Page 21 of Lust

Pa just lied to me. I can’t believe it.

It wasn’t a small lie or a slip up. No, this was an outright, blatant lie. Why? Why would he lie about where he was? And if he lied about that, what else has he lied about?

I make it to the end of the road before I turn back around ready to go back and confront him but stop when a man I’ve never seen before walks up the front path. He’s wearing dark clothing, maybe jeans, and a baseball cap. It reminds me of the first time I met Roman, but this man is shorter and not so muscular.

He knocks on the door, then his head swivels in my direction, and I duck round the corner out of sight. By the time I risk a peek, I only catch a glimpse of his jacket as he disappears inside with Pa.

I head home in a daze, paying no mind to the direction I’m going in. I’ve always trusted Pa, never had a reason not to. But lately something has felt different. Thinking about it now, I’ve noticed a change in him over the last few years. Nothing I can really put my finger on, but there’s something.

It’s a miracle I make it home and not the other side of town considering how distracted I’ve been. I walk up the path to my front door feeling sideswiped, like I’ve been hit with a wrecking ball.

I forgo the bath I was so sure I was going to have, skip dinner—certain my stomach couldn’t handle anything anyway—and for the first time since I was a child, I don’t get on my knees and pray. Instead, I go to bed, curl up in a ball and cry.

CHAPTER TWELVE

ROMAN

I’m heading to the church to meet with Kincaid after he called me yesterday. I’m not concerned about why he wants to talk. I’m more worried about where Sydney has been since she and Blake kissed on Tuesday. It’s been two days and neither of us have seen her, and she didn’t go into work yesterday. Blake went there yesterday after work to talk to her about what happened between them. When he couldn’t see her anywhere, he asked one of the girls, Suzi, I believe, who told him she was sick. We discussed one of us going to check on her but decided just turning up on her doorstep might work against us. I plan to press Kincaid on her today, just enough to not raise suspicion.

The main vestibule is empty when I arrive, and I find Kincaid in his office.

“Ah, Roman, come in. Take a seat.”

I do as he asked, taking the seat across from him. I notice that the bruise on his cheek as faded, but his hand is still bandaged. I take satisfaction in knowing someone hurt the bastard.

“Thank you for coming. Tell me, how was last weekend?”

Having already discussed this, albeit briefly on his return, I’m unsure of where this might be going.

“Like I said on Monday, it went well and everyone seemed happy. Why, is there a problem?” I ask, keeping any inflection of annoyance from my tone.

“No, not at all. In fact, if you’re open to it, I’d like for you to stay on and assist when I’m not here.” He clasps his hands together on the desk, tapping them in anticipation of my answer.

Now I work harder to keep my surprise and suspicions hidden, especially as he seems nervous. “Of course. I’d be happy to. After everything that’s happened recently, it’s nice to find somewhere I feel I could settle,” I say gratefully and laying it on thick.

“Wonderful,” he exclaims, then proceeds to explain the logistics and what is expected of me.

We agree that I will take a few shifts during the week and services when he is away at weekends, which he expects will be every other weekend for now.

My hands fist in my lap at the thought I’ll be freeing him up to commit rape and murder every other weekend, at the least, but I keep a lid on my fury. Fuck knows how, but I do. I smile in all the right places and keep my answers short to avoid my emotions bleeding into my words.

He’s escalating and that means Blake and I need to move up our plans too. There is not a fucking chance in hell I’ll let him do to another woman what the sick son of a bitch did to my sister.

With my foot in the door, our first act is to plant the seed of doubt. The second I’m outside, I call Oz.

“Change of plans. Everything ready for phase one?”

“Jesus. What happened?”

“I don’t have time to explain now. Is everything set or not?” I snap as I march down the street towards Blake’s site office.

“Yeah, man, it’s ready. When do you?—”

“Do it now, Oz.” I don’t wait for him to reply and end the call.

By the time I make it to the site office, I’m about ready to fuck or fight, so getting stopped by some prick Blake works with doesn’t exactly go down so well.

“Hey, you. You can’t be here,” the guy yells from a few feet away and begins stomping toward me.

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