Page 29 of Sinner's Sacrifice

“Yes, we need to go back to the hotel.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Damn it, I’m sorry.”

They continued toward the limo.

“How fast can your people clean up?” she asked.

“An hour.”

She nodded and headed for the rear doors.

A different driver, Luke, another distant cousin, opened the door for Sam and himself.

A moment later, Luke was pulling the car away from the curb.

Sam huddled in her seat, her arms wrapped around herself. She was shaking, her gaze glued to a spot on the floor of the vehicle.

What could he say that would make her feel better? Should he offer a hug? A shopping spree at her favorite clothing store?

“Go ahead and say it,” she said, sounding subdued.

“Say what?”

“I told you so.”

He could say that, if he were a dick, which he was, but he didn’t want her to think of him that way.

When had he come to desire a positive opinion of himself from her?

“You wanted to help those women,” he said instead. “We are helping one of them and the other is no worse off than she was before we arrived.”

She looked at him with a furrow between her eyes.

“Which means,” he continued. “We’ve done nothing to regret.”

Her eyebrows rose almost into her hairline. “Just when I think I understand you, you do or say something completely nonsensical.”

He grinned suddenly. “I’m complicated.” He laughed. “I’ve always wanted to say that to someone.”

Sam rolled her eyes. “How are we going to get from the car to somewhere we can clean up, looking like this?” she asked, raising her arms to emphasize the blood splattered all over them.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it covered.”

“You do?”

“Yes.” He glanced out the window. “In fact, we’re almost there.”

Sam looked out her window as the limo entered the parking garage for the hotel. They went down level after level until they reached a set of closed steel doors. As the vehicle pulled up in front of it, the doors rolled open.

Inside were a half-dozen bays. Two had vehicles in them and were being washed by an attendant.

“You have your own car wash down here?” she asked.

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I’ve got a big enough fleet of vehicles to justify it. It’s also cheaper than using someone else’s.”

“Huh, I suppose that makes sense.” She gave Yvgeny an uncertain look. “What about the blood in here and on us?”

He cleared his throat. “There are a couple of employees only showers down here as well.”