48. Sirena
SIRENA
C hurch was quiet all week. On Sunday morning, we went to the mandatory mass since we’d skipped last week, all of us sitting together. It was our first public appearance with the six of us together. Students stared and whispered as we took seats in the back pew.
“Hey, Bryce,” Devon said as Shadow helped me to slide in next to Church.
“Hey—”
“Bryce is dead. This is Shadow,” Stitches said from behind Shadow. “And you’re in my way, so say what you need to say so I can sit down.”
“Oh. I, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to come hang out tonight. We’re going to play some games. I want a rematch.”
“Hey, Bryce.” Lucy moved to stand next to Devon. “I’ve been missing you. You never answered me about us hanging out together again. We could pick up where we left off last time.”
She must have thought we couldn’t hear her since it was loud in the church because of all the students coming in, but there was a lull in the noise and her voice carried.
I stood at the same time Church did. It was like he was reading my mind.
I swept forward, my blood boiling at her boldness. She knew Shadow was with me now. She was out of her mind to even suggest…
I shoved her hard, sending her flailing back. Asylum had arrived and caught her, pushing her back to me with a wicked smile on his face.
“You dropped something, firefly,” he said brightly.
Lucy’s eyes widened.
“Baby, it’s OK,” Shadow started, but I wasn’t having it. It wasn’t OK.
I slapped her so hard in the face that her head snapped sideways. Anyone around us paying attention gasped.
My hands shook as I tried to restrain myself.
“Easy,” Church murmured in my ear. “I’ll handle it.”
I backed away, knowing he was much less likely to get in trouble than I was.
“Brave girl,” Church murmured, staring Lucy down.
“I-I didn’t mean…”
“No?” Church cocked his head at her. “You didn’t mean what? That you were inviting Shadow over to fuck you? Is that what you mean?”
She blinked, her breathing heavy. Devon shifted uneasily.
“Don’t lie to me. I don’t like liars,” Church continued dangerously.
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” Lucy said. “I swear.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire. Lucy’s going to swing for trying to get dick for hire,” Asylum said, his hands clutching her biceps tightly.
Church reached forward and gripped her face tightly.
“You are not one of us. You never approach one of us again. Do you understand?”
She nodded vigorously.
“She lies,” Asylum hissed out. “She wants Shadow’s big, fat cock. She’s willing to try again because she learns lessons hard, don’t you, Lucy goosey?”
“Church, man, really. I would never go—” Shadow said.
“Of course you wouldn’t, but rules are rules. Punish her.” Church raised his brows at Shadow. “You’re one of us, and we punish those who offend, and she has offended all of us, especially Sirena. No one fucking hurts our girl, even her feelings. So… punish her.”
Shadow nodded firmly and turned back to Lucy. “Knees,” he said in a soft, dangerous voice.
“What?”
“Get on your fucking knees.” Shadow glared at her.
“Wait, let me help.” Stitches reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of Skittles and poured them onto the floor. “Now get on your knees.”
Lucy dropped to her knees.
“Head bowed. Don’t look up,” Shadow said softly. “If you look at anything that happens back here, you’ll spend the night in the mausoleum.”
“Bryce, man, hey, chill,” Devon said.
“My name is Shadow,” he said firmly.
“OK.” Devon held his hands up. “Shadow. Man. She’s just an idiot. Relax. She knows you wouldn’t fuck around on your girl.”
“I like you, Devon. I don’t want to punish you next.”
Devon glanced at Lucy on her knees, silently crying, before backing away. He left, and Church guided me to sit. Ashes hadn’t moved that entire time. He simply sat in the pew, reading the hymn book.
“Why didn’t you help?” Church murmured to him.
“She’s pathetic. Shadow had it handled,” Ashes said, lazily flipping his lighter open and closed before he took a page out of the hymn book and set it on fire. One of the nuns made to stop him, but he wadded the page up and threw it at her. She cried out and tried to kick out the fire on her robe hem, making Ashes snicker.
“Stay back, you old bitch,” Ashes said. “Or I’ll really set you on fucking fire.”
The nun retreated, her robes still smoking.
“Nice,” Stitches laughed and leaned over me to bump fists with Ashes. “I hate that old sour twat bag.”
Shadow settled next to me with Sin on my other side and Ashes next to him. Stitches took the end as Church stepped around him to sit next to Shadow. Asylum made a slide down motion, and Stitches groaned and moved down for him.
Cady wasn’t coming today. She kept throwing up and said she felt like shit and needed some sleep, so we’d left her behind. I didn’t like her being home alone, so the sooner we could get back, the better. Church assured me no one would get within fifty feet of the house because of all the cameras, but just the same, I worried.
Father Emerson started the service, and Shadow reached out and rested his hand high on my thigh. I looked over at him as everyone stood to sing.
He gave me an innocent look and winked before standing with me. Ashes tore out another page and lit it on fire. Church smacked it out of his hands and stomped on the flames. Ashes rolled his eyes, making Stitches snicker.
“For fuck’s sake,” Sin muttered. “He needs to burn tonight. Missing a week is going to end up in one of our asses on fire.”
Asylum sang the lyrics to the song loudly and wrong, making it Amazing Rabbits instead of Grace.
They were a handful.
Everyone sat again, and Shadow’s hand went back to my thigh.
Lucy still kneeled at the end of the pew on the Skittles, sniffling softly.
Sin noticed what Shadow was doing and placed his hand on my other thigh and winked at me. Father Emerson read from Matthew, and I let out a shaky breath.
Shadow worked his way beneath my and brushed against my pussy, Sin following.
They were really going to do this here.
Everyone stood again, and that’s when Shadow plunged a finger deep inside me. I gasped, and Sin pressed his hand down on my thigh to distract me as Shadow went to town. I shook as he brought me closer to an orgasm, everyone singing praise around us.
The guys kept glancing at us, and Lucy looked over, her eyes wide.
Asylum tapped her nose with his finger and tutted at her, making her lower her eyes again.
“You going to come for me, cupcake? Right here, praising God for me?”
Sin’s lips met mine in a deep kiss as I came hard, Shadow working me through it with ease.
He finally pulled his finger free and sucked it into his mouth and winked at me. Lucy glanced over again and he gave Church a slight nod.
We managed to get through the service, and at the end, we stood.
“Come on,” Shadow said, offering Lucy his hand. She hesitated for a moment before taking it. He helped her to her feet.
“You didn’t listen. Unfortunately, you have to pay the price,” he said softly.
“What? I-I kneeled?—”
“You watched,” Sin cut in. “I saw you.”
“You have to spend the night in the mausoleum,” Shadow finished. She cried and tried to pull away from him, but he held her arm firmly.
“Aw, too bad, so sad.” Asylum grinned and danced around her. “Now big L is going to be big mad. Don’t worry. I’ve spent the night in there. It’s not so bad…. If you don’t mind the sound of demons scratching at the door.”
Lucy wailed as Shadow dragged her out of the church, the guys following, Sin’s hand on my lower back.
“Are you OK with this?” Sin asked.
I stopped and turned to him. “She wants what’s mine.”
“She’ll never have what’s yours, siren.” Sin brushed his lips against mine. “Shadow would never. The guy is head over heels. Just like the rest of us.”
I smiled at that, turning to watch the guys lead her to the cemetery.
“Come on,” Sin said. “Let them deal with that mess. Right now, I want to fuck you until you’re begging God to save you.”
I let him take me back to the house because I really wanted that too.
* * *
On Monday, I awoke in Church’s bed with him and Stitches wrapped around me. I was nervous for the day. Today was Cady’s doctor appointment at the med facility.
“Good morning, specter,” Church greeted me softly. “Going somewhere?”
I quickly signed that I had to get ready because I didn’t want to miss Cady’s appointment with her. Church tugged me back to him when I went to get up, rousing Stitches in the process.
“You’re not going with her to the appointment,” Church said, brushing my hair away from my face.
I narrowed my eyes at him, signing my irritation and confirming that I was, in fact, going.
“I can say with a fair amount of certainty that you’re not,” Church said. “You know the rules. You don’t step foot in that place. I’ll be with her today. I promise to take care of her. I’ll come to you the moment we’re done.”
I huffed, making him laugh softly.
“Mm, I love when you’re pissed off, baby. Gets my dick hard.”
“And I love when I take her away from you and fuck her instead,” Stitches said, dragging me away from Church.
“Prick,” Church said, smirking at Stitches as he kissed along my shoulder. “You didn’t get your fill last night? You hogged her the entire time.”
“What can I say? I’m a greedy asshole.”
I rolled and faced Stitches, kissing him lightly before I signed to him.
He laughed softly and looked over my shoulder at Church.
“Let me guess. She’s trying to convince you to let her go,” Church said.
“She makes a convincing case. She’s promised me an entire week of being alone with her in my bed.”
“Cute. Not happening.” Church stood and pulled me away from Stitches, who groaned. “Get dressed, baby. Shadow, Sin, and Ashes are taking you to classes. Stitches can come with me. Unless you want to swap with Ashes?” Church looked over at Stitches.
“I’d prefer it. I hate that place,” Stitches said softly. “If that’s OK.”
“It’s fine. I want whatever you want.”
Stitches relaxed. Church slapped me on the ass. “Get dressed. You’ll be late. Grumbling, I went into the bathroom and showered before dressing. I pulled my hair back into a long ponytail. I never wore it up, so everyone stopped and stared at me when I got downstairs.
“What’s this?” Sin asked, reaching for the thick pony and wrapping it around his hand. “I like this. I can direct you anywhere. I. Want.” He angled my neck and pressed his lips against mine. “I’m so going to fuck you like this.”
I nipped his bottom lip, making him kiss me harder.
“Hey, save some for the rest of us,” Ashes said, dragging me away and into his arms. Sin grumbled and grabbed a slice of toast as Ashes kissed me.
“I do like this,” Ashes murmured. “You’re always so pretty, heaven.”
I grinned and kissed him before breaking free to kiss Shadow.
“Morning,” he said. “I like the ponytail, too, but I like everything when it comes to you.”
“Suck up,” Stitches teased.
Shadow flipped him off.
“OK. Get her to classes. Ashes and I will handle Cady. I’ll be in touch. See you guys. Specter, be good. I’ll know if you’re not and will punish you accordingly. Stitches, Shadow, make sure you let that bitch out of the mausoleum this morning.
Stitches grunted, and Shadow led me to the door, Sin following. We pulled open the door to find Asylum waiting.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he greeted me, offering me his arm. “I thought I’d join you for a stroll to classes.”
I laced my arm with his as Stitches and Shadow bid us goodbye to go to the cemetery to release Lucy. Sin rested his hand on my lower back as we walked to campus.
“Like old times, huh, Sin?” Asylum asked.
Sin laughed softly. “Somewhat. Things are better now.”
“Good.”
I listened as the pair talked about the weather, classes, and one of the sisters, because there was a rumor going around that she was meeting up with another sister in her spare time.
When they left me at my class, I went in, unable to concentrate. By the third class of the morning, I hadn’t heard from anyone, and I was getting worried.
When lunch rolled around, I darted out of my class and crashed into Ashes.
“Hey, heaven,” he greeted me. “In a hurry?”
I nodded, making him smile.
“Come on. We’re calling it an early day.”
I took his hand and let him lead me through campus and back to our house. Church and Cady were already sitting on the couch talking. She was crying. Immediately, I released Ashes’s hand and rushed to her.
“It’s OK, specter. She’s fine,” Church said.
The front door opened, and Stitches, Sin, and Shadow came in. Sin moved quickly and sat on the L of the couch, his focus on Cady and me.
“What’s the verdict?” Stitches demanded. “Tell me something good, man.”
Shadow sat on the couch next to Cady and rubbed her back.
“Cadence. Tell them. Tell Sin,” Church instructed softly.
Cady wiped her eyes and licked her trembling lips.
“S-Sin?”
“Yeah?” Sin sat forward, looking sick to his stomach.
I held my breath. I didn’t know what I wanted. Either way felt like it would be bad. Sin would lose it. I knew he’d try to hold it together, but we’d only just gotten him out of his funk. This would set him back. And if it were Adam’s…
I held her hands tightly.
“Sin,” she repeated.
He got up and kneeled beside me. He reached out and cradled her face.
“Tell me. I can handle it,” he said, his voice wavering.
“It’s…the baby isn’t yours. I’m almost a month further along. It-It’s Adam’s.”
Sin’s hands shook for a moment before he let out a sob and hugged her.
“I-I’m sorry, Cady. I am. I’m sorry,” he said, holding her as she cried. I wrapped my arms around them, hugging them tightly.
Relief flooded through me.
I hated that it did, but it was there.
Sin released Cady and dragged me against him, kissing my forehead fiercely.
“I love you, Sirena. I fucking love you,” he whispered. His hold didn’t linger. Instead, he released me, got to his feet, and walked out the door.
“Where is he going?” Shadow asked.
“He needs some time,” Ashes murmured. “He’s been stressed. He’ll be back.”
“I’ll go check on him.” Stitches got up and left, leaving us.
In a surprising move, Church moved from his chair and sat next to Cady. I watched him pull her in for a hug and kiss the top of her head.
“You have me,” he said softly. “You’re family. That baby is my family. I’ll take care of you guys. You won’t be alone. You’ll have us.”
I smiled, my heart filling at his words. It was completely out of character for him, but I loved that he was growing. She clung to him, crying softly.
I wrapped my arms around them, vowing we’d all make sure that baby had a good life and everything it would ever want.
It was just more reason to kill these monsters and free us all.