Page 7 of Dead to Sin
He stopped dead in his tracks, snapping out of his initial panic, if only for the time being.
“There is no need for paperwork,” I said seriously. “It’s fine.”
“Wh—,” he started, then closed his eyes and took in a deep, settling breath. “How are you here?”
“Well. I guess I have you to thank for that.” I gave him a small smile.
When I took the job as Sammy’s mortuary assistant almost a year ago, I never imagined I would fall in love with death care the way I had. I’d done it on a whim, influenced by the encounter I’d had with Kiernan the day Reverie closed its doors for good.
To outsiders looking in, it may have seemed absurd for an artist to find fulfillment in mortuary work. However, there was a certain artistry to caring for the deceased—a delicate balance of precision and creativity.
There was most definitely an adjustment period, but Sammy had been an amazing mentor and I’d grown to love this line of work. It gave me a new sense of purpose and redirected my path in life when I felt most lost.
Six months ago, I’d taken over most of the work at Messor Crematoria while Sammy and Amelia maintained everything at the main office. I helped him where he needed me, but Fate Trace was a small town and we weren’t super busy a lot of the time.
Most of my work at the crematoria came from the local university in the town over. Medical students worked with human cadavers during their first-year anatomy courses, and when they were finished with the donated bodies, it was my responsibility to cremate the remains and return the ashes to the university.
“I guess I should ask you howyou’rehere,” I simultaneously wanted to run away screaming and ask him to kiss me again.
As badly as I wanted to get to know the man who unintentionally placed me on the path that led me here, I knew that would not be a wise decision.
Being in the same room with him caused a visceral reaction within me—withinbothof us, apparently—and I didn’t trust myself to not act on it.
I loved this job—truly—and I would not risk jeopardizing it. Mixing business with pleasure was rarely a good idea, and I couldn’t bear the thought of things going south and the job I loved becoming something miserably dreadful—or worse, nonexistent.
Again.
“I suppose you’re aware that Sammy left this place to his nephew.” He pointed to himself. “Nephew, guilty as charged.”
What a small freaking world.
“Why did you lie about your name?” he asked.
Yeah.That.
“Panic?” I answered, uncertain.
“What was there to panic about?”
“I was embarrassed, Kiernan. A random guy found me crying on the floor of the men’s room. My first instinct was self-preservation, and I just said the first name that came to mind.”
“The first thing I did when I arrived back in town was try and find you,” he admitted, unashamed. “And here you are.”
“Surpriiiise shawty,” I said awkwardly.
He rolled his eyes. “When you disappeared, I spent days trying to find you on social media, which is difficult to do without a last name in general. I assumed it was a hopeless cause to begin with, but I guess now I know why I couldn’t.”
“Why would you look?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine that I made any kind of positive impression.
“To check on you.”
I supposed that made sense. If I found someone in the middle of a mental breakdown and then they just disappeared, I would probably want to find a way to check up on them too. Especially if I’d just shoved my dick down their throat.
“To get to know you,” he added.
“Have an affinity for the mentally unbalanced?”
He smirked. “An affinity for the breathtaking woman who allowed herself to feel so deeply, who let me inside—just a little.”
