Page 78 of Beautiful Sinners

I don’t feel bad cutting him off since he has no problem doing it to me.

“And she’smymother.”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say because he erupts.

“For the last fucking time, Dierdre is not your mother! Your mother is dead!”

Shock punches a hole through my chest, and I blink at him, frozen in place as that night replays in my mind. My mother was injured, too weak to fight off the man as he raped her right in front of me.

“Don’t look, baby. Close your eyes and don’t look. It’ll be okay.”

But the constellation man forced me to watch. Wouldn’t let me look away. Her pleas for my life excited him. The malicious way the other man defiled and hurt her excited him more.

Hendrix pushes Tristan against the wall and away from me. “Jesus, man. That was uncalled for.”

“Syn.”

Constantine lifts my face, but I don’t really see him, even though I hear his voice. I’m too far gone in those memories and react unconsciously when he touches me, grabbing his wrist and torquing it.

His grunt of pain brings me crashing back, and I let go, horrified that I’ve hurt him.

“Oh god. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay!” I yell more at myself.

Constantine has been hurt by too many people, especially his father.And now me.

I sprint out of the bathroom. Blindly putting on pants I find lying in a heap on the floor, I grab the shirt hanging off the footboard, slipping it over my head as I hurry out of the room and race down the hallway.

“Aoife, stop.”

I can’t. I don’t trust myself right now. I’m too angry. I’m not in control, and I fear what I’ll do if pushed too far.

“Dammit, will you fucking stop?”

I run barefoot to the stairwell exit, no patience to wait for the elevator to arrive, and burst into the stairwell, startling the guard stationed on the landing. Once I pass through, the steel door closes and locks almost immediately.

“Holy shit, you scared the crap out of me,” the guard says, his hand covering his gun holster.

Pound. Pound. Pound.Fists hammer against the reinforced steel as Tristan’s enraged shouts carry out into the stairwell.

The guard looks over at the door, then at me.

“Do you want me to open that?”

“No,” I reply, sweeping my wet hair over one shoulder. I love Tristan but fuck him for what he said. “Could you tell Andie I’d like to speak with her?”

CHAPTER 27

“What on earth are you wearing?” Andie asks as soon as she sees me.

I peer down at the baggy men’s clothes hanging off me. I didn’t take much consideration on what I was throwing on as I left the room. I think I’m wearing Tristan’s shirt and Hendrix’s pants.

Not missing a beat, she asks, “Hungover? I can make you a banana smoothie.”

Should I be hungover? I would think so after the shots of tequila I drank.

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