Lilah began mumbling some Bible shit as she placed the blade on her arm and began slicing at her flesh.

“Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow…”

“Lilah!”

Lilah’s head whipped to the direction of the hallway, and Maddie came barreling through. “Lilah!” she screamed, tears pouring from her eyes. “You were gone from your room!”

Keeping her head downcast, Maddie pushed through the silent crowd. A deep roar sounded behind her, and Flame appeared at her back, shoving people away from Mae’s youngest sister.

Maddie stopped next to Mae, her green eyes wide with fear. “Please, Lilah… stop,” Maddie pleaded, Flame behind her, arms wide, protecting her back.

Lilah shook her head, her short, wet hair sticking to her forehead. “I cannot… I cannot live with this sin. I need to be saved… We must all be saved…”

Taking the blade, Lilah sliced down her tunic, revealing her bare chest. Taking the tip of her blade, she pressed it to the skin, gritting her teeth as she sliced herself from one side to the next. A pained cry wrenched from her mouth, blood running down to her tits.

Mae dropped to the floor, her palms flat the wood. She started spouting some prayer, her body rocking back and forth. Styx looked down at her in horror, then to Lilah lifting the knife, staring at the blood dripping off the blade.

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

Taking advantage of her attention elsewhere, I edged forward, communicating with my brothers that I was gonna take her down. But as a floorboard creaked below my foot, Lilah snapped her crazed eyes to me, dug her free hand in her pocket, and pulled out my gun.

“Shit!” I heard Hush spit out as Lilah raised the gun, clicking off the safety. “Do not stop me, for it must be done to reach salvation!”

“Lilah! Put the fuckin’ gun down!” I ordered, but instead, she targeted the gun on me, her hand shaking like a leaf.

Lifting the knife again, Lilah raised it to her face, and I felt every drop of blood I had leave my face. “Baby, what are you doing?”

The gun shaking, fat tears fell down her cheeks, dripping on her hacked-off hair on the floor. “I love you. I never thought it would have ever been possible for me to feel this emotion… but I love you… with all of my heart.”

Choking back a fucking huge lump in my throat, my breathing crushed at my woman breaking down like this, I coughed and said, “I love you, too, baby… Please don’t do this! I fuckin’ love you too!”

Shudders racked Lilah’s chest and, through her sobs, she said, “I have to… to set you free. I love you too much to be your prison… to be your pathway to hell!”

I looked to Mae and Maddie, but all I could see was their confusion. Then stumbling and pointing her finger forward, Maddie screamed, forcing me to look back to my woman, just to see her press the blade to her temple, push the tip into her flesh. It all happened so fast I barely had time to register it.

Maddie, on seeing Lilah with the blade, ran forward. Lilah, startled by her sister, cried out and aimed the gun at Maddie. Her finger slipped and Lilah pulled the trigger, but rushing forward, Flame pushed Maddie out of the way and took a bullet right in the neck.

“FLAME!” Maddie cried out, seeing the brother hit the floor.

AK and Vike dived for Flame, Mae crawled to Maddie, and I turned just in time to hear Lilah shout, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” She dragged the blade down her cheek to her jawline, the knife slipping from her grip and clattering to the floor. My woman began convulsing, vomit spilling from the side of her mouth as she slumped to the ground, her body in shock.

“LILAH!” I yelled, the place a fuckin’ commotion. Brothers were gathered around Flame. Styx, Tank, and Bull cleared house.

Taking my bitch in my arms, my stomach rolled at her open cheek, her eyes lolling around in her head. She was a fucking mess, blood pouring from her body marred with a shit ton of cuts.

Rocking her back and forth and bringing her limp body to my chest, I whispered, “Baby… what the fuck have you done?”

Fingers ran down my cheek, causing me to rear back, and Lilah’s dazed eyes met mine and she tried to smile. “No more temptation. You are free from temptation… you are saved from… my evil.”

Lilah’s eyes rolled back and she passed clean out. Cowboy and Hush dropped to their knees beside me, and like a fuckin’ rabid dog, my hackles rose in protection.

“Brother, back the fuck off. We need to get her to the hospital. Ain’t Smiler gonna be able to sort this fuckin’ mess,” Hush said, taking no shit from me.

“Flame’s already gone. AK and Vike took him in the truck. She got him right in the fuckin’ neck. The stupid crazy fuck took a bullet for the little green-eyed one he’s obsessed with.”

Shedding my cut but never letting go of my woman, I wrapped it around Lilah and staggered to my feet.

Styx ran forward. “Get her to the hospital, NOW!” he signed, looking down at Maddie shaking, pale as a ghost and rocking in Mae’s arms.

“I’m driving. Let’s go,” Cowboy said, and the three of us ran for the exit, Tank and Bull hauling the last few folks out the door.