Sidney’s shoulders slumped. “I know, Sash, I know. You did your best.” She opened her arms. The relief was palpable as Sasha ran to her sister, throwing herself into her arms, hugging her close. “But I am never,everagreeing to any of your fuckingstupid plans ever again.”
Sasha laughed weakly into her sister, sniffling as the tears let loose and started to pour down her cheeks. “That’s fine, that’s totally fine.”
“If you’re willing to forgive your sister so readily for getting you turned into expressionist wall art, you should know that she has had sex with metwicenow.” Vile grinned, leaning up against the end of one of the bookcases.
“Moriarty. Not you.”
“Same thing!”
“Not the same thingat all.”Virtue argued. He had put himself in between Sidney, Sasha, and Vile. “In the same way that a single brick isn’t an entire building.”
Sasha felt her cheeks burning. She took a step away from her sister. Or rather, she tried. Sidney took her by the arms and gently pulled her back.
“Hey. Hey. Look at me. Sash. Look at me.”
She really didn’t want to. She kept her gaze fixed on her sister’s clavicle.
“Eyes are up here, sweet cheeks.” Sidney chuckled.
Warily, tears still blurring her vision, she looked up at her sister.
“Was it good?” Sidney had a lopsided smirk on her face. “Like, world-shattering?”
She nodded weakly.
“Better be worth it.” Sidney pulled her in close into a tight hug. “You’re my sister. Just don’t go getting attached to him. Any part of him. Okay? But, I get it. I do. I needed someone to hold on to in this story, too. I—I didn’t have anybody, and it almost sent me over the edge. I’m glad you did.”
Trying not to weep, she rested her head on her sister’s shoulder and just focused on breathing. “I’m so sorry, Sid…I’m so, so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. It really isn’t. It’s okay. And, hey. I always told you that you’d like dark romance.” She snickered. “You never listen to me.”
“Shutup.”Sasha laughed and half-heartedly nudged her sister away from her, rubbing her eyes. Letting out a breath, she looked up at her twin. “Are—are you okay? After…”
“No. I’m not.” Sidney’s expression faded. “I don’t want to think about it. Therapy and alcohol. A lot of both. A lot of both at another time.”
“I am bored. Have you two finished having your obnoxiously long family moment?” Vile was thumping the back of his head on the bookcase quietly. “I am debating how many times I could make Virtue choke on his own fist and come back from the dead before you two would notice.”
“Brother, stop.” Virtue shook his head. He smiled apologetically at Sasha and Sidney. “He gets like this when he loses.”
“I did not lose! I won!” Vile pushed away from the bookshelf to point furiously at Sasha.“That one snatched ourdefeat from the claws of victory. I had nothing to do with it!”
“It was very clever.” Virtue smiled broader at Sasha. “Using the epilogue to give Moriarty a bit of a half redemption.”
“No! He was not redeemed! He murdered her on their eighth wedding anniversary. That isnotredemption, that is—” Vile pacedaway, snarling in anger. “You overly sentimental idiots are the literal death of me, Iswear.”
“I’m going to ask again. Please, just let us go home.” Sasha knew it was pointless to ask, but she had to try. She had to.
“No. Not until one of you is dead for the final time. Those are the rules, darling.” Vile was seething. As she watched, his form leaked around the edges, turning to an inky darkness that spread into the shadows near him like it was magnetically attracted to it.
When he was angry, he lost control of his shape.
And she was the reason he was furious.
And she was stuck with him.
Oh. Yeah.She was in a lot of danger, wasn’t she?
He chuckled, low and dangerous, shutting his eyes for a moment. “Wishing you could change your choices, Sasha?”
