“It’s fine,” Adam assures him. “I’ll go downstairs.”
“We’re not putting you in a cell.” I shake my head.
“We will if it’ll buy us time,” Kash argues.
I run a hand through my hair and sigh.
“I’ll go downstairs for now, and we’ll figure it out. Sin…” He picks up the gun and hands it back to Sin and nods to the door. He and Sin exit the office.
“This is bullshit!” Saint slams his hands on the desk when the door closes, giving us a few seconds to discuss what the fuck we’re going to do with our brother.
“I say we keep him locked up. I mean, whatever makes the Lords happy.” Kashton throws his hands out to his side. “Otherwise, he’ll always be on the run.”
Saint sighs and nods. “I agree. Ashtyn…wants him around,” he says tightly, letting us know that he’s still very angry with Adam but wants Ashtyn to have some sort of relationship with her brother.
“We’ll figure something out,” I assure them.
We make our way to the elevator, and right before the door closes, we hear a loud noise. “What the fuck was that?” Kash demands.
“Sounded like a fucking gun,” Saint growls, already hitting the button on the elevator to open the door before it can even come to a stop.
We all three rush out once it reaches the basement to see Sin on his knees, blood running from his busted nose, and Adam on the floor lying next to him.
Sin looks up at us, raising his empty hands as he speaks. “He took my gun.”
NINETY-ONE
HAIDYN
It’s a gloomy day at Carnage, and I’m not just talking about the weather. “Meet you at the Graveyard” by Cleffy softly plays from a small speaker.
I stand dressed in a suit and tie. My black Pradas sink in the muddy ground from the rain we’ve had for the past two days. I’ve always loved rainy days, but today is different. My heart is heavy as we say goodbye to our brother.
Ashtyn’s cries turn to sobs as Saint has to help hold her up. She and Adam were never close, but have you ever been given a second chance at something and have it taken away before you could see where it goes? That’s how she feels. Plus, with her pregnancy, her hormones are off the charts. She knows that Adam did what he thought was best for her, but she’ll never get to ask why.
A soft hand squeezes mine, and I look down at Charlotte standing next to me in her black dress. My free hand holds the umbrella over us. The words she told me last night echo in my mind.“It’s not your fault.”
But it is. I made a deal with the devil to protect my brother, and it ended up costing all of us everything. So much could havebeen avoided if we had come together years ago. I did what I thought was right, but now that I have Charlotte, I see it was all wrong. I could have saved a lot of people, a lot of heartaches. But here we are. It’s too late to turn back. I have a wife and children on the way.
We can only move forward and try to live with the losses we’ve been dealt.
“He wouldn’t kill himself,” Ashtyn cries as the rain covers her once curled hair. Now it sticks to her shoulders and face. Her umbrella is open and on the ground. She gave up holding it long ago.
“Ash—”
“No.” She cuts off Saint. “I don’t believe it.” She pulls out of his arms and runs to the casket. She pushes it open and screams when she sees what’s left of her brother. We chose a closed casket for a reason. Saint didn’t want her to see him that way—what was left of him. Should have sealed the damn thing shut.
“Jesus.” Kashton grabs the lid and slams it down as Saint picks up his wife. Her legs no longer able to hold herself up when she falls into the mud.
Saint carries her to their car he has parked by the entrance of Carnage. He’s taking her back to the main building.
“Goodbye…brother.” Kash speaks brokenly before leaning over, kissing the wet casket, and walks to his car.
“Kash?” I call after him, but he jumps in the driver’s seat, slams the door, and turns the opposite way as Saint did. He squeals his tires, exiting the gates, and leaves Carnage.
I remain where I am, unable to say goodbye. The last time I stood here was after our six months of “training.” I finally had a chance to breathe and came out here where our fathers were buried. I wanted to tell the bastard goodbye. That I wasn’t sad he was killed. And that I hope he rots in hell. One that is far worse than Carnage. But now I can’t seem to move.
“Haidyn?” Charlotte says in a soft voice.
