Page 14 of The Sinner's Bargain

Asa gave a short inclination of his chin. “Yes ma’am.”

Mother snatched her velvet shawl off the antique hallway table. It was draped around her shoulders before she faced me once more. “Remember everything I told you. This isn’t the time to get sloppy. Not with the wedding in only a week.”

Swallowing the thick paste coating the lining of my esophagus, I nodded.

“Good.”

Without a goodbye or even a kind word of farewell, Mother headed to the door. The clap of her pumps reverberated as loud and endless as my heart pounding in my chest.

My mouth opened, prepared to call after her, suddenly desperate for a mother I knew didn’t exist, but not wanting to be alone. Yet, nothing came out. Then it was too late. She was gone and I was left standing in a home that had been mine for twenty years with not a soul to offer a single word of comfort. I didn’t want to cry. The makeup had taken hours to apply, and all my things were packed in the back of the car, ready to get shipped off to some place I didn’t even have the full address to, to live with people I had never met.

“Miss Blackwell.” Asa offered me the smallest hint of a smile as he held out my coat. I hadn’t even noticed he was holding it.

Grateful for the distraction, I moved forward and allowed him to hold it up for me to slide into. My fingers stayed bunched. I knew the slick sensation smeared across my palms wasn’t just sweat, but blood, and the coat was a pristine white.

“Thank you,” I whispered out of habit.

There was pity in his eyes when he met mine. The little twitch in his lips this time was sad, but he was an employee at the end of the day and had a job he needed to do.

Without a word, he pulled open the door and waited patiently for me to step through.

Only Mother’s town car, a sleek, black Lincoln idled in the driveway. There wasn’t a single sign of either of my parents, or Malcolm, as Asa opened the back door and helped me ease into the soft, warm leather.

“If you’re ready, Miss Blackwell?”

I snapped my belt into place before lifting my gaze to meet Asa’s in the rearview mirror. “I am. Thank you, Asa.”

He pressed the button and the car started forward. “We’ll be arriving in forty-five minutes, Miss.” One gloved hand lifted off the wheel and hovered over the button to activate the privacy window. “Let me know if you need anything.”

I thanked him again and sat back as he pulled the dark glass between us, leaving me alone in the dark confines of my new prison.

Mother rarely ever pulled the privacy window up. I guessed Asa was giving me a safe space to fall apart or scream if I needed. I was grateful for the small gesture of kindness, but I hated being alone in the silent darkness. The sun was nearly all gone and all I had were the passing streetlamps to filter in.

It’s not the same! I willed my frantic brain to believe.

But the confined space. The sharp plunges of night. I was struggling to breathe.

Chest wheezing, I clawed at the felt ceiling. My nails scraped and fumbled until I found the plastic light and the button that illuminated the space.

Not the box.

Of course, it wasn’t Mother’s linen closet converted to become my punishment box. I was leaving that behind. I never had to sit in there again.

Still, the hot chill created a sticky layer of sweat across my body. I felt the wool collar of my coat graze the back of my clammy neck and I shuddered.

Not the box.

Not the box!

I didn’t close my eyes, but I eased into my seat, ignoring the uncomfortable brush of clothes against my skin.

It was at that moment when I finally got my heart rate down the car came to a rolling stop at a red light. I was watching a group of girls jog across the street, wondering if they had any idea how lucky they were when the door on my other side flew open and a dark figure jumped into the backseat.

A hood was shoved back, revealing a mop of pale curls and familiar blue eyes.

“Malcolm?” I took in his black jeans and black hoodie. A drastic change from his usual slacks and button downs. “You scared the heck out of me. What are you doing?”

“We don’t have a lot of time.” He raised a hand and rapped three times on the privacy window. It rolled down just enough for Asa to shove a backpack into our side. The window rolled back once Malcolm had it. “I need you to really listen to me and not speak, okay?”

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