The Consequence (The Evolution of Sin 3)

“You aren’t allowed out in society without me, siren, d’accord? Or I’ll need to hire a full time body guard.”

My lips twitched because even though it was funny, he was being very serious. “Okay.”

“I’m not leaving you. I just need to talk to the police when they arrive and check on Elena. I want Brenna to sit with you but I’ll be right over there.” He pointed to just outside the supply room doors where Sebastian was keeping most of the guests away.

I nodded. “Can you bring Elena over here to sit with me while we wait?”

He stared hard at me for a moment, his thumb running back and forth over my cheek. “I owe her a debt I will never be able to pay for saving you from him.”

My throat closed up.

“So, yes, of course, but only after I thank her myself.”

He pressed a kiss to my forehead before straightening and walking off into the crowd. I leaned into Brenna, who wrapped an arm around my upper chest in silent support.

Together, we watched Sinclair crouch in front of Elena. I could tell from his profile that those glacial features were thawed with gratitude as he thanked her. She flinched against Cage’s hold but didn’t take her eyes off him. Pain and lingering anger contorted her features but when Sin reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear, leaning close to press his forehead to hers and cup the back of her head to him, she closed her eyes and sagged into him.

I felt no jealousy witnessing the intimate moment because I knew Sinclair was mine as much as my name was my name and my hair was red. After all this time and all these trials, his love for me was just that irrefutable. So, I felt only warmth watching Sinclair reach out to my wronged sister, only happy that he offered her thanks and comfort because she deserved it.

“And I thought my family was complicated,” Brenna murmured into my hair.

I laughed softly and leaned back into her. “The Lombardi clan has cornered the market on complicated, I think.”

“You’re pregnant?”

I froze against her as panic seized me. People knew, our Mexico crew, the Paulsons and the Percys, but not Mama and not the general populous. There was no way I was going to throw that grenade into the already volatile situation.

“I won’t tell anyone, Elle. You’re my person, my best friend. Besides, I’m well-versed in secret keeping,” she finished in a soft, sad voice.

“I’m pregnant,” I confirmed.

Her arm gave me a hard squeeze. “Good, I’ve always wanted to be an Auntie.”

Tears tickled the backs of my eyes. I let out a deep breath to curb the impulse to cry and watched Sinclair kiss Elena’s cheek before he moved to the newly arrived police officers crowding the doorframe.

“Are you okay?” Brenna asked.

I was.

In fact, in a bizarre way, I felt better than I ever had. The threat of Christopher, his stalking presence throughout the entirety of my life, had been brought to an end. I felt good that I had figured out a way to avoid his rape. Yes, I’d still been sexually assaulted but as long as I could wash my hands with industrial strength soup for the next hour and a half, I knew that I could recover from it because I had recovered from worse. Sinclair had taught me to move past the memories. He had moved me through each sexual act that had been taken from me by Christopher and reclaimed it as our own. I knew he would do the same thing now. And even though I had him to help with this, I also knew that he had given me the tools to do it on my own and that was somehow even more precious.

“Honestly, I am,” I said, and meant it.

Chapter Twenty Three.

“I’m fine,” I reassured Sinclair for the thirtieth time.

“I still think we should have gone to the hospital,” he repeated for the thirty-first time.

“The paramedics on site said that I would be fine, the baby is fine, and there is no lasting damage. I told you, Christopher didn’t beat me.”

We were in the back of Sinclair’s town car. I was wrapped in a blanket Eddie had unearthed from somewhere in the gallery and cuddled up against Sinclair’s side. My adrenaline had burned off so I was finding it hard to keep my eyes open but I didn’t want to fall asleep with my Frenchman still so riled beside me.

“I wish it had been me to beat the bastard,” Sinclair muttered.

I curled closer to him. “Elena needed that more than you did. I think it was closure for her.”

We had sat beside each other while the police took our statements, close but not touching. At one point, she leaned close enough to press her shoulder to me as we watched Christopher be taken away on a stretcher in handcuffs but she didn’t say a word to me until after the police had left and the guests had been ordered to leave for the night.