Page 3 of Sins of Autumn

Got her in my sights. This will be fun.

Attached to that lovely text was an image, a bombshell of a woman in thin lingerie that left nothing to the imagination.

I hesitated, my pulse picking up speed as I listened for any sign that indicated Wilder was about to walk back into the room. I tried reasoning with myself that he was in a group chat with his friends, men I had come to think of as my brothers like he did. They were all gorgeous in their own wayandsingle.

Talking about women was completely normal, but the tone of the messages was fucking gross and violating. I doubted these women had consented to be talked about like meat at an auction.

I continued to scroll, now invested.

Lucian:

Make it longer this time. Don’t want to lose the bonus.

Hunter:

Got another bid that’ll make this even more entertaining.

An image accompanied this one too, and she was just as gorgeous as the others.

“Who the fuck is KJ?” Their initials popped up a few times in the thread. They never actually responded directly, they just gave a thumbs up and hearted a few of the messages. Wilder’s entire group of friends were in the chat and that was the only name I didn’t know.

I clicked out of it, my hands trembling. The way they spoke was not coming across as men simply chasing ass or sharing inside jokes. Scrolling through his other text messages, I found… nothing. I bit my lip, the pang of suspicion growing stronger as I tapped into his recently deleted tab hoping if there was anything at all, it would be spam.

One quick scan proved that was not the case.

Right away, I could feel in my gut these weren’t meant for my eyes to see. I hesitated, fingers hovering over the first message. I knew I was about to cross a line, that I was on the edge of something that could ruin everything, including me. But ignorance wasn’t fucking bliss if my boyfriend was passing around community dick. I braced myself and opened the very first thread.

The texts were brief but suggestive, each one laced with an intimacy that sent a wave of nausea through me.

I scrolled until I saw a single photo that sent our entire relationship up in flames.

Amber fucking Hughes.

Her full lips were curled into a smug smile, posed in a way that showed every inch of her naked body. Perfectly manicured nails were on her chest, touching the delicate golden chain of the necklace she always wore.

She was beautiful and she knew it. Anger surged through me, hot and thick the longer I stared at her.

Thisbitch.

Of all people why did it have to be her? The spoiled, vindictive princess of Jared Hughes—a man I was semi-convinced was a sociopath. Amber had inherited his arrogance and then some, making my and my sister’s life hell from high school through college.

Beneath the picture was a text.

Amber:

Still up for our little rendezvous?

Wilder’s response made my head spin.

Wilder:

Depends on if you’re ready to behave. Don’t waste my time. I like obedience, not games.

My hands shook as I backed out of Amber’s messages. An insidious voice urged me to keep going, while every other fiber of my being was screaming to stop.

I’d already inserted the knife, why not keep twisting the blade?

The next thread had a name I didn’t recognize—Isla Martinez. I opened it and was met with another picture. She was stunning, with dark, flowing hair and eyes that challenged anyone who looked at her. She wore a slinky dress that hugged her curves, and her gaze was sultry, legs spread invitingly. Her text was no less suggestive than Amber’s.

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