Page 148 of The Sinner's Sanctuary

“Ollie had to give up his inheritance. And look what happened to Silas. His rich and powerfulmarriedboyfriend dropped him like a bad habit once he thought his fortune would suffer.”

“Silas probablywashis bad habit,” Jericho says dismissively. “And to be honest, he should have known better.Graham Lawther? Jesus. Anyone could have told him where that disaster was headed.”

“He was in love.”

“He’s better off. And if Silas ever starts coming around again, it’s gonna be my mission to remind him.”

“That’s probably why he’s not coming around,” I tell her with a look meant to convey that she needs to lay off him.

“Sorry.” She takes a sip of her hibiscus tea. “I’d rather talk about you anyway. What’s the plan?”

“There’s not one as far as I know. I figure if he’s planning to leave her, he’ll let me know, and it hasn’t come up. So, I guess it stays like it is.”

“Is that okay with you?”

“It’s not like he’s sleeping with both of us.”

“And you’re a hundred percent sure about that?”

“As sure as I can be without twenty-four-seven body cam footage,” I say. I think about the way he kissed me in Rome—like it had been so, so long since he’d kissed anyone he truly wanted. It wasn’t the kind of kiss that left a lot of room for doubt. None of our kisses are.

“You trust him,” she surmises.

“I do.”

“That’s good. And you talk?”

I nod.

“But you’re worried about his wife?”

“She’s kinda scary.”

“How?”

I can’t tell Jericho what I know about Graham and Silas, but I want to give her a hint. “I get the impression she doesn’t get mad, she gets even.”

“I don’t see Gibson letting anything bad happen to you?—”

“If he knows about it,” I say.

“If she tries anything, just tell him.”

“He’s been so fucking paranoid, Jer. He’s been moving money around, locking his accounts, calling up favors. It’s like he’s expecting a war.”

“So, he is planning to leave her.”

“I don’t know. He thinks she might be about to try and leave him. But it doesn’t make sense to me that out of nowhere she’d do that.”

Jericho gives her head a quick shake, her tight, natural curls bouncing above her bare shoulders. “Okay, so there’s nothing youor I can do about the logistics of their marriage. Tell me what I’m here for.”

“Am I a terrible person if I don’t want to leave him if he stays married to her?”

“Chris…no. You’ve never been a terrible person, and you never could be. His situation is complicated, but your relationship with him doesn’t have to be. But do you really not want him to divorce her?”

“Not forme…”

“Whynotfor you?”

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