Page 67 of Shadow

“Asylum said you will soon. For now, it’s her playground. He’s just prepping her. Training her. Keeping her occupied because she really does miss you guys. I hear her crying sometimes in the shower.”

My chest tightened at his words.

“I can train her,” I whispered.

“Asylum said you’d say that.” He nodded. “In time. Right now, that whole Sin thing needs to be sorted.”

I sighed. “We’re working on it.”

“Good. That’s all you can do. I’m sure he’ll come around. She’s hard to stay away from,” he said fondly.

I looked back at her, still in the snow. “She is,” I murmured. “And she’s mine.”

“I know she is, but she’s mine too. Or she will be. I love her too, Dante. I’m not going to hurt her.”

I ground my teeth at his words and backed into the woods again.

“Just keep her safe. I’ll get this shit sorted on my end, and when I do, I’m bringing my girl home.”

“What about me?” Bryce asked.

I stared him down. “Prove you belong. That you’re worth it. Then we’ll talk.”

He said nothing, but that was just as well. Maybe the prick would work a little harder to get into my good graces. I darted back into the forest and headed home.

I needed to talk to Sin.

STITCHES

These four walls were killing me. The drone of Sister Elizabeth’s voice was beginning to piss me off too. Sin hadn’t come home last night. I even checked his room throughout the night because Church was pissed off he was gone.

I had no idea where the fuck he went, but I was sure it was nowhere good. Sister Devon was missing. They’d tried to search our place this morning, but Church decked Sully so hard in the face he’d stumbled off our patio.

Then I’d kicked him. Pretty sure I broke a rib or two. Ashes had to pull me off him.

I assumed I’d be getting punished for it. At this point, I didn’t give a fuck. If they were going to throw me into the hole, fine. Just get it the fuck over with. Maybe I’d die this time, and it would put me out of my misery.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class. I was out the door without a second look. It was when I rounded a corner too quickly that I crashed into a soft body.

I reached out and caught her at the waist before she tumbled backward, finding myself staring into the colorful eyes of my angel.

“Baby,” I murmured, tightening my hold on her waist. “Angel.”

Her eyes widened as she took me in. I hadn’t seen her in over a week. Fuck, what a miserable week it had been too.

“Where have you been?” I asked thickly.

She didn’t say a damn word. Instead, she continued to stare up at me.

I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t fucking stand to be so close to her and not have her. To know she wasn’t mine anymore. That she was sleeping in the same bed as that motherfucking Bryce Andrews.

Without thinking it through, I gripped her arm tightly and dragged her down the hall. She tried to tug out of my hold, but I tightened my grip and continued on until we reached the doors that connected the school portion to the cathedral.

The doors banging closed echoed behind us. No one ever came in here unless it was during our Sunday service hours or they felt the need to pray. And no one here prayed as much as they should.

I brought her to the pulpit and turned her so she was staring out at all the empty pews. I placed my hand on her stomach and pulled her against me, her back to my front.

“I have missed you for eleven thousand five hundred twenty minutes,” I husked out in her ear. “For seven of those nights, I’ve lied awake in my bed, whispering your name like a fucking prayer, angel. I have begged God to hold you again, and wouldn’t you know it, God heard me because here we are.”

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