Page 11 of Zade (Den of Sin)

Sighing I admit, “I’m sorry, for everything you’ve been through. I hate her and what she did to you.”

Her big green eyes widen, “Don’t hate her. She was sick, Zade. I still love her even when I’m angry. Even when the pain gets so enormous it feels like a crushing boulder, still my love never changes.”

I swallow hard and nod, “Okay.”

Leaning forward, I grab the remote control from the coffee table and hand it to her, “Enough heavy shit. Put something on that you’d like to watch.”

She arches a curious brow, “A chick flick?”

I groan, “Whatever you want.”

Of course, I knew her as a child but I’m interested to learn more about her as a young adult. I’m curious to see what she puts on the television. When she starts a show calledSex/Life,I become a little concerned about her choice. In under two minutes, I’m subjected to the first sex scene, then I glance over to my little brat with her bottom lip pulled between her teeth as she stares at me with interest. It becomes clear she’s fucking with me just to get a reaction.

“Is this an appropriate show for you to be watching?

Amira places her hands on her hips, “Almost eighteen, Zade. You know I have a boyfriend. I’m not a little kid.”

My eyes drop to her perky nipples before I force them back to her face as I wonder what she’d look like with clamps on them, “I’m well aware you aren’t a kid. You better not let this boyfriend touch you,” I nod to the sex scene on the TV, “like that. It would be a shame for such a young man to be found dead. Tragic.”

She rolls her eyes, “Yes, Daddy.”

Fuck me. This girl is going to be the death of me. She’s going to push and push until I finally fucking snap. I can’t let that happen. Amira deserves better than that.

I knew she must be exhausted after what she’s been through. We make it to the end of the first episode before her head is leaning against my arm, and I glance at her and see her fast asleep. I scoop my arms around her and lift her as I stand and walk her to her bedroom to put her to bed. Am I thinking about how good she feels in my arms? Her fucking scent that makes me so hard I can barely stand it? Her little moans as I slip her into bed? Nope. Not at all.

I’m a fucking liar. It’s literally the only thing I can think about as I wrap my hand around my cock.

ChapterSeven

ZADE

Amira has been with me for almost a week, and it’s been oddly pleasant. She’s still a brat but I enjoy having her around. She surprised me by not fighting me on therapy but I was relieved because it wasn’t optional. Washing yourself with bleach is a form of self harm. I would’ve dragged her kicking and screaming to the therapist but I was happy it wasn’t necessary. Today is going to be rough. It’s her mother’s funeral and I know how much she loves her even though I think she was a piece of shit. I keep that all to myself because I don’t want to make things worse. Hating her mother will only cause her further misguided guilt. I have no intention of causing her more pain. She has had more than her share of it in her young life.

Amira comes into the kitchen looking distracted which isn’t unexpected. I slide her coffee across the kitchen table to her.

“Thanks,” she says in a small voice.

“How are you?” I ask stupidly. She is going to her mother's funeral, obviously the answer is not good. Much to my surprise she breaks out in laughter, “Why do people ask that when they know the answer?”

She’s not wrong, I knew it was a fucking ridiculous question, the second I said it. So I answer her honestly, “I don’t know what to say. I want to take all your pain away, I want to erase everything that has happened. My desire to see you happy is so fucking strong. But I can’t take anything away. I can’t bring her back. The only thing I can do is to be here.”

She lifts her gaze from her coffee, to mine, long black lashes fluttering.

“Thank you,” she whispers, “Oh by the way, Joe and Cyndi will be there.”

“Joe and Cyndi?”

She smiles slightly as she takes a sip of her disgustingly sweet coffee, “Cyndi is my best friend. You met her when you were with-”

Amira shakes her head as if clearing her thoughts, “Joe is my boyfriend I guess.”

“You guess?”

I take a sip of my coffee while I wait to find out what the hell that means.

“We haven’t been together long. We had a fight the night before she died. Cyndi swears he’s cheating on me but I don’t think he’d do that.”

Amira gets up, goes to the sink, and washes out her coffee cup, “Don’t accept less than you deserve. Ever.”

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