Page 19 of Sinful

I didn’t even need to tell him, because he’d find out just how fucking much it meant to me soon enough.

He offered me a ghost of a smile. “You may call me Augustus.”

“All right. Augustus.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by a flurry of footsteps across the room.

“Papa, my painting turned out—oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you had company,” a feminine voice said.

I turned to see the young woman who’d walked in, and I was instantly blindsided. It took every ounce of willpower I had to stop my jaw from dropping.

I knew her.

We’d never been introduced, obviously, but I fuckingknewher. I’d fantasized about her plump lips, shiny black hair, doe eyes, and graceful figure thousands of times since I saw her picking berries at the boundary fence when I was scoping out the place a few years ago. In fact, she was the one who inspired my plan to infiltrate Alderwood and leave with a female hostage who could be used to obtain answers.

I’d even plotted to takeheras my captive when the dark seeds of the plan were taking root in my mind, but I’d eventually changed my mind about that, realizing it was a far better idea to take Trudeau’s daughter instead.

Mom had mentioned the girl in her notes—an only child who was of great importance to the Covenant for some esoteric reason—and I figured it made sense for her to be my captive above anyone else from the community. After all, she was in the Covenant car the night Mom was snatched from our vacation home, and while she was very young at the time, I knew shewould still havesomememories of what went down, so I’d be able to get a few answers out of her.

Secondly, as the only child of Alderwood’s most powerful figure, her abduction would send the cult into a tailspin. They’d do anything to get her back… and part of that ‘anything’ would require them to admit the truth about my mother’s murder, unless they wanted to see their precious girl mutilated in the same way.

I had absolutely no idea that my stunning berry-picking girl and Trudeau’s daughter were one and the same, twenty years apart.

Holy fucking hell, that made things ten times more fun and interesting. I could barely contain my twisted delight.

“Darling!” Trudeau rose to his feet, smiling warmly. I followed suit. “This is Sebastian Thorne. Sebastian, this is my daughter Rosamund.”

As he introduced us, my thoughts instantly jumped to all the other ways I wanted to become acquainted with her. Of course, I couldn’t do any of those things. Not yet, anyway. That temptation would have to be saved for later.

Rosamund stared back at me, eyes saucer wide and mouth hanging slightly open. Clearly, she recognized me just as I’d recognized her. That made sense. I’d purposely shown myself to her at the fence on one occasion just to frighten her—painted-on skull mask and all—and that memory had obviously seared itself into her mind.

“Why are you staring at him like that, Rosamund?” Trudeau asked, frowning. “It’s impolite.”

“I-I’m sorry,” she stuttered, eyes still fixed on me. “It’s just… um… you said Thorne?”

Her soft, sweet voice stirred the pulsating, destructive hunger deep inside me. My skin heated, and my breath quickened, a primal need surging through my veins.

“That’s right,” I said, extending my hand. “Sebastian Thorne.”

She stared down at my hand like it was radioactive. “As in…”

“Yes, my dear. Miranda Thorne’s son,” Trudeau cut in. “He’s coming to stay in Alderwood for a while.”

“He is?” Rosamund’s wide eyes shot between me and her father. “We almost never have guests.”

“Sebastian wants to continue his mother’s research,” Trudeau said smoothly. “Given the trauma he endured after her death, I thought I’d give him the grace of allowing him to do that.”

“My mother really liked it up here,” I said, dropping my hand. Clearly, the girl was too scared to touch me. She probably believed I was some sort of demon, considering what I looked like the last time she saw me. “I’m very grateful to your father for his hospitality.”

“I… well… that’s wonderful. I’m sure you will greatly enjoy your stay in our town.” She averted her eyes and swallowed audibly. “Anyway, I must go and wash this paint off my hands. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Thorne.”

“Please, call me Sebastian. It was nice to meet you too, Rosamund.”

She darted upstairs without another glance in my direction. The frantic rush of her steps alerted me to the effect I had on her.

I terrified her.

That knowledge ignited a predatory need inside me. The need to chase. The need to hunt and capture. But I wouldn’t do it. Not here in the confines of Alderwood, at least.

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