Page 41 of Sins

“I’m so sorry all that happened. It must have been very frightening for you.” Andrea shook her head.

“It’s not like it’s something I haven’t been through before.” I huffed a breath and patted her shoulder. “Please don’t worry about it. I think I could use a walk in this beautiful sunshine, though.”

“Of course, dear.” Andrea smiled. “It’s a lovely day.” Then her face turned serious. “Just don’t venture off the grounds.”

“I can promise you I won’t.”

I waved and headed down the backside of the hill out toward a field that called my name. It was yellow for as far as I could see, the sunflowers swaying in the wind like ripples in the water.

The first row of giant sunflowers cast their shadows against the rich earth, and as I pushed through them, there was something comforting about the way they closed around me and seemed to shield me from the outside world. I snapped a photo from between the vibrant yellow petals as I looked up at the puffy clouds that stood out against the bright blue sky. I breathed in the heavenly scent of damp earth and flowers and kept walking deeper into the field.

The farther I went, the lighter I felt. My head seemed to let go of the heaviness, and my thoughts began to untangle. I knew the truth needed to be faced at some point, but I let my mind slowly find its way.

Sienna’s kindness came to me, and I couldn’t help but shed a tear at her expression the night before.“We’re more alike than you might realize, Kenna. Remember that whenever you feel alone.”

I loved my girls, but Sienna was different, quieter, and insightful. She was a survivor. She’d been put through hell in her life yet had come out of it all with soft edges. I could relate to that. Minnie would have torn my stalker to little bits and stomped on them and Tess may have blown his head off, but I didn’t have that inner animal inside. I was feisty and could deal with horny, difficult men, but that was about the extent of any killer instinct. I hadn’t forgotten that I’d killed someone, and it would stay with me forever, but in my heart, I knew it had been accidental. I had only wanted to talk to him. Matt Myers would always haunt my dreams.

I brushed my fingertips along the stems as I wove through the sunshine-colored flowers, deep in thought. My life had taken many turns in the last few months, and I wasn’t sure what the next few would look like. Maybe I should take the job with Yen Hong and…I stepped out into a clearing and saw a beautiful old church across an old, beaten road.

I listened for cars then crossed the road and followed a grassy path to where little steps led up to the doors. By the look of the place, it hadn’t been used in a very long time, but I wondered if Piero and Andrea had been married there. I could imagine the sound of people singing. Perhaps it had been here for hundreds of years, and my imagination saw it as it could have once been. It was so peaceful. It took a few tries, but I managed to open the door and step inside.

My phone lit up and spoiled the atmosphere. I glanced at it; it was a text message from Zara. I ignored it, but it reminded me I was holding a handy flashlight. I turned it on and shined it around the room. Dust and droppings were scattered around the floor, and the windowsills showed evidence that an animal or two lived there at some point. I moved down the aisle and spotted an old hymnal tucked in the back of one of the pews. Icouldn’t help but wonder how many people had cracked open its spine and sung along to a long-ago service.

As I moved toward the podium, I admired the simple cross that had been carved and placed against the wall. I was entranced by the old building, and it felt wonderful to let myself explore. Curiosity got the best of me, and I followed the winding staircase to the very top. Sunlight streamed and dust flickered in swirly patterns as I looked up. Two large copper bells with an old ship rope hung in the center of the platform. I wasn’t a fan of heights, but I’d been brave enough to try the zipline in Vegas with a client a couple times. I shuffled over to the edge and looked over.

The view was spectacular. The Capri property was like a patchwork quilt. Yellows, greens, and browns swept right to the horizon. I snapped a few pictures to preserve the memory, but as I held the phone up to center the house in the middle of the screen, something moved into the frame. I lowered it to see a man looking around. He seemed to search for something…or someone. I was instantly on alert. A second man popped out of the sunflowers right where I had been earlier, and he too seemed to be searching. He stayed low as if he did not to want to let the first man see him.

Then another man appeared, and another. My heart began to thump like a drum. A call pushed through, and I quickly tapped the button to answer it and crouched so no one could spot me.

“Hey, girl, I have a sexy-ass bikini on, a morning margarita here at Elio’s house, and no one’s ar?—"

“Tess,” I whispered harshly, “Tess, there are men here.” I tried to get my words out as a painful dose of fear raced through me.

“Shit,” I heard glass break, “where are you?”

“I’m at a?—”

“Jesse!” she screamed into the microphone. “It’s Kenna. She’s—where are you, Kenna?”

“A church.” I heard the door open below, and I squeezed my eyes shut and took a breath to calm myself. “At the end of the flower field, there’s an old church,” I whispered. “They’re close, but they don’t know I’m up here.”

“Find Grim!” I heard Jesse bark at Tess, then the phone made a sound, and he took over the call. “Kenna, stay low and keep out of sight.” I nodded like he could see me, but there was no place I could hide except to stay put, and it wouldn’t keep me hidden for long. “Can you work your way back to the house? Or to a road?”

“No.” I pulled my knees to my chest as I heard his shoes pound the pebbles. “Do you think they think I’m Sienna?”

“I’m thinking not.” He sounded like he jumped over something, and I stifled a squeak when I heard a crash at the bottom of the stairs. Suddenly, footsteps echoed up the steps, and I knew I had moments left. I pressed myself into a shadow and tried to make myself smaller.

“Jesse,” I was panicked but somehow managed to keep my voice low, “they’re here.” I licked my lips, and my mind spun with all the things they could do to me. “Jesse, I need to tell you something.”

“I’m here,” he cut me off with a pant. “Where are you?”

Tears ran down my face. “I’m up in the tower,” I screamed as my legs were yanked and I was dragged straight out on my back. I screamed so hard that it felt like the tissue was torn from my lungs. I kicked hard as hands grabbed my waist.

“Smile,bella.” A phone was thrust in my face. I screamed and bucked as I felt his grip tighten. He tried to take a picture, and I knocked his knife away from my throat. It cut into my collarbone but missed my artery. He grunted something in Italian andsqueezed my wrist hard enough to fracture a bone. I screamed again, knowing Jesse was nearby.

This man was skilled; he knew exactly what I was going to do before I did. In one smooth motion, he had zip-ties around my wrists, and I was pulled to my feet.

A shot rang out, and he flinched.

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