Page 97 of The Devil's Wrath

We sat quietly for a while, both lost in our thoughts. I didn’t feel overwhelmed or afraid. If anything, I felt a sense of clarity and purpose.

This was my world now. These were my people. For better or worse, I was a part of this. And I was ready to embrace it fully.

“Since you’re in the sharing mood, do you want to tell me what Mom meant when she said to open your heart?” I playfully swatted at him, hoping to lighten the mood.

Gage let out a short laugh, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “Ah, that.” He shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. “Mom always had a way of knowing things, didn’t she? Even when we tried to keep them hidden.”

“So there is something you’re keeping hidden?”

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Not intentionally. It’s just . . . complicated.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

“That is a conversation for another day, Jellybean. Right now, you need to get some rest. Doctor’s orders.” He squeezed my shoulder and stood up. “Let your body heal.”

A wave of exhaustion washed over me as if on cue, making my eyelids feel like lead. I fought against it, but he noticed my struggle.

“Sleep, Wren.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I love you, sis. Never forget that.”

THIRTY-TWO

THEO

Iwatched her sleep for a while, not daring to wake her, even though it went against every fiber in my bones. After my conversation with Archer, Gage had told me that her vitals were stable. He’d also told me that he had divulged who their parents were and who Thomas was to us.

As I sat beside her, my mind raced with the implications of Gage’s reveal. Had it shattered the trust we’d built, or would it bring us closer?

I reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, marveling at the peacefulness of her expression. In sleep, the weight of the world seemed to lift from her shoulders, and I could almost imagine the carefree girl she might have been in another life.

But our lives were far from carefree.

Still, looking at her now, I felt hope. She was strong, resilient, and brave beyond measure. If anyone could weather the storms to come, it was her.

She stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. For a moment, she looked disoriented, her gaze darting around the room before settling on me.

“Hey, little bird,” I said softly.

She smiled when she saw me. “Hey, Devil.”

I returned her smile, taking her hand in mine. “How are you feeling?”

“Better now that you’re here,” she replied, her voice thick with sleep.

“I was so scared I was going to lose you.”

She cupped my cheek, gently rubbing her thumb back and forth over the rough stubble on my chin. “You’re stuck with me, Devil.”

I chuckled, but the lightness quickly faded as the weight of what I needed to tell her settled in my chest. “There’s something I need to talk to you about,” I began. “About the night your parents died.”

“You were there,” she said.

I looked at her in shock. “Gage told you?”

“He didn’t have to. I remember you . . . your eyes, your voice, your smell. I didn’t put two and two together until we talked about the accident, but you were the one who saved me that night. Igor tortured you because you sought vengeance for my parents. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t until I discovered your real name that I realized it was you. And I didn’t want to scare you away. If I told you I had rescued you and now I was obsessed with you, I was afraid you’d run the other way.”

She held my gaze, her expression full of understanding. “I could never run from you, Devil. Not now, not ever.”

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