Page 151 of Sinners Reunion

“Did you check your other pocket?” I ask.

He reaches into his right pocket, and everyone groans when pulls out the weapon.

“Sorry,” Ice Pick mumbles as Bennett gives him a death glare.

I turn to the girls. “What about all of you? Why are you crying?”

“These are happy tears,” Cat says as she holds out her hand. A large diamond sits on her ring finger. “Bennett just proposed.”

Odd timing, but okay.

Jim raises the radio and calls for Aven and King to return to shore. Since no one is forcing me back to the house, I go to the edge of the water and wait for my ship to come in. It’s slow going, but the little boat eventually makes it into shallow water.

King doesn’t wait for the boat to dock. He hauls himself over the edge and wades through the shallows until I can’t stand it another second. I rush out to meet him, and I jump into his arms.

He catches me as I press my lips to his. How he has the strength to hold me up after being in the water for so long, I’ll never know, but I don’t question it. The answers to everything will come. Right now, I just want to kiss my man.

“I love you, Josie,” he says as he pulls back.

I smile at him. “I know you do.”

When I kiss King again, I hear the girls gasp behind me. Then I hear Cat start blubbering again. I’m glad I told them about my little secret with myself. It’s nice to have friends who understand how meaningful these kisses are. I smile against King’s mouth.

Jim comes toward us, his face looking more sober than usual. “I hate to break this up, but I have some explaining to do. Let’s make our way back to the house.” He turns to Ezra. “You and your brothers grab Blayne. We’ll leave no questions on the table tonight.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

King

We’re gathered around the outdoor tables again. Chef prepared his feetza for us, and it’s just as disgusting as it sounds—pizza with toes for toppings. He swears the softened bones provide a satisfying crunch. I’m not inclined to see if he’s correct.

Josie sits beside me. Aven and Bennett sit across from us. They’ve just finished explaining everything to her.

As it turned out, Blayne wasn’t the only one who overheard some of my conversations with Jim. Bennett and Aven have known my identity for much of the journey. They told no one but each other, making a pact to torture the fuck out of me until the last day—my well-deserved penance. They had no way of knowing the wrench they were throwing into our machine.

Everyone also suspected Blayne was the one who slept with Charity. They’re shocked to learn the extent of the cowboy’s ruse, however. The one question we still don’t have an answer for is why Blayne believes he’s a Carter sibling. He can’t be. There were only four mothers.

Speaking of him, he’s currently tied up at the end of the table until we figure out what to do with him. His death is coming, and swiftly. We just haven’t decided which vehicle will cart him straight to hell. Even if he’s my son by some cruel twist of fate, I won’t allow him to draw breath much longer. Not after what he did to Josie and Ice Pick.

Jim stands from the table and asks for everyone’s attention. “As everyone heard, Blayne made a pretty serious accusation today. He claims that he is King’s—Grantham Carter’s—son. I’m here to tell you that isn’t the case. Because I’m King’s brother, and Blayne is my son.”

Gasps ring out, and Josie’s hand finds mine beneath the table. Even I’m taken aback by this revelation.

He looks at me. “We needed a control for the experiment. I didn’t tell you because it didn’t really involve you. I’m sorry. I just wanted a correct experiment with useable data. I gave the mother your name, but I used my semen.”

“Uncle Jim,” Frankie says. “I’ll need time to get used to that.”

“What about Jeff?” I ask.

“He was a hired actor.” Jim shrugs. “He was weirded out after the first retreat, and I eventually had to kill him to keep his mouth shut when he asked for more money.”

“And your wife?” Gary asks. “I’ve met her.”

“Another actor,” Jim says. “In fact, I’ve been method-acting all these years. I’m not a straight man with a wife and a son. This will probably come as a huge shock to everyone, but I’m gay.”

No one gasps this time, but Eve looks sad.

“You’ve closeted yourself all this time, just to carry out some experiment?” she says. “I’m confused.”