Page 100 of Shadow

I backed away from them and sat next to Shadow on the edge of the bed.

Church pulled away from Sirena and cradled her face for a moment, a look of pure vengeance on his features. He said nothing. Instead, he walked past her and went to his knees before Shadow.

“Am I worthy?” Shadow asked softly.

“You are worthy,” Church answered back, his voice shaking. “When Sirena returns home, I want you to come with her. The basement is finished. There’s a room down there you can have. We were going to put Cady there, but it’s yours if you want it. You can also share my bed if you so desire. With Sirena.”

Shadow blinked rapidly as Church reached forward and cradled his face. Church rested his forehead against Shadow’s momentarily before breathing out.

“Watchers live in the same home. Come home.Brother.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“OK.” Shadow nodded quickly. “I’ll come home.”

Church swallowed and moved toward me. “This goes for you, too.

I looked at Sirena, who seemed stunned and confused about what was happening.

I looked back at Church. “I appreciate the offer, but I have more work to do. You may think I’m worthy, but I assure you, there’s more to me than I’ve let out. My secrets need to be revealed before I’m at that level. If you still feel the same after they come out, I will join you as a watcher.”

“What secrets?” Church frowned.

“They’re not all good. I feel as if I need to prove myself a little more.”

“Are you still working for my father?”

I shook my head. “Yes, but no. I still play the game just like Shadow does, but I want him dead more than I want my next breath. I just… have other things I need to sort first.”

“What things?” he demanded. “You don’t make my girl fall in love with you and then tell me you’re keeping fucking secrets?—”

“Dante. It’s not my time yet. Allow me the time I need, OK? I won’t fuck anything up. I’m with you. I’m with my forever girl. Let Shadow have these moments. We’ll be along soon.”

“You and Mirage?”

I nodded. “Mirage and I. And the voices. And…everything. I need to talk to Sin. He and I will have a heart-to-heart once he has everything sorted with Sirena and Cady.”

Church crinkled his brows in confusion but seemed to accept my words because he squeezed my hand before speaking again. “I am trusting you, Seth. If you fuck me or any of us over…”

“I won’t. And please. Call me Sylar. I’m not Seth,” I whispered. “Today, I am Sylar. Asylum. Tonight I am Mirage. Seth.”

“OK,” Church murmured. “When you’re ready, come home. As long as you are true to our cause, you have a place as a watcher.”

“And we thank you.”

“And do you have names? All that’s listed on the papers are the deeds. I want names.”

“We’re working on them,” Shadow said. “They run in a system, so it’s not all in one place. Sister Devon was a secretary who tracked the deeds. Another holds the names. We have a lead that it’s one of the priests.”

“Get me names,” Church said fiercely. “And we will end all of them.”

“Absolutely,” I murmured, more than ready to do that. I’d lived a life where I was fucked with. Hurt. Used. Abused. I was at a point in my life where I had a little power, and with Dante Church behind me, there wasn’t a fucking thing on this planet that would stop the sweet retribution.

He nodded at me and got to his feet before returning to Sirena.

“Hey,” he murmured, cupping her cheek gently. “I’m going to go home and deal with shit there. Be good, OK? I’ll be seeing you soon.”

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