Page 39 of Holy Sinner

I lock eyes with him when I answer him. “I almost killed her.”

The hand on my jaw gentles and cradles my face. “That’s my beautiful fucking girl.”

His response isn’t what I was expecting. He sounds proud but also like he already knew. How the fuck did he already know? I lean back and look up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“You already knew, didn’t you?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.

He hums and kisses my forehead. Relief washes over me at the touch of his lips and he hugs me to him. “I did, sweetheart.”

“How?”

“There isn’t a thing you do that I don’t know.”

I roll my eyes and hug him back. “Does Rafe know?”

He shakes his head. “Nah, he’s too dumb to know this kind of shit.”

I poke him in the side. “Grant!”

“What? He’s pretty to look at but dumb as a box of fucking rocks, baby. Fucker brought a gun on the plane. You know that’s stupid.”

I cross my arms because I don’t know what to say to that. I’d never bring a gun. I’ve never even fired one and touching them makes me twitchy, let alone bring one on a plane, even if it was private.

“He’s just particular, that’s all.”

Grant snorts. “I knew you knew he was dumb.” I frown and make a move to leave but he catches me around the waist and pulls me back to him. “I’ll keep it our secret,” he murmurs in my ear and kisses the top of it.

“Leave Rafe be,” I whisper but I’m smiling, because there’s normalcy in this moment. It feels right. Like nothing is amiss or stalking me from the past. Grant is talking shit about Rafe and I know Rafe would be doing the same if he had happened upon me first. He’d call Grant an idiot for not bringing a gun with him and I’d chide him just the same. I relax back against Grant’s chest and let him turn us towards the trees, Mount Hood looms in the distance and it’s easy to feel small again, because the man holding me feels just as big as the mountain.

Chapter Nineteen

GRANT

My sneaky girl thought I didn’t know about her nearly cutting Jasmine’s throat, which is adorable. Just like her defending Rafe’s ass is adorable. I know she doesn’t like it when we fight but he wasn’t there, so it wasn’t a fight.

I was just telling the truth about his stupid ass.

I turn and look over at where he’s sitting on the couch obsessively cleaning his gun and frown. “Are you going to sleep with that tonight or what?” I ask. Rafe doesn’t bother to lift his head when he replies.

“Why, you getting jealous already?” He turns the gun and holds it up to get a better look in the light. It’s a revolver. A Colt Python .357 that makes Rafe look every bit like the action star he’s pretended to be. I don’t miss how he swings the barrel on me and stares me down through the rear sight before he snaps the chamber back into place and starts polishing the barrel.

“You wish.” I pop the top of my water bottle and take a drink. Flights make me feel like shit. Even one as short as the flight from Seattle to Portland is enough to make me feel out of sorts. Driving helped some, though, which made it more than worth it. Besides, if I didn’t drive it’s not like Rafe was going to be that sure behind the wheel. He hates trucks. I have to toss his ass in mine when we go anywhere in it with Kit.

“Kit’s spooked.” I announce as I drop my water bottle onto the counter and head for our room.

Rafe goes still. I track the movement, even though I’m not looking at him. “Anything other than the photos?” he asks.

“Yup.” I push open the bedroom door and take in the space. It’s a nice room, a little small but it’s cozy and fits the vibe of the boho chic cabin we’re currently in. Cabin number 4 is ours, not the furthest from the main lodge and not the closest, which suits me. If anyone is going to come looking for us they’ll have to go past other cabins first and risk being seen. We’re close enough to the lodge that if Kit has to run she’ll make it in five minutes. Just because Holly says we’re safe doesn’t mean I believe it. As far as I’m concerned, there’s still a threat to be taken down and this time I’m not letting them get close enough to Kit to spook her.

I go through the routine I plan on keeping while we’re here and drop to the floor to look under the bed for anyone or anything that might be hiding since we first walked in. I raise my hand and sweep it along the bottom of the bed slowly and then move to the other side to repeat the movements. I’m not taking any chances that someone didn’t sneak a microphone or camera down here. The bed is a king so it’ll do, even though a California would be best. Everything is minimal here, all warm tones and honeyed wood with fluffy white blankets and pillows. There’s a woven jute rug on the floor and floor to ceiling windows across from the bed that give us a nice view of Mount Hood. I’d prefer there to be less windows but Kit likes it, so I like it. When I’m done checking the bed, I roll onto my back and sigh as I look up at the ceiling. The main reason Kit likes this bedroom stares me right in the face and I flip it off.

I hear Rafe’s footfall before I see him. “What the fuck are you doing?” he asks.

“Being pissed at the ceiling.”

He sighs and looks up and nods. “Yeah, fuck that ceiling.”

It’s a glass ceiling. The blue sky that’s slowly turning a deep navy while twilight rolls in taunts me. How am I supposed to do a sweep of the cabin and make sure no more photos get taken of us if the roof of this place is even against me?

---