Page 84 of Taken By Sin
I step back towards the car, placing my hand on the handle, inviting him. “I will not watch you kill yourself,” I refuse, and all I see is red. The red of the blood that came from him. “We will not end up like Romeo and Juliet.”
“I cannot go.” The way he’s looking at me, with his voice cracking, it tears me apart inside as I climb into the backseat.
“And I cannot stay.”
As we pull away, I glance in the rearview mirror. Sin is still standing there in the driveway, watching me go. I see his figure grow smaller in the distance, and the aching of my heart kills me.
I know I’m asking for a lot, but his life is worth more than all of this. Me, him, and Bria could escape, run away, and live happily ever after somewhere safer.
I try to put myself in his shoes, realizing that I’m just me. He has so much riding on him. A father, sister, cousins. It’s easy for me to judge because when I leave, like I am now, there is no one waiting for me.
I told myself I couldn’t do it—couldn’t live in his world of darkness and danger. It’s too risky, too uncertain, too unlike anything I ever imagined for myself. But as I sit in this car leaving it all behind, something gnaws at me, pulling at the edges of my resolve.
I close my eyes and try to steady my breath, but the harder I try to shut it all out, the louder my thoughts become.
This isn’t just about danger. It’s about fear. Not of Sin’s world, but of how much I need him.
I see his face in my mind—the way his eyes softened when they looked at me tonight, the way his lips quirked into a rare, genuine smile when he thought no one was watching. I hear his voice, low and steady, calling me “Bella” with a warmth no one else has ever given me.
Sin is a force, a man carved from iron and shadows, but with me, he’s something else. He’s vulnerable, raw, and real.
And I’m walking away from that.
I clutch my jacket, the realization hitting me like a wave crashing over the shore. I’m not leaving to protect myself. I’m leaving because I’m afraid. Afraid that if I stay, I’ll never be able to live without him.
And isn’t that what love is supposed to be?
The truth is, I’ve already made my choice. I made it the moment I stepped into Sin’s world and let him see all of me—the orphan girl with nothing but her dreams and scars. I chose him when I let him pull me into the darkness, trusting that his hand in mine would be enough to light the way.
I don’t want to run. I want to fight. For him. For us.
I don’t care about the risks. I don’t care about the danger. All I care about is him.
Sin Donati is my home, my anchor in this storm of a world, and I’ll be damned if I let fear take me away from him.
“Turn around,” I cry to Maxwell, realizing that I need Sin as much as he needs me. It’s time to stop this madness; it’s time to communicate.
Max peers up at me from the rearview mirror. “You sure, Magnolia?”
I nod. “Yes, I’m done running.”
Maxwell looks forward, his eyes narrowing into slits.
The locks engage.
And he doesn’t turn around.
My heart skips a beat, and I freeze, staring at the door. I reach for the handle instinctively, but it won’t budge. Mybreath catches in my throat, a sinking feeling grows in my stomach.
“Max?” I say, my voice trembling. “What are you doing?”
He doesn’t respond. The car continues its smooth, steady pace, turning down streets I don’t recognize. Panic bubbles in my chest, and I tug again at the locked door, the grip of the outside world slipping farther away with every passing moment.
“Max!” I shout, but my voice cracks, filled with fear. “Where are you taking me?”
He turns his head briefly, his eyes betraying nothing, his face a mask of calm. “You’re not going back, Miss Finley. I have orders.”
Orders? My mind races, confusion mixing with panic. Orders from who? My heart hammers in my chest as the realization begins to creep over me. Max wasn’t so eager to help me escape because he cares for me. This was about keeping me away from Sin.