Page 93 of Sinner's Storm
What the hell did that say about me?
“What’s the smile for?”
“I don’t have to think. I already know what I’m going to do. It was decided the first time we ever met and created Harlow. Since that night, it’s like I’ve been living in a fog. I’ve been surviving but not living, you know? Then, he shows up and everything comes alive. While his world makes me very nervous and I still don’t want to know anything, having Jason in my life makes everything better. Harlow adores him and I’m finding myself drawn to a man I barely know. I may not know what the future holds, but I know Jason would never steer us in the wrong direction.”
“Sounds to me as if you love him. Maybe even a little more than you realize.”
“Can two people who have absolutely nothing in common but a child, love and respect each other?”
“I’ve seen stranger things, Delany. All I can tell you is that Storm is smitten and not just with his daughter. It’s like he just knows when you’re overwhelmed. I’ve seen you two look at each other when something needs to be done. Neither of you speak. You just look at each other and just know what needs to be done. It was like that in the hospital and again in my kitchen downstairs. You two may have nothing in common, but you work.”
“Yin and yang.”
“What?”
“Yin and yang. The Chinese symbol that originated in Chinese Philosophy, describing opposite but interconnected forces. It represents the good and evil in the world. The light and the darkness. You can’t have one without the other.”
“You and Jason,” Tess whispered understandingly.
I nodded. “Yes.”
After tucking Harlow in and reading her a few books, I walked into the room Tessa showed me earlier and headed straight for the shower. I was bone tired, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Jason still hadn’t returned, and I didn’t know when or if he would tonight.
Emerging from the bathroom, I halted in my tracks upon seeing him by the window, his muscular frame highlighted by the gentle rays of moonlight. I couldn’t help but notice his bare back, which displayed an expansive tattoo that spanned from shoulder to shoulder, each line and curve carefully etched.
I’d never seen anything like it before.
A Soulless Sinner.
A shrouded skeleton, holding a cross in its hands. The head bowed like it was praying, as it stood over mounds of skulls. Ghostly souls floated around the Sinner. It was a remarkable piece, with intricate details that captivated the eye. It was a masterpiece, beautifully executed. Whoever created the tattoo on his back was undoubtedly skilled and gifted.
Hugging the towel tighter to me, I walked over to him.
“Jason.”
Watching him stand there without uttering a word, I couldn’t help but feel a growing concern. This was a side of him I had never witnessed before.
Unsure of his desires, I wondered if he sought solitude, conversation, or the stillness of silence.
When I told Tessa we barely knew each other, I wasn’t being dishonest. Our interactions were limited to occasional small talk. We were veritable strangers together in this messed-up world.
Connected, yet not.
“I apologize for dragging you into this chaotic situation,” he whispered, so softly that his words barely reached my ears. “If we had never met, no one would ever know about you. You could have lived your life free and uninterrupted, and no one would be the wiser. Now, because of me, yours and Harlow’s lives will always be in danger. For that alone, I am truly sorry.”
“We are safe, Jason. You said nothing can hurt us here.”
He stood there, slowly shaking his head. “It’s more than that, Delany, and I think deep down you know it. I won’t tell you why, because you asked me not to, but your life is about to become very different.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, as soon as the club can get everything set up, you and Harlow will move into Bane’s house. He is selling it to me. You’ll be safe there. We will make sure of it. But no matter where you go, you will have someone watching you.”
“I understand.”
Jason faced me, his brows furrowed in a deep frown.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I don’t think you grasp the situation,” he said gently. “We can give you the illusion of freedom, but you will never be free.”