Page 80 of When Sinners Rise
“Not Miri. Mariana!” I shout. “Jesus. It’s her I felt. Her pain. Her fear. None of you felt that like I did. Couldn't. You didn't feel her heart rushing or sense her crying before she even started. I did.”
My gaze drops in the silence, and I damn near fall to my own knees about that whole admission. Didn’t even realise that last bit needed to come out until it did.
She moves closer to me, but I back away.
“Shaw, I never knew.”
“Yeah, you did. You just didn’t like the weakness on you, and I didn’t want you reliving it. You know exactly what we feel about each other. And if you didn't, that just proves my point about caring a damn about me. Maybe if you weren't so busy being a bitch, you might have understood.” Doesn’t feel like it matters anymore. What am I hoping for here? Forgiveness? Some offer of family even though I can’t be part of it anymore? I’ve got about as much chance of that as I have of ever being okay with what they do. “It’s all wrong, and everyone one of you knowit when you stop looking at those girls like they’re money, but still, every fucking time I was there for you. Every fucking time.”
“You done?” Dante says.
I shake my head, then nod anyway. “I don’t fucking regret it, though,” mutters out of me as I raise my stare at him again. “I’d do it again. For Miri, I’d do every second of it again. You don’t get to take that from me. I did a good thing. The right fucking thing.”
His brow twitches, but it doesn’t stop him hauling my ass through the dining room and back out towards the front of the house. I don’t even try pushing him off me this time. I let him lead me where I know I need to go, resigned to the inevitability of being alone for the rest of my life.
“Stop.” I go rigid at the sound of Abel’s voice behind me and feel the half-drag of Dante trying to carry on, regardless of the order. “I said stop, Dante.” He starts walking behind me, and I recognise the sound of one leg being off his usual gait. Part of me smiles at the thought, knowing that I caused that – that my need for doing the right thing caused it. Miri caused it.
Dante shoves me away and backs up, and I’m left standing in the middle of the hall to wait for whatever’s coming. I don’t mind now. He’s probably heard it all, and whatever happens, I know I got things that needed saying said.
“Abel?” Mariana says. “Just-”
“Be quiet.”
He’s eventually around in front of my face, and I raise my stare to match near black eyes I know too well. “I don’t regret it,” I say again. “Whatever you want to do to me doesn’t matter.” Those eyes turn fierce as fuck, and I brace for the impact I know is coming. I knew it would the second I took a step back inside this place, and, in the grand scheme of my screwed life, what does it matter anymore? “Just get it done, Abel. I’ve said my piece.”
The first hit comes quicker than I'm ready for. I don’t fight it. I land hard on the hall floor and stagger to get up. I push Mariana off me as she tries to help, clearing her from Abel’s path so we can get this last fucking bit done.
“What the hell is going on here!” gets bellowed into the space.
Knox.
“Again then, if you need it, Abel,” I mutter from my knees. “It’ll be the last damn time you ever touch me. Once I get up, I’m done, you hear me? Done.”
“Great fucking introduction,” Knox says. I blink, swipe my mouth of spit, and try searching the space for him. What eventually comes into view shocks the shit out of me. “Meet your nephew.” Everyone stops moving. All feet and scrabbling, all voices, halted.
We stare at him, holding a baby, confused.
“What?” Mariana says.
“Your nephew,” he reiterates. “Cade.”
“What the-” Dante says.
“Yeah, shocked me when I picked them up at the airport, too,” Kai says, as he gets between me and Abel. His hand comes down to me, and I take it and let him pull me up. “Looks like the distraction was useful.” You don’t say.
“You all know Peyton,” Knox says, putting his fingers back for her. She grabs onto him and looks between us all, flicking her gaze around at what she’s walked in on, no doubt.
“Well, fuck.” Dante. He goes over to Knox, smiling. “You didn't tell me that intel.”
“No.”
I don’t know what to say or do. I was about to be thrown out of this house, and this family, or walk away from it, and now I’ve got a nephew I knew nothing about?
Lexi appears from somewhere and goes over, flapping her hands as if she wants to hold Cade. “This is no atmosphere for such a precious one,” she says. “Talk. Make it right. You’re all acting like children.”
Knox smirks at her and hands him over, and both she and Peyton walk off towards the kitchen. “We don’t have time for talk. We need to be at the courthouse in an hour.”
Abel’s still looking at me, calm as the fucking day and just as ready to explode. “Why?” he questions quietly.
