Sinless (Deadly Omen Book 1)

by Jenica Saren

  The sound of Clove clearing her throat brought me back to the present. “So…”

  “Oh, Ria.” I supplied.

  Clove beamed, her luminous blue eyes twinkling. “So, Ria, what brings you to our little township?” She asked, pulling a stray lock of ashen hair behind her ear.

  I looked down at my hands twined together on the table and contemplated how to phrase my situation without giving these, although kind, strangers a complete run down of my life. “I’m… Between places right now. I just needed a change of scenery, and I just found this place by accident and decided to stop to rest.” I said it all slowly, chewing over my words.

  Drea practically started bouncing in her seat, abandoning her disinterested ruse. “Oh! My mom works at the inn up the road, and I can totally get you a discount on a room.”

  She looked so excited that I was having trouble thinking of a polite way to refuse, when Clove jumped to my rescue.

  “Nonsense! I still have space in that old house, and dear Ria here is more than welcome to stay.” She gave me a knowing look that gave me chills, but not the creepy kind.

  I started fumbling with my words in the face of this woman’s generosity. “I-I have a fear of used beds.” I finally blurted, my brain failing me for the umpteenth time in my life.

  Clove nodded her head in understanding while Drea gave me a kind of funny look. Not mean funny, just weird funny. “Totally understandable.” Clove agreed. “You don’t know what’s been done to it – or in it. So, you will be glad to know that there is a brand-new mattress in one of the rooms, complete with plastic wrapping.” She grabbed my hand and looked at me earnestly. “I would be more than happy to help, and I live in the cottage next door, so I’m there when things get too stressful.” Her words were comforting, and despite hardly knowing her, I found her offer lifting a weight off my shoulders and settling my mind into a state of easy peace. Just one thing bothered me…

  Why would things get stressful?

  3

  Ria

  I stepped outside under the pretense of needing something from my car, but I was honestly just torn between getting the fuck out of this town filled with too-friendly people and taking Clove up on her offer. I mean, where else would I go? I texted Marie, my current landlady, on the way out of town. I explained the whole situation and she was extremely understanding. She may have possibly, maybe, kinda mentioned that Norman, her husband, was very fond of his medieval torture collection. They were a really fucking weird couple, but they were old, sweet, and very generous, so I obviously liked them anyway.

  But… My home. I had just left, and there was no way I could go back to that place after the things I saw. I was scarred for life. So, could I just move to a place where no one knows me? Where I don’t have a job or friends? What about the club? There’s no way I could just give up the club that I called my home away from house.

  You already called it quits, dumbass. My inner self reminded me, folding her arms across her chest while rolling her eyes at my insolence. You said you wouldn’t be back, and now you can stick to it.

  I knew she was right, and that sucked big ones. I couldn’t argue, so I settled for glaring inwardly, as I often found myself doing.

  I paced around my car, trying to clear my head with a little bit of menial movement. I couldn’t think sitting still. On the one hand, I didn’t have anything waiting for me back home. I had a hog-faced ex-best friend, a hopefully sexually crippled ex-fiancé, and an ex-job that would mock me until the day I died if I returned. I was a bit of a masochist sometimes, but I sure as hell wasn’t an idiot. This town was nice, with its historic structure, quietness, and friendly citizens, but it really wasn’t the place for a stripper. It’s all I had to my name, and I wasn’t so sure I was willing to give it up so easily.

  But… Would starting over really be so bad?

  The question caught me by surprise and my steady cadence faltered. Would it? I could reinvent myself. Small town girl, Ria. I had plenty of cash stashed away for now in my giant popcorn tin, so I could get by for a few months if I was careless, or a year if I was frugal. That would buy me time to figure out what it was that the new Ria wanted to do. My inner self was doing a jig, and by jig, I mean that she was doing some pretty risqué moves that my outer self wouldn’t have been caught dead doing, which says a lot because, you know, the whole stripper thing. At least someone was happy. I mean, I was happy, but I wasn’t happy. The I inside I was happy. That was kinda the same I, right? My outer I was making my inner brain hurt. Not that I had an outer brain. Son of a-

  Spurred on by my internal ramblings, I stood up straighter, took a deep breath and plowed inside before my brain could regain cognitive function over my mouth. I stepped back through the front door and found Drea and Clove standing by the counter, having what seemed to be a hilarious conversation, if their snickering was anything to judge by.

  I cleared my throat quietly as I approached Clove. “Clove, I’m so grateful for your offer, I really and truly am,” I started, holding her well-groomed hands in my own. Before I could finish my sentence, Drea was up, up, and away.

  “Ria, you can’t turn her down! She was just saying she wasn’t even going to charge you rent! It’s really no trouble, and you wouldn’t wanna stay at the inn anyway, it’s old and musty, and some of the rooms have roaches, so it’s really best if-“

  Clove extracted one of her hands from mine and gently clamped it over the outraged girl’s mouth. She let out an exasperated sigh and focused her startling eyes on me once more. “What were you saying, dear girl?”

  I shot a halfhearted glare at my little curly-haired friend and continued. “I’d be really honoured if you’d let me rent out that room. I think I need a bigger change than what I was looking for, and I hope I can find it here, if even for just a little while.” I let out a long breath while I stared at her, waiting for her thoughtful expression to reveal her thoughts.

  “Dear girl, you little star, I’m absolutely positive that you’ll find the change you need here, even if it’s not quite what you might expect it to be.” Her eyes were both earnest and sad, so I braced myself for her next words. “But I can’t let you rent out that room.” I opened my mouth to object, apologize, or beg, I’m not really sure which, but she quickly held up the hand that was previously blockading the onslaught of words that were pouring from Drea’s mouth.

  “What our little chatterbox here was saying before I so rudely interrupted is true; I would like to help a wandering soul and give you the room for free as long as you’re staying. And since you’ve already accepted the room, I would take it as a great personal offensive if you tried to persuade me to accept money from you.” This gentle woman seemed to stand a little taller as she said all of this, and I was nearly standing there with my mouth agape and jaw unhinged. “Of course, fruit baskets are always welcome. Yes, a monthly fruit basket sounds lovely. I will accept one fruit basket per month as your rent.”

  This time, I’m pretty sure my jowls hit the floor with an audible thunk. I swiveled my eyes to Drea, the question of Clove’s sanity being forced at her through all of the telepathy abilities that I possessed. I talked to myself in my mind all the time, how hard could it be? But the evil little barista just focused intently on her task of removing an invisible spot from the counter, looking like she was channeling all of her energy into not laughing.

  Thanks a lot, you traitor. I thought loudly at her. Of course, she didn’t respond, but it was worth a shot.

  I directed my attention to Clove once again and nodded, smiling as meekly as I could possibly meek.

  Clove clapped her hands together once and grinned a grin that belonged on a billboard. “Wonderful!” She exclaimed. “I will happily show you to the house, as I’m sure you could really use the rest. Get yourself a nice cup of tea on our dearest Andrea. I need to run to Hall’s and I will be right back to lead the way.” She gathered up the small clutch that was lying on the counter beside her, and strode through the door wit
h a gentle jingle.

  I turned on Drea, my eyes intending to pierce her flesh with lasers or something equally as impressive and painful. “No, she’s not crazy,” she said, finally facing me, smiling kindly, but not without humour. “She’s a little out there, but she’s harmless and we all love it.” She hopped clumsily over the counter and started heating up various machines. “So what’ll it be, newcomer?”

  I smiled almost unwillingly and pulled myself onto the countertop. “Same as before. I can barely function right now. Shouldn’t it be illegal to coerce someone into a deal when they’re under the influence?” I rambled a little, shamelessly, until Drea turned a wary eye on me. I rolled mine in response. “Under the influence of sleep deprivation. Fuck. I need to rethink the number of shots I need. Espresso, not alcohol, though I could totally go for some tonight. Oh, do you have a liquor store? Better stock up for a room warming party.” Okay, I rambled more than a little. I was halfway off the mental diving board to asking if there were any hot guys to invite when my chest received a painful stab. Oh yeah. Hot guys suck. Not that Lex was hot. He was ugly. Not so ugly that he’d lower my standards, but I mean, he was ugly to me now. Cheaters were ugly.

  Drea plopped my coffee beside me on the counter with what I’m going to guess is a natural flourish and not just a work thing like I had first been thinking, and leaned her hip against the counter. “So you’re really doing it, huh?” She asked. “We haven’t had anyone new in town for a few years now. It’s like no one even knows the town exists half the time.” She swiped a bagel from the display case and took a nibble.

  “Yeah,” I said, mildly distracted. I pinched off a piece of her bagel and chewed while I thought. “I need a change, and I think this could be a good one. Besides, the whole town is kinda cute.” My inner self nodded her agreement, appearing serene and pleased with herself. I started sipping at my coffee and gazed out the storefront windows. I really did like the place, despite it seeming so small. It seemed like a great place to meet decent people and build a little life for myself. And best yet, if it was really as forgotten as Drea said, then my parents would remain a distant, painful memory and stay the hell away from me.

  I hopped off the counter and stretched, feeling the caffeine wake me up a bit more. I needed sleep soon, otherwise I was going to have permanent bags under my eyes. “I’m gonna head out to my car and wait for Clove. I’ll see you later, okay?” I glanced at Drea and she nodded, picking up a damp cloth and wiping the space where crumbs had fallen on the counter.

  “We’ll be open until midnight tonight for karaoke. You should swing by. I won’t be behind the counter, but I’ll be at the bar, enjoying the perks of being twenty-one.” The way she grinned and worded the sentence made me curious.

  I narrowed my eyes at her for a brief moment. “Is today your birthday, Drea?” I asked slowly, trying to seem disinterested but curious.

  She nodded rapidly, her curls flying around her like a possessed squid or something. “Yes ma’am! So you’ll be there?” She asked earnestly, her eyes sparkling.

  I grinned back, infected by her enthusiasm. “Yeah, I’ll be there. Promise.” I told her, crossing my heart like I was twelve. “I’ll see you tonight.” I made a little heart with my hands as I backed out the door with a jingle.

  I made my way back to my car and unlocked it before practically falling into my seat. I figured I’d just sit there and play some games on my phone while I waited for Clove. As I was about to press the little Candy Crush icon on my home screen, I noticed my message icon said that I had forty-four new text messages. I opened the app and found the first one, from my landlady.

  He’ll be out by tomorrow. If you want to come back let us know, otherwise we’ll move your belongings to the storage container on the property. Be safe.

  Aww, that was sweet. I shot her a quick message back explaining that I wasn’t sure of my return at the moment and thanking her for her help.

  Next, I tapped on the tab labeled “Merc” and found a dozen or so photos of me dancing, along with a message that she probably expected to scare me. Tell anyone what happened and I’ll send these to your parents!

  I actually laughed out loud and considered telling her to go ahead and do it, but I figured that would be a waste of my very valuable energy. I had a camera in my kitchen from the time I hired a plumber to install my new garbage disposal, and the reviews said he was kinda shady. Better safe than sorry, right? I’d log on later and see if I could find any good shots of her running naked through my house.

  Then came the one I was dreading. The tab labeled “Baby Love” had twenty-seven messages in it. Trying to stall, I opened his contact and changed his name before going back to the tab that was now labeled “Cardboard”. Seemed fitting. I took a deep breath and tried to prepare myself, then I tapped the tab.

  Half of the messages were begging me to come back and work things out, another good few were trying to demean me by attacking my job, and the last of the others were threats of calling the police over my assault on him. Ha! That’s cute. Trying to scare me back into a relationship wasn’t exactly the best tactic, and if he had paid me any real attention while we were together, he would know that threats were not something that I responded to. It started to dawn on me that all of his thoughtfulness was just common sense. I had been infatuated and willing to accept any token of his affection that I hadn’t even realized he wasn’t really paying attention.

  The pang in my heart was so painful that my vision went blurry with tears for a brief moment. I had given so much of myself to someone who only seemed to care about my status as a stripper, probably hoping to make me a trophy wife.

  I thought strippers were supposed to be hot and fun, but you’re actually just a whore. Have fun fucking all your “clients”. He wrote in one of the last messages.

  I threw my phone into the passenger seat and leaned my head against the steering wheel. Fuck him. Guys who said shit just to hurt their exes after a breakup were the absolute shittiest. I deserved better. Way better. I’m pretty sure a one night stand in this town would be more rewarding than all the time Cardboard and I had been together. I refused to even say his name. I was going to treat him like Voldemort, because I was certain that saying his name would bring death and destruction to my already fragile world.

  I closed my eyes for a second, just to get my bearings, when I heard I car honk behind me. I looked up to find Clove behind the wheel of a little blue Honda, obviously older but well cared for. She made a motion with her hand for me to follow her, and she pulled out of the lot. I started my car with the press of a button and started down the winding streets behind my new landlady.

  * * *

  I slowly pulled down a twisted gravel driveway and my jaw all but dropped through my floorboard as the house came into sight. If I thought my last home was big, boy was I in for a shocker today.

  It was a glorified dollhouse, with two stories and immaculate Victorian spires reaching up into the trees that canopied the whole house. It was painted white, with a large wrap-around porch in a muted gray that somehow didn’t make the place look dull or desolate. Rose bushes adorned the spaces nearest the porch, with a large flowerbed of flourishing and colourful flowers that I didn’t have names for stretching out into a small courtyard. Fruit trees decorated the drive way, all sporting a different variety and also appearing to be flourishing. I questioned how these plants all seemed to be doing so well, seeing as it was autumn, but I didn’t think too hard on the subject. The windows that I could see from the front were tall and embellished, with a stained glass pain in what appeared to be an attic window. I made a mental note to go see it up close.

  The two cars came to a halt and I stepped out of my car, walking to meet Clove.

  “It’s lovely, isn’t it?” She asked, almost distractedly, as she fumbled in the backseat for a couple of tote bags. I extended an arm to help her and she shot me a look that was similar to a toddler who wanted to slide by himself.

  I followed
her up the front steps and to the door, where she just walked right in, no lock or anything. She led me first to the living room which seemed almost more like a small ballroom with its high ceiling and crystal chandelier. “Here is the main living space, with all the creature comforts.” She introduced, gesturing around her in an exaggerated circle. She proceeded with the tour to the conjoined kitchen and dining room, separated only by a breakfast bar. “This is the kitchen area, with the newest appliances and updated plumbing and electric.” She went to each appliance and gestured, as though I had difficulty seeing them, then she took off for the stairs, surprisingly nimble for such an older lady.

  The stairs spiraled upward, like the stairs from every girl’s dream fairytale, and they seemed really sturdy. Clove was talking again, but I was way too busy looking at the marvelous space laid out before me. When we finally reached a hall atop the stairs, she led us to the right. “And this, little star, is your room.” She opened the door slowly, and we stepped inside. I nearly fell to my knees at the gorgeous sight before me and had to hang on to the doorframe to keep myself upright. The space was light an airy, with an antique fourposter canopy bed, dark toned wood furniture, and a huge set of windows set into one of the false spires. A little bench seat had been set in front of the window, and I felt like I’d be spending many of my evenings right there, just enjoying the serenity of the landscapes around me.

  And, as promised, there was a brand new mattress, still covered in its shipping plastic and sitting on the bed in anticipation of a new owner.

  Clove set down her totes and started pulling things out and handing them to me. The first was a set of new sheets in a crisp white, with matching pillow cases. The next was a cell phone charger, and then a notebook. I was about to hug her and give my thanks when she pulled out a bright crimson, silken comforter. My eyes must have been the size of dinner plates, because I was absolutely in love. It was not only my favourite colour, but it was lavish and exciting, and a huge contrast to the light and sweet energy the room had to it right now. This time, I actually did throw my arms around her.