Dark Need (House of Sin 3)

“Can I … sit next to you?” she asks.

When I nod, she comes to the couch and sits down on the opposite end, and we just look at each other for some time while Soren stands guard near the door, eyeing Noah.

Natalie looks at him and whispers, “Is that your man?”

I snort. “I know. I can hardly believe it myself.”

“Who is he?”

“One of the three who ran the House. The place those bastards from the cult sent me to,” I reply.

Her eyes widen. “He’s one of them? Wow. And I thought you hated them.”

“I did. For a long time. Mostly because they kept me as a prisoner. And he wanted to take me back to the cult.”

She covers her mouth with her hand. “Why didn’t I know …?”

“Oh, there was a fallout between the three of them. I don’t know what happened, but they wanted to get rid of all the captives. And I was the only one who was going to put up a fight, so I got a personal escort.” I wipe more tears off my face.

“And then you just … fell in love?” She raises her brow as if it’s so strange, but she fell for a bad guy too, so she should understand. “How?” she asks, her voice still soft like she’s afraid Noah will hear.

I shrug. “It just happened. You should understand.”

“Right.” A blush spreads on her cheeks. “Love has … strange ways of bringing people together.”

“Do you love him?” I ask.

She looks at me with bewilderment. “Do I … love him?”

“Yeah.”

It’s a simple question, but the consequences are not.

“I … well, yes. I do,” she mumbles. “But I just feel very guilty over everything that happened. Everything that it cost.” She closes the gap between us and gently places her hand on mine. “I just wish I could’ve helped you. And I’m sorry I was so useless in that department.”

I swallow and take in her words.

“Can you please forgive me?” she asks. “I just … want you to be okay. I want us to be okay.”

I sigh out loud and close my eyes for a second, only to be met by two very upset eyes that make me regret I was ever mad at her.

“I am okay. Now. Thanks to Soren and myself,” I reply, pausing for a second. “But … I do forgive you. You were as much a victim as I was.”

She immediately jumps in for a hug, wrapping her arms around my neck so tight I can barely breathe, and it sets off Soren, who tries to come to my aid.

“I’m fine,” I have to mouth at him to keep him at bay.

“Oh, sorry,” Natalie murmurs, pulling away. “Didn’t mean to squish you there.”

“It’s fine,” I say, laughing it off.

“But I am happy I finally found you,” she says. “And I don’t regret that I came looking for you. Even if you’ll hate me for it. Even if you still hate him.”

She gawks at the door, so I turn and look outside to see Noah tiptoeing around on the grass, whistling a stupid tune.

“Should I invite him inside?” I ask.

“Only if you’re comfortable,” she replies.

“But he is your … husband.” I narrow my eyes at her.

She blushes in response. “Yes. And we have a kid together.”

My jaw drops. “A kid? Wow.”

That makes her blush even more. “She’s still there, being taken care of by some of our friends.”

“There, as in, the cult?” I tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear because it almost feels like I didn’t hear that right.

“It’s not the cult that you remember. We changed it for the better. No more forced marriages. No more men in power. The women decide what happens now,” she says.

“Hmm … and he agreed to it?” I throw Noah another glance.

She leans in and whispers, “Don’t tell him I told you this, but it was his idea.”

“But why?” I ask, flabbergasted.

She smiles. “Because he loved me. And because he wanted the women to have a better life.”

Wow. I did not expect that. Especially not from a man in power, such as him.

As one of the heirs, he had all the reins to a cult that could’ve been his for the taking. Instead, he gave it all up … for her.

I sigh. “Well … maybe he can come inside then.” I look at Soren. “If he apologizes again.”

Soren nods and barks at Noah, who steps into the door with a strange smile on his face. “Yes?”

“Apologize,” Soren snarls, clutching the hem of Noah’s shirt.

“I’m sorry for all the pain we put you through,” Noah says, glancing at both Soren and me. “All the men are dead. No one can hurt you anymore.”

“Good,” Soren responds, and he releases Noah again, making me giggle.

“Did he just … lift him?” Natalie murmurs, completely in shock, which only makes me giggle harder.