Page 80 of Sire

Tears well in my eyes, seeing the bruises on Alan, too. When he wasn’t high, he always protected me from his father. And when he was high, I protected Alan. It’s what Nannie would’ve wanted.

While Loch stays by the truck with him, I walk back to Sire, who’s still got Waylon on his knees.

There’s an eerie calmness to him.

Like that’s Sire’s body, but not his soul.

He passes his rifle to Jace, who takes it, covering Waylon while Sire unsheathes the machete strapped to his waist. I knew it wasn’t for the thick brush on our hike.

Sire yanks Waylon’s hair, exposing his neck before he places the blade to his open throat. “Look at my future wife,” he snarls. “This is for my angel. She’s the last one you’ll see before you burn in hell.”

“Fuck you,” Waylon spits.

“Don’t you dare get fucking blood on my Killshots.” Sire seethes, preaching scripture into his ear, “Do it and I’ll punish you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD, who strikes.” Sire punches his face with his empty fist.

“Aw, shit,” Jace mutters, glancing at Axel. “Get two tarps out of my pack. He’s about to make a holy, fucking mess.”

“Wren,” Sire ignores him. “What do you have to say to him in his final moment?”

I stand over Waylon and search his empty eyes. He’s worse than the Devil. He believes in nothing, but I do.

I slap his face. “That’s for Banjo.” I pull back and spit in his eye. “And that’s for Alan.” With rage, I rear back and kick him in the balls, and he doubles over while I sneer, “And that’s for me and the girls. Fuck you, you little dicked evil piece of shit.”

But the urge is too strong. I kick his balls again because there will never be enough punishment for men like him.

Then, I gracefully make the sign of the cross. “And that’s for Nannie. She’s the only one who can save your soul now.”

I look at Sire and find a glimmer of the man I love. “He’s all yours, my Lord.”

With a pivot, I turn away. I know what Sire will do after I leave, and it doesn’t bother me.

I trust in God, Sire, and his vengeance.

I ride with Loch while we take Alan and Mr. Grinzer to the hospital. The sound of the gravel road and the silence of the victims in our backseat quiet me.

Loch reaches over, gently touching my hand. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You fight like a queen.” He winks. “You know you’re ours now, right?”

Through the passenger window, I watch the rolling green ridges of the peaceful mountains I love and shed my last tears. I say goodbye to my past.

“Yeah.” I nod. “I know where I belong now.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

SIRE

Jace rubs his abs,grumbling, “When are we stopping for lunch?”

I catch Loch, who’s driving, rolling his eyes in the rearview mirror, so I kick Jace’s boot. “Quit being fungry.”

He scowls, “What’s fungry?”

“Fucking hungry. We just ate breakfast.”

“But that was two hours ago.”