Page 158 of Sins of the Hidden

The beeping erupted from the device on the guard's belt, accelerating rapidly. I grabbed my bat from where I'd leaned it against the wall and dove for the window.

The world detonated—a searing wave slammed into my spine, stealing my breath, filling my ears with static. The blast launched me through the window, my body airborne for a suspended moment before gravity reclaimed me. I crashed onto the manicured lawn, momentum rolling me across wet grass and decorative stones. Glass and debris rained down, slicing throughleather and skin as flames erupted from the shattered windows behind me. The concussive force had knocked the air from my lungs, leaving me gasping as the world tilted on its axis.

As darkness edged my vision, Oakley's face filled my mind, jade eyes haunted and unreadable. Had she smiled at me since our wedding, or were they all fragile half-lies I stole from her lips? The memory of her surrender earlier tasted bitter—acceptance given out of necessity rather than desire. I'd forced her into my world, chained her life to mine. If tonight was the night that finally broke that chain, would she be free, or would she carry its ghost forever?

My chest tightened. If I died here, Law would take her back. He'd give her a life I never could—sunlit mornings, easy laughter, soft words instead of silent terrors. Maybe she wouldn't mourn me. Maybe she'd celebrate my end, finally able to breathe again. And maybe, for once, I'd done something worthy of forgiveness.

Part of me wanted to stay in the flames. Let her have the peace of my absence. But the thought of never seeing her again cut deeper than any knife could. I couldn't die. Not until I knew she was truly safe.

Rough hands dragged me, scraping skin over stones and grass, the sharp scent of smoke stinging my lungs. My brain lagged behind my body—pictures snapping into place out of order. A cheek. A mouth. Eyes I'd die for.

Her lips moved like she was begging. I pretended it was my name. I pretended she gave a fuck.

"Oakley," I rasped, fingers lifting, desperate to touch her just once, to feel the reality of her skin against mine. But the image shattered, replaced by Law's scowl. I sank into bitter disappointment, the illusion more cruel than comforting.

The hallucination faded, replaced by Law's grimace as he hauled me farther from the blast zone. Blood streaked hisforehead, his expensive jacket torn and smoking at the edges. His mouth moved, forming curses I couldn't hear as he collapsed beside me once we'd reached what he deemed a safe distance.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Law wheezed, his face streaked with soot and blood. "You almost didn't make it."

Behind us, Moxley's house remained standing, but flames now licked from the shattered windows. No explosion. No collapse. Just a contained inferno that devoured everything inside without spreading to neighboring properties.

The vibration of my own coughing finally broke through the silence in my ears. Sound rushed back in waves—the crackle of flames, Chet's labored breathing as he crawled over to us, Law's frantic cursing as he checked us both for serious injuries.

Chet struggled to his feet, eyes blinking against smoke. Law stumbled sideways, one sleeve scorched, muttering curses as he steadied himself.

Law's voice was stripped of anger, raw with something closer to gratitude. "You fucking idiot," he rasped. "You nearly died."

Chet staggered close, blood dripping from a cut above his eye, his gaze sharp but absent the usual mocking edge. "You threw us both out first," he said, disbelief coloring every word. "Didn't see that coming from you."

"You're welcome."

For a moment, Chet stared blankly, then exhaled a bitter laugh. "Careful, V. Start acting human, and people might expect it."

Ignoring him, my shoulder throbbed where glass had cut through leather and skin. The burn on my arm pulsed. A reminder that even death houses could bleed you if you weren't careful. When I tried to stand, my leg buckled. Chet was at my side instantly, sliding his shoulder under my arm. "Get the fuck off me."

He raised his hands in mock surrender, blood still trickling down his temple. "Least you still have your personality."

"Don't need help." My words slurred slightly, throat raw from smoke. I dragged myself upright, ignoring the unsteady rhythm of my own breathing, the way my vision threatened to tunnel.

"Sure you don't, tough guy." Chet's smirk returned, but something softer lingered beneath it. "You just decided the ground looked comfortable."

Law stood motionless, watching me struggle with an intensity that made my fist clench. His eyes held something worse than pity—understanding. Like he'd figured out a piece of me I couldn't afford to have seen.

"Stop fucking staring," I growled, blood seeping through my sleeve as I forced my body forward.

Behind us, the house continued its controlled burn, consuming the evidence of our intrusion. The fire cast long shadows across the perfect suburban lawns, but no alarms sounded. No sirens approached.

As we drove away, I kept my eyes on the rearview mirror, watching Moxley's house dissolve into the darkness. One step closer to understanding what we were up against. One step closer to keeping Oakley safe from whatever was coming.

My fingertips brushed the unicorn band-aid—still clinging stubbornly, absurd and childish, yet somehow perfect. Claudia's tenderness marked me, a quiet promise that I'd broken my own vow of violence.

Oakley’s almost-smile flashed vividly, bright against the darkness in my mind, taunting me with something I'd never truly earn. I'd chase that fragile curve of her lips until it broke me. I'd tear myself apart if it meant holding her even a second longer.

Leaving Oakley felt like ripping my heart out, but her safety was everything. Her face flashed through my mind—crumpled on her bathroom floor, trembling after a panic attack. I'd stood above her, useless, while she gasped for air. I wouldn't leave her like that again.

Because Oakley wasn't just safety or sanity, she was redemption, something too precious for bloodied hands like mine. I'd rip apart worlds for another smile. Another breath. Another stolen heartbeat where I felt more human than monster.

She was the only human part of me I had left.

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