Page 163 of Where Sinners Repent

Whatever happened, whatever brought her to that decision, it doesn’t matter. She came back.

She risked everything for us. For me.

Tears pour down her face. My ears ring from the gunshots.

Isaac is staring wide-eyed at Ethan’s bloody excuse for a head. Roxy’s pleas seem to pull him from his trance, and he moves, bringing her with him.

My throat is raw from my roar. One she won’t hear. A moment later, three Wraiths come in and force me to follow them. My body trembles with the fury and potent fucking fear like I’ve never felt. Not for me. Never for me.

When the hall opens up into the main loading bay, the shooting stops. The fighting ceases. Isaac’s bargaining chip worked.

A boot against my back has me falling against the concrete, and my face collides with the cement. Everything spins, dots forming in my vision. With all my strength, I force myself up. It will kill me to see her go like this. But my own selfishness won’t allow me to let her do it alone.

Bodies blur and the ground dips from beneath me. I try to focus on her, but everything keeps moving. Narrowing my eyes, I spot her.

Standing in front of a kneeling Kai, with the knife still at her throat. Nobody moves. Hundreds of Devils stand amongst the carnage with their guns still raised. Blood puddles over the ground and dead lay everywhere.

The Devils are tense, waiting for the instructions to kill every remaining Wraith. Which is barely two dozen.

Ash is behind Kai, watching it all play out.

“Go,” Kai orders.

None of them moves. Their eyes shift to each other, but nobody lowers their weapons. To them, it doesn’t make sense. It’s an easy win. A few more rounds fired, and we leave here.

Except one.

Isaac’s muscles ripple, his arm tightening around his sister.

“Either they leave, or she dies,” Isaac spits, head rapidly searching the space.

Most likely counting his Wraiths. Seeing how royally he has fucked up.

“Don’t,” Roxy whimpers. “I did this, Kai. I’m so sorry. I knew what coming back would mean.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Isaac roars in her ear, making her flinch.

My heart cleaves down the middle, seeing her scared. Listening to her beg as if her life isn’t the most precious thing on this earth.

“You heard me,” Kai yells. “Fall back!”

Still, they don’t move, and Kai’s chest heaves with something that looks like a sob. Kai fucking breaks.

“Go!” he screams, his voice cracking through the building. He rises to his feet, finding his gun. Instead of pointing it at Isaac, he spins behind him. To the Devils. “Get the fuck out! All of you! Fall back, that’s a fucking order!”

I’ve never heard him sound like that. Desperate and scared. Unravelling before my eyes.

“Like fuck we are leaving you,” Danny growls, tightening his grip on his gun.

Ash spins. “You heard him. Go!”

Roxy sobs.

Slowly, they lower their guns. None of them wants to go. I can see it in the way they move, ready to turn back in an instant. Leaving us here goes against everything they stand for. Everything they’ve been trained for.

“No! Stop!” Roxy screams, fighting against Isaac’s hold. “Don’t listen to him! Don’t go!”

“Roxy,” Kai warns in a raw whisper.