Page 59 of Pray for the Damned

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

EMMETT

That motherfucker.

There have been more times than I care to admit that I’ve wanted to punch my twin in the face, but today may make the top of the list.

I’ve been caught up with paperwork at the church this morning, a task I’ve been putting off for the last few weeks and that my assistant told me in no uncertain terms that I could no longer neglect. But that meant I haven’t been able to talk to Waverly, and she didn’t reply to my texts last night, adding another layer of worry.

I was about ready to leave the mountain of documents sitting on my desk and face Vicky’s wrath tomorrow when she comes in for the sermon at the same time the text came in.

Waverly: Thanks for the ride home. Will I see you at the club tonight?

I stare at my phone for long minutes trying to work out what she means. She didn’t stick around for long enough last night for me to drive her home, and I’ve been stuck here all day, which can only mean one thing.

Kade.

I dial his number, my hands shaking with anger. He needs to learn there are lines he can’t just fucking cross because he wants to get his way, and pretending to be me to get close to Waverly is at the top of that list.

“Hello, brother,” he says, his tone casual and calm. But then again, that’s just Kade. Nothing ever shakes him. Our father forced us to witness our first murder when we were six, and you would have thought my brother was watching a cartoon the way he reacted to the bloodshed.

“What did you do?” I grit out the question.

He chuckles. “What do you think I did?”

“I think you pretended to be me to get close to Waverly. Which is all kinds of fucked up.”

“I thought you weren’t supposed to swear in a church.”

“How do you—” I cut off my own question. Of course he knew I was here today. It gave him the perfect opportunity to strike while I was busy.

“But you’re not entirely wrong. I did see our girl today, however, I never once claimed to be you. I even dressed like myself. If she can’t figure out we’re two different people, that’s on her.”

“You’re joking, right? We’re identical twins, of course she can’t tell the difference. Our own fucking parents couldn’t tell us apart most of the time.”

“You’re the one that doesn’t want Waverly to know I exist,” he points out.

“No. I don’t want you in her life at all.”

“Same difference.” He sighs. “And just so you know, there were many times she could have figured out I wasn’t you. There are certain parts of our…anatomy that aren’t the same.”

My mouth drops open in surprise a moment before blinding anger has me swiping the stacks of paperwork off the desk infront of me. “Tell me you didn’t,” I growl down the line, my grip on the phone so tight I’m worried I might crack the screen.

“If you’re asking me to tell you I didn’t fuck her, that’s a no can do, sorry, bro.”

I force myself to breathe through the red clouding my vision. I swore I would never kill again. It’s a line I refuse to cross when I’ve finally become settled in my faith. “Kade, you know how messed up that is, don’t you? She thought you were me. She didn’t consent to sex with you, she consented to sex withme.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” His tone is nonchalant as ever, and suddenly I’m glad we’re having this conversation over the phone because I’m not sure I could keep myself from ending him if he were in front of me.

“Are you clean?” I force the question out. “Please don’t tell me you fucked her bare without knowing you weren’t going to give her some kind of disease.”

“You think so little of me, Emmett. Of course I wouldn’t put her at risk like that,” he snaps. “You may think this is just a way for me to fuck with you, but I care about her. I have for a long time, and I’m not willing to sit on the sidelines anymore. You can either get used to the idea of sharing her, or I’m going to do whatever it takes to make her mine.”

He ends the call before I can argue, and I drop the phone to the desk.

Well, fuck.

I might not have a choice but to tell Waverly that Kade exists, and that might be the thing that sends her running for the hills.

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