The Sinners (Raven River Academy, #2)

by Ruby Vincent

“Nothing is going to happen to you while you live in this town.” “Then let’s stop pretending we didn’t trade ‘you and me’ for ‘us’ a long time ago.”

“Hooking up barely covers it. Cassius pogoes on my G-spot every other night like it’s an Olympic event.”

“It’s not your job to save me, princess.” I softly pecked his lips. “Someone has to.”

“Should I carry you inside? How literally are you taking this princess thing?” I cracked a smile, and marveled that he made me do that. “You dress me, cook for me, chauffeur me around, and carry me to bed. A girl can get spoiled.” “I’m good to spoil you today.”

“She slept in my bed every night,” I said as we closed the distance. “She had her own, but she’d crawl into mine after our parents put us to bed. When I die, I’ll sleep next to her again.”

😭

“You don’t get to say that to me!” I shoved him. We tipped over crashing onto the grass. “You haven’t forgiven yourself!” “And I won’t until you show me how!” Royal grabbed my wrists. He pinned them to the ground and covered me with his body. “You want to save me, princess? Start right now.”

Royal held me down, but it was truer to say he held me together. My tears slowed under his soft murmuring, and my broken pieces reformed like a video of a smashed vase played in reverse.

“You’ve made yourself clear. You’re in charge of the Angels. Now I’ll make something clear,” I purred. “You three are going to stop treating me like I’m nothing more than a shared fuck. You protected me, looked after Eli, and saved my life. I can’t just walk away after everything we’ve been through. I will help you find this dealer for your reasons and mine, and when we do find him, we’re turning him in. Not hurting him.” I pressed my mouth to his lips. “The Angels are about to become a democracy or this pussy closes up shop.”

It wasn’t fair that he kept doing this. Drive me insane one minute and then the next do something above and beyond. My heart expanded taking in the drawing of Royal’s that would forever be my favorite.

We weren’t doing anything above a PG rating. Clay folded his hands behind his head, mine were above the waist, and our clothes were neat and buttoned. Somehow, here with Clay in his tucked-away spot, was one of the most intimate moments of my life. I felt myself growing closer to him.

“That’s the thing about you, Clay. You’re smart, strong, fearless, and feared, but you wear your heart on your sleeve. I don’t know anyone who loves harder than you do. Who has sacrificed more. I know how you feel about me, and it makes me happier than I can put into words that I’m someone you... care for.”

Clay held my hands as he told me he’d free me from the Horsemen. He held me as I sat in that terrible office, waiting to die. And he held me then. In the water desperate to carry us away, Clay was my lifeline.

“You’re going to have everything you want, Em.” The river made his touch cool on my cheek. “I know you will.” “You’ll have everything you want too, Clay. Even the things you won’t let yourself wish for.” “Life doesn’t work that way. Not for me.” I heard a splinter eerily similar to my heart breaking. Clay truly believed his life wouldn’t change.

“Sometimes when it’s all too much, I hold my breath till it feels like my lungs will burst and at that last second my body will force me to let go. There’s a part of me that wants to keep going. No matter how bad it gets or how hard I resist, I have to take a breath.”

“You should draw some for me,” I said. “I’d love my own collection of you in various compromising positions.” “Sorry, princess,” he said with a smirk. “I warned you I don’t draw for anyone.” Royal got off the bed. “That’s not fair.” He pulled me up. “I return the favor in dick and orgasms. It’s plenty fair.” “You saying you only sleep with me to feed your muse?” Royal kissed my grinning lips. “I sleep with you because I can only go about two days before the withdrawal kills me. That spell your pussy has me under is strong.”

“you watch yourself and how you speak to our girl. My boys say you’ve been getting mouthy. Three years and we haven’t had a problem, Hart. Don’t get stupid now.”

“Why are you always hanging with Lacroix?” “He is what we call a friend on this planet.” “Just a friend... right?” I made a strangled noise. “How are you asking me that? Of course he’s just a friend.” “And Lighthouse too,” added Clay. “He was feeling you up the other day.” “You mean when he pulled a leaf out of my hair?” “He took his sweet time with that damn leaf.” “I’m leaving now.”

🤣 the guys being suspicious about her friendship with Gabriel and Brandon

“Real men don’t believe seven letters can make up for their mistakes. And it doesn’t. I’m sorry isn’t good enough, but I’ll give it to you anyway if it helps at all to make us good.”

I love that these guys know how to apologize.

“Your smile,” I said. “It’s beautiful.” Hiro opened his mouth and said the worst thing he possibly could. “Yours is too.”

I FELT STRANGE FOR the rest of the day—or I should say the rest of the week. “Yours is too.” What the hell did that mean? Did he say that because Sutton was right there and it was the easiest thing to say? When was Hiro noticing my smile? Did he mean it? Was I a loon for stressing about three words thrown at me in a feelings workshop?

she's freaking about Hiro saying her smile is beautiful too 🤣

“It’s not damn obvious by now that I’d do anything for you? Your ass does have me whipped. Happy now?”

Oh, Royal 😍😂

“You know what,” I mused, “I bet if I was pregnant, you’d marry me.” “Shut up.” “Get down on one knee, spouting your undying love.” My grin split my face. “You’d whisk me off to New York with Cassius and Clay in the backseat and spend the rest of your life being my sweet house husband—”

“Picking makes it sound like there was a choice. Everything happened the way it was meant to. My relationship with Royal unfolded slowly and difficultly because everything with Royal has to be. Clay and I connected at our own pace, creating something that is just ours and you...”

“You were what I needed exactly when I needed it, Cas. Just like you promised you’d be. Keeping promises—there’s nothing more important to me.”

“A thought is entering my head right now,” he said softly. “If I’m not careful, I might say it.” My breath caught. “Tell me.” He pecked my nose. “I’m going t...

“I don’t want to be just your hookup, Ember.”

“The world outside of this town does exist. You’ll get out of here before me, but one day I’ll follow you, and it’ll just be us.”

“No one will ever be able to say they have you figured out. Just when I think I can predict your next move, you prove me wrong.

your parents knew what they were doing when they chose Ember. Part of the word literally translates to fire in Japanese, and that’s what you are. Wild. Beautiful. Dangerous. Warm.”

“You and I would be a disaster together, Ember. You’d make me believe in forgiveness and hope, and I’d remind you there is none.”

I took Cassius’s and Clay’s hands as he faded in the distance. “I love you.” “We love you too.”

“I love you, Ember,” Clay said. “Possibly since the first day I met you and stole a kiss that wasn’t mine.”

“And I love you,” said Cassius. “Since the first time we had sex and you said three more times.” He accepted my swat with a grin. “And the night I looked into your eyes and saw that you and I were the same. Meant to find each other. Meant to heal the other.”

Somewhere in this list were the guys who hurt Eli and forced me to steal to meet their demands. They were begging to be found. I would oblige.

she's so freaking smart and proactive when faced with a problem. i love it and admire her for it

The woman to tame me had to be a fighter. Which means she had to be you.”

“You’re not the kind of girl that you can easily let go of.” I reached for his hand. “You don’t talk much, but when you do, it’s always to say the right thing.”

“Because after a kiss like that, I’m not buying your bullshit anymore,” I finished. “You want me, Hiro, and I want you. Make it happen.”