Page 73 of Kissed By Shadows

“Come on, sweet cheeks.” Roman huffs a laugh as I growl when Hunt steps away, his amused stare still locked on mine. “He’ll make good on that promise later, he just likes to edge you sometimes.”

Hunt’s face snaps to Roman, and then he’s crowding into Roman’s space, his fingers gripping Ro’s long hair and pulling his head back.

“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, naughty boy?” Hunter whispers, and I swear to fuck my knickers disintegrate.

Roman swallows as Hunt ever so slowly leans down, his lips hovering over Ro’s. Hunt pauses, and I watch in rapt fascination as his tongue darts out and licks along the seam of Roman’s lips. A deep moan sounds from my naughty twin, and he tries to close the distance but Hunt refuses to let him, his grip white-knuckled in Ro’s soft locks as he keeps Roman in place, just out of reach.

My entire body flushes with heat as I watch them, watch Roman submit to Hunter, his body relaxing in the other man’shold. Then, just as quickly as Hunter grabbed Roman, he releases him and steps away, his sweats still tented as he goes back to his baking.

Roman and I shudder at the same time, a dark chuckle coming from Rowan on my other side.

“You two are so fucked,” he comments dryly before taking my hand. “Let’s go set up so it’s all as you want it, Lamb.”

Blinking, I exhale and set the hot water bottle on the island next to my empty plate, letting him help me up and guide me from the room. Roman catches up as we reach the front door, and we put coats on, the boys their scarves I made, before we head out and across the estate to the community centre.

“LOCKED OUT OF HEAVEN” BY SAMI ROSE

ROWAN

I watch as Iris shows some kid how to start knitting for the third fucking time, the child having messed it up the first two goes. But our Lamb has more patience than I do, which is saying something because I can torture a man for days, waiting for him to break, to spill his secrets all while keeping him on the edge of life. I don’t get to play as often as I’d like, but it’s always somewhat surprising how many think that they can take what’s ours. Sergi Petrov being a case in point.

Something in my chest constricts and heats at the way she smiles at the child, encouraging the young girl when she gets it right, praising her, and I can see the child almost fucking soar with the gentleness that Iris shows. She has no idea what thatmeans to people like us, kids who grew up in a harsh world where very few care.

“She really is something, isn’t she, brother?” Roman asks softly, coming to stand next to me where I’m leaning against the wall. He’s been helping Iris, and I snort at the amount of glitter that covers him.

“She’s perfection,” I murmur, going back to watching her as she looks at some picture a young boy has drawn. His chest puffs out when she smiles, her gentle words telling him how wonderful the frankly terrible image is.

It seems all the kids on the estate have turned up, even the older boys who always skulk around trying to cause mischief. She’s given them the task of helping some of the younger ones, and what’s incredible is that none of them gave her any snark. They just agreed and have been taking part as much as the smaller ones, some of whose parents are here too.

Hunt arrived with his cookies, which lasted all of three seconds, and the sounds that filled the room are innocent joy, something that we’ve not had much of on the estate. They weren’t wrong when they called it The World’s End, because it so often felt like that. Like anyone who came here was one of the forgotten, left to rot where no one cares.

The girl she’s with turns away, and I watch as Iris’s lips purse, the lines around her eyes tightening, telling me that her painkillers have worn off. I push off the wall, grabbing a bottle of water from the side that is laden with more snacks and drinks before heading towards her.

She beams at me as she turns around, and it damn near kickstarts my cold, dead heart.

“You’re in pain,” I tell her, reaching into my pocket and pulling out the tablets. “You can take more now.”

Her entire face softens. “Thank you, Roo.” Our fingers brush as she takes the pills from me, and electricity sizzles up myarm, warmth diffusing across my entire body right into my black soul. I open the water for her, handing that over too so she can swallow them down.

“Drink some more,” I order her when she pulls the bottle from her lips, and she doesn’t even pause, just does exactly what I say. Fuck, it’s entirely inappropriate the way my dick twitches at that, at her compliance. Especially given the circumstances. “Good girl.”

I watch as her cheeks flush, and knowing that it was my words that caused her blush has my inner monster purring in satisfaction.

“Do you think they’re all enjoying themselves?” she asks me after a moment, her eyes looking around us at the room, at the children laughing and smiling, while she sucks her lower lip into her mouth.

“I think this is probably one of the days they’ll remember as a good one for years,” I tell her honestly, her beautiful hazel eyes landing back on me and bringing all the sunshine with them.

“Do you have any good memories from when you were a child?” she inquires hesitantly, her hand finding mine and tangling our fingers together. My jaw clenches, the dark memories trying to surface, regardless of her soothing touch. Then I hear my brother laugh, and it’s enough to allow me to shut them down, to focus on the here and now.

“Some, mostly with Roman,” I answer, my voice raspy, the brush with the darkness of my past too fresh.

“I wish you hadn’t had to suffer,” she whispers, and I watch as her eyes sparkle with unshed tears. Tears that are because of me, of what she may suspect about my past, but I’m not ready to tell her just yet. She doesn’t need my darkness tainting her light.

“It’s only in suffering we can truly appreciate the good,” I tell her, my hand cupping her soft cheek. She nuzzles into it, and I swear to god my heart skips a full beat. She really is somethingelse, like our very own angel, though lord knows we can’t be saved, we’re too far gone.

“If my father hadn’t…” she pauses, swallowing. “If my father hadn’t sold me, I may have never ended up here with you.”

She turns her face up to me, and I can no more resist her invitation than the stars can refuse to shine. The moment my lips land on hers, I know I’m home, that this is all I’ll ever want. She’s my sunshine, my lamb to slaughter and remake how I need. She’s my good in this dark world.

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