Sin

by Deborah Bladon

  He’s a brave man.

  “You did the right thing, Jeremy.”

  He looks at my reflection in the glass. “Not everyone would agree with you.”

  I move closer to him with unsteady steps. “I’m sure your father and his wife wouldn’t agree, but they’re criminals.”

  He turns to face me. “They are.”

  I tug on the sash of the robe to tighten it. “I’m glad you told me.”

  “There’s more.”

  I freeze.

  “That’s not even the part that matters, angel.” He glances up that ceiling. “Jesus, I wish that was all I had to tell you, but you’re going to need to sit back down for the rest of it.”

  I stay standing. “What else is there?”

  His phone starts ringing in the distance. He looks toward the bedroom, but he doesn’t move from where he’s standing.

  “Do you need to get that?” I ask quietly. “I can wait here if you need to get it.”

  “I love you, Linny.” His voice cracks. “I need you to know that.”

  Tears well in the corners of my eyes, fear squeezing me from the inside out. “Please tell me what it is. What are you keeping from me, Jeremy?”

  His phone stops ringing, only to start again a few seconds later.

  “I’ll show you.” He holds out his hand to me. “Get dressed and I’ll show you.”

  Chapter 51

  Linny

  He’s been silent since we left the hotel.

  We both dressed quickly. He wrapped his suit jacket around my shoulders after I put my dress back on.

  I thanked him.

  He told me he loved me again.

  I didn’t say it back. I couldn’t. I felt it within every cell of my body, but until I know what’s waiting for me at the end of this taxi ride, I can’t form the words.

  We’re headed to the Upper East Side.

  He gave the driver an address on East Sixty-Third Street.

  I’m not familiar with that part of Manhattan. I don’t know if we’re going to his home or another hotel.

  I don’t know anything other than how much I care for this man.

  “This is it,” he says hoarsely to the driver as we pull up in front of a townhouse.

  He slides some money from his wallet and hands it to the driver as I peer out the window.

  This has to be where he lives. It’s a beautiful brick building.

  I wait while he exits the car. He holds his hand out to help me get out. I take it, welcoming his touch.

  “Do you live here?” I ask tentatively, not wanting to assume anything.

  He nods. “My grandparents lived here. They left it to me.”

  It’s not just rich in the history of the city. The memories it holds for him makes it priceless.

  “It’s a huge place just for you,” I say teasingly, wanting to lessen the anxiety I’m feeling.

  He brings my hand to his lips, kissing it softly. “I don’t live alone, angel.”

  As the words leave his lips, the front door swings open.

  We both turn to look at the sight of a teenager dressed in torn jeans and a dark hoodie standing just inside the foyer. The light from within illuminates his face.

  His hair is blonde and curly.

  He waves his hand in the air toward us, as he shouts, “Germany is home.”

  A young woman wearing a blue T-shirt and yoga pants appears in the doorway too. She’s breathtaking. She must be in her late teens or early twenties. Her golden brown hair is falling around her shoulders in soft waves.

  “Hey, Jer.” She smiles at us both. “Is that her? Did you finally bring Linny to meet us?”

  “This is her.” Jeremy wraps his arm around my waist. “Linny, I want you to meet Breccan and Athena, my brother and sister.”

  ***

  Jeremy closes the door behind us as we step into the foyer.

  “I’m Zachariah.” A boy with a cast on his left arm approaches us. He looks like he’s twelve or thirteen-years-old. “It’s a family name. I don’t like it.”

  “My name is Lincoln, so I feel your pain.”

  He laughs. “Lincoln? As in Abraham Lincoln?”

  I shrug. “It was my grandfather’s name.”

  “Mine was the name of my mom’s brother.” He rolls his blue eyes. “I never met him, but I think he must have been a pretty cool guy.”

  My gaze slides over the light blue skate shorts and white hoodie he has on. They compliment his olive skin and black hair perfectly.

  I point at the cast on his arm. “What happened there?”

  He looks down at it. “Skateboarding.”

  “He sucks.” Breccan laughs. “Like totally sucks. We spent hours in the hospital waiting for him to get patched up because he took a spill.”

  “Shut up.” Zachariah waves his casted arm in the air. “Like you could do better.”

  “Any day of the week.” Breccan leans his hip against the wall.

  “Do you know anything about seventh-grade algebra?” Zachariah turns his attention back to me, wiping his hand under his nose. “Germany doesn’t and he’s no help with my homework.”

  I giggle. “Germany?”

  “He had the flu a couple of years ago.” Breccan grabs his stomach in jest. “He kept telling us to stay out of his room because of the germs. We’ve called him Germany since.”

  I scan the faces of Jeremy’s three siblings. They don’t resemble one another, or him.

  Jeremy looks down at his watch. “It’s getting late, Zach. You should get to bed.”

  “It’s Friday night.”

  “Shit. Today was a bitch. I lost track of what day it is.” Jeremy laughs.

  Zachariah shakes his head. “And he tells me not to cuss.”

  “That’s a privilege reserved for age.” Jeremy pats him on the shoulder. “Linny and I are going to head down the block to the pub for a drink before I take her home.”

  “We cook spaghetti every Sunday and watch a movie. Do you want to come?” Breccan jerks his thumb over his shoulder toward what looks like the main living area.

  We haven’t made it past the foyer.

  “Our spaghetti is the ultimate,” Zach chimes in. “Say you’ll come.”

  I look over at Jeremy. His eyes are filling with tears.

  “I’ll be here.” I nod my head. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Chapter 52

  Jeremy

  Fear can bring a man to his knees. It can stop him in its tracks.

  That’s what mine did to me. My fear of telling Linny about my father and my fear of what she’d feel knowing that I’ve taken on the task of caring for Athena, Breccan and Zach.

  She walked into my townhouse filled with grace and compassion, even though I sent her in there blind.

  She hasn’t said much since we sat down at a table in this pub. It’s a stone’s throw from my front door.

  I come here when I need a minute to breathe or think. The bartender knows me by name and by drink.

  I surprised her tonight when I ordered two glasses of soda.

  Linny didn’t want anything stronger. I didn’t either.

  I feel like I’m emerging from a haze and I don’t want anything to impact the clarity I’m finally feeling.

  “Why didn’t you tell me about them?” She sips from her glass. “They seem wonderful.”

  “They’re incredible.” I smile with pride. “Zach is at the top of his class. The kid is a fucking genius. Athena is majoring in business at NYU and Breccan is the star quarterback at his high school. He’s going to land a full scholarship. I know he will.”

  She smiles softly. “Did you think I would be less interested in you because of them?”

  I reach for her hand. “I’ve never done this, Linny. I’ve never told a woman about them. Only a handful of people in my life know about them.”

  “You’re protective of them.”

  It’s a statement of fact, not a question. She’s right. I am.

&
nbsp; “They haven’t had it easy,” I explain. “They were raised by their mom, Simone Millett. She did the best she could, but she struggled financially until she met my dad.”

  “What about their dad?”

  “Dads.” I correct her.

  Her hand squeezes mine. “Do you all have different fathers?”

  I nod. “They don’t know their fathers. They have no other family. Simone struck a plea deal with prosecutors but it still meant years of prison time. The kids were going to be sent to foster care. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  She bites her bottom lip. “You took them in?”

  “I had to.” I tap my fingers over my chest. “They would have been separated.”

  “That’s an incredibly generous thing to do.” Her gaze scans my face. “Most people wouldn’t do that.”

  “I wanted them to have stability.” I look up when a couple walks into the pub. “I needed them to know that they could count on someone to always be there for them. I had to be that person for them.”

  “They seem very happy.” Her face brightens with a smile. “You’re a family. I could see that right away.”

  I huff out a laugh. “It wasn’t always that way. The boys hated me at first because I’d turned their mother in. Athena was different. She understood, but Breccan and Zach didn’t forgive me for a long time.”

  “That had to have been rough.”

  I take a sip of soda to swallow past the lump in my throat. “It was hell. I had to get my cousin, Cindy, to step in to help. She moved in with us for almost a year. She still helps out. She stops by my place every day so she can be there when the boys get home from school. They’re old enough to fend for themselves, but I never want them to feel alone.”

  “Cindy was with you at the Nova party.” Her brows lift.

  “I wanted her to have a night out,” I tell her. “It meant a lot to her to be there.”

  “You surprised me tonight.” She pulls my hand up to her face and feathers a kiss over my palm. “I knew you were special, Jeremy, but it’s more than that. You’re a hero.”

  “I’m not a hero.” I lean in to kiss her softly. “I’m a guy who is trying to get through this life one day at a fucking time.”

  The corners of her eyes well with tears. “Everything changed today.”

  “You’ve been through hell.” I wipe a tear from her cheek as it falls. “Let me take you home and get you into bed.”

  “You can’t stay with me tonight, can you?”

  I kiss her again, harder this time. “I want to, but I know that three people are waiting for me at my place with a million questions about the woman I love.”

  “Tell them only good things about me, okay?”

  I laugh. “I’ll tell them that you’re my angel.”

  “What time is spaghetti dinner on Sunday?” She asks with a grin.

  “I’ll pick you up at four.” I brush my fingers over her cheek. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

  “Figuring out the rest of my life.” She sighs. “I’m going to clear out my office and decide what my next step should be.”

  “The Rizon account is yours.” I kiss her temple. “I have no problem breaking the contract with Faye & Sons.”

  “My dad will let me take your account.” She stares into my eyes. ‘I think I’ll start my own firm. I know it will take time to build up a client base, but I have some savings and a lot of connections.”

  “I’ll be there every step of the way if you need me, Linny.”

  “I’m here for you too.” Her hand brushes my chin. “I’ll always be here for you.”

  Chapter 53

  Linny

  “You weren’t kidding.” I wave my fork in the air toward Zach. “This is awesome spaghetti.”

  “I know, right?” He spins his fork on his plate, picking up another long noodle. “If we all work together, it turns out just right.”

  That’s exactly what they did.

  I sat by the large granite island in the massive kitchen, while Jeremy and his siblings worked side-by-side to create a meal of homemade meat sauce and pasta, garlic bread and a side salad.

  They teased each other while they maneuvered around the kitchen, each with a specific job.

  “Sorry again about the wine,” Jeremy apologizes for a second time.

  It’s what I asked for when he offered me a drink after we got here. He was quick to explain that he doesn’t keep any alcohol in the house.

  It’s admirable.

  I settled on an iced tea with lemon.

  “How did you meet Germany?” Breccan asks from where he’s sitting opposite me at the dining room table.

  The brownstone is large, covering three floors.

  I was given a tour by Athena right before dinner was served.

  The main floor is home to the kitchen, the formal dining room, a library, a living room and a bathroom.

  We went up one flight of stairs to three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, and then another flight to where the master suite is.

  The entire townhouse is decorated in a contemporary style that compliments the dark hardwood floors and antique light fixtures.

  It’s a home. A warm home filled with love.

  “Do you remember when I went to Las Vegas a few months ago?” Jeremy takes a sip of water. “I met Linny on the flight there. She was wearing a pink tutu and a tiara.”

  A chorus of laughter fills the room.

  “A tutu and a tiara?” Athena’s thickly lashed blue eyes widen. “Do tell, Linny. What was that about?”

  I place my fork on my plate. “I was going there for a bachelorette party. I was a bridesmaid. There were three of us on the airplane dressed like that.”

  Breccan looks down at a spot of meat sauce that has settled in the center of his white T-shirt.” Jeremy’s eyes must have bugged out of his head.”

  I laugh as I glance to my left to see a smile on Jeremy’s face. “I looked ridiculous.”

  “You were beautiful,” he says with a chuckle. “I saw Linny again when I hired her father’s advertising firm to help with the launch of the vanilla vodka.”

  “Fate put you together twice?” Athena brushes her hand over her bare shoulder. She’s wearing a pink off-the-shoulder sweater and dark jeans.

  They’re all dressed casually, including Jeremy who is wearing jeans and a football jersey.

  I tried on three outfits at my place before I decided on a denim dress and black ankle boots.

  “It was meant to be.” Jeremy winks at me. “I’m grateful every day that I met her.”

  “Do you love her?” Zach looks at Jeremy.

  “Zach.” Breccan’s voice comes out with a snap. “You don’t ask people that.”

  “Very much,” Jeremy answers. “I think it was love at first sight for me.”

  “Was it for you too, Linny?” Zach looks across the table at me. “Did you love him the first time you saw him?”

  “I felt something I’ve never felt before.” I reach for Jeremy’s hand under the table. “He made me feel safe. Love grew pretty fast from there.”

  “Can we eat the chocolate cake that Linny brought for dessert now?” Zach moves to stand. “I’ll clear the plates.”

  “Let’s load the dishes into the dishwasher and then we’ll pick a movie and have dessert.” West is on his feet too.

  As they leave the room, followed by Breccan, Athena moves to sit next to me.

  “He needed you,” she says in barely more than a whisper. “He’s given everything to us for years.”

  “I needed him too.” I smile at her.

  She circles her finger on the linen tablecloth. “Take really good care of his heart, Linny. It’s been through a lot.”

  I nod. “I promise I will.”

  “I’m glad he found you.” She rests her hand on mine. “My brother saved us. He showed us that it was okay to be happy again. We want him to be happy now.”

  “I want that for him too, Athena.”

  “W
hen he told us about you, he said you were an angel.” She gently squeezes my hand. “He was right.”

  The sound of glass shattering pulls her to her feet.

  “Zach isn’t great with one hand.” She laughs. “I’m going to go help. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me too,” I say, trying to level the emotion in my voice. “There’s no other place I’d rather be.”

  Chapter 54

  Jeremy

  “Are you going to invite me in?” I ask with a grin. “I’ve been on my best behavior all night, but my cock can’t take anymore.”

  She glances down at the front of my jeans. “You’re hard.”

  “I was hard in the taxi when you kissed me. “ I lean forward to kiss her. “The way you ran your tongue along my bottom lip, made me think about how that would feel over the head of my dick.”

  Her cheeks flush. “You have time to come up?”

  “I can stay the night.” I pocket my phone. “Athena doesn’t have class tomorrow so she’ll be there when Zach wakes up. She’ll get him off to school.”

  “Tonight meant a lot to me.” She looks down the street when a car horn blares. “I felt like I belonged there.”

  “You belong there,” I stress the words. “They want you back next Sunday, angel.”

  She did belong there. She sat next to me as we watched a comedy with my siblings. She was quick to toss popcorn back at Zach when he leveled a handful at her.

  I saw the look on her face when Athena hugged her goodbye, followed by Zach. Breccan gave her a fist bump, which for him is akin to a full-on embrace.

  In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have imagined a scenario where the love of my life fit into my family with such ease.

  “I’ll be there.” She fishes in her bag for her keys. “I want them to like me, West.”

  “They do.” I take the keys from her hand and motion toward the doors of her building. “I know you just met them, but I’m telling you, Linny, they’re hesitant when it comes to meeting new people. Trust is about as easy for the three of them as it is for me.”