Page 43 of Stitches

“Angel,” Stitches said, his voice soft.

I glanced down at Sirena to see her peeking up at me, tears on her pretty face.

Immediately, I turned to her and pushed her hair away from her face.

“What’s wrong?” I murmured, cradling her face in my hands. She was shaking like a leaf.

“Specter? What’s the matter?”

Her eyes were focused across the courtyard from us. I followed her gaze and saw Sully striding forward.

“What the fuck does he want?” Ashes snarled.

“Take her.” As much as it killed me to do so because I wanted to protect her myself, I pushed her to Stitches, knowing Sully was the last motherfucker he wanted to see. Sirena stumbled into his arms, and he was quick to take her hand in his and lead her away wordlessly.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” Sully greeted us, offering us a smile that didn’t look happy at all.

“What the fuck do you want?” I snapped at him, tearing my focus from Stitches and Sirena. Cady had found them and was walking with them.

“Dante, manners.” Sully straightened his tie. “Your father said if I needed your assistance to come find you.”

“My father doesn’t speak for me, so you can suck my dick on assistance.” I glared openly at him, my irritation barely controlled. If I didn’t get a handle on it, it would morph into rage, and then it would be Sully’s life on the line. I knew I had to keep myself together because of my father, but one of these days, I was going to lose it and kill all those fuckers. I just needed a better plan and a more unique way to hide the bodies, or what I’d have left of them.

“Careful,” Asylum called out, his voice sour. “He’s into that shit.”

“Mr. Cain—”

“Mr. Cain is my old man. I’m Asylum,” Asylum corrected him.

Sully gave him a curt look before focusing on me. “Dante, I need you in my office this evening. I have something we need to discuss.”

I let out a sour laugh. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Either you show up to my office this evening or I’ll admit Sirena back into the facility for more observation and treatment.”

I ground my teeth and tightened my hands into fists. “Fuck you.”

“I’ll be in the office until around eleven tonight. I’m working on some new things.” His eyes sparkled with his wickedness. “I’ll send the wards if you’re not there by the time I leave. I have a new method that I think may help your sweet little princess speak again.” He turned and left us without another word.

“Let’s kill him,” Ashes said softly.

“Easy,” Asylum said in a raspy voice. “Just. . . relax.”

“Fuck you. You relax. I have shit to take care of.” I caught Sin’s eye before quickly looking away. Standing here near him wasn’t doing me any good. I was torn between wanting to gut him and wanting to rip his heart out through his throat.

“What do you know?” Sin looked to Asylum.

As much as I wanted to leave, I was also compelled to stay because I wanted to know what Asylum knew too. He was off his rocker nuts, but so was I. That being said, I was well aware of my insanity making me more intelligent than many people I’d ever known. It made me. . . sane in my own way.

So maybe whatever he had to say had weight. It was already apparent to me that he possessed a gift of some sort. That much I couldn’t deny even though I’d recounted shit in my head on repeat since Stitches and Specter were taken from me. I had no explanation for the shit Asylum could do.

“What I know is what you know with a twist.” Asylum leveled his gaze on me. “We must play by the rules to win the game. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a long game. Any decisions made in anger and haste won’t bode well for anyone, including my pretty little firefly.”

I took a dangerous step toward him. He didn’t flinch or look the least bit concerned as a tiny smile played on the edge of his lips.

“She doesn’t belong to you,” I snarled at him. “Don’t fucking ever say that shit again.”

“You’re right,” he said without a bit of hesitation. “I did that thing I just warned you not to do. My, my, haste is a tough enemy, isn’t it?” He chuckled. “Allow me to rephrase that. She’s not mine. . . yet. Soon, though.”

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