Page 144 of Stitches

STITCHES

We waited on the edge of the clearing in the night. Not a soul knew that Sirena had been hurt. While I knew Cady deserved to know, it was better this way. Quieter.

Easier to hunt as Church had said.

Sin had come back and sat with her. We told him we were going to check some leads. He didn’t question us. He simply nodded and took her hand again.

He wasn’t the same Sin we’d known.

It wasn’t a bad thing. It was simply…sad.

And Asylum. He was exhausted. Whatever his weird abilities were had to have drained him because he was zombie-like. He’d returned to the facility, saying there was no way he’d be able to rest in his bed.

When we’d left, he was curled up in a chair next to the heater in her room, his face pale.

He wasn’t anyone I could understand and trying to left me with a headache. All I knew was that we all felt secure knowing they were with her.

We didn’t tell them what she’d said. She’d fallen back to sleep shortly after without another word.

Now we were here in the dark. Waiting.

If this guy was how I thought he was, he’d show.

“There,” Church murmured, nodding to the edge of the clearing opposite of us.

A guy with a white rabbit mask stepped forward.

“Mask looks different,” I commented softly.

“Who gives a fuck. It’s a fucking rabbit in the clearing. How many of these fucks are on campus?” Church hissed through the darkness.

He had a point.

“Let’s fucking get his ass. Ready?” Church looked from Ashes on his left to me on his right.

“Ready,” I said.

“Ready.” Ashes shifted forward, pure fury in his eyes.

It matched what was blazing in my soul and what was written all over Church’s movements.

“Go,” Church snarled.

We launched out from the trees so fast the rabbit barely had time to turn and try to run.

I was first to catch him. I knocked him to the ground, my fists meeting every part of his body I could get to.

Then Church joined. Then Ashes.

He tried to fight us off, but it was no use. Three on one never was. We had experience in matters like that.

When he stopped struggling beneath us, his voice muffled by his mask and our fists, did we finally slow down.

His chest heaved with his ragged breathing.

“Take his mask off,” Church demanded. “Let’s see who the fuck is who hurt her.”

I reached out and grabbed the rabbit mask, my heart in my throat.

Rabbit groaned softly.

I tore the mask from his face, Ashe’s holding his arms, and stared down at the face behind it, a soft gasp leaving my mouth.

“I’m sorry,” Bryce rasped, his face a bloody, swollen mess from our attack. “I-I’m sorry. I only wanted her to talk to me. S-she won’t talk to me.”

“And she never will again,” Church said, his voice dripping with poison as he whipped out his knife. “Let’s see if you can scream as loud as she can.”

He brought the knife down swiftly, steel meeting flesh, Bryce’s screams piercing the night.

To Be Continued in…