Page 15 of Blind Sin

“What the actual fuck!” My hand rakes through my hair, frustration coursing through my veins as I read the damning article. My parents, in some twisted alliance, have bedded down with Waldgrave to seize control of PLNCO. It might be their only shot at getting their hands on the company, but this unholy union has thrust us into a fucking nightmare. I told Lucinda that my parents would never rat me out to Waldgrave, but staring at the evidence, doubt gnaws at me. I never took my father as a brown noser, but he would spill everything to Waldgrave if it greased the wheels for him.... including the fact we have his daughters. “Fuck!” I slam the laptop screen closed. Until now, we were relatively safe, but if my parents find out who I have here, we might as well hand our asses over now.

The smell of cooking hits my nose. I set my laptop to the side and head out into the open plan area. I step out to find Mercier at the open plan kitchen, Lucinda reading a book quietly to Lauren who seems completely rapt with attention to the drivel Lauren is spouting. Some shit about wolves. Nix is nowhere to be seen. In fact I’ve not seen him since we docked.

“Just in time!” Mercier crows, dishing up something that both looks and smells like something from a five star Michelin restaurant.

Lucinda puts the book to one side and waltzes over. “This smells divine,” Lucinda says, taking a plate for herself and one for Lauren before sitting down at the table. “If this tastes half as good as it looks, you’ll have to become a chef.”

Mercier gives me a wink as he passes a plate to me. It’s just another fucking game to him. Who can get past Lucinda and into Lauren’s knickers first? He plates up another portion for Nix then takes what’s left and sits at the huge dining table.

“I did think about it,” Mercier says, sliding in beside Lucinda. I see what he’s doing and it irks me. He could have sat beside Lauren. There’s an empty chair beside her, but he purposely chose Lucinda to sit next to. I grab my plate and sit opposite the three of them, right in the middle, directly opposite Lucinda.

I don’t like playing games. Someone always loses and that someone isn’t going to be me. Luckily for me I know people like Lucinda. I know what they want. Mercier might think he knows women, but he’s never been around the upper echelons of society. He has no clue that it’s completely different world up there and even though Lucinda appears to be only looking out for her sister, I know she’d turn the three of us in at the first chance if it meant getting rid of us. We’re here only as long as she needs us and after that she’ll be gone, taking Lauren with her. This whole thing is a mindfuck and I plan on using that to my advantage. I also need to plan on making sure she stays, because I’m not losing Lauren again.

“My plan was to open my own restaurant after Uni, but first I’ll need to apprentice. I worked under Marc Wellen-Brown last year.”

He’s bullshitting her. Marc Wellen-Brown is one of the most iconic chefs in New York and Mercier hasn’t even stepped foot in his restaurant, let alone worked there.

I watch Lucinda’s reaction as he speaks. She’s suitably impressed. Her eyebrows rise slightly and there’s a curve of her perfect mouth. When she answers him, it’s so practiced, like she’s rehearsed the lines in her head and I wonder if she’s really here with us at all, or if her mind is elsewhere. “He’s one of my favorites, but I have to be honest, when I do get a few moments of alone time, I love those greasy hot dogs they sell on vendor carts. My weight is usually watched and my food measured carefully, so something as elicit as a hot dog is pure heaven.”

I keep forgetting how fucked up her life has been. With Lauren it’s obvious. Anyone would expect her to be completely fucked after living in the same room all her life, but Lucinda has been just as much a prisoner.

I debate telling them about my parents, but decide not to. Lucinda doesn’t have a phone and there are no TVs here. Telling her will only make this whole shit show worse.

I glance at Lauren who’s not really paying attention. She looks like she’s got something on her mind. She’s caught the sun despite only being outside for a few minutes and her cheeks have taken a pink hue making her all the more beautiful. “What were you reading?” I ask her. “Something of my mother’s?”

“I think it’s one of Nolan’s books.”

I snort until I see she’s being serious. I turn my eyes to Mercier who holds his hands up. “What? I like PNR?”

I rake through my brain to try to figure out what PNR means and can only come up with a name of a railway company. Whatever he’s talking about I’m not sure I want to know. Knowing Mercier, it’s probably porn. As soon as the thought pops into my mind, I glance back over at Lauren and wonder if she was enjoying it.

“If you liked that one, I can order more,” Mercier offers. “The woman at the store over on the mainland said I could order things and pick them up there.”

I shake my head at his obvious attempt to get on Lucinda’s good side. So far, from what I’ve seen of her, she doesn’t have one.

After dinner, I’m surprised when she offers to do the washing up. Not to be outdone, I stand up and start picking up the plates.

“Do you want to wash or dry?” I ask as I stack them all up on the counter next to the sink. Mercier has already washed up the pots and pans from earlier, so it’s just the plates and cutlery.

“I’ll wash,” she says throwing me a tea towel then turning on the taps. “I’m surprised your parents don’t have a dishwasher.”

“They do, but their dish washer lives on another island and only comes when they are here.”

She gives me a strange look then her lips quirk up at the edges.

“There’s a huge kitchen in the staff building behind the main house,” I clarify. “My parents only have this kitchen for the illusion of making their own food. I don’t think it’s ever been used before today. My parents don’t cook.”

She moves the first plate to the sink and begins to scrub it. “I don’t cook often either. I’d like to do it more, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to cook something as good as Nolan did tonight.”

“I’ll teach you!” Mercier shouts over.

Lucinda looks up from the sink and her eyes turn hard. I follow her gaze to find Mercier and Lauren squashed together in a love seat, the book open on Mercier’s lap. My hand grips tightly to the towel, annoyed at how Mercier has skillfully played me. This was his plan all along. Get Lucinda and me out of the way so he could cuddle up with Lauren. Lucinda’s mouth twitches but she doesn’t say a word.

Lauren looks so at ease next to Mercier and for some reason that pisses me off. I might not have the first clue what PNR is, but I can picture myself curled up with her, her languid body curled around mine, snuggled into me as I read aloud.

Mercier’s voice is low as he quietly reads, but it’s all I can concentrate on as I finish the drying up and stack the dishes away.

Lucinda’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “There are a couple of shopping bags still on the counter. Lauren, do you want to come help me put everything away? Get a feel for the kitchen?”

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