Page 59 of The Sin

I was just one girl, but I had resources. I had the Sisterhood, and they’d know what to do with the explosive information I’d gathered.

But telling Jessie right here, right now, was an altogether other matter.

I turned from the stove to look at her.

Her ebony skin practically glowed with vitality and happiness despite her current outrage on my behalf. Her husband, Harry, was a great guy, and they clearly adored each other.

This story, this truth, wasn’t exactly a charmer.

It had the potential to ruin.

Some truths are better left unknown.That was Roman’s philosophy, not mine. The truth, however, was a responsibility, and Jessie hadn’t asked for it. We’d always shared a natural curiosity, but she wasn’t nearly as obsessive as I was.

I hesitated.

Jessie knew me well enough to read the conflict on my face. “What?”

“There’s a story.” I poured our coffee and brought it to the table, and then I sat down. “I’ve been outside the walls of Capra. I’ve been to The Smoke.” I leaned in with my elbows on the table and gave a small laugh. “I saw Jenna, and she’s okay.”

Jessie’s mouth softened with surprise, then her jaw sagged in shock.

“I can tell you more,” I said. “I can tell you everything. Most of it is dark and ugly. Knowing it doesn’t give you anything more or better than what you have right now, it only takes away. Or I can tell you nothing.”

Jessie laughed. She sounded a little hysterical.

I winced. “I know, I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but I wanted this to be your choice.”

“You’ve been to The Smoke.” Her eyes popped. “The Smoke.You saw Jenna. You actually saw her? You spoke to her? Holy crap, Georga, are you serious?That’swhy you’re under disciplinary action?” She shook her head, looking at me like I’d grown two heads. “How are you not in rehab?”

“Yeah, well, that’s a major part of the story, and what I actually wanted to tell you about Roman.”

“Roman can wait,” she declared and insisted I tell her everything, starting with Jenna and The Smoke.

We sat around the table for hours. I started with Jenna and The Smoke, and that’s where I ended as well. I’d tell her about Sector Five and the Outerlanders another day, although I did mash up parts of that, leading Jessie to believe I’d stowed away in Roman’s truck to get to The Smoke. I trusted Jessie with my life, but I wouldn’t expose Roman’s participation. That washisstory to tell, not mine.

And I found I certainly wasn’t ready to shower her with the pain of knowing she’d forever lost her chance to save her own ovarian eggs for herself and Harry. That would come later, too. She was so enthralled with every little detail about The Smoke, and I didn’t want to take that joy from her. Not today.

It felt good, so incredibly good, to finally share with Jessie. Not only because we’d walked the same footsteps all our life, and she understood my view of this world in a way Roman never could. But because secrets divided, and now I had a few less secrets standing between me and my best friend.

It was early evening when Jessie finally left, pedaling furiously to beat the darkness home on her bicycle. Time had run away with us, and I was just gathering the ingredients for a quick salad to go with the steaks I’d planned for dinner when Roman arrived.

Beneath his coat, which he shrugged off as walked in, he was dressed in his usual warden black cargo pants and long-sleeved top that shaped his lithe muscles.

He crossed through to the living room and draped his coat over the back of the recliner, then settled a look on me that curled into my toes. “Everything okay?”

A sigh escaped me as I gave him a slow nod and an even slower smile.

I should be accustomed to the toe-curling effect of Roman West by now. I should be. But seriously, it wasn’t just that he looked like a fallen angel. When he looked at me like that, he wasmydarkly wicked angel, and he was falling intomyarms. There weren’t enough hours in the days of a thousand years for me to ever grow accustomed to this flutter at my pulse and the tingling warmth spreading along my veins.

He released me from the intoxicating spell of his gaze and crossed to the sidebar.

And I remembered why I was feeling especially tenderhearted toward him tonight. “Thank you for sending Jessie to me.”

“Have you met Jessie?” He strolled back to me with a bottle of bourbon and two crystal tumblers. “She’s not the type to be sent anywhere by anyone.”

I rolled my eyes at him, still smiling. “You know what I mean.”

“I thought taking you to The Smoke would make things better. For you. But I think I made it worse.”

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