Ashes (The Boys of Chapel Crest, #2)

by K.G. Reuss

Our Rinny. My greatest failure. My greatest weakness. My greatest love.

“What are you sorry for?” I tilted my head in the other direction as I surveyed him. He knows what he’s sorry for. I know. Don’t let him lie. Don’t kill him either. I’ll let her see her trophy. She needs to see my love. I have so much to prove to her. To our Rinny. My firefly. She needs to know. “F-for t-t-touching S-S-Sire—“ “Ah, ah, ah,” I tsked, running my blade along his tear soaked cheek. “What did I say she is?” “F-forever girl. Y-your f-f-fore-ever g-girl.”

No one fucked with my heaven and got away with it. No one.

I don’t need her to have a broken heart on top of the shit she’s already dealing with. Got it, shrimp dick?” “The fuck? Shrimp dick?” I snarled at her. “I don’t have a fucking shrimp dick. I can prove it if you’d like.” She raised her brows at me. “By all means, prove it.” I scowled at her as Ashes let out a soft chuckle. “Fuck that. Fuck you too.” “Unlikely to happen with a shrimp dick.” This bitch…

“I’d never considered what my life would be like past Chapel Crest, but you made me see a future. A real one. Me and you with the guys. Happy. Free of the shit in our lives. I still feel that way. I still see that future for all of us together.” I swallowed thickly. “You just need to come back, baby. I’ll take you to our spot at Pictured Rocks. I’ll make love to you beneath the stars. I’ll whisper to you how much I love you because I do, heaven. I love you so fucking much.” I breathed out and swiped at the dampness along my lashes.

“I fucking love you, Sirena,” I whispered. “I can’t do this without you. Come back. Please. I don’t even care how long it takes. I’ll wait forever if I have to.”

“You’re gone, aren’t you?” I whispered, caressing her cheek. “You fucking left me, didn’t you?” I bit back a sob. “Everyone leaves me. But you know what, specter?” I leaned in and put my lips to her ear, my tears falling into her hair. “I’m never leaving you. You are my love. My fucking obsession. And the next time you leave me, we’ll go in body bags together. I fucking promise you.”

“I’m inclined to give you a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder. Tell me, Seth. How many voices are in your head? Who am I speaking to right now?”

I’d heard this diagnosis before. I’d heard them all. Bi-polar. Narcissistic. Dissociative identity disorder. Schizophrenia. Disruptive behavior and dissocial disorders, particularly oppositional defiant disorder. And my favorite. . . neuropsychiatric disorder. Basically, they called me a psychopath.

“Did you know Church’s dad eats pretty, little girls like you, Rinny?” I whispered into her ear.

Wait....cannibals?

“You shut the fuck up, you overbearing ass muncher.

I love her

“She says your name in her sleep,” I said. “Calls for you. Begs you.” “Stop.” “Her voice. It’s so soft and sweet. So innocent. Sinful. Please. Please, Sinful. Help me. That’s what she screamed in her head when she realized you’d trapped her with me. She begged to God for you to come back and save her from her fate.” “STOP.” He punched the wall, cracking his knuckles open. His blood dripped out from the broken skin as his body quaked. I smiled at that. “My point is, it’s easy to get lost in a nightmare. You’ll wake up, Sinclair, and all will be well. I promise. . . just as soon as I cut you free from the ropes.”

I liked taking care of her. This felt a million times more enjoyable than smashing a shovel over her head.

“You fucked up,” Church said, his voice trembling. “I loved you, Sinclair. You were my brother. My best friend. I’d have done anything for you. You fucking knew that. YOU KNEW IT! YOU SAW ME DO IT!”

I admired the job the watchers had done on him. They were my kind of people. I’d probably have lashed him to the cross with his own entrails though. But really, potato, pah-ta-to. He OK? He’s fine. Thank fuck. I’ll be there in a minute. Silence descended in my head.

PS Tell Stitches it’s OK to not be OK.