49. Sin
SIN
I fell to my knees at the lake, my rosary in hand as I wept. My prayers had been answered. While I didn’t want that baby to be Adam’s, I sure as hell didn’t want it to be mine. I’d have stayed in its life, but now I had this sense of freedom I hadn’t felt in weeks. Or hell, maybe ever.
Everything had finally lined up.
I could be with my siren with no strings dragging me away.
I cried for a long time, staring out at the waves, my rosary clenched so tightly in my hand it cut into my palm.
“You OK?” Stitches called out softly as he stood behind me.
“I’m free,” I whispered.
His hand rested on my shoulder. “You are.”
I wiped at my eyes as he sat next to me in the sand and stared out at the water.
“I feel awful for feeling the relief,” I admitted.
“Don’t. I’d feel relief too. Honestly, it wasn’t even me in your situation, but I’m relieved for you. You didn’t need this shit. It would have put a huge strain on our relationship with Sirena.”
I nodded, knowing it was true.
“Well, now what?” I looked over at him.
Stitches grinned. “Go knock up Sirena.”
I scoffed, but couldn’t help the smile that worked its way onto my face.
“I will. Someday,” I murmured.
Stitches clapped me on the back. “Atta boy.”
“Do you think everything will be OK?” I asked.
Stitches didn’t speak for a moment. “Yeah. I gotta tell you something, though.”
“What?” I tensed.
“Did you notice Church has been acting odd lately?”
“Yeah.” I looked back at the lake. “You know why, don’t you?”
“I do,” he said, sighing. “Our old man called him a week ago. Wants to collect on the blood contract Church signed.”
“Fuck.” I sat on my ass, my chest tight. “What does he want him to do?”
“He wants him to kidnap some sugar daddy guy.”
“One of the horsemen? A fucking mobster?”
“Yep.” Stitches shook his head and pulled a joint out. He lit it and took a deep drag before handing it to me.
I took a fortifying hit and passed it back. “So why hasn’t he said anything to the rest of us?”
“I think he’s just hoping something gives. We have enough shit going on with the baby stuff. I’m sure now he’ll mention it.”
“Or maybe someone will shoot Everett in the head and solve the problem.”
“I fucking hope it’s me,” Stitches muttered. “I owe the prick a couple of bullets.”
“Honestly, a bullet would be too kind.”
“Truth.” He took another hit and lay back. I followed, staring up at the clouds.
“I don’t want us to get wrapped up in the horsemen shit. That’s a whole fuck ton of shit I’m not interested in. That would put a target on our heads, which means Sirena would be in danger.”
“I know.” Stitches sighed.
I looked to my left as Asylum settled in next to me.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey,” he answered. “I heard the news. Congrats on not being a father… again?”
“Man.” I smoked again and handed it to him.
He took a hit and handed it back, blowing out the smoke. “Too soon, Sinclair?”
“Yeah, dick.”
He chuckled, reached into the bag he’d brought, and handed me a plain white mask.
“What’s this?” I turned it over in my hands.
“Well, I figured it’s worth a shot. If we’re to take a horsie, we should probably have on masks. I don’t need anyone there seeing my pretty face.”
He handed another plain white plastic mask to Stitches.
“What have you seen?” I asked.
“We’re going to Chicago. We’re going to take the sugar daddy. That’s all I’ve seen. It’s enough, though.”
“No shit,” Stitches muttered.
“I know their girl. Rosalie,” Asylum murmured. “Gorgeous girl. Nice rack. Perfect body. Voice of an angel. I had her beneath me only weeks ago.”
I raised my eyebrows at that. “Uh, what?”
He shook his head and smiled at me. “I’m friends with the Archangel. You’ve heard of him, right?”
“Everyone has heard of him,” I said. “The dude is a beast and was one of Everett’s henchmen.”
“Well, I happen to know him personally. We’ve killed some people together. He’s in love with Rosalie, and I helped him train her at Matteo De Santis’s place.”
I scoffed at him. “Great. You’ve got your hands in a lot of pots.”
“I do.” He nodded. “It sucks because I genuinely think Anson is a nice guy. Or rather, Alessandro De Santis.”
“Perfect,” Stitches muttered. “He’s a De Santis, too?”
“He is. Matteo’s heir.”
“I thought he had Dominic.” I frowned. “God, Malachi, do you remember Dominic?”
“How could I forget? Even as a kid, he was a prick.”
“You knew him?” Asylum asked.
“Yeah, him, Vincent, and Levin. I wouldn’t say we knew them. Ashes liked a girl when we were, like, fifteen. Stella. She was messing around with Dominic on the side. It was a whole ordeal. We had to stop Ashes from burning down his house.”
Asylum laughed and shook his head.
“It’s a tangled mess now. A fight for the throne. It’s going to get messy.” Asylum took his shoes off and wiggled his toes. “I can’t see past that. I just know it can’t end well.”
“Church won’t have a choice,” I said. “Everett will enforce the contract or Sirena…” My words tapered off. The thought of that fucking piece of shit getting her made me see red.
“As much as I care for Rosalie, I would kill anyone for Sirena,” Asylum said softly. “And for that, I’m a wicked monster.”
We fell into silence, none of us having anything to say because, really, it was true. When it came down to it, we’d kill to keep her safe.
Even if it meant people who didn’t deserve it.
* * *
I lay in bed that night, staring at my ceiling. Sirena had gone upstairs and spent the evening with Cady, so I didn’t see her when we finally returned from the lake. I was wasted anyway, so it didn’t matter. I would not have been good company.
I demanded answers from Church about why he hadn’t told us about Everett.
He genuinely seemed remorseful but told us that, yes, Everett had summoned him. We all listened to him recount what was said, Asylum chiming in that the problem wasn’t going to go away, and we’d have to act.
He handed the guys each a white mask and said he’d seen us with them.
And that was that. Church swore he’d keep us updated on shit.
Then we’d drank and smoked, all of us getting wasted, even Shadow.
I was really growing to like him. He fit in better than I originally thought he would, and he kept that twisted side of him well hidden. Sirena had chosen well.
But now, as I lay there alone, all I wanted to do was get my siren and hold her. We’d lost weeks because of all the shit happening around us.
As if she heard my prayers, my door creaked open, and she padded into the room in that long white nightgown Church made her wear.
I went up on my elbows and watched her walk toward me, the moonlight cutting across her pretty face.
“Hey,” I greeted her softly when she crawled onto the mattress and cuddled against me. “How’s my girl?”
She said nothing, her hand splayed across my bare abdomen. She lightly traced her name carved into my skin before shifting and kissing down my body.
I closed my eyes and breathed out as she situated herself between my legs and took her nightgown off, leaving her naked beneath. I lifted my hips when she made to pull my pajama bottoms off.
She licked up my hardening shaft, making me suck in a sharp breath.
Her hair was still in that ponytail, and I took advantage of it and wrapped her long strands around my hand and guided her down onto my cock.
She sucked me, making me groan softly.
I shifted my hips upward to meet her sucks.
“Fuck, baby, you keep doing that and you’ll make me come,” I rasped. “I don’t want to come in your mouth tonight. I want to come in your pussy.”
I dragged her off my cock and pulled her up my body until I was spearing her with my cock. She sank onto it with a soft moan. I held her hips, my thumb pressing against my name, as she rode me.
It didn’t take long for her to come. When she did, I let go and came with her, riding out the storm she’d created.
Breathless, she fell forward and lay on my bare chest. I lightly ran my nails down her back and kissed the top of her head.
“I love you,” I murmured.
She traced the letters onto my skin, making me smile.
“I love that you’re learning sign language,” I continued. “But I miss our notes. I reread them over and over while you were gone. It kept me sane.”
She looked at me and leaned in, kissing me gently.
I cradled her face, my heart full.
“Sirena? Can I ask you something?”
She nodded, her colorful eyes shining in the dim light from the moon.
I threaded my fingers with hers and breathed out.
“Do you think that someday, that, um, we could have a baby?” My words came out in a soft rush.
She stared back at me for a moment before she kissed me gently.
“Yes,” she answered, her lips brushing against mine.
Her answer sent my heart soaring, and that was all it took for me to roll her over and plow into her again, really hoping that someday was tomorrow.