I threw open the door to see her huddled in a brown fur coat stomping snow off of her boots.
“Hey, baby!” She smiled kissing me on the cheek.
I was overjoyed to see her.
Taking her coat off, she placed it on the coat rack. She held a red wrapped box out to me. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Taking the box, I tore open the wrappings. Inside, was a box of my favorite Godiva chocolates and three cartons of cigarettes.
“Thanks, Sasha.” I grinned eagerly opening the candy and popping one into my mouth. The luscious chocolate melted on my tongue filling my mouth with sugary sweetness. Ash never remembered to bring me chocolate or cigarettes. I rubbed my goatee as I thought about what I could give Sasha. I didn’t have anything here of value and obviously I couldn’t go shopping. “I have something for you. Stay right here.” I instructed as I ran to my bedroom. Seizing a plain red tie, I quickly stripped down. I wrapped the tie around my member.
“Surprise!”
Sasha turned and burst out laughing when she saw what I’d done.
“Hey, I don’t exactly have time to go shopping what with being on the lam and all. This is the gift that keeps on giving.” I stood with my hands on my hips with my cock jutting out.
“Just what I always wanted,” she murmured falling to her knees pulling the tie off with her teeth. She lapped the length of my cock.
I closed my eyes. “You don’t have to,” I whispered bringing her to her feet.
“But I want to,” she insisted.
“No, I just want to be inside you.” I pushed her onto the couch and fell upon her. Feeling her arms wrapped around me, I pressed my cock to her. She was wet as I’d anticipated and I melted into her. She groaned biting my neck softly as I drove myself deep inside her. Her long nails dug into my back giving me exquisite pain as I fucked her long and hard.
After I came deep inside her, she curled up in my arms. I inhaled the perfumed scent of her hair and longed to keep her there with me.
But I couldn’t. Sooner or later, Ash would find out and he’d be furious with me. Also, it wasn’t fair to her to let her stay with a man who may never be free from this cabin.
“Sasha, remember what I told you about me? You can’t keep coming here. It isn’t fair to you.”
She was quiet a moment as she swirled her fingers in my chest hair. She traced a finger over my bicep tattoo. “I know. This was my way of saying goodbye. I wanted us to have one last Valentine’s Day together.”
My heart sank even though it’s what I wanted her to do. I’d planned to marry her before the murder. Now, once again, my life was in shambles.
Kissing her on the forehead, I hugged her close to me. I could feel her heartbeat next to mine. I wondered if we’d ever be able to be together again out in the real world. “My princess, I’m so sorry this happened. I hope you understand why I did what I did. I had to protect Ash and Amber.”
Sasha squirmed in my grasp.
I felt her tears wet my chest.
“I have to go now, Ayden. I can’t—I can’t do this if I stay.”
Sighing, I allowed her to get up.
She dressed quickly pulling her jeans, boots, and long sweater on. She wrapped herself in her fur coat. “I love you, Ayden.” Her lips brushed my cheek.
I struggled to keep from crying in front of her. “Love you, too. Take care.” I watched as she shuffled through the snow out to the SUV.
She turned back to cast one more soulful glance at me.
Once again, I was alone.
Another week went by.
Alone with my thoughts, I felt myself embarking on a Thoreau-like journey. I had an immense library of books at my disposal, so I spent my nights reading by lamp light and my days sleeping or working out by lifting the weight set Ash had brought me.
Sometimes, I took walks outside. The one good thing this place had afforded me was an opportunity to finally rid myself of the desire to use. Since I’d been here, I hadn’t a desire to get high even once.
I had a stack of burner phones I was to only use in an emergency. Ash came once a month to bring me supplies. He was due next week. I couldn’t wait to see him.
Ninety Two
Ash
“Are you having second thoughts, baby?” I brushed my hands over her smooth blonde hair.
Amber shivered as she stared out the window.
The rain had slowed to a light sprinkle. I glimpsed at myself in the rearview mirror as we waited for her family to show up. I’d just had my dark brown hair cut yesterday. A touch of silver was showing at the temples and I’d debated getting it colored, but my hairdresser had assured me it made me look even more debonair and handsome. I guessed for being forty years old, I looked good. I’d had my goatee trimmed slightly and Amber told me my hard muscular chest was amazing for a man of my age, of any age. My eyes were a deep blue lined with lashes my mother used to claim were too lush for a boy.
“No,” she whispered.
It was the morning of her brother’s memorial. He’d been buried months ago, but the family had wanted to have a memorial for him back in Chicago. Despite all the evil he’d committed against her, Amber had wanted to go.
Of course, no one knew it was my brother who had killed Mark. Amber and I had vowed to keep him safe and protected. My attorneys had managed to keep the police at bay and we were no longer suspects in Mark’s murder. However, I knew that the cops were highly suspicious of Ayden. I’d put Ayden somewhere safe so he wouldn’t face any charges.
After all, family was family. And Mark didn’t deserve the title of brother. He’d been an atrocious monster to Amber, abusing her from the time she was young. He was a filthy animal and a stalker.
And my brother had killed him to protect us.
We hadn’t gone to Mark’s funeral. At the time, his stalking and terrorism of us was too fresh, too traumatic for Amber to handle. Now that several months had passed, Amber felt as though she was ready to make peace with her past and with her family.
“Amber, the memorial starts in five minutes.” I wrapped my arm around her waist.
“I’m ready.” She smiled turning from the window.
We walked out of the hotel and rode in silence to cemetery. Her family was meeting us there.
As the limousine pulled up to the gravesite, I saw Amber’s sister and her other brothers standing around. They all held umbrellas over their heads trying to keep the pouring rain from soaking them. Amber’s sister gave her a light smile.
The driver raced around in the rain to open our door. He held an umbrella out for Amber.
She took it as she greeted her sister, “Heather, it’s been so long.” They embraced.
I stood huddled next to her. I had only met her family a few times and each time it hadn’t gone well. I had a feeling that they blamed me for all of Amber’s recent troubles. After Amber’s father death last year, the truth about Mark had come out. Her youngest brother, Damon refused to believe it, but the rest of her siblings finally accepted that their brother had been abusing Amber for years. His death had come as welcome news to all of them except for Damon. He and Mark had been very close. I was relieved to see he hadn’t shown up today.
“Too long. You look great, Amber.” Heather took her hand squeezing it as we walked over to Mark’s grave.
Mark Scott Michaelson
Son, Brother, Friend
I had a strong urge to kick the headstone, but restrained myself. The rest of the family knew he’d been murdered, but didn’t know the exact circumstances surrounding his death. In short, they were unaware my brother had killed him.
A minister wearing a dark blue suit arrived along with several friends of the family.
We all bowed our heads as a short prayer was offered.
Amber shifted her weight from foot to foot as the rain continued to pour overhead. A loud burst of thunder then a crackle of lightening caused the minister to shorten the service. The dirt surrounding the grave was still uncovere
d with grass and was quickly becoming slick mud.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Amber’s eldest brother, Mick said shaking his head. “I know he hurt you, Amber, but he was still our brother.”
“That’s why I’m here, Mick. I wanted to pay my respects to him only because he was family. My therapist suggested I come.” Amber held her head high.
I felt so proud of her. I knew how hard this was for her. I slipped my arm about her waist.
As we filed back to our cars, Amber stopped in front of her father’s grave. She put the rose she’d been carrying on top of it. She then kissed her fingers and touched the marble headstone. “Love you, Daddy,” she whispered.
Saddened by today’s events, I recalled my own father’s funeral and how broken I’d been that day. Even though Mark’s death was no loss for her, I was certain that being in the cemetery and having to go through the memorial service resurrected painful memories of her father’s death. “Are you okay, Amber? Do you still want to have dinner with them?”
She nodded blotting her eyes with a tissue. “Of course. I want to spend some time with them. They are my family.”
“I’m your family too, baby.” I kissed her hand.
She smiled at me then laid her head on my shoulder.
“Always,” I whispered.
Ninety Three
Ayden
The sound of tires crushing sticks alerted me to him. I flew up in my bed and tossed the covers aside. Shit. I’d forgotten this was the first of the month! Eagerly, I threw on a pair of jeans and pulled a t shirt over my head. Scrambling to the door, I looked out expecting to see Ash’s black Range Rover.
But there was no one there.
Puzzled, I went back in to check my calendar. It was only the 26th. Ash wasn’t due for another six days. No one other than Ash and Sasha knew where this place was. In the entire time I’d lived out here, not one soul other than the two of them had ever driven down this road.
Had I been dreaming? I walked outside to see fresh tire tracks in the dirt road. Someone had been here! Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a large spider scurrying across the dirt. Now that was strange. It was quite cold outside and I hadn’t seen a spider since I’d gotten here. Puzzled, I went back inside.
Maybe someone had just taken a wrong turn. Maybe the people who owned that old hunting shack thirty miles down the road had finally decided to return. Saddened that Ash wasn’t coming today, I turned my coffeepot on and waited.
As the day wore on, I forgot about the incident. I called Ash on the phone and chatted with him briefly reminding him of the items I wanted when he came back.
Darkness fell upon the cabin as I lit the kerosene lamps. As I sat in my easy chair with the fire roaring in the fireplace, I flipped through the pages of a book.
Then, I saw a pair of headlights shining through the window. Sucking in my breath, I ducked down beneath the window. Someone was here!
Fearing the FBI had finally tracked me down, I braced myself for the worst. But then I heard a soft knock at the door.
“Open up! I know you’re in there. I can see the fire!” It was a female voice.
I thought I recognized it. My heart leapt thinking maybe it was Sasha.
“Ayden, it’s me. Open up!”
Cautiously, I pulled the door open. My hands flew to my mouth. I stood there stunned.
How did she of all people find me?
With her long legs encased in a pair of black pants strolled past me. “Nice place.” She commented. Lena ran her hands over the back of the couch as she slinked over to sink into my easy chair. “Quite a bit of trouble you got yourself into isn’t it, Ayden?”
“What are you talking about? How did you find me here?” My heart thundered so hard in my chest that I feared it would explode.
“You don’t think I know where my own flesh and blood is? You should know me better than that by now.”
Flesh and blood?
What the fuck was she talking about? She….
Oh, shit
Amelia!
Tremors racked my body as I attempted to grasp what she was saying. There was no way, absolutely no way that this was happening. Not her. It just couldn’t be her. “Lena, you were….my fiancé’s lover. We had an…an encounter together with her,” the words spilled from my mouth, but it seemed as though they were someone else’s.
“You’re quick, Ayden. Have you always been this quick or is this something new?” She ran her hand over the length of her black hair.
Gripping the couch, I allowed myself to collapse on it in a heap. The room was spinning. “Are you saying you’re my…our sister?”
Smirking at me, she nodded. “Surprised you never got that. You wanted me, but you knew you couldn’t have me for some reason. It bothered you and I liked that. Now you know why. I’m twisted, but not that twisted, brother. I’d never have let you actually have me.” Her eyes skimmed my body seeming to touch my well-muscled chest covered with tattoos. She admired my dark brown hair which I wore a touch longer than Ash did. I didn’t have any silver in my hair like my brother did. Yet anyway.
My thoughts were racing so fast I could barely keep up. I wondered if Ash knew. All that time we searched for our sister, Amelia and she was right in front of my face.
“Does—?“
“—Ash know? No, he doesn’t. After the stunt you pulled murdering that hideous man, I knew I had to start watching the two of you more closely.” She studied her expertly painted long red nails before meeting my eyes again.
Motherfucker.
“How could you? Your name…Lena not Amelia?”
“An alias I gave you, so you wouldn’t suspect. As soon as I learned the two of you were looking for me, I went undercover.”
“So what do I call you? Amelia? Lena?”
“Ava is what I prefer.” Her eyes glittered as she studied my reactions.
I felt as though I was being held under a microscope. “What happened to you? I mean, Ash and I heard about the orphanage, your mother’s death….”
“Not much to say. Rita was married to Ashler, our father, briefly, but because of her propensity to fuck her own life up she lost him. After Ashler kicked us out, she deteriorated rapidly as we moved from place to place. Finally, she died in a house fire. I was sent to a home for girls then sent to a foster home in California.”
My mouth was so dry I felt as though I couldn’t swallow. Stumbling to my feet, I lumbered into the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of scotch from the cabinet and two glasses.
Ava observed the bottle and grinned. “Macallan. Just like your brother. So nice how the two of you have begun to get along.”
Taking a long swallow of the smooth liquid, I stared at her. She looked exactly the same since I’d last seen her-long wavy hair as black as night, full, red lips, soft, perfect features, and those same penetrating blue eyes. She sent shivers down my spine.
And this woman was my long lost half-sister.
I’d wanted her, but hadn’t been able to bring myself to fuck her. Now I knew why. “Lena,” I began.
“Ava,” she corrected with an evil smirk. Her high heel dangled deliberately from her foot as she rocked it back and forth.
“Ava, how did you know we were your brothers?”
Giving a light laugh, she downed the rest of her whiskey. A slow grin spread across her face. She sat there like a panther ready to pounce on her prey. “Come now, brother, you don’t expect a girl to give away all her secrets, do you?” She cocked a perfectly arched brow at me.
A distinctly uneasy feeling fell over me. It was difficult to describe. It was almost like when you decided to get on the biggest roller coaster at a carnival. You know the one with all the twists and turns that goes upside down because your friends keep calling you ‘chicken’ until you do it. It was like that only I’d eaten too much cotton candy and I felt the nausea hitting the back of my throat.
“Have you met Ash?” I poured the rest of the whiskey into our two
glasses. Fuck, after tonight I think I was going to need a few more bottles.
She shook her head. She took the glass I handed her and licked the edge slowly before downing the liquor.
“I have a phone. I can call him.” I offered as I finished my drink. For the first time since I’d been out here, I felt myself wanting a fix. I began to rub my thigh hard through my pants as sweat broke out across my forehead.
“Really, Ayden? So do I.” She tossed her iPhone X at me.
“Ava, I don’t—I mean, I don’t know…”
She held up her hand as she leaned forward in her chair. Her long black hair spilled over her forehead as she flipped her head back. “I’ll be straight with you. I hate most people, to be honest. They’re backstabbing users who only care about what you can do for them. I have no time for such people. But you, Ayden, are different. Both you and Ashton. You’re my brothers. You’re the only blood family I have. You think you know about me, but you don’t. I grew up hard and fast with a degenerate for a mother. She never cared about me. She only cared about how many guys she could fuck for her next fix.” Ava’s pretty face turned down in a scowl.
Yes, this was a feeling I could definitely relate to. I knew the power of addiction all too well. My own veins were pulsing with the need to use. “So what made you find us?”
Ava shrugged. “I’ve always known who Ash was. My mother and Ashler were married for a while after his mother left. I remember being with him when he was young. The two of us would play together on our father’s vast estate. I didn’t know Ashler was my real father for years. I used to pretend he was, but in my heart, I knew he probably wasn’t. My mother, Rita had many lovers. I mean, come on, I was born in some hippie commune. God only knows how many men she fucked. I’m lucky I wasn’t born with two heads with all the drugs she took.”
“I’ve heard the stories. Alice’s Attic, Dad, Rita, Debra, and The Sons of Brotherhood. It’s so unreal to me.”
Darkest Sin Page 73
