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“Nope,” Ash huffed.

“Really?” I spouted, sitting up. “You have nothing to say about almost getting us killed?Again!”

“Again?” Ash’s brows tempered, turning more to face me. “If you remember correctly, we were hiding in here because ofyoulast time…Scarlet.”

His dig only enraged me.

“And what about the time before that? And the one before that? You were about to shoot the prime minister and the queen in front of everyone.”

“She isnota queen,” he yelled, standing up. “And her twat of a son is not a prince. They are murderers.”

“And you were about to be one in the middle of a crowded square with trained guards everywhere?”

“You have room to talk,” he threw back at me. “Isn’t that why the Mafia is after you?”

Oh, he didn’t just say that. “Fuck you!” Shame and fury jumped me to my feet, matching his energy. “And I didn’t mean to…” I cut off my claim, shaking my head. “You do!”

“Yes! It’s the whole point of me being here. Why I never wanted you with me.” He tossed out his arms. “And why do you care about their lives? Do you know what they have done? Those they have hurt and killed?”

“I don’t care about them. I care about you,” I shouted, wanting to suck back in the words I spilled. Ash’s back straightened, his gaze making me feel raw and exposed, pushing more anger through me. “What the hell were you thinking?”

He tipped his head back.

“Tell me!”

“I wasn’t thinking, okay?” he belted. “All I could see were the very people who took my soul from me. They deserve to die. To pay for what they did to Lucas and Kek, and most of all tome.” He hit his chest. “Because I have to be the one who goes on… who has to keep living without them.”

Tightness snarled in my chest and gut, a possessive jealousy I quickly shoved away.

“Maybe I wasn’t thinking clearly, but it made me realize how much you have distracted me from my mission. The whole reason I am here.” He put his hands on his hips with an accusatory tone. “And now they know I am here.”

“And that’s my fault?”

“Yes! You stopped me from fulfilling my promise. They could be dead now, but I ran away from the single thing that is important to mefor you.”

His statement struck me like a spiked mace.

“The only thing important to you?” I choked out. “Go fuck yourself, Ash. Go join your lovers…”

“Screw you!”

“Whoa!” The clergyman stepped closer, putting his hands out to us. “Let’s calm down.”

“What’s stopping you?” I tossed out my arms. “Go.” I motioned to the door. “Go get yourself killed for no reason.”

“No. Reason?” he sputtered.

“You think they want you to die for them?” I continued, tears burning the back of my lids. “This is how they want you to live your life? Angry, resentful, and hard-hearted?”

“Don’t act as if you know them or me,” he snarled, leaning closer.

The reverend tried to push us apart again.

“You’re right, I don’t know them… but I doubt they’d want you miserable, basically begging for death so you don’t have to feel pain anymore.”

He jolted back, both of us panting.

“All right.” The reverend’s tone was low and calm. “Let’s take a breath.” He took one himself. “You two have some things to work out.”