Page 135 of Shadow

He was hesitant, but I didn’t blame him. I was, too. Based on Stitches’s attitude around him, I didn’t want to provoke anything.

I felt him harden beneath me, though, as I tried to deepen the kiss.

“I-I can’t,” he whispered against my lips, breaking the kiss off. “I-I, um, need to excuse myself. Sorry.” His cheeks flamed red.

I crinkled my brows at him.

“I didn’t,” he said quickly before wincing. “But if we keep it up, I will. I’m sorry.”

I moved off him, and he quickly got to his feet without another word and walked out to the patio.

“What the hell is that about?” Ashes asked, frowning as he looked toward the patio.

“He’s a weird fuck,” Stitches muttered, getting up and taking Shadow’s spot. He pulled me onto his lap and kissed me, his hand around the back of my neck.

I kissed him back, relishing in the way he was just so… Stitches. But I also needed him to get along with Shadow since he was one of them now.

“Be nice,” I murmured.

“I’ll be nice, angel, when you’re coming on my dick for me,” he answered back, grabbing my hips roughly and tugging me against his hard dick.

I cried out because he’d pressed on the cuts above my hip. The cry was sharp and laced with pain.

Immediately, he stopped and stared at me.

“What’s wrong?” He growled, his entire mood shifting. “Why are you hurt?”

“It’s my fault,” Sin said, clearing his throat.

“What the fuck did you do to her?” Stitches snapped at him.

“He traced her skin with sharpened grace. Each cut a vow time can’t erase. Their promises carved, not softly spoken. A love in blood that cannot be broken.”Mirage cocked his head to the right and studied me from beneath his mask. “I like it.”

“Sin cut her?” Ashes demanded. “Why?”

“It was his vow,” Church said. “She wanted it, right, Sinclair?”

Sin looked at me, his face filled with adoration and devotion. “Yes.”

I cried out as Stitches shifted me quickly and put me on my back on the couch cushions and tugged my pants down to see the damage. Church had put a bandage over the wound, but blood had started to soak through.

“What the fuck?” Stitches snarled. Ashes surged forward to look at the mess.

Stitches reached out and removed the bandaged and sucked in a sharp breath the same time Ashes did.

“Relax,” Church called out. “It’s fine. I dressed the wound. Of course, now I’ll have to redo it.”

“What’s going on?” Shadow came back in and moved to kneel next to Ashes. He sucked in a sharp breath at the damage to my skin. “Whatthe fuckis this?”

I signed quickly, not wanting things to get out of hand.

“You asked him to do this?” Shadow frowned at me. “Why?”

It took me a moment to work out the words with my hands, but when I did, Shadow sighed and Ashes grunted.

“What? What did she say?” Stitches demanded.

“She said she did it because she loves him and wanted him to know how permanent her love is.” Shadow shook his head and looked over to Sin. “She’s going to scar.”

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