Page 38 of Daddy's Sinner

She races out of the room, and from the shadows, I follow her as she storms into the forest that separates the church compound from the outside world. She runs and runs until she crashes into a tree. The scent of cocoa butter and fields grows stronger, and my heart pounds in my chest. She’s close by, and I need to help her.

Dove

Ipress myself against the rough bark of the tree, embracing the physical pain that pales in comparison to the emotional turmoil brewing inside me.

I close my eyes and concentrate on regulating my breathing, trying to calm my racing heart. But as thoughts of the binding ceremony with the Prophet consume me, tears prick at my eyelids. Why do I feel this way? My entire existence has led up to this moment. Since the first day of my period, I knew I would belong to him. I’ve learned to accept this fate and embrace my sins, but that damn priest…

That priest stirs something inside me, and now I want nothing more than to follow him into damnation. Is this how Zia felt about that biker? I touch the place where it aches the most, right in the middle of my chest. That deep ache consumes me, and even though I try to ignore it, I can’t help but think of Matheo. My body craves him in every way, but it’s my heart that troubles me the most. It aches for him, even though he is not mine to have. My body may belong to the Prophet, but my soul belongs only to one man: Matheo.

Is this love? I wouldn’t know love even if it smacked me in the face. All I know is lust, hunger, death—but never love. Sometimes I wonder if my mother loved me or hated me for what I meant to him.

Finally, my heart begins to slow down, and my body relaxes as it warms against the cool bark. Suddenly, a familiar scent fills my nostrils—cologne and incense—and I know without looking that it’s Matheo. He shouldn’t be here. Why is he here? It doesn’t matter; all that matters is his presence brings me comfort. Questions can wait for later.

“I’ve missed you,” Matheo whispers, his hot breath caressing my neck in the stillness of the woods.

“You have a habit of being in places you don’t belong,” I say with a smile on my face as his strong arms wrap around me, pulling me into him. Twomagnets unable to resist the pull. I melt into him, savoring his warmth. I know I shouldn’t—he would kill him, or worse, have me kill him—yet I cannot bring myself to pull away. Matheo’s presence is a bittersweet reminder of everything I am not allowed to have, but desperately crave.

I wonder if this is the feeling that caused Zia to run away. Is this what she felt? Because if so, I understand.

“I couldn’t stay away,” Matheo murmurs, his voice laced with longing and something more dangerous defiance. But I can’t let myself be swept away by this forbidden desire, no matter how much my heart yearns for it. The consequences would be too dire—not just for me, but for him as well.

Gently I push myself away from Matheo, our eyes meeting. “You shouldn’t be here,” I whisper, but the way he looks at me with so much hunger… so many emotions that are impossible for me to decipher, but I see them. I feel them. “If you are found here, it could be bad.” I avoid telling him the truth—that he could be killed. Especially if he’s seen around me—but when he takes two steps closer and places one hand on each side of me, closing me in, all thoughts and words escape me. I lose myself in those dark orbs that look at me as if I’m everything he’s ever wanted.

“I don’t care about the consequences,” Matheo declares, his voice filled with determination. “I would risk everything for you.” His words hang heavy in the air, swirling around us like a forbidden promise. I know I should resist; I should push him away and remind him of the danger we both face. But at this moment, all logic and reason are drowned out by the overwhelming tide of emotions crashing over me.

I reach up to cup his face in my hands, feeling the roughness of his jaw beneath my fingertips. “Matheo,” I begin, the weight of my conflicting desires heavy on my tongue. But before I can utter another word, his lips crash down on mine in a desperate kiss. Heat spreads through me like wildfire, and I drown in the warmth of his mouth. Taking my bottom lip into his mouth, he sucks on it gently, then let’s go, his eyes searchingmine for any sign of hesitation. But all I can see reflected in those deep pools of darkness is a hunger that matches my own.

I feel myself being swept away by the intensity of his passion, the raw emotion pouring out of him and into me. In that moment, I forget about the Prophet, about the binding ceremony, about the consequences that loom over us like a dark cloud. All I can focus on is Matheo and the feel of his tongue as it sweeps into my waiting mouth, the feel of his hand as it cups my neck and pulls me even closer. I feel his arousal; my devil is hungry, needy.

My mind is clouded with desire, my heart pounding in my chest as I lose myself in the taste and scent of him.

“We can’t do this,” I gasp out, the words heavy with regret and longing. “It’s too dangerous.”

Matheo’s eyes darken with a mix of frustration and desire. “I don’t care,” he insists, his voice low and urgent. “You’re mine. I’ll kill them all before I let him fill you with his seed. That is my gift to give to you, not his, not anyone’s. Me, Marisol.” He growls before taking my lips between his teeth, pulling me even closer.

I melt.

I cannot think… I cannot reason. “I want to know all there is to know about you, Marisol. My religion has shifted, and you are now my goddess.”

My heart races at his words, the intensity of his gaze piercing through all my defenses. The world around us fades away as we stand there in the secluded woods, consumed by the flames of our forbidden desire. “Let me worship you, live for me instead. Not this false Prophet.”

I try to speak, to protest, but his lips claim mine once more, silencing any rational thought that dares to surface. His hands roam my body with a possessiveness that ignites a fire within me, a fire that threatens toconsume us both. As I lose myself in the whirlwind of emotions and sensations, all I can think about is Matheo and the undeniable pull he has on my very soul. I pull back slightly, our lips still tingling from the passion of our kiss. “Matheo, we can’t do this. We could be caught, and worse, you could be killed.” I don’t hold back this time, my voice shakes as I plead with him.

He smirks, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Then we’ll have to be very careful, won’t we?” he murmurs, brushing a stray lock of hair away from my face. “I’ll kill them all if they try to take you away from me.” His voice is low and full of promise. “Join me, little demon. We can rid this earth of true filth. Of them.”

I wanted nothing more but to join him, my demons demanded it. They want him. Worship him, even if he’s not mine to worship.

We are playing a dangerous game, Matheo and I, one that could have disastrous consequences. But at this moment, as his hand lingers on my waist and his eyes lock onto mine, I can’t help but feel as if the risk is worth it. Again, Zia comes to mind. Is this the feeling that made her run? Could I be capable of turning away from everything I’ve known from my duties as the Lilith, and running from it all? The Prophet would never let me go. Perfect example of what happened to Zia. Who came back for God’s knows what and died. But it shows you don’t get leave and not pay. Zia is proof of that—she paid the ultimate price even years after leaving. Her punishment still stood. Death.

That thought alone is enough to tug me back to the small voice of reason. “You don’t even know me,” I whisper as I back away, only to be stopped by the tree. Fucking tree. He smirks again. Fuck, he is hot and looks nothing like a priest. His tattoos are all visible, and he wears sweats and a tight shirt that leaves little to the imagination.

He steps closer, his gaze intense and unwavering. “I don’t need to know everything about you to feel this pull between us, Marisol,” Matheo says, his voice husky with desire. “I see who you are now—not just what you want to try to be, but the woman beneath the mask. And I want toexplore every part of you.” His words send shivers down my spine, a mixture of fear and excitement swirling within me.

I try to compose myself, to remember the consequences of indulging in this forbidden desire. But as Matheo’s hands trail down my arms, he leaves a trail of fire in their wake, even through the fabric. Just like that, my resolve begins to crumble like sandcastles against the tide.

“You make it sound so simple,” I whisper, my voice barely audible in the stillness of the woods. “But there are rules, expectations…”

Matheo chuckles softly. “I can burn it all to the ground, send it all straight to hell. And give you freedom. Just say the word, and they’re all dead. Just so you can live.”

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