Page 43 of Deadly Sins

25Ksenya

AS WE SPED AWAY FROM the jail, my body chilled. The world seemed to be spinning around me like I was stuck on some lazy Susan, and I couldn’t jump off.

Joaquín. I’d been inches away from my brother, close enough to breathe the same air. Yet he hadn’t had a clue who I was. His own flesh and blood. Even worse, I could swear he was checking me out.

In his defense, I didn’t resemble his beloved sister. The fucking joke was on me, I guess. He knew me only as Grant’s chick; scratch that, Grant’s stripper.

But I’d taken a chance, a big risk. When Grant was signing in at the jail, I placed the bracelet on my wrist. Our bracelet. The one I’d found at the top of the mountain.

I flashed it at my brother the second I had an opportunity. A signal. Hoping Joaquín would see it. Hoping he would realize I was here for him, even though he’d tried to convince me to abandon him.

And Joaquín had seen it—a treasure only Mia could possess. But I had no idea if he even understood what it meant—that I was either Mia transformed. Or, if that was too farfetched, that I had sent someone to see him. Either way, I was sure he was sitting in his cell, racking his brain, trying to come up with an explanation.

Dammit. Now that I thought about my actions, I realized I could’ve put my plan in danger. Not by Grant recognizing a bracelet he’d never seen, but by Joaquín possibly contacting his lawyer, demanding an answer. Joaquín could even think that Grant was in on my deception.

Grant was smart. Could he have picked up on my exchange with Joaquín? He had never seen the bracelet before, so I didn’t think he’d notice it. And if Grant had noticed the bracelet, at least he would have no way of connecting it to my true identity.

As long as this random visit hadn’t been some sort of test. I couldn’t push that thought away. Going to visit a friend in jail didn’t seem like a very normal outing choice for a fledgling relationship. And it was something Grant could do anytime, on his own, with the jail being across the bridge from where he worked. Why had he wanted to take me with him? I hoped the reason he’d invited me had been more of an afterthought instead of a calculated plan.

I forced those thoughts out of my head as we cruised down the freeway. I clung on to Grant, needing to feel him closer to me, wanting so much to put an end to this farce. I shuddered, and it wasn’t from the cold wind. Grant’s words had gutted me.

Marry him. Grant had wanted me to marry him back then? Unbelievable. I mean, I’d always hoped we were headed in that direction, but Grant had always fed me some bullshit about how hard it was to be married to a Team guy and that we were too young. This knowledge changed everything.

If I’d only known, I would’ve told him the truth about that night. I would’ve fought for us. I would’ve fought for him, instead of running away. But back then, I’d felt completely alone for the first time in my life. I hadn’t even told Joaquín what had happened to me.

And there was no time to dream about what could have been. Seeing Joaquín so clearly just a day after I’d met Julián rattled me. I was more certain than ever that Julián was Joaquín’s son. Julián had to be my nephew.

Apparently, that would be one of the only mysteries in my life that I would be able to resolve quickly—Roman had texted me that the results of the DNA test would be in by the end of the week.

I told Grant that I was feeling ill, and I was surprised when he agreed to drop me back at my place. I wanted to spend the night crying in Grant’s arms, confessing my sins, secrets, and suspicions to him, but there wasn’t any time for that.

Ksenya planned to make it up to him later, show up at his place, make him dinner. But now Joaquín’s sister had to go to work.

I decided against taking my car downtown in case I was pressured to drink, so I hailed a taxi. The driver dropped me off at Diamond.

I was about to text Mitch to let him know I was here, but as I reached into my purse for my phone, I felt a hand grasp my wrist.

“You owe me a dance,” the deep voice whispered.

I didn’t need to look. Mitch’s presence loomed behind me.

“Of course, Mitch. I will save for you the dance.”

Jack headed toward the back of the club. I leaned into Mitch as he put his arm around me, and we followed Jack.

Two shiny gold doors opened up to another room.

And there it was. The golden stripper pole.

My hands shook. It didn’t matter if the pole was made out of gold or tin, I was still expected to dance and degrade the fuck out of myself on it for them.

Fuck.

Jack leaned against a booth, his eyes focusing on me.

“Let’s see what you got, baby doll.” Mitch slid into a black leather lounge chair, facing the front of the pole.

I hesitated, and a scowl crossed Jack’s face. “Look, sweetie, dance for us now or get the fuck out of here. We have girls coming in here all the time. I don’t have time for your bullshit.”