Page 53 of Sins

A week wentby in a blur. Grim insisted I take time off, but I couldn’t imagine being left alone with my thoughts. I spent a great deal of it in a fog. Part of it was exhaustion from being pregnant, but most of it was the idea that a part of me was now gone. The worst part was not being able to tell Calli that even though we were mostly at odds, I still loved her.

My father had disappeared, and that left my mother and me to deal with everything. When I broke all my rules and asked Simon if my father was all right, he explained Dad needed time and he found it difficult to look at me because I reminded him of her. That was a slap in the face and instantly put my head back on straight. At least Simon offered to help wherever he could, and we were thankful for that.

The funeral came and went, and the whole time I found myself wondering why they had targeted Calli. I was the one they’d been after. What had my sister done? She was just a daddy’s girl. Who could she have made angry enough to kill her?

The door of the private chapel where I sat at the end of a pew opened, and without thought, I dropped low and slid into the shadow behind a pillar. It was part reaction and part just because I didn’t want company.

“What do you mean he’s dead?” my father hissed, and I froze. I strained to listen then risked a peek around the pillar to see if he was with someone. “You told me Ines agreed to testify even after his stupid conscience got to him.”Holy shit, Morey Ines. That nervous, wrinkly-suit lawyer was dead? “Explain to me why every time we pay a witness to go up against the Devil's Reach, they end up with a bullet in their head.” He scoffed. “I don’t care it was suicide! He was a damn poor choice, and now look where it’s gotten us. We’ve got nothing, and the police are close to solving the fucking Riverside case.”

What? I shuddered as I remembered the image Brick had shown me of those poor veterans who had been murdered, their necks sliced ear to ear. It was the reason I’d gone after Matt Myers, to stop him from falsely testifying against Devil’s Reach. My head spun as I pieced everything together. I had no idea they’d paid Morey to testify instead. I remembered how strangely he’d acted in my office that day with all his questions, but I would never have connected it to that.

Holy shit, my father really was the Devil in disguise.

I considered stepping out to show myself. The only thing that stopped me was I wanted to hear more of his conversation.

He plunked down on a pew, and I heard it groan under his weight. “Tell Griple I’m working on it. I’ll make it happen, damn it! I said I would, and I will.” I knew that tone, and I could tell his temper was flaring again. You never knew when Cameron would blow. He was his own worst enemy. “We need him out. I know that. I’ll find another witness!” I heard him hang up and jumped when he cursed God’s name. The candles flickered across the aisle, and I waited and hoped he’d be struck by lightning or something.

Of course, my father was up to more shady shit, only this time I was going to confront him on it. I stepped around the corner as he turned toward a sound, and I saw his face drop. I jerked back before he spotted me. I wanted to see who it was. I ducked and moved across to another pillar so I could see better.

“Sit,” a familiar voice ordered. To my surprise, Jim and Laurel walked up the aisle hand in hand then sat on either side of him.

Holy shit, was I about to witness a hit?

My entire body broke out in a sweat as an uncomfortable heat flowed through me. I tightened my hold on the pillar as my palms grew damp.

They both whispered something, I wondered if it was a prayer as they looked up at the cross. Laurel looked in control and powerful again, and Jim looked strong and carried a level of darkness I’d always known was there. Yes, the Gates family was back in check, and I found my mouth stretching into a smile.Good.

Jim leaned back and laced his fingers together behind his head. “Cameron, do you remember when I first got sick?” My father nodded slightly. “We’d met only a few times before thathappened. You were my lawyer, and you got me out of a very sticky situation I was in.” Jim nodded as if to agree with himself and dropped his hands to his knees. “Then you brought me that excellent doctor, and if it wasn’t for him, I’m not sure I’d be here today. He helped nurse me back to life again.”

“I never believed in miracles until the day he cleared you of cancer.” Laurel smiled warmly at Jim, who gave her an affectionate smile back.

“I felt I was forever in your debt. After all, you saved my life. I opened the door and let you in, I shared my wealth, connections, and family with you. I should have known by the way you behaved with your own family that something was off with you, but I was blinded with gratitude.” A shadow darkened Jim’s face as he flexed his jaw. “Lesson learned.”

“Yes, we certainly learned our lesson.” Laurel nodded in agreement.

“The worst thing a parent can do is outlive their children. That kind of pain wasn’t meant for our hearts to take.” Jim’s voice was deeply sad, and Dad’s head bobbed, but I didn’t see the pain for Calli in the grooves of his face. Not the way it showed on the faces of Jim and Laurel.

“I know,” Jim continued in a low but strong tone that seemed to echo through my body. “Weknow,” he nodded at his wife, “and nowyouknow.” My father sat like stone. You would think he was already dead the way he paled, but his throat contracted as he swallowed hard.

Dad’s gaze was locked on the floor. “It wasn’t supposed to be Leo.” His voice was emotionless, and I saw Laurel close her eyes for a moment, and Jim ran his tongue over his teeth. I covered my mouth in fear I’d cry for Leo all over again. I’d believed it was true that my father had done it, but hearing him say those words out loud sent a spear deep into my heart. I wanted to cryfor Grim, too, because he’d never get over what had happened to his brother.

“Well, Cameron, now that you know what it’s like to lose a child,” Laurel glared at him with such hatred I blinked, “we wanted to let you marinate in that pain for a bit. We want you to feel the ache we felt, to think about the life that was stolen from them, and for what?” She looked over at Jim, and for a hair of a second, I wondered if they’d ordered the hit on my sister. They couldn’t have.Right?They were dangerous people, but they weren’t cold-hearted monsters like my father was.

“Yes, you must have wondered why we didn’t end your pathetic life after you had our son murdered.” My father visibly shook as Jim stood and buttoned his jacket.

Laurel squared her shoulders and made the sign of the cross. She stood and turned to look down on my father. “Never underestimate a mother who has lost a child.” Her ominous words hung in the air. I held my breath and wondered what was about to happen. Jim offered his hand to Laurel, and they both walked toward the door of the church and left without even so much as a backward glance.

I took a breath and pursed my lips as I blew it out. I waited for the door to close then looked over at the man whose very DNA would forever be linked with mine. I was so terribly ashamed of that. I was his family. He was my father, and that was going to be hard to live with.

I emerged from the shadows, and the movement made him jump. He put a hand to his chest. “What the fuck, Kenna?” His fear of what was promised was written all over his face. His days were numbered, and he knew it. I could totally understand the sick thrill the Gateses got from watching him cower at every bump, but I also knew the real reason my father still had a heartbeat was because there were still some unanswered questions.

“I take it you caught the show?” he grunted and tugged at his tie.

I stepped closer until I stared down at him. It was the first time I’d seen him as small, not in size, but in character.

“I’m a dead man.” He wiped his sweaty face with a handkerchief. “I want you to offer Trigger money, see if he can do something about this situation.”

The nerve.