Lessons in Sin

I didn’t have to make introductions. He’d told me he had his own investigator, whom he used to glean information about my family and everyone on my mother’s payroll.

Yeah. I brought my mother’s henchman into your church.

A flicker of hurt crossed his face, there and gone in a blink. But I felt it like a thousand knives in my chest.

This was the price for loving him, for proving I was strong enough to do what was needed to protect him. Our bond was alive and present, deeper and more tangible than ever. As the pain threatened to buckle my legs and pull me to the floor, therein existed the proof of my love.

“I called my family after you left this morning.” A vulnerable shiver ran up my spine. “I told them about us. I told them everything.”

His stare, hard and shatterproof, moved to Perry. Everything about Magnus was deadly still. Silent. Too fucking calm. Why wasn’t he speaking? What was he thinking? If he could sense my lie, he gave nothing away.

He wore jeans and a blue Henley. Casual. Breathtakingly gorgeous. Extraordinarily attentive.

Oh God, this was going to hurt.

“It’s time for me to leave. For good.” My eyes burned. Don’t cry. “There are some disturbing things going on with you that you need to work through, and I’ve been very clear from the beginning about what I wanted. I want to go home.”

“You went home.” His jaw turned to stone, his silken timbre mocking and mean. “You lasted what? Three days in your mansion before you came running back to me?”

“I came back because I knew you were here alone. It was the perfect opportunity to have sex and give my mother a reason to pull me out of this school. The problem is I enjoyed our time together in the mountains.” Truths mixed with lies, propelling me toward him, one foot before the other. “For a while there, I almost forgot I wanted to go home. Until you ended things with me last night.”

His razored eyes tracked me, stalked me, his features twisting in disbelief and anger.

He was mine, and I was giving him up.

It defied logic and reason and violated every instinct inside me. It fucking hurt. I couldn’t breathe beneath the weight of agonizing pain.

By some miracle, I kept the tears at bay and maintained my composure. “After I told my mother what we’ve been doing, she agreed to bring me home. Good news for me, but not for you. I’m sorry, Magnus, but she’s really unhappy about the situation. That’s why Ronan’s here.”

Magnus didn’t take his eyes off me. With a backdrop of burning candles, he stood with his feet braced apart, the rosary dangling from his fist, glaring at me like an angry god refusing to relinquish his virgin offering.

If he discovered the truth, if he knew the conditions I had to follow, the sacrifices I was forced to make, he would never let me leave.

“You’re lying.” He slipped the rosary into his pocket and turned as I brushed past, his feet following me, coming for me.

“Why would I lie? I called my family to come get me.” I swept out an arm, indicating Perry while pacing through the church. “I don’t want to be here. Especially knowing you intend to ignore me for the rest of the year. I have better things to do.”

He stayed on my heels, breathing down my neck as I fought for air.

“I don’t hate you, Magnus.” I love you. “I care enough that I don’t want Ronan to kill you.” I would die for you. “So I made a deal with my mother.” I gave up my dreams so you can live to realize yours. “I need you to cooperate.”

“No.” The fury in that one word burned with unholy fire. He grabbed my arm, spun me around, and shoved his face in mine. “Choose me.”

I am. This is me choosing you. I will always choose you.

When he met me, he thought I was nothing more than a shallow, spoiled, rich brat. I played on that now, hoping to convince him his first impression of me was correct.

“You can’t be serious.” I laughed against his mouth, taunting and cruel, as my insides shriveled and died. “You’re an old man, living a boring life in a lame little hovel. You drive a piece of shit, read the Bible for fun, and have one friend. One. You have nothing to offer me, and I have everything to lose if I choose you.”

“Tucker Kensington.” He released me, pivoted away, his breaths cleaving the air before wheeling back and jabbing a finger in my face. “You’ll lose him if you choose me. I’ll save you from that fate.”

He knew it wasn’t that simple. Goddammit, he knew I didn’t have a choice when it came to the Kensingtons.