There is one thing I do know, Sin will do anything for Willow. I have to use that to my advantage.
Chapter 31
Sinclair
It is strange how you can know someone your entire life and know absolutely nothing about them. I didn't quite understand the meaning of a wolf in sheep's clothing until this very point. Lies and obsession have taken on a different meaning. I get that the lines of sanity and madness are often blurred when it comes to love. It's an age-old flaw, the fault in our stars. I get it, I truly do. But what comes out of Cohen Finley's mouth is something foreign. Something even I cannot comprehend.
When I met him, I knew all there was to know. Like most teenage boys, he was messing around for most of the high school. Those on the sports team were the cherry on top. I knew that he was broken in ways that I would never understand completely. But he convinced me that deep down he was better. He assured me that being with me made him want to be better. I believed him. I fell in love with his honesty. When I asked him about the black eye he sported, he told me his mother beat the shit out of him. His father was unfaithful, and everybody knew it, to make herself feel better she took it out on him. I was there to make sure he understood that he was not the problem, she was.
So when he tells me that he took his whore's baby, to replace mine, made her believe that her baby was dead, I cannot do anything but laugh. His affair with Chelsea Morgan has been going on for years. What man does that to someone he says he loves? It sounds like some sick joke. Apparently, I have built a life with a psychopath. Wow. If Creed wasn't standing beside me, I'd believe this was a nightmare.
“Cohen, you can’t be serious. This is the most fucked up shit I have ever heard."
"Baby, please." He takes a step toward me, and I raise my palms, stopping him.
“Just don’t. If you come near me, I swear to god -”
"This changes things, and you should have told us this sooner." Creed says. He's remained silent until now. "There's more than a possibility that Chelsea staged all of it. Her kidnapping, everything. And Willow was taken by her."
“Why fess up now?”
"Because my kid is out there with a madwoman. It's gone too far. I thought she'd scare us into telling Willow the truth, but the longer I sit on this information, the farther away our daughter gets." He looks at me, and I don't know what he expects. That I understand? No fucking way.
"You realize you put our children's lives in danger because of your selfishness." My hands shake. One minute I'm too calm, the next I'm clawing at his face, and Creed has to pull me off him yet again.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Cohen heaves a breath. “I know this is my fault. I just didn’t want to lose you, Sin.”
"You should have thought about that before you started fucking other women. I am so done with this." I turn on my heel and march out of the house I used to call home. Creed stands behind me. How many times has he brought her here? How many times did I, unaware that she was just using me? I thought we were friends. I let her into my home. Near my children. How did I not see the signs? Does love blind you to that extent? I climb into Creed's truck, and he jumps in but doesn't say a word. Instead, he slides across the seat and wraps an arm around me, letting me fall apart all over again.
* * *
I wakeup to the sound of my phone ringing. The number is unknown. I look at the clock, and it's two am.
“Hello.”
“If you want to see Willow again, meet me at the docks. No cops. No-one needs to know, or you’ll never see her again. Understood?”
Fear claws at me like an animal rampant in the wild. "Chelsea." I whisper.
“An hour. If you so much as whisper to someone else, if I see you’re being followed, that is it.”
“Okay.” My voice breaks.
I get out of bed and change out of my nightclothes and into a pair of sweatpants, a T-shirt, and a hoodie jacket. I climb into my running shoes and slip my phone into my pocket, making sure it's on silent. I open the door to my room, making sure not to disturb anyone in the house. I know what this woman is capable of, and she will not hesitate to take my daughter away from me for good. The fact that she wants to meet is a good thing. It has to be. The police have had enough time. This is between Chelsea and me.
I make it to the front door and look back to make sure nobody heard me come down the stairs. I think of Gracie, and the worried look in her eyes, and I'm more determined than ever to get her sister back.
I shut the door behind me and tug my jacket closer around me. There's a chilly breeze that seeps into my clothing. I climb into my car, glad that I parked behind my father. Taking it out of gear, I roll out of the driveway and only turn the ignition once I'm near the street. It'll be less likely my parents hear.
I drive out of my neighborhood at a decent speed but step on the gas once I'm on the main road. The docks are about half an hour away. I turn on the heat and try to breathe, to still my racing heart. "Be okay baby, I'm on my way."
Chapter 32
Anonymous
Iknew that camping out here for a week straight would have its benefits. Mrs. G only needs to be tended to in the day, and now that Rob is no longer an issue, I don’t bother showing up at the store to show face.
My plan is simple, I’ll climb into the storage area of the chopper and go wherever the hell Chelsea has Willow. I’ll figure out the rest when I get there. It’s stuffy here and a risk, but I’m small enough to curl up behind the seats under some emergency equipment and blankets. I can’t see anything, but I know she’ll be back. She left at least two hours ago. I’m too far away to hear her pull up. I just have to rely on the element of surprise.
