Page 15 of Sin

“Live and learn.” Sin shrugs. “My point is that he was just being your protective stand-in daddy by throwing me out. Shame though, Devlin is a snack. That would have been hot.”

My nails dig back into the upholstery at Sin’s remarks. Mercer doesn’t seem to like them either—for what I suspect to be totally different reasons. His face turns red. “It wouldn’t have been hot,” he insists, his hands clutching at the steering wheel. “And he was never my ‘daddy.’ I was his legal ward for less than six months.”

“Exactly,” Sin agrees. “Devlin hasn’t been responsible for your legal and moral well-being for, like, two-plus years now. It’s time he got to know me now that he’s not protecting you from me like a rabid guard dog. He’s too fucking cool not to want to call me friend.”

“Cool? That uptight, domineering asshole?”

Sin continues to listen to Mercer’s rant, but steals a look back at me and silently mouths “daddy issues” with an amused glint in his eyes.

I look between them as they spar back and forth, wondering just what exactly the dynamic of their relationship is. They obviously hook up, but I don’t think they’re exclusive. Mercer’s phone keeps going off with new alerts from hook-up apps, and earlier, Sin gave at least two of those girls who stopped to give him a ride his socials and told them tohit him up.

Maybe it’s because I’m inexperienced, but the idea of sharing someone makes me sick.Someone?My inner voice taunts me. My eyes fixate on Sin.To touch him, to let my hands travel over his golden-tanned body, exploring every inch of him and charting it as my own.The idea of letting someone else touch him after that would drive me insane.

“Cassidy.” I startle, Sin’s voice pulling me out of my fantasy. “Wh-What’s wrong?” I look up to find Sin and Mercer both staring at me. I get the feeling that Sin might have called my name multiple times.

“Nothing’s wrong. We’re at Thurston.” I look out the window to see that Mercer has pulled up to the admin building and is waiting for me to get out. “You’ve got about five minutes to book it to the top floor to make your meeting.”

“Sorry,” I tell them, gathering up my backpack and jumping out of the Land Rover.

“Cassidy,” Sin calls out. I walk to the passenger’s side window. He grabs me by the shirt and pulls me toward him. “I need you to listen to me.”

“Sin,” I try pulling out of his grip but he has too strong of a hold. “I’m gonna be late.”

“I don’t give a shit if you’re late for your meeting. I’ll make you stand here all day if I have to.”

“He will,” Mercer backs him up. “He’s an asshole like that.”

“What do you want?” I huff out.

“Text me after you get your schedule. And after your last class, you’re going to meet me at the Student Union.” His grip tightens. “I swear to God, if I find out your stubborn ass tried to hitchhike home, you’re gonna wish a serial killer got a hold of you instead of me. Got that?”

“Got it,” I mutter, knowing I’ll never make it to the registrar’s office if I don’t agree.

“I like it when you follow my orders,” Sin says, his voice so low and rough that I feel it almost like a touch.

Suddenly, I’m free and the Land Rover is pulling away from the curb, leaving me feeling lost in the absence of his strong presence.

Chapter 8

Sin

Mercer heads to his off-campus art class, and I attend the two classes I have on Mondays. A history class on successful warfare and a business stats class that most everybody else complains about, but I find a breeze. I must have inherited my maternal grandfather’s business instincts.

My phone vibrates and I check my messages. It’s Cassidy. He’s texted me his schedule. A surge of satisfaction goes through me at seeing his name on my screen and that he followed my order. I guess Cassidy brings out my dom side.

I send a thumbs up emoji, and then another text beeps. At first, I think it’s from Cassidy, but once I see the name, I stand up, hit the call button on my phone, and walk out of class. My stats professor can fuck off; this is too important to not take care of immediately. Five minutes later, I’m on my way to a meeting that could change everything.

Oliver Decker meets me in the campus coffee shop. By the time he walks up to the table, I’m sitting in the back, and at least three customers flee at his approach. He looks like the ex-police detective that he is.

“It’s why I was never any good at undercover work,” he says as he sits down.

I push over his mocha latte. We’ve met enough over the years to know that the man has a sweet tooth. He regards me over his cup. “You trying to bribe me?”

I guess it has kinda become a habit of mine.I shrug, “I’m not above it.”

Oliver sets down his cup and settles down to business. “Like I said on the phone, I’ve got something new for you.”

I’m practically vibrating in my seat to hear his news.

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