Page 127 of Shadow

“No,” he said sharply, snapping his attention to me. “Absolutely fucking not. I’d never… fuck, Dante, do you not know me at all?”

I sighed. “She’s been tagging around with you. She goes into your bedroom?—”

“She goes in there to fucking cry,” he snapped. “To beg me to keep Sirena safe. To keep loving her. To make shit work. She’s not in there doing anything volatile. She tries to talk me through my own shit. We have this fucked-up shared trauma. It’s like Stitches, Sirena, and Asylum. It’s what they have, I guess. It’s different. I don’t care about her like that. I mean, if the baby is mine, I’ll be there for her and the kid, but I’m not interested in fucking her again. I’m not interested in a relationship past friendship. And even that’s dicey because she annoys the piss out of me sometimes.”

I nodded, accepting his answer.

“I’d never hurt Sirena like that,” he whispered. “Ever.”

“You already hurt her by breaking up with her,” I said.

“I know,” he muttered. “It hurt me too. I’m just not in that headspace yet.”

“What if you never are? Then what? Does she just go and live with Shadow and we see her on the fucking weekends?”

“No.” He rubbed his eyes and sighed. “No. I’ll get there. I just need time.”

“You’ve had time. Get your shit together, Sinclair.” I glowered at him. “This is what’s going to happen. Sirena will be here tonight. You’re going to let her fuck you if she chooses to?—”

“Church, man?—”

“Shut the fuck up and listen to me. You’re going to fuck her or do something so insane she takes your ass back. You’re going to make her smile. Come. And then you’re going to beg her to take your sorry ass back if she hasn’t by then. If you don’t do these things, I will walk your ass right to Mirage’s wolves and feed you to them myself. I’m not playing. I want our family back. If I have to kill you to get it, I will. Got it?”

He stared me down for a moment before getting to his feet and going to the door.

“Sinclair.”

He stopped at the door and bowed his head, his back to me. “I’ll do it.”

“Good.”

“But if she tells me no, I’m not forcing her.” He didn’t wait for my answer. He pulled the door open and left.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

I couldn’t wait for this shit to be over with. I knew my specter. She’d spread her legs for him.

If she didn’t do it, I’d spread them for her.

There were no outs with us unless death decided to dance.

Those were the rules.

And I really didn’t want to have to kill anyone.

SIN

Istared at Sirena from across the table. She looked too beautiful for words. Her long black waves hung around her like a storm. She was wearing a fishnet top, her bra visible, and low slung leather pants that made me want to bite my damn knuckles. Mirage and Shadow sat on either side of her. She looked tiny between them, but seeing them put food on her plate and try to talk to her made me realize how much of a family we already were.

And how fucking much I was missing out on.

“Take off your mask,” Stitches said, stuffing mashed potatoes into his mouth. “You’re going to get it dirty.”

“Rather not,” Mirage said.

Stitches rolled his eyes. “Seth, man, come on. We know it’s you.”

“I just like my mask,” he said. “It’s who I am. Just like your noose is who you are. I’m not telling you to remove it at the table, am I?”

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