Page 102 of Sinners Reunion

He grinds into me until he’s spent, and as I come down from the high, I push my hands through his salt-and-pepper hair. I stare into his eyes.

And I wonder how many years it’ll take to recover this time.

His arms wrap around me, and he pulls me against his chest as he lies back. He eases my face toward his, but then he remembers just before his lips touch mine. His path deviates, and he kisses my forehead instead.

“Why won’t you let me kiss you?” he whispers.

I ease back down his body so that I can rest my head on his chest. “Ask me again when you’re sober, and I’ll tell you.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do.”

“Right when you’re prepared to tell me your secrets, I’m higher than Afroman on the twentieth of April. The timing never lines up, does it?” King places one hand on my lower back, and the other strokes my hair.

I trace the curve of his pec with my fingertip. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to tell him and treat this as sort of a test run. It’s not as if he’ll remember anything we talk about.

But as I open my mouth to tell it all, a low snore rumbles out of his chest. I raise my head and see that his eyes are closed and his jaw is slack. Poor guy. I must have worn him out.

Careful not to wake him, I ease his arms out of the vest, then remove mine as well. I go to tuck them back against that box in the closet before climbing into bed beside him. I have to get some sleep. After the event tomorrow, I’ll tell King everything. Then I’ll let him decide what to do with that information.

For better or worse.

A large convention room clinks and clanks with the sounds of a bunch of serial killers building remote-control soapbox racers. This can’t be real life right now.

“Did you tell him?” Cat asks as we attach wheels to a very janky frame.

I shake my head and glance over my shoulder, but King is still occupied with Bennett. He’s giving him and Aven a crash course on information-extraction evisceration. The guys nod as he presses a curved blade to a tied-down man’s stomach. The man screams behind lips that have been sewn together.

Since the coast is clear, I feel safe enough to speak. “I’m thinking about telling him tonight. We have a date planned for after the event, and I figure that’s a special enough moment.”

“Do tell.”

“A few stops ago, he mentioned something about chasing me through the forest. It’s not anything I’ve ever done, but I figured, why not?”

Cat nods and swipes a bit of sweat from her brow. “Are you worried it might make you feel unsafe? What with your past and all.”

“A little,” I say, “but we have a safe word.”

“Don’t tell me it’s pineapple.” Cat groans.

“Squash casserole, actually.”

King shouts something, and Cat and I turn in time to see entrails fall like a pink curtain. Loops of intestines hang to the man’s knees as he stares down at his impending demise with a muffled scream. Bennett tosses the curved blade in his hand, and King wraps his arm around his shoulder and gives him a congratulatory man hug.

“Aw, he did it,” Cat whispers. “He’s been trying and failing for months. He couldn’t get the guts to fall cleanly, and the victim usually died shortly after, leaving him no time for suffering. I love this for him.”

“Yeah, King’s an excellent teacher. He showed me everything I know.”

We get the final wheel secured and step back.

“I’m just glad King came into his life. When Jim told Bennett there was nothing more his medical team could do for his mother, it was like King knew how badly Bennett needed a parent.” She folds her arms over her chest. “I don’t think Bennett realized just how badly, but King did. He really stepped up.”

“He’s the sweetest, most terrible guy I know.” I tighten a loose bolt and drop the wrench to the table.

“For what it’s worth, I hope it goes well when you tell him. I know the other girls were hesitant about you and King at first, but I’ve been shipping you two from the start.”

“Even when he pushed me into the fucking lake?”