Page 69 of Sinner

“Maybe you’ve underestimated what people are willing to do. Have you ever thought about that?”

“Are you insinuating once the game becomes everyday and perhaps even boring, the gamers will go out into the real world performing whatever sexual act they’ve experienced?”

“Yes, and perhaps the violent ones as well.” That scared the hell out of me. What I knew about human nature was that most people were followers. Once they found their personal Messiah, they would do anything to get the fix. The game wasn’t just about having fun. It was about developing a new sense of what people were willing to do, how far they’d go in receiving the rush of endorphins.

“You do understand.” He made the statement firmly, but with no hint of surprise.

Did I? Or was I simply caught up in the madness of winning?

No, it wasn’t just about winning with me. It was all about the participation, the excitement, and the feeling of freedom. I hungered for the darkness. It was that simple.

He pulled down a long driveway and I clamped both hands around the soft leather seats, barely breathing at this point.

“You are welcome in my home, but I have one question for you,Sophie. Why are you lying to me?”

CHAPTER 20

Xander

“If you touch her again, you will die.”

They were the words I’d said to Dorn while I’d had my fingers wrapped around his throat. That had been only the second time in my life I’d offered a warning. The first had been moments before I’d indulged in the pleasure of gutting a man for the first time.

There would be no additional threats issued.

The taste of blood filled my senses.

Death was a necessary evil if for no other reason than to rid the world of toxic poison.

I’d almost snapped Dorn’s neck and in hindsight, I wished I had. Instead, I’d broken his arm, the injury severe enough he would remember the interaction for months to come. He was the purest form of evil, believing his actions were acceptable.

I’d also pummeled his face, breaking his nose. I swiveled the black obsidian stone ring I always wore, the heavy weight gold and thickness of the stone providing a perfect weapon.

The moment I’d noticed he was watching Jessica, paying attention to her every move, I’d know my interference would be necessary.

But the balls on the man to dare follow and attack her? Yes, the bastard had deserved to die.

He still did. What had the bastard been insinuating with Jessica at the party? She truly believed he was the Sinner when Dorn couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag. However, I’d use his strange admission for the time being.

I wasn’t ready to expose myself at this point.

I’d been forced to remind myself that all good things came to those who waited, including me. Killing him would have provided some sense of satisfaction, but would have drawn far too much attention to the company and to my obsession with Jessica.

What caused me significant angst was that being with Jessica brought back unwanted memories of the only decent time in my life. A blip in my otherwise repulsive and inhuman world when I’d struggled to be a decent human being. It had been working and I’d been the happiest I’d ever been in my life.

But fate had dealt another blow, one so severe I’d lost myself in the madness of violence for over a full year. Even now, the bitter sting of fate dragged at me.

Jessica had been brought into my life by some demon who’d laid claim to my soul the moment I was born.

So be it.

This was just another forbidden moment in a lifetime of them. While I’d been close to her father once in my life, the trust had been shattered. Now I didn’t mind taking his little girl away from him.

Only Jessica Waldrop was no longer a little girl. She was a woman with the same intense needs that had consumed me all through my adult life and even earlier. Her beauty was also unequaled. She was certainly the best of both her mother and father. Absolutely stunning.

The single trait I remembered about her after all these years were the freckles covering the bridge of her nose. Simply adorable.

Her breathing remained ragged after my question, the answer yet to be provided. As I pulled into the garage, I marveled at how I hadn’t hesitated when deciding to bring her to my home. I wanted to care for and protect her, which wasn’t my typical behavior. Allowing someone to invade my space had never been something I’d even considered.

---