Page 115 of Where Sinners Repent

The sun slowly appears, casting soft colours over the water and the clouds. The amber rays catch in Roxy’s hair, warming the dark locks until they are glowing.

Her sleepy eyes watch the waves roll in. I watch her. And Kaleb watches both of us.

We don’t move. The squawk of a seagull cry sounds above us, and I can faintly hear the city starting to wake up. The rumble of a truck and the beep of a horn. It’s all so distant.

I’ve never been one to be scared.

But, fuck, if I’m not terrified that the second this moment ends, everything changes. We are in the middle of a war. One with no rules.

And for the first time, I have something to lose.

Chapter 29

Roxy

I’m officially being babysat.

And not even in a sly, I’ll watch you from the shadows, kind of babysitting. It’s the kind where I’m forced to run errands with one parent because the other one is busy.

At least that’s what I assume normal parents do. My mum chose to get royally high, while our tummies rumbled my brothers scored for her.

Tomahto, tamayto.

My sunshine apparently had to run off for the day, and Kaleb had to go to the club. I insisted I’d be safe in the penthouse, drawing and eating snacks, but he stood there with this broody look until I finally peeled myself from the comfortable bed, grumbling under my breath the whole time.

I mean, it was a good excuse to put on some actual clothes for once. And do my hair. And apply a light coat of makeup.

And yes, maybe I did take longer than what is deemed reasonable to complete the tasks. Something about feeling his angry glare on me the entire time made me giddy. Like if I continued to push him, he’d decide to blow off whatever was happening at the club and bend me over the counter to fuck me.

A girl can dream.

But Mr. Serious was still adamant about dragging me to the club, so I scooped up my drawing pads and my tattoo gear into a bag for him to carry.

But now that I’m here, in the meeting room absent-mindedly drawing in my book, my ears are tuned in to Leon and Kaleb’s conversation. Kaleb still isn’t aware that Leon was the one who helped me drug him and chain him to the St. Andrew’s cross. I’m taking that secret to the grave.

I love the little psychopath. I’d hate to see him die.

He’s tapping away on his laptop, pointing to things I can’t see, while muttering things I can’t quite understand. Arms crossed and eyes shadowed, Kaleb is a dark storm cloud behind him.

God, he’s hot.

I’ve been banished to the other side of the long table. The kid’s corner, Leon dubbed it when Kaleb had set me up, grinning at my scowl.

Because that’s exactly how it feels.

Are they scared I won’t be able to handle whatever they are murmuring about? I’m not that delicate...

I sigh dramatically, and when I look up, Kaleb is staring at me with a raised brow. He only gives me a second of attention until he turns back to the laptop.

Rude.

I know they are probably dealing with super important criminal bullshit. So, for approximately thirty-five seconds, I try to behave. That gets boring really quickly.

Twisting the pen in my hand, I start tapping it against my sketchbook, propping my knees up on the worn table and rocking back on my chair.

It makes an obnoxious creaking sound with every swing.

Leon pauses mid-sentence, but Kaleb doesn’t even glance at me.