Page 41 of Sinful

“Ah, too bad. Maybe next time,” Asylum said, still grinning at me.

And just like that, the buzzing in my head was gone, and I was myself once more.

I glanced back to Sin and couldn’t miss the look of concern on his face.

Quickly, I averted my eyes and went back to staring at my hands.

Truth be told, I was concerned too.

And grateful. Grateful he’d brought me here and away from the harm Chapel Crest held. I knew I would be punished for what had happened even though I was certain it hadn’t been me, at least conscious me, hurting that nun.

I clenched my teeth.

Fuck her. She deserved it.

I exhaled and caught Asylum’s eye again.

“She did, firefly. She did,” he murmured before looking back to Sin and speaking to him about a new door for their cave.

Whether she deserved it or not didn’t make it right, but then again, everything in my head was a mess.

Maybe this entire world needed to burn.

And, maybe Ashes would help me.

That thought brought me solace, so I focused on my watchers, eager to see them tonight while praying they had a solution to keep me out of the facility.

Because I wasn’t going to go back. Sully could bank on that.

Both me and the darkness inside my head knew that.

ASHES

She’d struck a nun and had drawn blood. Sin was in her class and had the sense to get her out of there before the wards and Sully intervened.

I exhaled and glanced to Church, who had been pacing in our living room for the last twenty minutes. I was going to break my damn lighter with how fast I was flipping it open and closed. Or worse, use it to set something ablaze.

“I’d have hit the bitch too,” Stitches said, eyeing Church as he continued to wear a path into the hardwood floor. Church grunted, but he didn’t say anything. He’d been quiet. Way too quiet. He was clearly upset. As soon as he’d heard what had happened, he’d rushed away and met Sully before he made it halfway down the hall to us.

I had no idea what deal he’d worked out, but I was sure we’d be hearing about it soon.

“Me too,” I muttered, knowing damn well Sister Esther was a bitch to begin with. It was no secret she liked to create problems just so she could punish students.

I was stress cooking. I’d made a lasagna, salad, and homemade bread. I’d put together a cheesecake earlier, and now I was waiting for Asylum to bring Sirena home.

It had been a trying day.

Stitches had to assure Cady earlier that we’d get it sorted. I thought she was going to bust our living room window out when we didn’t answer the door. It was why Stitches went to it and spoke to her.

He promised we’d reach out to her the moment we had news. She’d been blowing up my phone for the last hour. I made her promise not to come here until after everything was done.

She’d seemed agreeable, and I’d had the last fifteen minutes without my phone screaming at me with messages from her.

The doorbell rang, and we snapped our attention to it quickly. Church was faster than I was and made it there before I was able to step foot out of the kitchen.

He tugged the door open, hauled Sirena into his arms, and hugged her tightly before pulling her deeper into the room. Sin and Asylum followed after closing the door behind them.

When Church got to the living room, I was there with Stitches, waiting to hold Sirena.

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