Sin I Rise: Part One (Sins of the Fathers 1)

Maddox gave me a half amused, half annoyed look. “The sheets are clean like I said, don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

He nodded, narrowing his eyes in thought. “Then what are you worried about?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m not too thrilled about sleeping beside my kidnapper without protection.”

He pointed at his chest. “I’m your protection, and you sure as fuck don’t need protection from me. Your pussy is safe.”

I gritted my teeth, then finally laid back on the bed. It was much harder than I was used to from home but felt like a soft cloud after the hut.

Maddox finished his smoke but even then he stayed in front of the window, looking out. The letters Tartarus MC were written across his back and shoulders, and below it a skull was spitting fire, the same image as on his sternum. “Why the skulls?”

He glanced down at his chest. “My father had the same tattoo. I don’t remember much about his appearance. Whenever I try to recall how he looked, I see the bloody pulp your father turned him into. That tattoo is all I got.”

I swallowed. “I’m sorry for what my father did.”

He nodded, watching me intensely. “Not your apology to hand out, and I doubt your old man will ever utter the words.”

He probably wouldn’t.

I looked away from his too personal stare and scanned his other tattoos. The words “no regrets” graced his left forearm.

“You only regret the things you didn’t do,” I murmured. It was a quote I’d read on a motivational post on Instagram once and it had resonated deeply with me.

Maddox sent me a confused look until I pointed at his tattoo. He smiled wryly. “What do you regret not doing?”

The list was long, but nothing I felt comfortable discussing with Maddox. I tore my eyes away from him and stared up at the ceiling. The fan was spinning around in slow, mesmerizing circles. “Nothing.”

He laughed and my belly flipped. He appeared at the bedside, towering over me, still only dressed in his boxers. “I don’t believe you. I’m sure there are plenty of things you’re dying to do but can’t because your ol’ man is always watching your back.”

I didn’t say anything. Maddox sank down on the other side of the bed and I curled my hands into fists. “Don’t try to smother me while I sleep. If you try anything, I’ll hand you over to Cody myself.”

I nodded, not trusting my voice. I felt too hot when Maddox stretched out beside me. His bed was entirely too small for two people who weren’t dating. Our arms were practically touching. You could hardly count the half inch between us. I folded my hands on my belly to bring more space between our arms.

“For someone who’s been flirting with me in the kennels, you’re awfully quiet now,” he joked, his face tilted toward me.

I turned my head in his direction. Despite our closeness, I wasn’t half as scared as I should have been. If I wanted my plan to work, I should have been flirting with him now, but this was definitely out of my comfort zone. “I thought you wanted to sleep.”

“I do,” he said, but his eyes said something else. I swallowed when he finally looked away and extinguished the lights.

I listened to his breathing, clinging to consciousness, hoping he’d fall asleep before me. But I just knew he was wide awake. I wondered what kept him from sleep. It couldn’t be worry for his life. Maybe he was imagining all the things he could do to me. My pulse sped up. Problem was it wasn’t only from anxiety.

When I woke the next morning, I jerked up in bed, looking around. Maddox perched on the windowsill. His cheek dimpled upon meeting my eyes. “You survived, see?”

I cleared my throat and brushed down my hair, feeling vulnerable knowing Maddox had seen me sleep. It was a very personal thing, and one I’d never shared with anyone outside my family. The sun had only just risen, but Maddox looked as if he had been awake for a while.

“Why are you up?”

Maddox shrugged. “You took up too much space in bed.”

I tilted my head in consideration. It almost appeared as if Maddox felt uncomfortable with me in a bed. At least, I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t at ease. I got up and stretched. Maddox followed the movement. Maybe he was scared of his own desire. I needed to use this. As I strode over to him, under his unwavering attention, my courage slipped away. Like he had said, he wasn’t like Giovanni. Maddox wouldn’t hold back from fear of my father. He’d probably send him a detailed recount if we ever had sex.

A hot wave passed through my body at the thought.

I wrapped my arms around my chest as I stopped beside him, and the cold morning air hit me. My nipples hardened and I was acutely aware that Maddox could see it through the thin fabric of the T-shirt.