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Capping the flask, I tucked it back in my inner suit pocket just as Father Franco wordlessly made his way down the aisle and sat on the pew beside me.
He knew me well, knew all the losses I’d locked away, all the lives I’d heartlessly taken, and the joy those temporary moments of playing god brought me.
When he finally spoke, it was with the years of aged wisdom always evident in his voice.
“What is it you wish to have forgiven?”
This was how he always started off our conversations, and he always got the same response.
Today, I came for something different.
“I didn’t come here in search of forgiveness for the things I’ve done, Father. I came seeking absolution for the all things I’m about to do.”
He silently shifted beside me, settling in and preparing himself for my confessions.
Chapter One
They say our lives are a direct result of the choices we make, that those choices define us.
I don’t believe that.
I believe it is the commitment to our choices that distinguishes who we are. Every action we make has an equal and opposite reaction, a consequence of some sort.
With my hands still clasped around the box that held the framed queen of diamonds, I stared down at it and knew it was mine.
One little card represented my sudden position in a game I had no desire of playing—but didn’t have the option of opting out. It was like Jumanji…the wealthy and corrupted edition.
When I thought of the scheme I’d come up with to find Eva, this wasn’t exactly where I saw myself ending up.
The plan I came to town with fell apart the second I let Mateo bend me over that dingy bathroom sink and slide himself inside me.
Everything between us from that moment was sudden, unexpected, and all consuming. I got lost in all our sordid moments that never should have meant as much as they did.
I over indulged on the sound of his heartbeat and the warmth of his skin.
And regardless of what was happening in my life right this moment, regardless of my conflicted feelings, I was mature enough to accept full responsibility for my actions.
No one had held a gun to my head and made me choose this. I was a willing victim of his seduction; my greatest mistake was being blind to the web he’d been weaving around me.
I looked around the pristine, masculine home office I’d been left in, noticing that the sound of voices could no longer be heard through the thick double doors.
Considering Mateo’s ‘business’ ventures, I doubted whatever was being discussed was on the up and up or meant for my ears.
Thinking over everything that had occurred the last few weeks, and all the ways my life had changed—and would continue to change—had a typhoon of emotions swirling around in my chest.
My gaze settled on the gorgeous panoramic view beyond the outside patio.
In the distance, there was the hilltop peppered with trees. The ocean’s glimmering blue water lay beyond.
Closer was a large wrap-around terrace and an enticing in-ground pool that flowed into a hot-tub. There was a certain peace and tranquility about it all.
Gently setting the box on my lap, careful not to spill any of the dope or diamonds resting beneath the picture frame, I snapped my clutch open and pulled out my cellphone.
What now? I asked myself, staring down at the black screen.
As if the universe had heard my silent plea, my cell pinged twice, and Peyton’s name flashed across the screen
Peyton: We were told to leave. U ok?
