Page 3 of Sin

“So does Thurston,” he clips back at me, obviously annoyed but still keeping that tight smile on his face, which never reaches his eyes. “It’s closer to home, and it’s past time you began acting like a member of this family.”

I tried to belong. They were the ones who sent me away.

“But—”

“No more discussion,” he cuts me off. “Your mother and I are away at a conference, but we’ll be back by Sunday. I’ll expect both you and Sin to be in attendance, front and center, at my service.”

The mention of Sin’s name sends blood racing through my body, almost like it’s waking up after a long hibernation. It’sthe first time I’ve heard his name spoken out loud since last summer. Except late at night in my room when my own voice desperately calls out his name after giving in to my fantasies, even though I know how wrong they are.

Gideon looks at his watch as I’ve taken up too much of his time, and sends me a stern look of warning. “Make sure you don’t miss your flight,” he orders, and without saying another word, hits a button to disconnect the video chat.

I stare at the blank screen for a long moment before the dean reclaims his computer and begins the paperwork to facilitate my early graduation. After that’s done, I go back to my dorm room, pack up my belongings, and say goodbye to the few friends I’ve managed to make while at Bellmore. It’s not until my plane takes off that I let myself think about the fact that I’ll be seeing Sin in just a few hours.

We’ll be living together again. Attending the same college.

I haven’t seen Sin since last summer, and, like always, each one of our interactions had electrified me. Thrilled me. Hurt me. I’d hoped not seeing him for the next two summers would finally break the unhealthy fascination I’ve had with him since I first met him.

I was fooling myself. The mere mention of his name today made every nerve in my body come alive and my heart race at the promise of just a glimpse of his face. By the time my flight lands in Nashville, I’m practically shaking in anticipation of seeing him again. Every minute of the long ride from the airport to the house feels endless.

Finally arriving at the sprawling mansion, I let myself into the house and look around. It’s been redecorated since last summer, but that’s not why walking through these doors doesn’t feel like coming home. I haven’t seen Sin yet, and as confusing and hurtful as our relationship can be, it’s never this house oreven my mother that makes me crave returning here. It’s Sin. He’s my home.

Unable to wait until tomorrow, I head straight to Sin’s room. I’m about to knock when I hear moaning coming from behind the door.

“That’s it, Sin. Just like that. Faster.”

I recognize the rough, pleasure-soaked voice urging Sin on immediately.Mercer Saint, Sin’s best friend. I’d always known they were close, suspected they were more, but now I know.

Pain that I know I don’t have the right to feel explodes in my chest. I want to throw the door open and tear Sin away from Mercer, uncaring that he’s bigger and stronger than me. My hand grips the doorknob and readies to turn it.They’ll both laugh at you. You have no claim over Sin—no matter how strong the connection you feel toward him is.

I release the knob and take a step back. From the other side of the door, a crescendo of moans and grunts gut me. Unable to listen a second longer, I run down the long twisting corridor until I reach my room.

Once there, I start pacing as the mental pictures of Sin and Mercer together beat up my psyche.Does he love him?The possibility of it burns me from the inside out. Unable to stand it any longer, I start reciting every bone in the human body. It doesn’t work. I get more worked up with every minute that passes. It’s not until my breathing is shallow and erratic that I realize I’m having an asthma attack.

Grabbing my inhaler from my backpack, I depress the trigger, ready for the relief that will follow.It doesn’t work. I shake it and try again.Nothing. Luckily, my mom sent my refill prescriptions a few weeks ago. I tear open the package of the next inhaler and place it in my mouth.Again nothing. I start to panic when I go through five inhalers and none of them work. Ican feel my airway closing, and I’m struggling to get the smallest of breaths.

Knowing I need help, I start looking for my phone, accidentally breaking my desk lamp while I’m at it, and finally finding it lodged under my suitcase.It’s dead.I let it drop to the ground. There are no staff at the house tonight. When Gideon is out of town, Sid orders them off. He says they are all Gideon’s spies and prefers doing without them. Reaching Sin is my only chance for help.

The room is spinning, and I’m not sure I can even make it out of this room, let alone get to the other side of the mansion.

I start clutching at my throat.I need Sin. In that moment, I crave seeing him almost as much as I crave breath.

The door swings open, and there, like an answered prayer, stands Sinclair Brandt—my stepbrother.

Chapter 2

Cassidy

Sin stands in the doorway—my savior and my curse.

He blows through the door. “Who in the fuck is in he—?” Sin’s sentence drops off when he sees it’s me standing there. He takes a small step back like someone who just took a hit, but then, true to his mercurial nature, he recovers quickly. His gray eyes regard me cooly, over arrogantly high cheekbones, and his full lips turn up into a cruel sneer that I know too well.

“What in the hell are you doing here?” he demands, his voice cutting me with a razor like sharpness.

I try to answer him, but words can’t get past my constricted airways. My hands instinctively clutch around my throat as I fight for breath.

“Shit. Is he having an asthma attack?” Mercer Saint asks from behind Sin, his hand resting familiarly on his shirtless back.“Want me to call an ambulance?”

“It’ll take too long,” Sin says, his voice smooth and controlled. “Go to my bedroom and pull out the middle drawer. There are several extra boxes of inhalers. Grab one and bring it back here.”

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