The Sinners of Saint Amos: The Full 3-book Boxset Read online

  Except here, in our nest.

  I’d decided to cut my trip short after all. It’s a blessing in disguise that Jasper and Perry agreed to sodomize each other down here—Miriam will be so caught up in giving them lashes that I’m sure she won’t notice I’m back an hour early.

  They gagged her again. I’m not surprised. In fact, I’d honestly expected her to be hogtied and deflowered already.

  As soon as the gag is off, she scowls at me. “What’s so fucking funny?”

  I briefly close my eyes and let out the chuckle I’d been suppressing. “You should be thanking me,” I tell her.

  I try to help her up, but she shakes off my hand with a muttered curse. She stands, and then hurriedly tugs at something around her knees.

  Her panties?

  Jesus H. Christ.

  I hold out my hand. “Give.”

  She looks like she might disobey, but then her shoulders sag and she hands over her underwear. I scan her as I untangle the fabric. For once, she’s wearing something that fits, but that pale, clingy dress is like a red flag to a bull.

  “Nice dress.”

  She doesn’t look at me as she slips past to go out. “What, this old thing?” she mutters.

  Underwear finally untangled, I go to fold it and stop.

  It’s soaked.

  I turn a little, frowning after her as she disappears into the living area.

  Why, I believe our little Trinity has a crush on us.

  She’s sitting stiff as a board in my chair, hands placed just so on her lap and her eyes down. But I can see her watching me through her lashes as I go to put her underwear in one of my tins. I had no intention of keeping it, but it will drive her mad knowing she’d left evidence of her presence down here.

  Cass is gone. Probably hoping I’d cool off before he comes back with the things I bought in town.

  “Twenty?” Apollo says. “That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”

  “Second offense,” Reuben says before I can open my mouth. “Should have gotten thirty.”

  “No one can stand thirty,” Apollo says, sounding aghast. He flicks his head, tossing his hair from his face as he looks my way. “That Miriam’s got a good arm.”

  “What is she doing here?” I ask them.

  Trinity replies. “I’m here to talk.”

  I turn, my eyebrows quirking up before I can school them. “You came down here after I expressly told you not—?”

  “We fetched her,” Apollo says, sounding bored. I’m sure, without his camera, he’s about to die. “Made sure no one saw. Right, Rube?”

  “Right.” Reuben stands. “Drink?”

  “Double.” My eyes are still on Trinity. “And for her too.”

  “I don’t want—”

  She cuts off when I shake my head, and drops her gaze back into her lap.

  Such a pretty thing. Is that why Gabriel brought her here? I’d been thinking about it all of last night. Relocating Trinity to Saint Amos was a risky move for the Guardian. So risky, I’m still trying to figure out why he’d do it at all.

  If he was in fact such a close family friend, then there’s a strong possibility she might have seen him interacting with a Ghost from their church.

  We’re not a hundred percent sure how he chooses the Ghosts he works with. We assume they’re all clergy members, but from a different diocese, or all from the same? I’d expect there would be nothing tying them together except Gabriel, and that he’d keep his distance.

  Bringing a remnant from his previous life here, to Saint Amos, is not keeping his distance. Maybe he thinks he’s safe now, after all these years. But he’s never been reckless.

  Until now.

  Until Trinity.

  But why risk everything…for her?

  Unless his plans for her are short-term.

  Because the only reason I can think Gabriel would bring Trinity here is because he knew she wouldn’t be staying. So where is the poor orphan girl headed?

  My thoughts go to the worst possible conclusion.

  Trinity isn’t here to finish out her senior year. She’s here to meet someone very special. Perhaps a few somebodies.

  My gut tells me Gabriel is planning on introducing her to her very own Ghosts.

  Chapter Six

  Zach

  I sit in Apollo’s armchair, and he sits beside Reuben. Trinity’s barely touched her drink, but every time I make a point of looking in her direction, she does at least take another sip.

  Gabriel’s back tomorrow. There’s nothing we can do—short of breaking down his door—to speed up this process. And if that had been a possibility, we’d have done it by now.

  There’s time to kill. I should be grateful for the diversion Trinity affords us.

  Cass arrives with my things and sets down the bags alongside the back wall of the library. “Two cameras?” he asks a moment later.

  “Couldn’t make out your handwriting,” I say, directing my voice at Cass, but staring at Apollo.

  But he’s so busy scrambling off the sofa, I don’t think he even notices. I drop my eyes and let out a soft chuckle as I drain my whiskey.

  It’s taken us years, but we’re finally starting to find joy in the little things.

  “This is the one,” he says, snatching the offending box from Cass’s hands. “But I’ll keep this as a spare.” He tucks both boxes under his arms and looks about to leave.

  “Sit down,” I tell him, holding my glass out for Reuben.

  He comes and takes it, but instead of going to refill, he stops beside Trinity’s chair, his back to me. “Finish,” he says quietly, tapping a fingernail against her glass.

  She cranes to look up at him, and slowly swallows down the rest of her glass.

  Well, that’s one mystery solved then. I shouldn’t be surprised it’s him that she fancies most. When Reuben looks at you, it’s like you’re the only person in the world.

  I think that’s what his Ghost liked most about him. It’s one thing controlling a little kid who can’t fight back, but controlling someone like Reuben? He’d always been stronger and bigger than the rest of us. Our rock.

  That’s the funny thing about erosion, though. It weathers mountains. Reuben’s Ghost ground him to dust over the years. If we hadn’t escaped when we had, there’d have been nothing left of him, just an empty shell.

  But what will Trinity do when Reuben realizes he doesn’t need to save her anymore? Because that’s around about the time he loses interest in people.

  “This all you could get?” Cass asks.

  I don’t have to look to know what he’s talking about. My trips to town are like Christmas around here because I always come back bearing gifts. Cass’s comes in a few dime bags that cost a fuck load more than a dime these days.

  He opens the seal on one and takes a deep sniff. “Jaysus,” he mutters, grimacing. “You tell him he has to cure his stuff longer than a fucking day?”

  “I’m not getting into a debate with your dealer, Cass.”

  Trinity glances from Cass to me to Reuben to Apollo, her eyes flickering around like a nervous dragonfly.

  “Did you know Jasper was gay?” I ask her.

  I smile when she flinches at the sound of my voice and turns her wide, amber eyes on me. Rube brings me my drink and then hers. This time, she takes it without looking at him.

  “No.” She lifts a shoulder, sipping absently at her glass. “But some things make sense now.”

  “Like what?”

  She takes a tiny sip of her drink. “Perry told me Jasper hated girls.”

  Cass snorts as he moves over to the sofa. He sinks down, nudging Apollo aside with his elbow. Apollo’s so busy starting up his new video camera and going through the settings, he doesn’t even seem to notice.

  I tap a fresh cigarette from my pack and light it, standing to a crouch to hand it over to Reuben. All while Trinity tracks me with that dragonfly gaze.

  The lacy bodice of her dress keeps catching my eye. Not because of t
he perky tits they barely cover, but because I keep wondering why she wore it. For someone who doesn’t seem comfortable in her own skin, exposing so much of it must have taken courage. Courage I didn’t think she had.

  Does she think we’ll start salivating over her to the point where we let slip something important?

  I look away when Reuben hands back my cigarette.

  My paranoia knows no bounds. And although I’m fully aware of how fucked up my mind is, I can’t stop these intrusive thoughts any more than I can stop breathing.

  Something else I was considering last night as I lay sleepless in bed. What if Gabriel brought her here because he knew his time was short? What if he suspects—or knows—who we really are? What if, this entire time, he’s been tracking us as carefully as we’ve tracked him?

  There’s nothing in this nest of ours that would give away our true identities, but the mere fact that we know each other, that we’ve kept in contact…

  Paranoia.

  We barely resemble the kids we once were. There’s a box of hair dye in one of the bags. Colored contacts in another. Cass’s Ghosts loved his long hair, so it was the first thing he did when we escaped—shaving his head. We’re no longer grimy, malnourished, basement-pale boys full of bruises and sores.

  Still, from the day I arrived here and shook Gabriel’s hand, I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he’d stared at me just a second too long.

  Like he’d recognized me.

  She could be telling the truth.

  Or she could be a spy. He could have brought her here to infiltrate us, spread dissent, find out how much we know.

  My fucked up mind is dead set on the latter.

  Chapter Seven

  Trinity

  Alcohol seems pretty good at calming my nerves. I’d been shaking when Zachary arrived, but not anymore. I guess it’s also because I only have Zachary and Reuben’s attention on me at the moment. Cassius is rolling more weed, and Apollo hasn’t looked up from his camera yet.

  Zachary doesn’t speak again until Cass is done and the weed has passed around a few times. I don’t bother refusing. I’ve never smoked before—weed or cigarettes—but I can understand why people do it. Once my lungs grow used to the hot smoke, the sensation is utterly delicious.

  “This tastes different,” I say, and instantly wish I’d kept my mouth shut.

  You’re not here to make friends, Trinity. You’re here to figure out how the hell you’re going to get yourself out of this mess.

  “That’s because it’s absolute shit,” Cass says. He quickly lifts a hand, palm out to Zachary. “Not that I’m complaining. I’d take ditch weed over no weed any day.”

  “Damn right you will,” Zachary mutters, sounding more playful than serious.

  His armchair is at an angle to mine, so I have to turn my head to look at him. I risk a quick peek now, trying to see his expression.

  He’s staring at me.

  I quickly face forward, blushing.

  “Give me my seat back,” he says through a sigh. I bolt up off his seat, standing idle in the middle of their ill assortment of chairs and sofas like I’m showing off a new fashion line, before my brain starts working again. I sink into the armchair he’d been sitting in, squirming on the warm leather. Zachary takes my chair and spins it around on one leg, straddling it and laying his arms across the back before resting his chin on them.

  It’s the most relaxed I’ve ever seen him, but he still looks ready to pounce.

  “You’d make a shitty poker player,” Cass says.

  “No I wouldn’t,” I snap back, hurriedly looking away from Zachary.

  “Yeah, you would.” Cass sits forward, ducking his head as if he’s trying to imprint his statement on me. “Your face is an open book. Large print edition.”

  This makes Apollo and Reuben laugh, and puts a scowl on my face. Which I quickly smooth away.

  Shit. I guess subterfuge isn’t on the menu until I’m sober again.

  Idiot.

  I shouldn’t have smoked or let Reuben bully me into downing my drink. Why do I feel like I have something to prove to these guys?

  Everyone’s attention is on me again. So I try and move it away. “You never told me your story,” I say to Zachary.

  Just his eyes move. “My story?”

  “You and Reuben.” I wave a limp hand. “The basement? How’d you end up there?”

  Everyone stops moving. Even Apollo, who I’d thought wasn’t listening.

  Cass sits back and crosses his arms over his chest as he lets out a low whistle. “Presumptuous little slut, aren’t you?”

  My cheeks heat up again, but I force myself not to look at him. I keep my eyes on Zachary as he stares deadpan back at me. He takes a deep breath, and lets it out as a soft sigh before pushing away and straightening in his seat. “Our story,” he repeats quietly, looking down as he smooths his jeans over his legs. “Our story is none of your fucking business, little girl.”

  My chest closes up, squeezing my heart like a fist.

  “I just—”

  “Gabriel will be back tomorrow,” he cuts in. “How about you start focusing on that instead of sticking that pretty nose where it doesn’t belong?” He stands without waiting for my reply.

  I drop my head, willing myself to disappear into the armchair. I hadn’t meant to be nosy. I just want to understand what I’m dealing with. I get that it’s probably a horrible subject for them, but Apollo and Cass had told me theirs without biting my head off.

  Maybe that’s why they spoke up yesterday, and not Reuben and Zachary.

  Holy shit…what did Zachary and Reuben go through?

  I hug myself and risk peeking at Reuben through my lashes. He has a hand flat on his chest, his eyes boring into me. I hurriedly look away and on instinct reach for the rosary around my neck.

  Then I freeze and look back at him.

  His rosary. I’ve had it this whole time. Should I—?

  “Keep it. I bought him another one,” Zachary says.

  I jump at the sound of his voice.

  Dear Lord. Whatever nerves I had, they’re shot again. Keeping cool around these guys is impossible. It’s like trying to keep an eye on four moving targets. I’ll just have to get used to the fact that they’ll always have an advantage over me.

  Strength in numbers, I guess.

  I drop the rosary I’d been about to pull over my head.

  Zachary hands a slim case to Reuben, and he stares at it for a few seconds before opening it. He lifts out a dull black rosary and slips it over his head. Then he tucks it away under his t-shirt.

  They’re all in casual clothes today.

  Zachary is wearing a button-up shirt, pale blue, and jeans that look like he bought them at a thrift store. In fact, all the guys look like they got their clothes from the Salvation Army.

  I’m assuming it’s on purpose, seeing as Zachary just bought a brand-new laptop. Then there’re the two video cameras…

  Either he’s rich, or he has a ton of credit card debt. I guess if you’re planning on offing someone, you wouldn’t really care about your finances.

  “Do that later. I need you to set this up.” Zachary leans across and hands Apollo the laptop.

  Apollo flicks his hair out his eyes as he looks up at Zachary, and then gives a grim nod.

  Zachary takes out a much smaller box and goes back to his seat. He toys with it as he watches Apollo remove the laptop’s packaging and start it up.

  I tip my glass against my lips and look down in surprise. It’s empty. I hurriedly wrap my fingers around it, trying to hide the fact, but I’m too slow.

  Reuben gets to his feet.

  “In a bit,” Zachary says as if he’s reading Reuben’s mind. “We need her to focus.”

  My throat moves as I swallow. With Zachary handing things out to the guys, there’d been an almost festive air inside this strange lair. For a moment, I’d forgotten where I was. Who I was with.

  These are not normal peopl
e, Trinity. Your life is the furthest thing from ordinary right now.

  I drop my head and snort quietly to myself. Like I’d ever had a claim to being normal.

  “Gabriel has a laptop,” Reuben says.

  I start fidgeting with my glass. “Okay.”

  “It’s hidden somewhere in his room.”

  I nod and glance at the other boys. Cass is smoking what’s left of the weed, leaning an elbow on the armchair and slouching like he’s waiting for his photoshoot to begin. He’s wearing a white t-shirt made of flimsy fabric that drapes his body like silk. If it weren’t for the hole in it, I’d have thought it was an expensive designer piece. But the hole is big and ugly—it definitely didn’t ship like that.

  Apollo’s still busy with the laptop. His long fingers fly over the keyboard, his shoulders hunched and his hair hiding his face.

  Zachary toys with the box while his eyes search me.

  “So you want me to steal it?” I ask, when it seems Reuben’s done talking.

  “Of course not,” Zachary says through an impatient sigh. “We need you to clone the hard drive.”

  I frown at him. “I don’t know how—”

  “It’s easy,” Apollo says without looking up. “Zach will give you the drive. You just plug it into a USB slot and it’ll do the rest.”

  I nod, my eyes going to the box Zachary has. I’m not going to ask what a USB drive is—I’m hoping it will be one of those self-explanatory types of things.

  “How am I supposed to sneak that into his room?” But then I hold up a hand, briefly closing my eyes. “How am I even supposed to get into his room?”

  Zachary gives me half a smile. “You’re a bright girl,” he says, his smile turning sarcastic. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

  I clench my jaw as I tap a finger against my glass. “Why do you need me? Couldn’t one of you just—?”

  “You’re so convinced he’s a saint,” Zachary says. “Time to prove it.” He tosses the box to me.