Page 44 of Unforgivable Sins
The man laughs. He throws his head back, one hand coming to cradle his chest, as he laughs with unrestrained emotion. But when he finally stops and meets my eyes again, that emotion he so easily portrayed, doesn’t reflect in his eyes. The contradiction is unsettling.
“Please excuse my nephew for his boorish introduction. The Crocodile is a nickname, nothing more. My name is Samuel,” he says with a polite bow, “and it is an absolute pleasure to meet the woman that has my nephew so indecently distracted.”
I feel my cheeks heat at the mention of our very public display of…affection…just moments ago.
Sinn comes to my rescue, getting straight down to business. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit, Uncle?”
“I’ve been summoned.”
Sinn’s body tenses further beside me and I’m afraid if he gets any more rigid he’s likely to turn into stone where he stands. I glace quickly between the two men, trying desperately to read the situation. Samuel is smirking, relaxed and at ease, while Sinn’s jaw is ticking, his hands are griping me tighter than is comfortable, and his beautiful full lips are pursed together in a tight, straight line. If I could get a good look into his eyes, I’m sure I’d see his familiar anger shining through.
“By whom?” Sinn’s voice is a hard, low whisper.
Samuel’s eyebrows shoot up, showing his surprise. He may have mastered his facial expressions and how to emote using his body language but it’s not genuine. His eyes remain cold and dead.
His head cocks slightly, eyes narrowing on Sinn. “You don’t know,” he states with a hint of mockery in his tone. “Well, isn’t this whole situation riveting! Come, let’s have a seat and chat. After you,” he steps aside and sweeps his arm forward.
Sinn’s releases me, his eyes never leaving his uncle’s face as he takes a few steps in the direction of his booth.
“Don’t be rude, Nephew. Wendee is more than welcome to join us. In fact, I insist. Allow me.” He steps closer to me, now that Sinn has vacated his spot next to me.
I look from his offered arm up to Sinn, searching for a clue as to what to do and how to act. Unlike Henry, this new family member scares the shit out of me, and I don’t want to be anywhere near him. I have the feeling Sinn would agree. This entire encounter has me on edge and I want nothing more than to shrink away and disappear, letting them handle whatever it is that needs handling.
Sinn does NOT look pleased. He looks even more pissed off than the first night he came to my rescue, and I’m terrified of what’s going to happen next. I stay rooted to my spot until I see the slightest nod from Sinn. I hesitantly take Samuel’s offered arm and am immediately rewarded with a dazzling, practiced smile. I smile weakly up at him, my heart is hammering so hard in my chest that it’s competing with the bass of the music the DJ is playing, and I’m sure
everyone around me can hear it. I let Samuel escort me across the dance floor and up the ramp to the booth.
Sinn slides in on one side leaving me enough room to sit next to him on the end and he reaches his hand out to me. I quickly reach for him, unhooking myself from Samuel’s side, relieved when he allows me to walk away. Sinn pulls me into the booth, his arm going around my shoulder as he pulls me into his side protectively. Samuel then slides into the booth on the other side of the table across from us.
“So, Wendee.” He leans on the table, clasping his hands together and leaning toward me as if extremely interested in getting to know me. It’s innocent enough but I can’t help the nervousness racing through my body. “Tell me, how long have you known Peter?”
Peter?It takes me a second to remember that SinnisPeter. “Oh, ummmm, I dunno. Like a week or so.”
“Ten days.” Sinn’s deep voice startles me. Everything is startling me. “She’s been coming here for ten days.”
“I didn’t know you were keeping track,” I tease. The fact that he knows exactly how many days I’ve been in his bar is actually kind of thrilling. Or at least it would be under different circumstances.
“Ten days,” Samuel whistles. “You two seem to be pretty close for only knowing each other for ten days.”
I feel my cheeks heat again as the blood rushes to my face. Sinn remains quiet. I do the same. Besides, it’s not like he asked a question.
“Has Peter told you about this place?” He gestures to the room around us. I assume he means the bar.
“Ummmm, no, not really. All I know is that he owns this bar.”
“I see. So, you have no idea who Peter really is or where you really are.” Again, he states these facts. There’s no question in his tone.
The image of Sinn burning Billy Bob’s face and ordering him to be taken to a dock runs through my mind. Then there was the guy in the hallway and the blood that stained Sinn’s hand proving that what I witness was real and not dreamed or imagined.
I swallow down my rising fear. “Oh shit. Don’t tell me you guys are like a mafia family or something?”
There’s an intense beat of silence as I look between Sinn and his uncle, holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I knew Sinn was some kind of dangerous…bossof some kind. I knew he wasn’t normal, and I chose to get close to him anyway. His red flags were flying high in the sky, but my eye sight remained locked on the ground and the man that saved me. Not once but twice.
The silence is shattered by Samuel’s loud and amused laugh, which causes me to jump in my seat.Fuck! Calm the fuck down, Dee!Sinn won’t let anything happen to you.
When he finally stops laughing, Samuel addresses me again. “No, no, we’re not a mafia family, don’t worry.”
I let out a relived sigh, “Well, that’s good.”