Page 80 of Perfect Sin
“You think—” I swallow bile, “that he is—” I can’t finish saying it aloud, it’s too revolting.
I can tell Lucien is struggling too. He rarely shows emotion, at least around me, and even then usually he only lets me see when he’s angry. He almost appears close to tears. “Yeah, little bird, I think he is attracted to you in a way a father shouldn’t feel toward his daughter.”
A tear rolls down Natalie’s face. “I’ve always feared that for you. Damien has always been obsessed with me. Much to my detriment, I represent some kind of feminine ideal for him. I worried you’d continue to favor me like you did as a baby. The only good thing I was able to do for you was send you away. He let me keep you for the first couple of years, but I saw the way he looked at you. If I couldn’t escape I was going to do my best to make sure you did.”
My forehead wrinkles, and I can feel a headache forming in my temples. “I thought I was shipped off to live with nannies from the moment I was born.”
She shakes her head. “I kept you until you were almost three. He took Lucien from me almost as soon as he was born. He said his son was for him, but you were supposed to keep me company, be a reward of sorts. But I worried as I grew older you would be more appealing to him than I would be. Not because I resented you. God knows I didn’t want his attention, but I feared you would get it.”
My throat feels thick. Less than an hour ago I didn’t even know she existed, and now I’m finding out she gave of herself so freely in an attempt to save me. I feel guilty that she went through all of that and I’d forgotten her. “Thank you,” I manage to choke out.
Sin looks at her, turning his head and studying her more intensely. “Did you give me an apple when I was a kid.”
Natalie bites her lip and nods. “I was there when he brought you to the house. You cried for your mom, and he’d backhanded you. He told you they gave you to him for money, then locked you in the basement. When he was distracted I snuck down with what little food I could find and brought it to you. I told you—”
“To never let them see me suffer, they enjoy it too much. To do whatever it takes to survive, because one day I’d save the princess and make everything better,” Sin says, almost as if he’s in a trance.
He shakes his head, clearing the glazed look from his eyes. “Why can I remember that, but I can’t remember a single thing about my family before he took me.”
She shrugs. “I’d like to think you remembered that because it was what I wished for every day I’ve been away from my children.” She takes his hand with her free one and squeezes. “I owe you everything, dear boy. Not only did you save the princess, but you protected my son, too. I’ll do whatever is necessary to help you bring Damien down for good.”
Sin and Lucien do their silent communicating thing again. I’d find it annoying since I’m always let out of it, but I like knowing they are connected like brothers.
Lucien clears his throat. “We’re in. What’s the plan?”
David, more comfortable with this line of conversation, leans back in his seat and stretches his arms across the back of the chair. “You join me in the meeting. Jones is expecting to supply Damien with several of the women he’s selling. We’ll tell him since Damien is running for office you are taking over the more salacious parts of the family business, and that in order to hide certain activities from the press I’m offering my services to mask any future transactions, for a cut of course.”
“And what is my function?” Sin asks, his tone oozing with suspicion.
“We can either convince him you are going into the family business also, since you are married to Raven, or you can be present as muscle.”
Some of the tension seeps from Sin’s posture. “At least it sounds like there’s no need for Raven to be present at this meeting.”
Natalie winces, and I have a sinking feeling there’s more to this situation. “You don’t know your father, and for that I’m grateful. But it also means you’re unprepared. I’ve heard things for the last few months about how you were going to be trained to be a proper wife and you’d do as your husband demanded. He meant for you to be trained as a submissive.”
David pats her knee. “What Natalie is trying to say is that Damien has been telling his circle of associates that you’d be made available once your husband was tired of you. Jones made it clear he expects you to be present at the meeting to cash in on the promises Damien has made.”
Once again my stomach lurches, and I’m not sure I’m going to be able to hold back my rising nausea.
“Fuck that!” Sin explodes. “I’m not bringing my wife to this meeting, and I’m sure as fuck not sharing her with anyone to get dirt on Damien.”
“Of course not, but I think it is important to show possession to them so the notion Raven will eventually be available to his business associates is put to rest,” David stresses.
“No,” Sin says in a tone that doesn’t invite argument. “She’s not my possession, she’s my wife. I won’t treat her the way I’ve been treated, as a thing.”
Lucien looks at me, and for the first time we have our own silent conversation. “Raven and I go as the muscle. Sin has always been the brains of our duo anyway. We will present him as such, and Raven and I will provide the back-up.”
David looks at me skeptically. “She barely weighs a hundred pounds. No one will take her seriously as security.”
“Trust me, strapped with knives, she’s as lethal as they come. Instead of presenting her as a Blackthorne pet, we’ll show her to be a real Blackthorne,” Lucien proposes.
“I don’t like it,” Sin grumbles. “I don’t want her anywhere near them.”
“I’m afraid if she doesn’t come they are going to search her out. In fact, even if we don’t go through with having this meeting, I think the real reason they are here is because she is,” David says apologetically.
Natalie wrings her hands. “He’s right. I believe the real reason they are here is for Raven.”
“They aren’t really here to make a deal, are they?” Sin asks.