Page 166 of Where Sinners Repent

Another gunshot ricochets through the air. It takes me a second to realise what is happening. Isaac’s eyes are wide. Unseeing. And then he drops to the ground, blood pooling around his head.

Roxy jumps away from him, clutching her throat. Coming away with only a tiny cut across her delicate neck. The Wraiths turn, guns raised.

As Zeke walks through the door.

Chapter 42

Kai

There is only her.

Still alive.

She barely gives her dead brother a glance before she sprints over to me, falling to her knees by my side.

So pretty.

So fucking pretty.

Pain sears through my shoulder and my thigh. But pain is an old friend.

“Kai,” she cries. “Kai, I’m sorry.”

Why does she keep crying? Why does she keep apologising?

Trying to lift my arm to wipe her tears makes my vision blur, and my arm drops heavily back to the ground.

We are going to die. All of us. That much is clear.

Roxy doesn’t understand the gravity the man behind her holds, as he strides through the building, men following behind him. She doesn’t know her brothers were just a distraction . The real enemy was just hiding. Waiting for the time to strike.

Now is the time.

Zeke’s dark eyes scan the room. His face is neutral, but there’s a satisfied spark in his eyes. holding all the cards, and he knows it.

Ash reaches for his gun, taking aim at Zeke, whose men respond in kind, guns pointed at Ash. A fucking stand off. Jesus fuck.

“Ash,” Zeke chastises, shaking his head. His immaculate suit looks completely out of place with the grime and blood and dead bodies. “Is that how you welcome back an old friend?”

“What do you want?” Ash growls.

I blink slowly up at Roxy, who is ignoring what’s happening around her, desperately trying to stop the bleeding and pressing her palms over the bullet wound on my shoulder. Tears are constant, sliding down her cheeks.

Turning my eyes to Zeke, the whole room spins with it.

“Oh, there are many things I want,” he murmurs, eyes flicking over to Roxy. “Firstly, a thank you for saving this sweet thing.”

My lip curls, making Zeke smirk.

“Secondly, I want my fucking club back.” He looks around the room at the dead Wraiths with disgust. “Seems like some little delinquents have taken it upon themselves to... look after it, while I was gone.”

Finally, Zeke acknowledges the ones still standing, staring at him as if they’ve seen a ghost. The same men who were cheering Jacob on less than an hour ago, now watch him for orders. Cowards.

“You boys have been busy while I’ve been away.”

Zeke pulls a face at Isaac’s dead body.

“Declaring me dead,” he murmurs, pressing his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “Choosing yourselves a new president. Terrorising our little friends over here. Stealing from them and everything... How brave.”