Forgivable Sins (Bellandi Crime Syndicate 2)

Before Connor's assault, it had been nearly a year since we'd had sex.

I would go crazy with Lino's little touches seeming far more meaningful after the kiss the night before, that precipice of insanity loomed closer than ever. I didn't know what to expect, hadn't known if he'd try to get lucky. But he’d simply gone about his night as if nothing had changed once we'd untangled from each other, getting ready for bed and tugging me against his front to spoon while we slept. Admittedly, the time had probably passed where I needed to sleep in his bed. Not that I ever had, but I hadn't been willing to broach the subject with him before.

I slept better with him than I ever had without.

Now, the thought of going to a guest room seemed like a dangerous topic. So I decided I'd stick my head in the sand and see how it played out. If I got my sleep on, got some cuddles, that didn't mean it had to mean I accepted more. Right?

So when the front door vibrated with the force of someone banging on it when we watched a movie on the couch the next evening, I jolted from my spot on the sofa. The electricity that Lino had sparked in my blood made everything seem more intense, more real, and my reactions felt too extreme given the circumstances. Lino sighed, standing and seeming to steel himself for a fight. "Lino! Open the fucking door!"

I turned horrified eyes to Lino. "Is that my brother?!"

"Yes," he said, striding for the door. I rushed to my feet, chasing after him even though I knew it would not make him happy.

"What is he doing here?"

"I called him," Lino said, not the slightest bit of remorse in his voice or face.

"You what?" He ignored me in favor of continuing to the door, determined to let Yavin come in. "Lino! You can't let him in here."

"No more secrets, Samara. I couldn't keep this from him. You're his baby sister." I stopped in the doorway between the living room and the entryway, pressing my hands to my mouth in horror.

"That wasn't your choice to make," I whispered.

He paused, turning to level me with the intensity of his stare. "Did you miss what happened last night? You're mine, and I told you when it comes to your safety, I'm in charge now. Yavin knowing the truth means he'll be on board and do what I tell him to do to protect you." Without another word for me, he turned and opened the door. Yavin immediately shoved through the gap until he stood in the entryway and stared at me with fury etched onto his face. Lino closed the door behind him quietly, giving Yavin a

moment before he pushed him to interact.

"Is he dead?" Yavin asked finally. He didn't move, didn't even twitch in Lino's direction as he spoke to him. His blue-grey eyes that matched my own stared at my throat, and I instinctively reached up to shield it from the strength of that glare.

"Not yet," Lino answered quietly. "But he will be."

"Lino!" I hissed.

"Good. I want to do it," Yavin argued, turning as if he dared Lino to tell him otherwise.

"You can come, but he's mine." Yavin grunted something back, but I didn't bother to listen.

"What is my life right now?" I turned, striding into the kitchen to find Lino's stash of whiskey. The sound of their footsteps followed, and I had a moment of surprise that they'd even noticed I'd left.

"What are you doing?" Lino asked as I rummaged through the cupboards.

"I am not nearly drunk enough for this conversation," I admitted. Yavin's rough chuckle sounded behind me, as if he couldn't quite suppress it despite his shitty mood. "If you're going to discuss murder, I need to be trashed so I can pretend I was too drunk to remember what you said when the police question me."

"Samara," Yavin chuckled. Finally finding the whiskey, I tore off the cap and sucked back a swig straight from the bottle. Lino stepped up and snatched it from my hands when I went back for more, and I glared at him until Yavin stepped up and pulled me into his chest for a big brother bear hug. "Are you okay? I mean, obviously you're not but—"

"Vin, I'm fine," I groaned. "It sucked, but it's over. I just want to move on."

"Right," Yavin agreed, straightening and pulling back with his moment of sibling affection over. "Are you up to packing your things? You're going to come stay with me until this all dies down."

"Oh," I glanced at Lino, before darting my face down to the floor when he looked at me like he might lose his mind if I gave the wrong answer. "Uhh."

"She's fine with me," Lino grunted. Yavin turned to look at him in suspicion and my eyes darted between the two of them. I couldn't predict how Lino would handle the situation. Would he tell Yavin about our kiss? Would he act like it hadn't happened?

After feeling on edge about it all day long, the anxiety of him potentially telling Yavin about the kiss just felt like too much. "Yavin, I'm all settled in here. Why don't I just stay? Besides, we both know you don't want to play nursemaid and don't have a patient bone in your body. I'll demand you feed me. Lino feeds me, and I like food. No offense, but burnt toast just doesn't compare—"

"Samara, shut the fuck up," Yavin laughed, and I scrunched my nose. Lino's face was nothing but entertained and warm as he looked at me. He knew me so well, there was no doubt in my mind that he knew exactly how nervous I had to be to ramble like an idiot. "She's my sister. It's my job to take care of her, so she's coming home with me."

Lino's humor faded so quickly my breath caught, and he leveled my brother, his other best friend with a glare that would make most men tremble. "I promise you; she will not be walking out that door."