Page 54 of Drown in You

“Your dad’s got a gambling addiction.” My search through Mike’s laptop turned up plenty of interesting information. Turns out keeping secrets runs in the family. “Your mother must’ve found out he had tens of thousands of dollars in gambling debts. He chose his addiction over his family.”

That’s probably why Ma dumped his ass the first time they dated. His debts have been wiped, but I don’t know if it’s because of my mother’s generosity or her ignorance. Did she give the money to Mike willingly or did he steal it? She won’t be able to get it back now, but she deserves to know and she needs to divorce his ass before he steals from her again.

Sienna is silent, chewing her lip as she processes this information. “So you think he’s using your mom for her money? To feed his gambling habit?”

I shrug. “Maybe. Probably. I’m going to let her know what I found.”

Sienna doesn’t try to argue. She nods, still mulling over the revelation that what she always believed to be true—that she’s responsible for her parents' divorce—is a lie. “Thanks for telling me.”

“What happened between your parents wasn’t your fault, Sienna. It wasn’t because you weren’t good enough or deserved to be abandoned.” No one ever should’ve let her believe that. Her parents should’ve paid attention to the ways she punished herself for their split. How she takes on everyone’s burdens like they’re her own, like everyone’s problems are hers to fix.

Maybe that’s what got her here.

She bites her lip, and before the tears come, she launches herself at me, throwing her arms around my middle and squeezing. My heart soars.

“Thank you,” she murmurs. The sweet, jasmine scent of her shampoo wafts up my nose and I pull her closer, breathing her in until she eases back, neck craning to meet my gaze. “What happened to your dad and Chloe wasn’t your fault either. I hope you know that.”

My jaw sets. What happened to my pops is nothing like what happened with her parents. She couldn’t have saved their marriage, but I could’ve saved my father’s life. I could’ve saved Chloe’s too.

I nod at the bus in front of us. “You can thank me by getting on the bus.”

After ten minutes on the road, all the Devils have either slipped on noise-canceling headphones, pulled out their phones to play games, or passed out.

By my side in the back row, Sienna is fully awake. Alert. As focused on avoiding eye contact with me as I am on her every blink, every breath. She’s fidgeting with nervous energy, barricaded between me and a locked window. So no one can see what I do to her.

After getting chased and cornered the other night, she’s eager for what I’ll do next.

“Where’s the doctor you allegedly volunteered me to shadow?” Her lip curls with suspicion.

“Relax. They’ll have plenty of lessons to teach you at the game.” I lean closer, lips brushing against the shell of her ear. “But I’ve got a few lessons to teach you first.”

A delicious blush warms her cheeks. Her coat is draped over her lap, pinned down by her palms. Like that will stop me from getting my hands on her. But this time, I’m not wearing my mask and we’ll have to be more discreet.

“Unless they’re skating lessons, I don’t need them.” She keeps staring out the window at the asphalt flying past, unable to meet my eyes.

Her cheek is silky smooth beneath my rough, calloused fingers as I force her to face me. The same fingers I had inside her. Goosebumps spring up my arms at the contact. “Apparently, you do,” I murmur. “When I tell you to beg, you beg.”

My hand drops from her face and slides beneath the coat on her lap, trailing over the denim covering her thigh.

She yanks away from me, but there’s only so far she can go. She’s not escaping me. My teeth clench. “Stop trying to run from me.”

“Stop trying to grope your stepsister,” she hisses. A quick glance around tells her no one hears us, not even Knox’s nosy ass in front of us.

I tighten my grip on her thigh, anchoring her in place. “You weren’t complaining when you were about to come on my fingers.”

“You know how reckless and stupid this is, right?” She gestures around the bus. “There are so many witnesses. You know what will happen if anyone finds out.”

My hand finds the button on her jeans. “Then you better keep quiet.”

Before she can protest again, I yank her zipper down and slip my hand into her panties.

As soon as my finger makes contact with her clit, her breath hitches and she stops fighting me. She wants this so fucking bad. Almost as bad as I do.

My breath caresses the shell of her ear. “I bet you’re already so wet for me.”

She can’t even deny it. Of course she is.

Her eyes roll as I take her earlobe between my teeth and rub gentle circles over her clit. Her hips buck involuntarily into my hand, needing more. Needing everything I’m eager to give her.

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