Despite dying inside, I level an impassive glare, succeeding in pissing him off more.
“And if I don’t?”
“If you don’t,” he snarls with a grin that churns my stomach. “I’ll show the world how depraved you are. Tell them how you sodomized your brother and coerced my daughter into giving upher virginity for your sick entertainment. You’ll lose your scholarship. You’ll be arrested for public indecency and illegal activity on church property. Your football career will be over. Would you like me to keep going?”
I close my eyes, my hands balled into fists as I fight the urge to lay him out.
“No.”
“No,sir,” he corrects.
Humiliation rolls over me. My nails cut into my palms as I grit out, “No, sir.”
Sinclair sniffs as if I reek. “You will work under me until I decide your debt has been paid. I’ll allow you to continue your education and maintain the dignity you don’t deserve and in exchange for keeping this between us, you will cease all contact with my daughter and that psychotic brother of yours. If you break my rules, I’ll not only reveal you for the predator that you are… I’ll have the three of you eliminated. Am I understood?”
Blow after blow— I’m crippled and shaking. But I made my bed. I can suffer these consequences. Iwillsuffer for them. Because the alternative is unthinkable. I’ll protect Andrea and Cade until my judgment day.
“Yes, sir.”
Triumph gleams in his eyes.
“Get decent and finish unloading that truck.”
He spins on his heel and stalks out without looking back. He knows he’s got me nailed to the cross. Silent sobs render me mute. Grabbing my jeans off the floor, I dig out my phone and send a text— one final act of rebellion before servitude, even if it makes them hate me forever.
Andrea is bringing Cade home. He’s sick, Declan. He needs help. Professional help.
Forty-Five
CADE
She won’t fuckinglisten.
“Are you deaf?” I shriek. “We need to go back!”
Andrea’s knuckles are white on the steering wheel, an endless stream of tears glistening on her cheeks. She won’t look at me. Is she real? Did any of it happen? It did— I know it did because I still taste them on my tongue.
He’s going to sacrifice Sebastian in your place. You must end it.
“Turn. Around!”
She chokes on a sob. “I’m sorry, babe. I can’t.”
I claw at the door handle. It’s useless— she hit the child locks the second she wrangled me into the passenger seat (of my own fucking car.)
You’re meant to join me, Cade. Let the Lord cleanse you of this evil. Look what you’ve done— you’ve let the darkness ruin everything.
I scream until my throat is raw.
Andrea cries harder.
Suddenly, the car jerks to a stop. She shudders, rubbing her leaking eyes. I don’t remember her turning around, but maybe she did. I look out thewindow?—
We’re not at the church.
We’rehome. Warm light cascades from the second-floor window. Dad’s car is parked in the driveway.
“Why are we here?”
