“Sounds like an adventure,” I said softly.
“Everything with Victoria was an adventure. We got married in this cheesy chapel in Las Vegas. Elvis was there.” He smirked.
I smiled. “Elvis is everywhere in Vegas.” I rested my arm on the couch and leaned my head on my hand.
“Even though I wasn’t in love with Victoria, I didn’t regret leaving with her that night. We both worked shitty jobs and rented this tiny-ass apartment that always smelled like corned beef because it was above a meat deli. A year after we were married, Victoria told me she was pregnant. I didn’t know how I felt. I walked around in a confused daze for weeks. She thought I was upset about the baby, and maybe I was… but then I was standing in that doctor’s office, feeling like I could climb the walls just to get out of there, and then I heard the most amazing sound in the world… Chelsea’s heartbeat. ”
“ It was the most beautiful sound in the world and I wanted to listen to it every day. In that moment, I became hers, always. She had me wrapped around her little finger and she wasn’t even here yet. I’ll never forget the night she was born. I listened to her heart beat so strongly on that contraption they had strapped to Victoria. She was so excited and she made absolutely no sense because she was jacked up on pain meds. ”
“She kept thanking me for giving her Chelsea. For giving her a life she couldn’t be happier with.” His jaw locked suddenly and his mood shifted. “She was saying good-bye.”
“Why good-bye?” I whispered.
“What Victoria hadn’t told me was that she suffered from a heart condition. She shouldn’t have ever gotten pregnant because of it, but Victoria wanted a piece of her to continue on in the world when she was gone. I didn’t understand why the doctors and nurses were so concerned or why they gave me looks like I was somehow to blame for something. Victoria’s heart rate dropped dangerously low while she was giving birth, and hours after Chelsea was born, she told me why. I was so furious at her for keeping it from me. All those years… everything I’d done for her… she couldn’t trust me enough to tell me she was dying. ”
“A few days later, Chelsea was diagnosed with the same condition. A week after Chelsea was born, Victoria still wasn’t strong enough to leave the hospital and she spent the next week holding our daughter and telling her everything she could about her and our life together. The next week, Victoria passed away, and I left the hospital with a baby girl I had no idea how to take care of on my own. ”
“I went back to live with Constance and our aunt, and they helped me take care of Chelsea while I worked to give her everything she needed to be healthy. It wasn’t until a year and half ago when things started to take a turn for the worse and we learned her condition had evolved into something her tiny body just couldn’t handle. ”
“Every day spent in the hospital, I listened to the sound of my baby girl’s heart. It was still the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard, and when she passed, it was the last thing I heard. There are times when I thank Victoria for bringing Chelsea into my life and then there are times when I hate her for giving me this beautiful, amazing little girl only to have her taken from me before I was ready.”
“I’m so sorry, Sin. That’s terrible.”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he stood from the couch and walked away. I didn’t push. He’d revealed enough, and I knew he needed to let it all soak back in and get some rest.
Later that night, when he thought I wasn’t looking, I watched as he took some food out for two stray cats. I stood at the doorway, careful not to get caught, and listened to him coo and play with the cats before coming back in.
It was the cutest thing to see a large man like Sin being so nice to two little cats. It was unexpected, and if I was being totally honest with myself, I was starting to like the new side of Sin I was seeing. Then again, I’d liked him from the start, which was sick even in my own mind, but I could see right through him the more and more he talked.
Instead of wanting to get away from him, I wanted to be closer. But I knew it was only a matter of time before Ethan talked to my father, and my father starting asking about me. He had a key to my apartment. Whenever he got back into town, that would be the first place he would go.
Sin passed out on the couch and slumped over into my lap. I let him lie there while I watched TV, and every now and again I let my fingers get lost in his dark hair.
I’d close my eyes when he’d whisper something in his sleep and rub his cheek against my thigh like he was the most comfortable he’d been in years. It was such a sweet moment, but it got even sweeter when I heard him quietly whisper my name.
30
Sin
I woke up with my head in Emily’s lap and her fingers in my hair. She was asleep and her hand wasn’t moving, but I could remember waking up earlier and feeling her softly tousle my hair. It was something my mom used to do when I was a small boy, and I couldn’t lie and say I hated it.
She was breaking through slowly and I knew I had to put a stop to it.
I leaned back up on the couch and her head rolled to the side. She was sleeping so peacefully, with her pouty lips opened slightly. Everything about her invoked peace. Even when I wanted to explode everywhere, something about her made me calm down just a bit.
I reached up and pushed a dark strand of hair from her face and took in her flushed cheeks. If I left her like she was, her neck would hurt the next morning. I knew I shouldn’t have cared, but I did.
Lifting her from the couch like I had the night before, I turned off the TV and the lights and took her to my room. She snuggled her nose into my neck, making the hairs on my arms rise, and right before I laid her in my bed, she softly whispered my name.
That night, when she wrapped her arms around my waist, I didn’t move them. It felt good to fall asleep in someone’s arms. I hadn’t done it since before Chelsea’s mom died, and as I fell asleep, I knew in the back of my mind that it was something I needed.
I woke the next morning to the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen, and this time I didn’t bother taking out the liquor. Emily asked me not to drink during breakfast and since she cooked, it was the least I could do.
We spent most of the day doing laundry since she swore my sheets needed to be washed. While I was loading up the washer, she cleaned the bathroom. The smells of cleaning supplies filled my apartment, and when we were done, the place actually looked livable. If only Constance could see it.
That night, I made dinner while she folded clothes and made the bed. She was showered and smelling sweet by the time dinner was ready. Instead of eating in silence, we talked. Not about me, of course, but I found that I really liked getting to know Emily.
Every once in a while, I’d give in and answer one of her questions, but nothing that gave too much away. I knew I was stalling. I was stalling my master plan just so I could be with Emily a little longer. I was fucked.
“Sin?” She called my name before I turned off the TV and went to sleep.
“Yeah?”
“Truth or Dare?” she said with a tiny smile.
I didn’t even think about it. “Dare.”
She leaned up on her shoulder and looked me in the eyes. “I dare you to kiss the first girl you see.”
She wanted me to kiss her. It wasn’t smart. As a matter of fact, it was probably one of the stupidest thing I could’ve done, but that didn’t stop me. I leaned in and tucked her hair behind her ear. In a moment of weakness, I let my fingers explore her soft cheek before I leaned in and softly pressed my lips to hers.
The following day, our little bubble of peace got busted. When I woke, Emily was in the bathroom. When she came out, she was fully dressed with her shoes on.
I leaned up on my elbows and squinted since the sun was blazing in through the curtains.
“What are you doing?” I asked roughly.
“I have to go, Sin. This has to stop. I have to go back to work in two days. People are going to know something’s up if I don’t show. You’re a nice
guy. I don’t want you to get in trouble. Let me go and I’ll forget about this. I won’t tell anyone, which means I won’t press any charges or anything. I promise.”
Her words rang through my brain and bounced around. Something in my chest tightened and I felt sick to my stomach. I wasn’t sure what pissed me off more. The fact that she thought she could just walk away from me, or the fact that it hurt like hell that she wanted to.
I shouldn’t have slipped. I was getting too comfortable with Emily and I’d forgotten the reason behind everything. That’s what she did to me. She’d swooped in and rocked me—woke me up from death and made me smile. I hated her for that. I hated that she had the ability to do that to me when all I really wanted to do was wallow in my misery and get my revenge.
“Your mistake,” I said as I stood and went into the bathroom.
She attempted to come in, but I slammed the door in her face.
I didn’t give a fuck if I was being rude. I hated that it hurt, but I wouldn’t let her know that. Fuck! Why was she able to hurt me?
She tapped on the door. “Sin. Can we please talk?”
I didn’t respond. I took a piss and when I was washing my hands, she walked right in.
“What the fuck?” I said as I turned around and dried my hands. “Damn, Red, if you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask.”
Her face dropped. “Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?” I asked like I didn’t know what she was talking about.
“Don’t use sex to change the subject.”
“Whatever. Look, you’re not going anywhere. You might as well get used to being here because until I get what I want, you’re not going anywhere.”
“What do you want?” She threw her arms in the air in aggravation.
We stood there in the middle of the bathroom, staring each other down. I wanted a lot of things, especially things involving her, but I had to put all that aside and remember what was most important.
“I want revenge.”
Hurt flashed in her eyes before she stepped up to me and put her arms around me. I knew in the back of my mind that I should have pushed her away, but it felt so nice to be held.
The soft scent of her swarmed around me. It had been so long since I’d been that close to a woman—like really close, not just physically speaking. It was a reminder of all the things I’d missed over the last six years.
She pressed against me and I could feel the contour of her soft breasts through her thin, silk top. I pulled her closer to me and latched my arms behind her back. Her thick, russet hair stuck to my sweat-covered cheeks and instinctively I breathed in the brief hint of her strawberry shampoo. She smelled amazing, and she felt even better pressed tightly to the front of my body.
Parts of me that I hadn’t used in years sprang to life and made me forget all about the reason I was there with her in the first place. Again, she moved and I pulled her closer to me. I wasn’t going to let her go. I was finally going to get what I wanted.
Her sharp teeth cut into my bicep, and I hissed loudly at the sting of her teeth puncturing my skin. I tugged on her ponytail and she released my flesh. Bringing her face to face with me, I smiled down at her. She was as good as mine. There was no escaping me.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
Her voice was thick and husky—that of a passionate woman in the midst of release.
I brought my nose to her neck and breathed her in once more. It was going to be a long while before I was this close to a woman again. Her femininity moved me beyond distraction, but I had to stay the course.
Looking down into her fevered eyes, I took a deep breath.
“What do you think I’m going to do? A life for a life—it’s only fair, Emily. She was taken from me. Now I’m taking you from him.”
31
Emily
I pulled away from him. His words had cut deep, deeper than I should’ve ever allowed them. I thought I was getting somewhere with Sin. I thought he was possibly starting to care about me. I know I was starting to care about him.
My hurt turned into something angry, and I suddenly understood why Sin always seemed so mad all the time. He was hurt, and it was his way of feeling better. I understood because all I wanted to do in that moment was slap him. I wanted him to hurt the way I was hurting, and that made me feel selfish, which only made me madder.
“This isn’t you,” I said clearly.
“You obviously don’t know me very well,” he responded.
“You’re wrong. I think I know you better than anyone has in a long time. I also think that pisses you off.” I was standing my ground.
“Whatever you say. I know differently.” He turned away.
I knew I shouldn’t mention her, but I couldn’t stop my mouth from moving. “Chelsea would hate this. She would hate you being this way.”
Fire lit up his face and I watched him change right in front of me. Two steps forward and ten steps back when it came to Sin. Why couldn’t I just keep my fat trap shut?
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, and you don’t know who the fuck I am!” he said as he pounded his fist on the wall next to my head.
I could remember being afraid of Sin when he first took me. His wide build and tall frame were very overwhelming for a small woman like me, but I figured out quick that he was all bark and no bite.
I used to secretly wish he was a biter. At night, I’d lie in bed and imagine Sin nibbling on the sensitive parts of me. My nipples would press into my bra with just the thoughts of what his large hands could do to them.
It was wrong to think those things. While sexual thoughts of Sin helped me make it through the night, they were wrong. It was a breach of the doctor-patient relationship.
I turned to the right and took in his large fist and the thick muscles of his forearm. He was all power and heat.
Swallowing a sigh, I looked him in his eyes.
“I don’t need to know who you are to know this isn’t you. You’re not a cruel person, Sin. I don’t care what you say to me, you’ll never convince me otherwise.”
I gasped when he rushed me. His body pressed me against the cold tile wall, causing me to arch away from the chill. His heart thumped against my shoulder and excitement filled me. It was sick. I was demented and I knew that. He was my kidnapper—a sick man with mental issues. He needed my help, and all I could think about was how hard he felt against me, how he towered over me and made me feel small.
I liked it. It was nice to have someone take the power away from me. I was so used to being in charge of everything, and I was exhausted.
I tried to control my quickening breaths, but exhilaration rushed through my veins, making the hair on my arms stand on end.
Leaning his forehead against mine, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
“I’m not good. If you knew the things that were going through my mind right now, you’d know that.”
Against my will, my fingers tangled themselves in his hair. His soft curls wrapped around my fingers and tickled my knuckles. His tense body relaxed into me, and it made me feel good to give him that brief moment.
“Tell me, Sin. Tell me everything you’re thinking,” I whispered between us.
He put his head down like he was ashamed of himself.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said as he looked up into my eyes. “I’m not the kind of man who would ever hurt a woman on purpose.”
“Then don’t.” I let go of his hair and ran my fingers over the stubble on his cheek and chin. Everything about him was so manly, so dangerous. Like I was seconds away from crashing and burning when I was around him. Who knew? Maybe I was, but then again, maybe I wanted to crash and burn with Sin.
“Let me help you. I want to help you.” I said the words slowly, hoping he wouldn’t attack me.
Every time I’d tried to help, he would figure me out and turn my job against me, trying his hardest to prove that I’d never dealt wit
h anyone as sick as him. I had, and I knew I could handle him.
“Don’t try to psychoanalyze me, Doc. Once you get in my head, you may never get out.” His mouth was inches from mine, and I wanted nothing more than to feel his hot lips and soft tongue.
“Maybe I don’t want to get out. Maybe I like being in your head,” I whispered.
“Is that so? Well, maybe I’d like to be in you, too.”
I didn’t have time to respond before his lips came crashing down onto mine. His tongue swept into my mouth, flicking mine and pulling tiny noises from me that gave him my approval.
Cupping my ass with his large hands, he lifted me. I wasted no time wrapping my legs around him as he walked us out of the bathroom and to his bed.
I bounced on the mattress when he dropped me. His dark eyes took in my body, and I stretched, enjoying the way he looked at me.
“You’re so fucking sexy. Tell me you want me to touch you, Emily. Beg me to touch you.” He pulled his shirt over his head and threw it to the floor.
“I said I wouldn’t beg.”
“Please beg me,” he said. His voice caught with desperation.
He was so hard that a tent had formed in the front of his pants. I wanted to scoot to the edge of the bed, pull his pants down, and suck the tip of him until he came all over me.
“Now who’s begging?” I taunted him.
He responded by unbuttoning my pants and pulling them off of me in one swift move.
He growled before lowing himself over me and pressing his hips into mine. His hard tip pressed against the most sensitive parts of me, making me moan loudly without realizing.
With his arms planted on each side of my head, holding him up, he looked down at me. “Beg me, Emily. I need to hear you beg for me, baby.”
Again, he pressed himself into me, causing my wet panties to stick to my skin. Every part of me wanted to beg him.
“I… I can’t. What would that say about me?” I said breathlessly as he picked up a rhythm and continuously pressed himself into me.
Clothes. I fucking hated clothes. I wanted him inside of me so bad. He pulled back, giving me a chance to look down between us at the front of his gray sweats. A dark circle of wetness covered the tip of the tent in his pants. I couldn’t tell if it was wetness from me or him, but I liked it.
The Wrath of Sin Page 13
