Page 152 of Desecrated Saints
Pressing a kiss to my hair, Seven joins Hudson, shoving sand in the hole with one hand. I stand at the edge of the grave until it’s filled all the way in. They smooth the sand over together, concealing my mother’s empty body in the rugged beauty of the coastline.
I was prepared for a shadowy figure to appear, but my mind conjures no such horror. Hunter’s well-paid shrink started me back on medication. Doctor Richards is actually very kind and amicable, content to sit in silence for hours until I’m ready to talk.
He’s preparing for our arrival at Clearview tomorrow morning. Then, our long road to recovery will begin. It promises to be a hell of a bumpy ride.
Clearing her throat, Teegan approaches me next. I let her arms wind around me in one of her signature tight hugs. She penetrated my lonely bubble from day one with her quirks and awkward charm. I couldn’t imagine a world without her in it as my best friend.
“I’m gonna come see you all the time,” she whispers in my ear. “I’ll bring you old records and band t-shirts. Maybe the odd cigarette if I can hide them in my bra.”
My laugh is wet, teary. “You have a life to live too.”
“Friends don’t bail when one of them gets locked in the loony bin. Been there, done that. Got the fucking t-shirt.” She pulls back to hit me with a dazzling smile. “When you get out, we’ll drink beer and put the whole goddamn world to rights.”
“Promise?”
She sticks out her pinky finger. “I promise, crazy bitch. I’ll give you guys a minute. See you inside?”
Our fingers link and seal our promise. With a final wink, she begins the long walk back to the cottage. I’m left with the intense stares of five broken, defiant men. Four don’t want me to go. One is as batshit crazy as I am. We have to be the most fucked up family on this earth.
“I don’t know what to say to you all.”
Despite everything, their strangled laughs match mine until we’re all gasping and fighting tears. Kade takes the lead and approaches me, a knowing smile on his lips. I happily walk into his embrace, avoiding his broken arm.
“We told you, love. You’re ours, in this life and the next.”
Hudson clears his throat, his eyes shining. “Always and forever, blackbird.”
“You couldn’t get rid of us even if you tried,” Phoenix says proudly.
Emerald eyes meeting mine, Eli points to his jean-covered hip. His lips move silently, reserving our macabre promise for the intimacy of silence. Some things shouldn’t be said aloud.
“Until death do us part,” I mouth back.
A gentle hand lands on my shoulder.
“This is our last night outside for a while,” Seven points out. “What do you want to do, princess?”
I watch Hudson approach him, their shoulders brushing. Despite everything, he’s still being fucking shy. Seven rolls his eyes before taking his hand from my shoulder and snatching Hudson’s instead. Kade smothers a laugh at their antics.
“I want a happy memory to hold on to.”
Phoenix’s face lights up with a devious idea. He tears his sweatshirt over his head, despite the freezing, almost wintery temperature. We all watch in bemusement as his shoes go flying next.
“Last one in the ocean has to wash the dishes.”
Then he’s gone, sprinting down the steep sandbank and yelling his head off. It’s a split second before Eli follows, unable to be parted from his blue-haired soulmate. I watch the pair of idiots go, shedding even more clothes on their way down to the water.
“I fucking hate washing up,” Hudson blurts.
He shoves his lips against Seven’s briefly before kissing me with feverish need. We’re both left standing there as he takes off after the other two, his black t-shirt landing in a nearby shrub.
“He is quite possibly the laziest human on this planet,” Seven grumbles, toeing off his shoes. “We can’t let them win, princess. It sets a dangerous precedent.”
In a blur of long hair and bared teeth, he gives chase. Hudson’s fast, but Seven is a whole other breed. They collide halfway down the sandbank and end up wrestling all the way to the bottom, landing in a steamy tangle. I watch four naked blurs head for the crashing waves.
Kade sighs. “Seeing my brother’s naked ass wasn’t on my list of priorities for today.”
“Looks like we’re the sore losers.”
