“Almost like a formal commitment,” I add.
He nods his head. “Exactly like a formal commitment. Once I fuck you, we might as well be married, because that’s it. You belong to me.”
I smile, snuggling against his chest. “You’re a sexy maniac. I like it. I don’t object to any of this, though. What’s the difference if it’s today or tomorrow? I can get the paperwork ready and sign the Laurel deed over to you right now. No rush charge or anything.”
Sin cracks a smile. “Tomorrow.”
There’s only one conclusion I can possibly draw from this, so I decide to ask. “You can’t seriously think I would sleep with Rafe tonight. I already told you I wouldn’t even kiss him.”
“You can fuck without kissing. And no, I don’t think you have any intention of sleeping with Rafe tonight, but just in case he picks up on your absence today and… I just want to wait until tomorrow.”
“What am I supposed to do if he does pick up on my absence today?”
“Say you went shopping.”
“And bought nothing?” I ask, skeptically. “You’re asking for another Winnefer situation.”
“You left the books you brought home after your date here. They’re in the closet. Grab a book out of there, say you were at the bookstore.”
As much as I hate to ask, I have to. “What’s going to happen, Sin?”
“Don’t worry about it,” he tells me, pulling me more snugly against him.
“I understand you can’t give me all the dirty details, I just want to know that everyone is going to be okay,” I tell him. “Can you at least give me that?”
“I can’t make any kind of guarantee, Laurel. I’m sorry, I know this involves you too, but I can’t talk to you about this. I can’t tell you things and then send you off to Rafe. If I want to make sure he stays in the dark, I have to keep you in the dark, too.”
A chill runs down my spine at that. “Does that mean you’re going to hurt Rafe?”
“Please stop asking me questions I can’t answer.”
My tummy roils in protest. Maybe I don’t have the stomach for this. Placing a hand over my abdomen, I picture Rafe—not the Rafe I live with right now, but Rafe when he tries. Rafe when he’s charming. Rafe when he’s nice and not plotting against me. However much of an asshole he has been, I don’t want anything to happen to him. Everyone is an asshole sometimes. I can forgive him for being a jerkface. None of us knew exactly what to do in this scenario.
Then again, he was vaguely threatening Sin the other night, and I am sort of stuck with him right now. We aren’t even dating, and we’re already in a loveless “marriage” of convenience.
I can feel Sin’s eyes on me as I go quiet, thinking about all this. It’s like he knows where my mind is and it irritates him.
“If it comes down to a choice between his side and mine, you’re on mine,” he says, though there’s a hint of question there, like he needs verification.
“I don’t want you guys to be on opposite sides,” I tell him. “I want his side and yours to be the same. I only want to be with you, but…” I trail off, shaking my head.
“I understand that. But in the event that isn’t possible. If only one of us is left standing at the end, I need to know you want it to be me. And if you don’t, you need to tell me that now.
Don’t worry about my feelings or a fight. If there is some sleeper cell within you that does want to be with Rafe, you need to tell me that right now. Tomorrow is too late.”
“I don’t,” I swear, shaking my head. “It’s not about being with him. It’s nothing romantic. It’s not like that. I just want a future where we all get along, and I don’t see why we can’t have that. Rafe isn’t in love with me. This isn’t going to break his heart. His major issue right now isn’t how much he cares about me, it’s that he’s the boss, and it would look bad to his men if he lost the chick he knocked up to his enforcer.” I roll my eyes. “It’s incredibly stupid, and how many of his men even know that? His cousin Gio, Lydia, you—it’s not like his whole crew even knows about me yet. It’s really none of their business.”
“He said that?” Sin questions. “He said his problem is what people will think if you’re with me?”
I nod my head. “Some shit about how bosses don’t divorce, how it looks bad if they can’t even keep their own families together, how are they supposed to run things? It’s dumb. It’s literally all about his ego and his position, it has nothing to do with affection for me. If he’d stop being stubborn, he could even spin this like it was his idea. He didn’t want to be shackled with a woman and a baby, so he was happy for you to take on the responsibility. I mean, I realize maybe your ego would get a ding that way, but it seems like a better solution than anyone having to die over this nonsense.”
Sin frowns like he’s pondering what I’ve just said, but before he can further comment, my phone vibrates on the bed beside me. I grab it and my stomach bottoms out when I see it’s a text message from Rafe.
“Where are you?” he asks.
“It’s him,” I tell Sin, holding the screen up. “What should I say?”
Sin eases out from under me, throwi