Page 72 of Sinning for Santa

“Ain’t that the truth,” I mutter. “Did you listen to the voicemails, too?”

“Yep.”

“What do you think?”

“I think she’s safer here with us than her family that’s for fucking sure.”

“Yeah. I agree. She’s so religious but I think it’s been forced on her. She has desires her fiancé is making her feel bad for needing. She thinks he’s a virgin and she’s worried about him finding out she isn’t on their wedding night, yet she’s so sexually green, I don’t know if I believe she isn’t a virgin.”

Finn frowns at my words. “You think she was assaulted?”

It had crossed my mind, which made me want to kill every fucker in sight just for the hell of it. She was adamant that she’s had sex before, yet she was so vague.

“Maybe. She doesn’t seem like one to cheat, and she claims to have been with that fucker since they were fourteen, so either she lost her virginity before that, or she did afterwards without him knowing.”

“I mean, she’s kinda cheating on him now, with you.”

I scoff. “Hardly. I’m not giving her much of a choice.”

“Given what I heard coming from this office earlier, she didn’t sound distressed so I have to assume you are giving her a choice. If she asked you to stop, like if she truly wanted you to, you would. So even though she’s probably trying to fight the wayshe feels, given her outburst with the knife, she still wants you.”

“Well, yeah. Her body does. And there’s a point of no return that she can’t seem to fight.”

Finn’s lips kick up. “A bit of dubious consent is always fun.”

It is, but there’s a fucking fine line, and I know it’s a fucking blurry one, so I hope I haven’t overstepped.

Fuck, have I?

“She’d fit right in here.” Finn continues, “It might not be such a bad thing to tell her what’s really going on.”

“With Mr V or what’s going on in this town?” I ask, swirling the amber fluid in my glass before downing the rest.

“Both. All of it. You’re holding her here against her will anyway. If you tell her and she still wants to leave, then the only infraction will be forcing her to stay. How she deals with everything else is on her.”

“I can’t use the threat of killing her then.” I point out.

“True, but at least she wouldn’t be so terrified of the monster she keeps claiming you to be. It might even give her a chance to get to know you. What would be so wrong with that?”

“Everything.”

He throws his head back laughing, his palm slapping against the table. “God fucking forbid you let down that ten foot fucking wall and opened up to a chick for once. How fucking absurd that someone might actually like you.”

Fucker.

I hate it when he’s right.

“Shut the fuck up. Are Dom and the team ready?”

“Yep. Let’s go.”

Standing from our chairs, I slip Jaxcen’s phone back into the safe, locking it before we leave and head up the path towards the chapel.

I don’t know why I haven’t knocked it down. For some reason I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it. Even now as Iunlock it and my men follow me in, I find myself admiring the old structure instead of loathing it.

My gaze shoots straight to the old school confessional at the far end, and not for the first time do I wonder how many secrets have been divulged in its confinements.

It’s not like the one built into the wall of St Catherine’s in the city. This one resembles more of a change room in a dress shop, with dark velvet maroon drapes covering each entrance, and a thin wall in between.

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