Page 57 of The Secrets of a Sin

Luckily when I run out the front entrance, I notice the cops are already gone, and no one seems to have noticed my escape. Not that I cared, I just knew it would bring on more problems that I didn’t need at the moment.

Scanning the parking lot, I don’t see Arsen’s black vehicle anywhere, but as I start walking down the length of the school's sidewalk, I can hear the sounds of a car engine blaring as if it's in the Daytona five hundred. And, sure enough, as I peer over into the street where the noise is coming from, a sleek black car comes into view, skirting across the pavement into the parking lot. It turns frantically into the school, speeding through the packed parking lot as if he doesn’t care about the other parked cars. His only mission is to get to me. He comes to a screeching halt beside me, slamming hard on the brakes until throwing the gear into park. Before he even has a chance to get out or roll the window down, I open the passenger door and throw myself inside.

“I almost hit an old woman crossing the fucking road trying to get here. So, whatever you have to tell me better be good.” He growls, with one hand still tightly wound around the steering wheel as the other is resting onto the center console.

“Someone attacked my teacher today.” I admit instead. “Someone I know.” I gingerly glance over to gauge his reaction and notice disinterest. He exhales on a deep sigh as if annoyed, but I figured I would start slow before diving deeper into what I discovered. “I walked in and found her straddling him. She was punching and scratching as if she was trying to claw his face off.” I shake my head, feeling a jolt of chills run through me once again. “I tried to stop her, but the look that she gave me was almost like she was possessed. Pure evil.”

He studies me so meticulously that I’m afraid he may ridicule my previous statement, but instead, he remains silent, waiting for more. Perhaps I did sound a little far-fetched with what I encountered, but I still couldn’t deny the storm of terror that fell over me when I met Priscilla’s wild eyes. Yes, she was volatile, but there was something far worse hiding underneath her exterior that even St. Catherine’s would never be able to fix.

“She said he was inappropriate with her, so she jumped him. But every time I had an encounter with him, he was nothing but nice to me and never crossed the line between student and teacher. He’s married, older, and I couldn’t for the life of me think that he could do something like that.” I frown, peering back down into my lap as my stomach begins to twist. “He didn’t deny it, Arsen. He didn’t even try to fucking fight back at all.” Closing my eyes for a moment, all I can see is the wicked grin across Priscilla’s face as she stood with me in the hallway. Excitement was laced in her features. Authentic fucking satisfaction permeated out into the air as her smile branded me.

“Because he probably fucking did it, Charlotte. Why fight when you know you’re guilty?” He questions as my eyes remain closed.

“I saw something, Arsen.” I confess on a painful breath. The air practically solidifies as the tension between us heightens.

“What did you see?” He pushes impatiently but tries to keep calm while asking. I knew I had to meet his eyes for what I was going to say, but knowing that his whole body would splinter and crack in anger, I wanted to avoid witnessing it at all costs.

“Mr. Rossi” I trip over the words as I aim not to cry. “He’s the one from the letters. He’s the one your sister has been having relations with.” I swivel my head to catch his reaction, knowing I couldn't let him deal with it alone. Even if I tried to shun him, I physically couldn’t any longer, not after everything.

His eyes automatically blacken like I knew they would, but something different manifests into the air around us that has my eyes watering. Unadulterated anguish fills the car, sinking into the deepest parts of my heart that wildly beat for the man next to me. His face drops as his knuckles tighten roughly around the steering wheel in a way to ease the hurt he is experiencing. I am desperate to reach out to him again. To somehow use my energy to soothe him, but his fury is soon taking over his emotions. His hand that was resting over the console lifts and pounds hard into the leather until I am rearing back towards the door, away from him.

“How did you find out it’s him?” He growls with his hair scattered over his forehead and his hand balled into a fist.

I stare at his whitened fist, watching as the veins in his hand become more pronounced. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. I was just afraid of what he would do to someone else.

“He has a tattoo on his arm. The same words that are on Phoebe’s necklace are embedded in his skin.”

“Fuck!” He shouts, slamming his palm onto his steering wheel with ferocity. “Where is this motherfucker?” He throws the car into drive and instantly zooms off, causing my back to smack the seat.

“Arsen!” I shout, scouring for the seat belt. “Where are we going?” I frantically ask as he begins to drive like a complete maniac. He turns the steering wheel so quickly that my face almost smacks the glass.

“Where is he?” He growls as we are now on the two-lane road, and his foot smashes the gas. I cower back into the seat, fearful for what Arsen was planning to do.

Was he planning on killing him?

The idea didn’t seem too far-fetched, especially knowing that Arsen had a questionable dark side to him that I’ve only partly witnessed. As a child, he was able to execute another man's life, so now, there was no doubt in my mind he was capable of doing it again.

“He’s in custody, Arsen.” I have a death grip on the seat belt as he starts passing the slower vehicles ahead of us. “If anything, he’s at the police station being questioned by the cops again.”

He doesn’t respond or even notices that I’m terrified and holding on for dear life beside him. Instead of taking in what I just told him and calming down, he pulls straight into the police station parking lot and parks towards the back. “Stay here.” He barks before exiting the car and slamming the door shut in my face.

What the hell…

I wait and wait for what feels like hours, even though only fifteen minutes have passed. I’m half-tempted to walk into the station to see what's going on, but that would only create more problems if Rolland saw that Arsen and I were together. So rather than incriminating myself, I remain cooped up in his car, staring impatiently out the window for him to come into view.

Was he speaking with Rolland about what he just found out? Was he talking with Mr. Rossi?

There was no way to know what was going on inside that building, but it probably wasn’t good knowing the mood Arsen was in. Time ticks by, and my anxiety heightens, but suddenly the front door opens, and Arsen comes barreling out. I sit straighter while watching his movements and find that his face is still stuck on a scowl. He flings open the door and throws himself inside on a sigh.

“What happened?” I frantically ask, but I try to stay as cautious as I can, given the state he’s in.

“He’s not there.” He grunts as he starts the car, and my brows instantly lower in confusion.

What did he mean he’s not there? Where else could he be?

“Where is he?” I question as my curiosity rises.

“They let him go.” He starts to back out of the parking lot, and I jerk back. “He told them he never touched that girl and he had proof from the other students who were there. So, they let the bastard go.”

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