“What else, Eli?” he asks, and when his eyes fall to my mouth, I know for a fact I’m proper fucked when it comes to him, just like I am with her.
“I’m thinking all three of us have lived with damage. None of it made sense, the pieces didn’t fit; until we met each other.”
Kyrin runs his thumb over my lips before leaning down and dragging his mouth over them. Fucking goose bumps break out over my skin from the connection. “I’m thinking the same.”
“Wait, what?” I couldn’t hide the surprise if I tried.
“Yeah.” Kyrin shakes his head, stepping back from me to sit back onto the bed. I’m thankful for the space. “I already know all of that, Eli. I want you both, that’s a given. I’m an asshole and cold, but when I want something, I know I want it. I don’t tiptoe around someone I want. I fucking stomp all over them so everyone knows exactly who they belong to.” Darkness clouds his face. “And make no mistake, Eli, I do. I own both of you.” He breathes out a sigh, and all of my muscles that were tense since he walked in here release. “But I fucked up, and you and I both know she’s not going to let this go lightly. For right now, though, we need to get to the bottom of who is behind Patience, because all of this—” he waves his hands around the papers. “—and her father and Kij were run by a single person.”
I nod, running my finger over my upper lip. “And you know who that person is?”
“Yeah.” He picks up one of the papers that is scattered on the bed. He flicks it with his finger. “All along. It’s been her all along.”
I don’t need to look at the paper to know who is there. “You think Lilith knows?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. Or maybe she does and just hasn’t said anything, or maybe none of them fucking know. But this bitch here, she’s the one we need to put down.” His eyes come to mine. “Then you can feed it back to Bishop that your job here is done once we know that none of The Dolls have a connection to your world, or that fucking orphanage.”
“And what happens then, hmm?” I know I’m pushing it, but what can I say, I like the way his eyes twitch when I piss him off. “To us?”
“How much clearer do you need me to be? You’re both mine. That won’t change.”
“I live in a different world, Ky. We couldn’t have chosen a more fucked-up throuple if we tried.”
“We didn’t. That’s the fucking frustrating part.” Kyrin wraps his fingers around the back of my neck, pulling my face to his. “I want this. You. Her. Whatever the fuck I need to make this happen.” He kisses me and I part my lips as his tongue slides between mine. I wrap my fingers around his neck, and he pulls back slightly as we both catch our breath. “We’ll handle our Little Devil.”
I chuckle, shaking my head while stepping out of his grip. “Yeah?” My tone is high-pitched, laced with disbelief. “I’m pretty sure she’s not going to make this easy on either of us.”
Kyrin chuckles, but lowers himself down onto the bed, his smile falling. “I fucked up, E. Bad. She should have been able to trust me, but I was so caught up in thinking she was there for Patience that I never thought she needed to be here to run from them.” He brings his eyes up to mine. “This isn’t going to be easy.”
“You’re right. It’s not, but she wouldn’t be Lilith if she was.”
He’s right.
My chest rises and falls as I remain pressed against the wall outside Eli’s room, their conversation bouncing against all of the walls inside of my brain. “We stay together.” I squeeze my eyes closed, sweat droplets gliding down my sternum. I wanted this, didn’t I? I attempt to calm my breathing. I don’t know what I want. Turning my back on the door I had every intention of walking through, I make my way back down to the room I’m staying in. Rounding the corner, I bump into someone as I’m swiping away my tears.
“You okay?” Sass brings her hands to my arms, steadying my footing.
“Yeah.” And now she has just seen me crying.
“Come.” I follow behind her as she guides us toward the sitting room. The architecture of this house was obviously drawn by an old soul, with the rusted metals and splinted wood fittings. Yet despite its age, it holds a distinctive opulence to it, too. The outdoor area is probably my favorite. Even as Sass takes a seat on the swing chair that overlooks the vast space below filled with rich shrubs carved into a single maze and chalk-colored statues, I feel a sort of calm. Despite my current situation with the two upstairs.