Page 12 of Blind Sin

Her face lightens, though her body is still stiff as though she’s wary of my presence. “I like it.”

So the great Lucinda Waldgrave approves. I don’t know why I feel so tetchy around her, but there’s something about her that makes me uneasy. Maybe it's her piercing gaze or the way she won’t leave Lauren’s side for a second. She even made her go to the toilet with her on the plane. I don’t know if she was expecting the three of us to fuck Lauren in the two minutes she was gone, but it’s clear she thinks we have some sort of agenda. I glance at Lauren who is warily making her way to the front of the yacht, gripping onto the railing with one white knuckled hand whilst gripping onto Lucinda with her other hand. She’s absolutely beautiful. Even with a face etched in fear, there’s something that radiates from her. Something that even her supermodel twin doesn’t possess. I stop myself from running over to comfort her. The sea isn’t particularly choppy, but I can understand how the slight swell of the boat might be terrifying for someone who hasn’t been on a boat before. I won’t get within feet of her. Not with Lucinda holding onto her as though she’s a precious stone and Nix, Mercier and I are renowned diamond thieves

I busy myself with doing an engine check. I know there will be enough gas in the tank and that everything on the island will be ready for us, but I need to do something to calm my nerves.

Lauren and Lucinda get comfortable at the front of the boat while I make all the necessary checks.

Below us, the boat has one bedroom and a galley, and although it’s been kept up with, it was never meant to be used for anything except as a means to get from the mainland to my parents’ private island. My parents’ main yacht is moored in the Caribbean.

“You ladies want a tour of the boat?” I offer, gesturing towards the interior.

Lucinda barely acknowledges me, her gaze fixed on the endless stretch of water ahead. “No, thank you. We're fine out here,” she replies, her voice hard. I cast my eyes toward Lauren who looks disappointed, but doesn’t say anything.

Fuck, what am I thinking? She’s not disappointed. It’s not as if she can even see the inside of the boat. I’m seeing things that aren’t there, making myself believe shit that I’ve no right in believing.

I find a measure of relief when Nix and Mercier return, burdened with shopping bags. Lucinda remains indifferent to their arrival as they step onto the boat, but Lauren's attention keenly tracks their movements, even though she can't see them. I gesture towards the compact galley and start the engine by turning the key. As we navigate out of the harbor and into the open sea, a sigh escapes me. This next couple of weeks is going to be an absolute fucking nightmare. It had sounded like a brilliant plan when we were organizing it. Two weeks on a tropical island with our girl away from all the bullshit, but now reality is hitting me. Lucinda and Nix can’t even look at each other, let alone be civil long enough for us to figure out a way to get off the island without ending up as rotting carcasses in one of Peter Waldgrave’s basements, and Mercier spent the entire flight harping on about living on the island as though this is not an escape, but a fucking long vacation. My thoughts are turning darker by the second, but they are interrupted by a small cough. I turn to find Mercier and Nix on the small bridge.

“We need to figure shit out!” I say to them, glad to get them alone, but before I get the full sentence out, Nix moves aside and Lucinda saunters in past him, making the small bridge feel cramped.

Nix grimaces, his mouth pulling down into a sour sneer. “Lucinda has something she wants to say.”

Lucinda

“Don’t touch her.” I level my gaze at the three men, moving my eyes between the two strangers that saved us and the man I previously believed I would marry. Two sets of eyes stare back at me as though I’m insane and one just looks at me dully. “I appreciate that you saved us and put our self at considerable risk, but access to my sister’s body is not payment for your help. She’s not your whore!”

“We didn’t ask for payment,” Nolan says sullenly, swiping a hand over his bristled head, “but what you sister does is none of your business. She’s a grown woman.”

My stomach sinks at his words. Lauren told me so little about what happened between them all in the time she was with them, but I know she slept with Joshua. I suppress all the emotions that idea evokes and squint my eyes out through the front window down to where she’s sitting at the front of the boat.

From this vantage point, she appears tranquil, yet I am aware of her anxiety regarding being on a boat. I mustn't linger too long away from her. Turning my attention back to the men, I continue. “She might look like an adult, but she’s never seen the world. She’s not like us. She has spent her entire life in a make-believe world of soap operas. She doesn’t understand things like we do. I get that things...” I pause and look right at Josh, “might have happened between all of you when you were with her, but if any of you even entertain the idea of any repeat performances, I’ll murder the lot of you with my bare hands. Actually no. I’ll leave. I'll take this boat with Lauren on it and I’ll hide us both where we’ll never be found.”

“Because that worked out so well for you last time,” Mercier interjects, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I narrow my eyes. “I learned a valuable lesson. From now on I won’t let Lauren out of my sight for a second.”

Josh finally snaps out of his soporific state and strides toward me. I can practically sense anger emanating from him in waves. I keep my composure, but on the inside, my heart is pounding. There’s way too much history between us for any of this to be easy, and yet I’m not prepared for the sheer heat of his stare. “I don’t remember asking your permission for anything, Sin. Your sister was a great fuck and, like Mercier says, if she wants to fuck every man on the island, it’s her prerogative. It’s nothing that you haven’t done your whole life, opening your legs to any man that gives you more than a passing glance. She isn’t the whore of this family.”

Anger bubbles within me, intertwining with the pain. It's a molten fire, threatening to consume everything in its path. But amidst the fury, there is a deep-seated ache, a profound sadness that tugs at my heart. I feel the weight of his words, their impact echoing in the depths of my being. This is the man I was in love with... who I’ve been in love with my entire life. “I don’t give a shit about your fucking weird hang ups about me, but don’t bring Lauren into this.” I level my finger at him. “She’s innocent.”

I take a step back, trying to distance myself from the toxicity that engulfs us.

He follows me, grabbing my neck, wrapping my fingers round it in a chokehold as he slams me to the wall behind.

Even in the midst of all the hatred, his thumb strokes the side of my neck almost tenderly and I catch a glimpse of the boy I once knew. Just as soon as the spark of tenderness shows, it quickly dissipates into pure hatred. I’m not sure which of those two emotions sends a tremor through my body, but it takes everything I have to hold his gaze and not quell beneath his touch. I stare at him, my body tense as he squeezes slightly. Not enough to choke, but enough to hurt. But the pain that really burns is the fact that I want him to put his arms around me. Joshua Nix is the only person in my life that ever made me feel safe and I never thought he’d turn into the monster that would hurt me. He moves closer until we’re practically nose to nose. His expression is hard with fury and I try to match it, but I can’t. My body is shaking no matter how much I’m trying to hold on to control. I see something else deep behind the fury and anger and it’s both surprising and terrifying. I see desire, and worse still I feel it too.

“Let her go, Nix. Stop being a cunt,” Alexander interjects, his voice firm as he positions himself between us, breaking the suffocating spell that Joshua has cast upon me. The weight of his words hangs in the air, cutting through the tension like a knife. I'm still reeling from the shock of Nix's aggression, but relief washes over me as Alexander stands as a barrier, a protector. “We won’t touch her. You have my word.”

I’m still in shock, but grateful for Alexander’s presence.

“That right Nix?” Alexander eyes him pointedly.

Josh reluctantly releases his grip on my neck, his fingers slowly loosening their hold. I instinctively inhale a shaky breath, the air filling my lungs once again. I watch as Nix takes a step back, a mix of frustration and defiance etched across his face. I get the feeling he’s not used to being told what to do. “Whatever.” He turns on his heel and storms off the bridge, slamming the door behind him.

Mercier

Lucinda took no time whisking Sinful away from us. The second we stepped off the boat, she was gone, like we were the ones that hid her sister away and almost murdered her. I should feel affronted, but this makes it even more exciting. I always liked the chase.

“What are we going to do now?” I ask as I help Dacre tie the boat securely to the small jetty on the island. As usual, the utter wealth of his family never ceases to amaze me. Between the palm trees, ruins a sandy path to a huge sprawling house that’s designed to look like a hut with wooden walls and a straw roof, but spreads out in every direction with different buildings dotting the landscape. The front door is wide open and I watch as Lucinda whisks Sinful down a corridor and through a door.

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