Page 136 of Shadow

“I know,” Sin murmured. “She’ll match me.”

“What did you do?” Stitches asked wearily.

Sin stood and unbuttoned his shirt to show everyone all the wounds on his body, my name littered across his skin.

“Fucking hell,” Shadow muttered.

I signed quickly to the guys again.

“What? No!” Shadow snapped.

Ashes shook his head but didn’t say anything.

And Stitches, he seemed to understand what I said this time.

“You want us all to do it? Baby…”

“Heal, specter. If you decide you still want to, we will do what you ask,” Dante called out softly. “Think on it.”

I nodded, accepting this answer. I didn’t want to hurt more tonight anyway, but I would if any of them said they wanted to.

Stitches put my pants back in place and brought me onto his lap.

Shadow sat next to us, making Stitches roll his eyes, but Stitches didn’t say anything snarky. Ashes moved back to his seat, and silence descended on us.

“This is uncomfortable,” Mirage finally said, his voice void of emotion.

Church laughed softly before beckoning me to him. Stitches grumbled, but he released me, and I went to Church and slid onto his lap.

“I was thinking Shadow could put on a show for us,” Church said.

“Uh, what?” Shadow crinkled his brows and stared back at Church.

“You’re part of our group now. Mirage will be soon. We’re all family here. May as well get to really know one another. Entertain us.”

“I didn’t prepare a skit,” Shadow grumbled. “I have nothing to entertain you with.”

“Sure you do. We can start by you telling us why you’re in Chapel Crest. Aside from your old man thinking you suck dick in your down time, what’s the real reason? Sucking cock is hardly a reason to be considered crazy.” Church raised a brow at him.

I looked at Church. He stared serenely back at me, like he was innocence on a throne.

“Everything is a test,” he murmured to me. “He must past the tests. This one is the easy one.”

I swallowed hard and looked back to Shadow.

Church was relentless, but I knew he’d not stop until Shadow spilled his secrets.

Maybe this would make things easier on the transition for him into the watchers.

I sent up a silent prayer, though, just in case.

SHADOW

“Idon’t like talking about it,” I said, my voice soft.

“Why not?” Ashes asked. “We’re all messed up here. It’s not like you’re anything more fucked up than me. I killed my twin because I couldn’t control myself.” Ashes looked at his hands as he opened and closed his lighter five times.

I knew all about Ashes and his twin sister. That he’d lost control, started a fire, and she’d died because of it. It fucked him up.

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