Page 8 of The Sinner: James

Look who’s talking.

“I’m not nasty. I don’t like that you’re using me to get to your cock dates.”

An amused laugh simmers in her throat.

“Mmm... Someone wants one.”

“Shut up, Daria.”

Pissed, I tear my hands away from her and storm out of the walk-in closet.

She follows me into the kitchen.

Her heels click-clack against the tiles, a small double-sided mirror dangling from her hand before she slides it onto the table, pulls out a chair, and gingerly takes a seat.

Her dress screams at the seams.

“You don’t have to give me a ride. I didn’t want to make our driver privy to my private life. That’s all,” she says, precious as always.

“Uh-huh. So, where exactly are you going?” I ask, grabbing a fruit yogurt from the fridge.

She brushes a few strands of hair away from her face and glances in the mirror before painstakingly going over every detail of her makeup.

Satisfied, she purses her lips and rehearses a few come-hither looks.

Sticking a full teaspoon of strawberry yogurt in my mouth, I roll my eyes.

“It’s better if you don’t know. This way, you don’t have to lie for me.”

The gravel crunches beneath the tires of a luxury car in front of our house as her ride pulls up smoothly in front of the entrance.

Her eyes light up.

She sets the mirror down, pushes out of her chair, grabs her purse, and wiggles her fingers at me before strutting outside without looking back.

Thank God she’s gone.

2

RAIN

I grabthe bowl of popcorn, shift my phone to my other hand, and exit the kitchen.

“Do you think the stories are true?” I ask, strolling down the hallway.

“Something must be true,” Eve says.

“Why aren’t the women talking then?” I ask, entering my room.

I place the bowl on the nightstand, peel off my robe, and slip under the covers.

“Saying what exactly?”

“I don’t know. Maybe, who these men are and what they look like… What they did to them.”

“My guess is they either blackmailed them, or the women were so in awe when they left their place they just couldn’t talk about it.”

She chuckles.

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