Page 9 of Sin and Redemption

Saying his name took effort. I hadn’t even dared to think about him up to this point.

His brown brows drew together, a muscle in his jaw working as he processed my words. “We don’t know that, and I’ll always wonder…”

“We’ll get revenge. Luca gave Flavio, Maximus, and me the okay to focus our efforts on finding the culprits. Maddox will help too.”

Surprise shot through me. Dad’s expression became cautious and concerned. “Sara. Luca won’t punish Maximus. And I chose not to ask him to.”

Mom’s face twisted with disbelief, and she sat up straight on the sofa. “You can’t be serious!” Her anger on my behalf felt good, even if I didn’t share it. I wasn’t sure what I felt toward Maximus. I simply didn’t want to think about him at all.

“You didn’t watch the video, Lily,” Dad implored.

“Oh God,” I whispered, realizing what that meant. Dad and Flavio had watched the video… I shot to my feet and ran upstairs. Stumbling through my open door, I flung myself onto my bed. I shivered, and my eyes burned fiercely, but the tears didn’t fall. I felt like crying, but I couldn’t. I felt like I might throw up, though.

Steps made the wooden floorboards creak. I knew it was Dad without looking over my shoulder. He smelled like the aftershave I associated with him and a hint of gunpowder.

The mattress dipped. “I’m sorry, Sara. Part of me wants to kill Maximus, but…”

“It’s not that,” I whispered. “I didn’t want you to watch.”

Dad was silent. Even though I didn’t want to, I looked up. His face was full of anguish. I reached for his hand resting on his knee. “You shouldn’t be the one consoling me, Sara.” He wrapped his fingers around my hand and squeezed. “That’s my job.”

His soft gaze was worried, a typical Dad expression. I’d expected a different expression after he’d watched the video, but he still looked at me like he’d always done. To him, I was still the Sara from this morning, but I could tell she was already gone.

My sisters’ chatter woke me. I sat up slowly in my bed, wincing at the soreness between my legs. I still felt sluggish. Last night had been the first time I’d ever taken something to help me sleep. Despite being scared of possible nightmares, I’d been even more desperate for the day to end.

The effects of the sleeping pills still seemed to have a hold on my body. With a deep breath, I forced myself to get up. Mornings meant new beginnings, a chance for something good to happen. That had always been a firm belief of mine, and I wouldn’t allow anything to change that.

I got dressed in comfortable loungewear. It was the weekend, so I didn’t have any classes. Still, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept until almost noon. I wasn’t a partygoer, so I usually woke up early.

Following my sisters’ fighting, I left my room and found them in Inessa’s room. Inessa was seven years and Alea was nine years younger than me. They argued all the time.

I leaned against the doorframe of their shared room and watched them as they argued over a broken hairband. They both had inherited Mom’s dark blond hair, but where Inessa’s eyes were blue, Alea’s were brown like mine.

Alea was the first one to notice me. She fell silent, soon followed by Inessa, who stopped midsentence.

“Sara!” Alea shouted and rushed toward me. The air left my lungs when she collided with my belly. I hugged her with a small smile. Inessa joined us and hugged me too. She looked at my face. “Are you hurt?”

I’d asked my parents to keep the details of my captivity from them. They were too young to understand. I could only hope nobody told them about the video. My belly did a flip, and for a moment, I was sure I’d throw up.

“I’m okay,” I said.

I needed them to believe it so I could start believing it too.

“We were so scared!” Alea exclaimed.

I nodded. I’d never understood the true meaning of fear, of stark, body-numbing fear until yesterday. I prayed my sisters would never experience it.

“Where’s Mom?”

“Cooking,” Inessa said.

I should probably consider eating something as I hadn’t had anything in twenty-four hours. I wasn’t sure my stomach was ready for anything, though.

I headed to the kitchen, where Mom was busy preparing minestrone for lunch. The kitchen smelled of the intense vegetable and parmesan broth. I drew in a deep breath, letting happy memories from the past flood me. I had so many wonderful memories. I just needed to make sure they would beat the one dark one I’d added to the list yesterday.

“Sara’s finally up!” Alea announced as she and Inessa entered the kitchen after me.

Mom whirled around, her eyes locking on me. The concern in her eyes was so strong, I was sure even Alea and Inessa couldn’t miss it.

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