Page 3 of Shadow

Her colorful eyes stared back in the photo, with so much life in them. Quiet life, like her quiet rage.

I smiled down at the image.

“I’m trusting the process,” I said softly, really hoping it was worth it.

But all things regarding Sirena were worth it. I only hoped she’d be able to accept the monster I kept hidden. The watchers had nothing on me.

CHURCH

Iadjusted the oxygen mask on Sin’s face. He was still using it to help him get enough oxygen into his lungs after that fucking cunt Adam had stabbed him.

He wasn’t able to be treated at the facility. They had to cart him off to a hospital for surgery to repair him. His collapsed lung and other wounds had been treated, and he’d returned to us just yesterday. His mother hadn’t even come to see him.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, staring down at him. I had to have asked him a hundred times how he was feeling. He’d answer the same each time.

A thumbs up.

His face was badly beaten, his eyelids still swollen shut. His lip was split, and he’d had to have stitches in various areas of his body, including some along his hairline. He looked like hell.

It was killing me inside.

He’d sacrificed himself for my specter. He promised me he’d die for her, and the crazy asshole nearly had.

Mirage told me the story of Sirena killing Adam with Bryce and him at her side.

The sense of delicious retribution that coursed through me was otherworldly. My only wish was that I’d have been there to take it all in and join her in her madness.

Mirage wanted to meet with me tonight when Ashes came in to relieve me. He said he and my specter had a gift for me.

Color me intrigued.

“Sinclair?” I called out when he didn’t answer me.

He gave me a tired thumbs up but didn’t say anything. It was hard to tell when he was awake or sleeping because his eyelids were practically fused together.

“They let Cady out today. We’ve also been taking turns watching over her at the house,” I said. I’d told him before we were doing that, but I wanted to update him on everything. While Cady pissed me off to no end, she was still Sirena’s sister. That meant something, so by that factor, she got our protection, too. If something happened to her, it would harm our girl. That just wouldn’t fly.

“She’s staying at the house with us. I get to go home to it.”

Sin grunted softly.

I knew the story of what had happened. At least the basic rundown of it. Cady said she’d agreed to meet with Adam. He got violent. He told her to get Sin, or he’d kill Sirena. So she complied. Adam then knocked her out before he attacked Sin upon his arrival.

Neither wanted to speak of their nakedness.

I wasn’t going to push it either.

Not yet, anyway.

We hadn’t told Sin what Sirena had done. I wanted to make sure he was lucid and on the mend before I brought it up. The guys agreed with me. The shock of her doing it may be too much for him. I knew he’d come to see her in a whole other light. I always knew she had it in her, even though I still didn’t know the exact details of that night and what she’d really done.

I was fucking proud of her for letting go and getting her revenge, and I couldn’t wait to share my level of madness with her someday.

If these assholes kept up their games, it would be sooner rather than later.

“S-Sirena?” Sin rasped.

“She’s home. Practically clawed my skin off to get to you again today, but I don’t want her in this place if I can help it.” I held up my arm to show him the ugly cuts from her nails. “You understand, right?”

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