“I think she has the power to make us stronger, and she loves you too. I see it when she looks at you.”
“And when she looks at you?”
I send him a scathing look. “She hates me.”
Silence ensues for a few minutes. “You need to fix things with her.”
“How? I want to, but I’ve no clue how to go about it.”
He purses his lips, signaling as he takes the exit to the highway. “I don’t know,” he admits.
“Will it work?” I ask. “Because we’re the product of our upbringing. How will we ever know?”
“She’s easy to love,” he replies, his tone low, his face soft.
“She’s broken too.”
“Because of us.” The soft look vanishes from his face, replaced with a familiar cold expression that’s in part directed at me. I don’t need a look inside my cousin’s head to know he reserves the other part for Sinner, because he was the one who broke her first. And he seems hell-bent on breaking her further.
“Because of me.” I say what he’s thinking, closing my eyes, wishing I could rewind time.
When I wake, we’re back at the house—at Lo’s house. Saint helps me from the car and into the house via the garage, and I know he’s thawing, thanks to Lo. Her kindness and generosity have taken the edge off his anger. A layer of stress leaves my shoulders, but the knot of guilt inside me churns faster.
“Oh my God.” Giana, Lo’s mom, rushes across the kitchen toward me. “Galen, what happened?”
“I ran into an ambush Saturday night,” I lie. “It’s why we were lying low.”
She bends down, checking my bandaged ribs, and it’s only now I remember I’m shirtless. “Have you been taking meds?” she asks. “And icing it?”
“Lo gave me some stuff before we left.” At the mention of her daughter, her eyes well up.
She glances over her shoulder before fixing her gaze on Saint. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine.” None of us know what bullshit Sinner has fed his fiancée, so we’re treading on eggshells here.
“I still can’t believe she begged Sinner to join the ranks or that he agreed.” Her eyes plead with Saint. “She’s doing this for you, right?”
Saint shuffles awkwardly on his feet while I drag my aching body in the direction of the refrigerator. “She’s not with me,” Saint says.
Giana looks confused. “She isn’t? I thought—”
“She’s with all of us,” Caz says, walking into the kitchen with Theo.
Wow, way to just drop it on her. And it’s not even the truth. She’s really only invested in Caz and my cousin.
Giana’s cheeks flush. “You don’t mean—”
“She’s our girl, and we’ll take care of her. You have our word, so you don’t need to worry about anything,” Saint adds.
“I… I… I don’t know what to say,” she blurts, as Sinner walks into the kitchen from the direction of the living room.
I grab cold water from the refrigerator and close the door.
“About what?” Sinner says, coming up behind her and sliding his hands around her waist.
She angles her head back. “Did you know about this? All of them being in a relationship?”
He kisses her cheek as his hands run across her flat stomach. “Not officially, but I’ve heard sounds of fucking coming from Lo’s room. I assumed my son was sticking it to her, but knowing how much of a slut she is, I can’t say I’m surprised to hear she’s banging all of them.”
