Page 35 of Certified Sin

We rode in silence for at least ten minutes before I said something. Reese’s fist was tightened on the steering wheel, and his jaw twitched in anger.

I cut my eyes at him. “I know it ain’t my place, but Raine seems sorry.”

“I know she is,” he replied, his elbow on the window frame as he rested his chin between his fingers. “Raine had a crush on Sin for years, despite me telling her he ain’t no good for her.”

“Did he know about her crush?”

“Yeah, which is why I’m finna beat his ass like he stole something.” My face was stiff from the dry tears, but I found myself giggling, anyway. Reese looked over with a small smile.

“Tell me what happened,” he said, still watching the road.

I really didn’t wanna think about that right now. The imprint of Sin’s hand was still around my neck. I fidgeted.

“After I left you, I went to tell Sin I can’t do it anymore.” Reese took a minute to glance at me. I shrugged. “I enjoyed spending time with you. I told myself I deserved to feel like this every day, so I went to tell him it was over. I walked in after he answered the door butt-ass naked and saw a girl asleep on the couch.”

“Drugs were on the table, including lines of cocaine.” Reese did a double take.

“He snorted that shit?” I turned to him.

“You didn’t know.”

His head shook again. “Nah. That must be new. I’ve never known Sin to do hard drugs.”

“Yeah. Well, he did today.” I said continuing with the story. “I told Sin I couldn’t do this anymore, so he ran up on me and grabbed me by the throat,” I added, remembering it all over again.

“And what did you mean when you said he was gone tell people you helped? What did you do?” Reese quizzed. I averted my eyes. I didn’t want Reese to know how foolish I was for giving Sin that address. He manipulated me and told me it was for a nigga who wanted to collaborate with him. How was I supposed to know he was gonna rob somebody?

“Ronnie.” Reese’s hand touched my thigh, and I jumped away from him. I didn’t mean to do it. It was instinctual after what I had just been through.

“I’m sorry,” I replied immediately, and I could tell I hurt his feelings by the way he pulled his hand back.

“That’s on me. I shouldn’t have touched you,” Reese stated.

I stared at the side of Reese’s face. We were just starting this friendship, and I didn’t need him mad at me already, so I changed the subject.

“I gave Sin the address of the person he robbed.”

Reese snapped his head toward me, and his eyes widened in surprise. “You for real? Why you do that?”

“I thought it was somebody who wanted to work with you. That’s what Sin told me.” Reese gave me a pointed look before he turned back around.

“Fuck, Ronnie! You know if somebody dug deep enough, they gone find traces of that shit, right?” he said, looking back and forth from me to the road.

“I know,” I sobbed with my head in my hands. “How could I be so damn stupid? I walked right into a trap. Sin said if he goes down, I’m going with him.”

“Nah. We ain’t gone let that happen. Sin made that bed by his damn self.”

Reese sounded so sure, but I wasn’t. He didn’t see Sin’s face when I ran out of there. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll drag me down too.

“Okay.” I slid my hand across the console to intertwine our hands.

He stopped at a red light. His hazel eyes bored into mine and no man had ever looked at me like this before. It was too much for me to take. I wanted him to kiss me so badly.

I cleared my throat. “Should we call Beast? Let him know what happened?”

“Not yet. Lemme see what the deal is first. No need to bring him in this for nothing.”

“You’re right.” I sagged against the seat, closing my eyes. With his hand in mine, I was able to relax for the first time tonight.