Page 71 of Blind Sin

Dacre turns and gives me a confused look, but it’s Waldgrave reaction that fascinates me. He was obviously not expecting this. Neither, it seems was anyone else.

“Actually I don’t want to do this today” William says directly to the camera. His whole demeanor changes. “I’d like to bring out my new partner instead.”

Waldgrave jumps up from his seat, his fat belly jiggling.

I have no fucking clue what’s going on, but by the way Waldgrave is shaking, it’s something I’m going to like. The guard takes his foot off my face, allowing me to finally sit up. The tension in the room is palpable and I swear to god, if a clown walked in the room right now with a flower up his ass and playing the bagpipes, I would not by more surprised, because right there on screen between the glowing expression of William Roundbury and the sour expressions of the Dacres’ is none other than Eddie Bailey.

It’s clear the anchor and Jeremy were expecting this even less than the rest of us. It’s a fucking masterpiece to behold. Jeremy’s losing his shit, clearly not expecting to have to improvise, Dacre’s mom has fainted and judging by the deep red of Waldgrave’s cheeks and the way he’s clutching his chest, the old fucker’s having a coronary. As he falls to the floor, the two guards bark something into their radios, and rush to him. My eyes don’t leave the TV as Ed talks directly to the camera.

“PLNCO will remain owned by William here and all his staff are now safe from losing their jobs. In fact, with a large injection of money I’m bringing to the table, we are planning to expand.”

Jeremy is practically salivating over this scoop. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a news reporter so excited. I’m so going to make it so he breaks the news about Lauren’s existence the second we get out of this shit hole. The guy’s hilarious.

“Congratulations.” Jeremy says, holding the microphone to Ed. “Any last words you want to say before we cut back to the studio?”

Ed turns back to the camera. “As a matter of fact, I do. Seeing as we are on international television being broadcast live to over two hundred countries, I want to make it known that this wouldn’t have been possible without my utterly gorgeous and wonderful husband, Dmitri. I love you baby!” He blows a kiss to the camera. “Oh and Josh, if you are watching this, you really owe me a beer, buddy!”

46

LAUREN

Ayear later

Lucinda looks spectacular on the red carpet of her latest movie premiere. I don’t know where she gets her confidence from, but there’s something effervescent about her. Once upon a time I wanted to be her, to live that life, but I wouldn’t change the weird and wonderful life I have now for anything.

Josh grips her hand, looking gorgeous in his tuxedo, and even though all eyes are on Lucy, he shines out there too. I stifle back a giggle knowing that he wouldn’t think so. As though he knows what I’m thinking, he winks directly at the camera and I know it’s for my benefit.

The cameras love them and they do make a beautiful couple. As if caught in a moment, Josh spins Lucy around and kisses her. It’s so ridiculously theatrical, but the crowds and the press love it. Cameras flash and people scream in excitement.

“Aren’t you jealous?” Nolan asks. “Your boyfriend is kissing your sister in front of everyone on national TV.”

“He’s the jealous one,” Alexander says, snuggling in next to me. “Who would want to be there when they could be right here with us?”

“I don’t know,” Nolan replies. “I’d kill for a bit of red carpet action. Look at it. It’s fucking glorious.”

I snuggle back on the sofa, pulling Nolan into the crook of my arm. He rests his head on my burgeoning belly and trails his fingers over the skin where my t-shirt no longer meets my pants. “This is fucking glorious, and unlike what we are watching on TV, this is real.”

“You’re not wrong, Sinful baby,” he agrees. “I wouldn’t swap this for anything.”

I’ve been wondering lately if my awful life, trapped in a room with no one to talk to except my sister, is the reason that I crave so much company now. I have three men who adore me and soon enough we’ll be adding two more to our penthouse. Lucy tells me I’m crazy pretty much every time I talk to her, but she’s the one who’s filled the new nursery with two sets of everything. I never enjoyed living in New York. It holds too many painful memories and though the old Waldgrave House is over ninety miles away, it still feels too close. I hear the developer that bought it is opening it up as a luxury hotel. It hurts me to think that the room I lived in for so long will still be used, but hopefully, as it had no windows, they’ll only use it for storage.

As soon as my father died in the prison in Tahiti, everything he owned passed to Lucy and me. We used a lot of the money to start our own company, WWDMN, taking the initials from each of us. While we invest in many things, WWDMN predominantly runs safe houses for abused women and children, giving them better lives. I think it’s a kind of wonderful irony that’s what Peter Waldgrave’s vast fortune went towards.

Now we’re expecting twins, the penthouse is getting too small and even Alexander who chose it to be close to WWDMN International headquarters has admitted that he doesn’t want his kids brought up the way he was in a city. Not that they are his, or at least I don’t know if they are. They could be any of their biological kids, but I have a hunch they are Josh’s. Not that I care. I know these three men will adore them no matter which of them they look like.

When they come, they will spend the first months of their lives in the sunshine, just as I always hoped my life would be. Going back to the island in French Polynesia isn’t an option. Again, too many memories. Dacre bought us our own island in the Caribbean and once these two brats are born, that’s where we’ll head. Until then, Lucy and her new girlfriend, Scarlet will look after it for us. It belongs to Lucy, just as much as it belongs to the rest of us, and if she ever decides to settle down, I hope she’ll come and live on it permanently.

Of course, we won’t stay there forever. Josh wants to build a ranch in Montana and have as many kids as we can fit in. I’m not sure and if I’m honest I don’t care where we live as long as there’s space for our kids to run freely and feel the sun on their faces and love in their hearts just as Lucy and I should have been able to.

My phone rings and I have to nudge Alexander away to be able to pull it out of my pocket.

“It’s Josh” I say, hitting the call answer button and then putting him on speakerphone.

“Did you see us?”

I roll my eyes. “Of course, we’re watching right now. Don’t make the kisses with my sister look too real,” I admonish, grabbing a piece of popcorn and chewing on it.

“I was thinking of you the whole time. I hope Dacre and Mercier are looking after you.”

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