Sinclair. It happened this way because it was meant to be. Believe me on that.”

“The voices tell you that?” I asked bitterly.

“Actually, they fucking did,” he snapped back at me. He cocked his head. “She thinks about her Sin every night. She prays for him. Holds her pillow tight. Whispers Sinful words. Ah, but not a sound is heard, for her silence is golden.”

“I hate you,” I muttered, the nausea tearing through me. I didn’t want her to think about me. Pray for me. Want me. I’d fucked up way too much for all that. Right now, I just needed to pay my penance so I could try to move on.

I didn’t know if Asylum were just goading me into playing the game. Maybe he thought lying to me about her feelings would light the fire beneath me to be the guy who follows through on his promise of keeping her safe and not be such a fuck-up.

“I don’t have any more information other than that except Vice Headmaster Atkins didn’t come in today,” Mirage continued.

Asylum snapped his attention on him. “Really?”

Mirage nodded solemnly and bit into his carrot again. “Poof. Gone.”

“Gone, gone or just for the day?” Asylum narrowed his eyes at him.

---