Page 43 of Saints & Sinners

Silas scoffed, cutting me off. “I’m not angry.”

I frowned.

“I’m just pissed.”

Now, I blinked, feeling as though I had missed something here.

“Pissed is the same as being angry, my guy,” Brandon said, but I didn’t think Silas was in the mood to be educated on what those words meant.

Silas ignored him and took a few steps forward until he was standing over me. Brandon followed closely behind, while Hunter’s grip tightened against the counter. “Listen, I don’t care if you’re not an Ascendant or how you were brought up; what I do care about is that Veronica saw you in that vision of hers, and it hurt her. That’s my problem.”

The way he said Veronica’s name—it was raw, like it clawed its way out of his throat, leaving behind something jagged and broken. It wasn’t just a simple name to him. It was a wound he couldn’t hide, and the dark circles under his eyes told me he hadn’t slept. That made two of us. But I couldn’t bring myself to ask what it was between him and Veronica. Not when his gaze locked on me as if he were silently weighing the reasons to keephating me.

“I wasn’t the only one there when it happened,” I said quietly, almost like my voice didn’t believe me either. “I just want to make things right.”

Silas let out a dry laugh. “Oh, you want to make it right, do you? Fine.” He took a step back and looked me up and down. “Get naked for me. Go on, you’ve seen all of me; it’s only fair I see some of you.”

My stomach dropped.

“Silas,” Hunter warned, but if I knew anything about Silas by now, it was that he enjoyed pushing people too far.

Unfortunately for him, I was in no mood to play any of his games as I raised my hand and slapped him clean across the face.

Silas’s head snapped to the side and the room went completely still.

Brandon blinked. “Holy shit—”

But before he could finish, Silas calmly turned and slapped Brandon across the face.

I jumped.

“What the fuck, man?!” Brandon clutched his cheek, looking all confused. He then turned toward Hunter, his hand twitching like he was about to run over to him and retaliate, but Hunter just raised a brow in warning. Brandon hesitated before turning back and slapping Silas again.

What the hell just happened here?

Silas didn’t even flinch this time. He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully and let out a low chuckle. “Okay,” he muttered, giving me a slow, considering nod. “I respect you a little more now... I needed that wakeup call, although I was never going to actually let you get naked in front of me.”

I rolled my eyes. It was hard to believe him. Ever.

“I would say we do that behind closed doors, since I am agentleman after all—”

“Silas,” Hunter snapped, causing Silas to raise his palms. At least he seemed back to his usual aggravating self.

“Great slap, by the way,” he said, then pointed a finger at me. “Still not a hundred percent sold on you, though.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not exactly here wanting to collect any approval ratings from you,” I shot back.

“Good. Saves me the trouble.”

Hunter let out an exasperated sigh, dragging a hand down his face while Brandon still looked offended, rubbing his reddened cheek.

“I’m just saying,” Brandon huffed. “Why didIget slapped?”

Silas grinned at his friend. “Collateral damage.”

“You’re both fucking idiots,” Hunter muttered under his breath, and somehow, that all felt like progress.

I was about to say something else, but before I could, a loud pounding sounded at the door. Everyone froze, glancing at one another.

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