Page 69 of Sinner's End

“How much of a fight did you put up?” I snarl, stalking forward into her space.

My unblessed father watches on, the benevolent god of the realm bestowing motherfucking favors upon his chosen favorites.

Her chin raises, defiance pouring from her in waves that hits me at chest height. “None.”

My snarl transforms into a growl as I reach her, windingher hair around my fist, and jerk her into me. “An eternity of reaping souls for my father. Those were the terms, were they not?” I give her a little shake. “Are you ready to become the worst murderess in history, kitten? For him?” My body arches over hers.

Where once she might have slapped me, or bowed back, cried, or pulled away, now she stands serene at my show-ponying.

She shakes her head once, the smallest, prettiest smile curving her lips. “For you.”

Breath leaves me as I fall to my knees, my hands closing around her shoulders as I take her to the floor, still stained with the recently reaped souls. Addi’s legs tangle with mine, her thighs parting until she straddles me. I hold her over my hips, keeping our mouths level.

“There’s no going back,” I whisper, searching her eyes that will be mortal for only moments more if this is what she intends to follow through with. His plan. “Do you understand that? We will be bound, the three of us, forever.”

“Six,” she corrects me, that smile wreaking havoc on my system.

I frown. “Don’t follow.”

Addi holds up a delicate hand, listing us off. “You, me, him,” she rolls her eyes and folds down three fingers while I lean in and suck on the tip of the next. She bats at my nose. “Stop that. Kaleb, Lethe, and—” She looks over my shoulder and frowns. “Where’s Bowen?”

“Shit.” I bare my teeth.Way to ruin the moment.Daddy Dearest might have a cog he didn’t plan on here. “He’s, uh…” I stall, unsure how to break it to her, and not rip her heart out in the process. “You know the carnage you waded through on the way to my office?” I wince, knowing how callous my words sound.

Her brow creases. I hate the motion, but I’m holding her weight and can’t shift to glide my hands over her skin like I want.

She nods. “Yes…”

“He—”

“I killed him,” Lethe cuts in, kneeling beside us and offers her that goddamn black blade I never took from him.

Fucking hell, I should have taken it back from him earlier instead of wallowing and planning for a future that no longer matters. Perhaps it never did. If she doesn’t end us all right now, he likely will in a bout of self-delusional loathing, like his brother from another angel mother. A cringeworthy oxymoron at best, but I don’t have time to dwell on it.

“Why?” Addi’s head tilts to one side as she observes Lethe quietly.

He watches her in return and offers up the knife, saying nothing else. Their conversation happens at a nonverbal level that kills me inside, because I don’t have that depth of connection with her.Yet.

But my fear goes unfounded. She won’t hurt him, not physically at least.

Calloused fingers lift the blade from Lethe’s outstretched hand. Addi stares up at Kaleb, reading his face. Not a word passes between them, either.

The entire beginning of our impromptu ceremony goes down in utter silence while my father fucking wellglowsover my girl like he’s proud of her for stepping up, rather than admitting he forced her hand.

Kaleb lifts Lethe’s fingers and presses a gentle kiss to the angel’s palm that leaves my blood firing. A simple, small slice that leaves his palm welling in a pool of garnet, and then he gestures for mine. Hard, dark eyes lance through me as he captures my wrist. The tip of the blade, demon-forged steel digs into my flesh.

For a moment, I wonder if he intends to stab straight through my palm, but instead he only pierces the skin, then leans in and kisses my mouth, flicking his tongue across my lips. A roar fills my existence though he hasn’t spoken yet. Green-tinged blood fills my palm as Lethe’s does his.

I clutch Addi to me tightly, one-handed, though she’s so damn slight one hand is more than enough. The trials of the last weeks have taken their toll on my little mortal. Her legs dangle over my hips, the heat of her warming my groin. Every shift slices a driving awareness through me. Sire present or not, the moment the ceremony is complete, she’s ours.

When our lips part, I breathe in Kaleb’s scent, recognizing him as my own. I nod, meeting his eyes, but the challenge that’s always been there merges into something else. A binding by our Maker, sharing our lover together. His hand releases mine, and the blade presses to his own palm.

Shaking my head, my lips part, but I’m unwilling to break the strange silence that tethers us. Lethe reaches out, nuzzling Kaleb’s thigh with plush lips. He’s already as high as we are on need, driven by the desire emanating from the female encircled between us all. He makes the cut on Kaleb’s palm, flicking his tongue out to lick a slice of exposed torso skin when the spawn’s shirt rides up.

There’s barely enough air to make my next inhale for the desire emanating from the angel coiled around our feet. His free hand wraps around my calf and Addi’s ankle where he rubs his fingers over her bare skin beneath the dress that has seconds of life left at the most, marking her with his scent, or maybe the reverse is true.

Kaleb’s contribution is complete as we all hold our hands together, drawn by the inexplicable force that is Adreana. The other two might not know this ritual, but it’s written on their bones, along with her name, and mine. We claimed them beforethey were birthed, and we will own them long after this world withers and burns.

Together we make a clover of our palms, a cup we tilt, red and green swirling together in a mix of forgetfulness and life and obsession.

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