Page 114 of Sinful

Sin’s gaze darted to how close Bryce was to me. He lunged forward, but Mirage was quick to get between them.

Bryce immediately moved to shield me from Sin’s fists as he got to his feet.

“What are you doing here?” Bryce demanded.

“Sirena called Sin. She was scared. We went to Cady’s, and she said she was with you,” Mirage explained. His blue eyes moved from Bryce to me. “Little bunny, are you OK?”

I gave him a slight nod.

“Perfect. Then, no issues here. Come.” Mirage held his hand out to me.

I looked from his hand to Bryce, who wore a pained expression on his face.

“There will be plenty of time to be alone with her,” Mirage said, his focus on Bryce.

Bryce stepped aside, and I got up.

He was quick to grab my hand and pull me against his body, his lips at my ear.

“I’m going to win you, Sirena. Whatever it takes, I’ll be with you too.”

I kissed his cheek and stepped away from him as I took Mirage’s hand. My heart was in my throat, and there was a weird hope in my heart that his words were true, as scary as it was.

“Bryce. You should be working.” Mirage handed me off to Sin, who didn’t wait to pull me out of the room and down the hall, leaving Mirage with Bryce.

“I was worried sick,” Sin snarled, tugging me along roughly. I stumbled, trying to keep up with him. He led me into the elevator and smashed the lobby button on repeat angrily, swearing while he did it.

“What the fuck, Sirena? You can’t call someone asking for help and then disappear!” He was so angry that his cheeks were red. He punched the wall of the elevator, making the car tremble from the impact. I shrank into the corner, away from him.

He continued to rant and rave before grabbing my hand, then dragging me out of the elevator and to the outdoors.

I still didn’t have a coat, and the cold bit at me roughly, making me shiver.

Sin was still yelling, tugging me along behind him.

“Fuck, Sirena. Goddamnit!” he yelled. “I thought you were being hurt. I didn’t think you were shacked up with fucking Bryce Andrews. What the fuck were you thinking? What were you even doing with him? I rushed over to help you, and you didn’t even need any damn help! You were too busy being cozy with that asshole. Fucking damnit. You can’t cry wolf and then expect everything to be OK! You can’t do stupid shit like this and hope everything works out! You know it doesn’t. You know it fucking ends up in you practically dead in the woods!”

Tears rolled down my cheeks as he screamed at me, his breath coming out in white puffs.

“I can’t get to you every damn time you call, so the next time you make a fucking call to me begging for help, actually need the help!”

“I-I’m sorry,” I choked out, shivering. “What does it matter, Sin? You don’t have to come—”

He lunged forward, his face inches from mine. I jerked back, but he wound his arm around me and tugged me closer.

“It matters because you matter. It matters because it’s you, Siren. It’syou,” he whispered. “You matter to me.”

I swallowed at his words, his warmth soaking into me as he continued to hold me.

His eyes darted to my lips.

“I would fucking die if something happened to you. Do you understand me?” He gave me a slight shake. “I’d go with you. I would. I couldn’t handle a world without you in it. It’s not a world worth living in. It’s fucking not. You don’t understand the hold you have on me. The hold you’ve had on me since the day we met. Every cut, every bruise, on my body, I do in your name. All that pain dims in comparison to the pain I feel at not having you. Each day it grows. I-I can’t—”

I closed the space between us and crushed my lips to his.

He didn’t move beneath me. No kiss back. Nothing.

Confusion raced through me, and I pulled away.

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