Page 165 of Where Sinners Repent

“Why would you do this?” she weeps. “Why would you do this for me?”

Kai doesn’t answer. He doesn’t need to. Everything he feels is written on his face for the first time ever.

A sob tears from her. “You stupid fucking idiot.”

From my periphery, I see my brother’s lips twitch.

“Kai,” she begs, quieter this time. “Call them back.”

Isaac jerks her hard enough to make her cry out. Every muscle in my body locks, and Kai jumps halfway to his feet. Twelve guns lift in an instant.

“Stay the fuck down!” Isaac roars.

Kai slowly lowers himself again.

“Get up,” Roxy begs. “Please, Sunshine, get up.”

His eyes close for a split second at the name. Then he gives his head a soft shake.

“This has been fun to watch,” Isaac drawls, a cruel smile curving on his face. “But this bitch just killed our brother.” He snarls into her ear, “I’m going to cut your fucking head off and then I’m going to kill your little boyfriends too.”

He turns to his Wraiths. “If any of them move, put a bullet in their fucking heads.”

“I hope Ethan is waiting for you in hell, little sister,” he grits. “Then he can have the chance to do what I’m about to do.”

The muscles in his forearm ripples, and Roxy takes a grounding breath. Her eyes fall on us. On my brother and me. The men who dole out pain for a living.

My arms pull at the restraints, but nothing budges.

Not for the first time in my life, there is nothing I can do. And again, not for the first time, I pray.

I don’t know who I’m praying to. God. The Devil. Every fucking soul I’ve sent somewhere before their time. Whoever might be listening to a sinner like me.

Please. Don’t take her.

I’ll repent. I’ll fucking beg. I’ll drag myself through hell and back to make sure she gets a chance at a happy life.

Maybe repentance isn’t forgiveness.

Maybe it’s a sinner on his knees, finally finding something he loves more than his own fucking sins.

“I love you,” she whispers.

My brave girl closes her eyes to brace for what is about to happen.

Kai jumps to his feet, getting halfway to her before a gun goes off. His body jerks with the impact, blood spraying.

Roxy screams. Kai continues impossibly, and he’s almost there but another bullet hits him. He falls to his knees in front of her.

Isaac snarls. “Say goodbye, bitch.”

I watch in horror as his arm flexes, the knife sliding. She’s going to die. In front of my brother, who has been shot twice now.

I failed again.

Failed both of them.

The air whooshes out of my lungs and I can barely keep my eyes open. But I deserve this. Deserve the pain of watching what I couldn’t fix.