Sin Series Stand-alone Novels: Endurance, Unintended & Redemption

by Cates, Georgia

  He turns on the lamp, pushes me to my back and gets on top of me, his eyes staring directly at mine. “I want to hear you say it.”

  I close my eyes, press my lips together, and shake my head. Defying him. “I won’t give you that satisfaction until you’re able to say the words in return.”

  He lowers his forehead to mine. “Please, Westlyn. I can’t recall in twenty-eight years ever hearing those words said to me. You’d be the first to say them.”

  We are so much alike, he and I. Both of us yearning to be loved.

  It’s a pain I know all too well. Kieran doesn’t know that I’ve never been told those words either, or how desperately I too want to hear them. I understand his deep pain, and that is why I can’t withhold those words from him although I already know I won’t hear them in return.

  I open my eyes and look at those dark orbs staring at me. They’re black like his heart and soul, but I want to be his light so that he doesn’t have to remain alone in the dark. “I love you.”

  He closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them. “Say it again. Please. With my name.”

  “I love you, Kieran.”

  “Those words… they do something to me, Westlyn. I can’t begin to explain it.” He closes his eyes and softly presses a kiss to my mouth. “Things are changing between us. Growing… blooming. We’re becoming so much more than two people who are marrying to bring peace to our brotherhoods.”

  It’s not an I love you, but I’ll take it.

  For now.

  He deepens our kiss and gently rocks against me. “I want to make love to you. No fucking. No trying to make a baby. Just you and me connecting. Getting closer.”

  Well, withholding sex from him tonight is out of the question now. Who could say no to that? Not this girl.

  I wrap my arms around his shoulders and nod. “Make love to me.”

  * * *

  I stand on the platform in the bridal shop for my final fitting before I marry Kieran in three days. I can’t believe it’s been almost a full month since a hood was placed over my head, and I was tossed into the back of a limo to kneel before him. My master. That’s what he called himself. And to some degree he is, because he certainly does own me.

  Mo chroí. That’s what he is. My heart.

  “Looks like a perfect fit,” Isobel says. I asked her to come with me today because I’m angry with my mother and humiliated by her behavior. I’ve personally witnessed her being inappropriate toward Lennox, and I strongly suspect she may have made a pass at him in private. I don’t think he would take her up on her offer. Kieran assures me that people from The Syndicate are faithful to their mates. No exceptions.

  He is a handsome man, but he’s married to Arabella. She has no right to proposition him. There are plenty of men within The Fellowship who don’t have wives. But that’s not what my mother would want. She’s hungry for power and position, and Lennox has plenty of that.

  This is the first time I’ve been alone with Isobel since Kieran and I discussed her having a past relationship with his father. I wonder if I’d offend her by asking about it. “Kieran says that you and Lennox know each other.”

  “We did a long time ago.”

  Arabella didn’t act strangely toward Isobel, but it’s possible she doesn’t know about their prior relationship. “Is Lennox the man you were in love with before you married Thane?”

  “Ye know about that, huh?” Isobel grins. “Lennox’s older brother, William, and I were in love.” William will be the leader of The Syndicate after Douglas Hendry dies. “My father thought a match with Thane was more beneficial. I was heartbroken. I spent a lot of years blaming Thane, and eventually he came tae hate me as much as I hated him. Oor relationship, however, has improved over the last year. We tolerate one another, and sometimes we’re even cordial.”

  I’ve seen a change in their relationship. They do seem to tolerate one another more. I think sharing grandchildren has helped to soften them toward each other.

  “William will be at my wedding.” With his wife.

  “Yes, he will.”

  “Have you seen him since you were married off to Thane?”

  “No.”

  “Do you still love him?”

  “I will always love William, but that doesnae matter. I’m married. He’s married… and people from The Syndicate don’t stray. Not even those in leadership roles.” Isobel forces a smile and holds out my veil. “I want tae see ye in this too.”

  The bridal shop attendant sees us struggling with the placement. “Let me help you with that.” Feels like she places at least a dozen pins in my hair. Totally unnecessary; I’m only trying it on.

  “You look beautiful. You’re going to take Kieran’s breath away.”

  I hope he doesn’t think it’s too sexy.

  “Delivery for Miss Breckenridge,” a man says as he walks toward me carrying a large bouquet of flowers. It’s odd that I would have a delivery to the bridal shop. Must be from Kieran since he’s the only one who knows I’m here right now.

  Isobel cuts off the man. “I’ll take those. Dinnae want her to soil her wedding dress. She’s getting married in three days.”

  “No, she isn’t.” The man shoves the flowers at Isobel, knocking her to the floor, and the seamstress screams and backs away from me. He rushes at me with a raised knife, and I lift my arms to shield myself. I instantly feel the sharp burn of his knife slicing through my flesh. Feels like a nightmare happening in slow motion.

  White. Red. Black.

  It happens in that order.

  The white wedding dress saturated with red blood and black taking over my vision.

  Chapter 19

  Kieran Hendry

  I’m looking at The Order’s ledgers, and the shite doesn’t add up. I strongly suspect that someone is skimming off the top. Wouldn’t be the first time that has ever been done. Also wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been asked to step in and rid the brotherhood of a thief.

  Why can’t these fucking people just do what they’re supposed to do with honor? It would make my job so much easier.

  My father appears in the doorway of my office. “Son, you need to get your M24.”

  I don’t question. I just react by going to the gun cabinet and removing the case that houses my favorite sniper. “Only the M24?”

  “Take the Magnums too. I’m not sure what we’re dealing with yet.”

  He comes to my gun cabinet, and I pass the Magnum cases to him. “What do you think has happened?”

  “We’ll talk about it after we get going.”

  My father doesn’t give me time to ask any questions once we’re in the car. “Load now. We’ll talk after you finish.”

  Shite. That’s weird. He always briefs me while I prepare.

  “Yes, sir.” I finish with the last Magnum and place it on the seat. “What’s going on?”

  My father hesitates, and that’s when I know something bad has happened. Something personal. Something that involves me. “A man came into the bridal shop and attacked Westlyn.”

  I’m not a man who is easily frightened, but I’m fucking terrified right now. “Is she…” Alive? I can’t bring myself to say that word.

  “She made it through.”

  I bring the coiled side of my fist to my mouth. I cough, trying to clear the lump I feel there, but it doesn’t move. My voice breaks when I ask, “What did he do to her?”

  “I don’t know the details. Only that he used a knife.”

  He cut my doll. “Where is she?”

  “The Fellowship Infirmary. Jamie and Ellison are treating her wounds.”

  I’m sure Jamie is an excellent doctor, and I’m certain he’ll only give the best care to his sister. I’m grateful for that.

  “I wish I knew more, but Isobel was very distraught when she called, and the conversation was very short.”

  My father and I don’t speak further during the remainder of the drive to The Fellowship Infirmary, and the silence feeds my fear.
The limo barely stops before I’m out of the car and running toward the house that The Fellowship has transformed into a place to treat their wounded.

  Isobel is holding the front door open for me. “She’s in the acute trauma room. First door on the left.” I stop at the door before entering and inhale deeply, preparing myself for the worst.

  Westlyn is lying on her back, her eyes closed. Her skin is as pale as the wedding gown and veil she’s still wearing, both saturated with red stains. There are two squares of white gauze taped on her face, one covering her chin and the other covering her left cheek. Blood has seeped through the center of both.

  I walk around the stretcher and stand next to her. I want to take her hand in mine, but I can’t because Jamie is sewing on her lower arm. “How bad is it?”

  “She has numerous defensive lacerations on her lower arms and hands, a few on her chest and breasts, and then those two on her face. She’s going to need a lot of sutures. We’ll be working on her for a while.”

  I watch Jamie insert a suture needle into her skin, and she doesn’t flinch. “Is she sedated?”

  “Aye, and I’m using local anesthesia. She was in a lot of pain and couldn’t be still. I need her to be relaxed while I do this so that the edges of the lacerations will come together smoothly. If she’s tense, they’ll be jagged and cause puckering in the skin when they heal. I’m suturing as many as I can from the inside, and we’ll close the skin with surgical glue to reduce scarring.”

  “Did she tell you that she could be pregnant?”

  Jamie stops and looks up at me. “She didn’t say anything about that.”

  “We’ve been trying. It would be very early if she were, but I assume that’s something you’d need to know before giving her certain drugs.”

  “What she’s had so far is fine, but we’ll double check any further medications before giving them to her to be sure they’re safe during pregnancy.”

  Jamie returns to suturing, and I kneel next to Westlyn. I lean forward and press my forehead to the side of her head so my mouth is over her ear. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” I caress the top of her veiled hair. “You’re going to be just fine, doll. Jamie and Ellison are taking good care of you.”

  “Do you know who did this to my sister?” I can tell that Jamie is working hard to choke back his emotion.

  “Not yet, but I am going to find out.”

  “What do you plan to do to him?”

  A snipe is too good for whoever did this. “He’s going to eat the barrel of my Magnum, but not before I make him sorry that he came after my mate.”

  “I want him to suffer for this.”

  Isobel is standing in the doorway. “I hit him hard with the heavy end of a crystal vase. He has a severe laceration tae the back of his head. I know because he was bleeding profusely.”

  I hope he doesn’t die of a head injury before I get to him.

  Jamie looks up at me. “Probably has a concussion and will need to be seen by an emergency doctor. I have connections at Royal Infirmary. I can find out who comes in with a head trauma.”

  “In the meantime, I will have my brothers do a head check of all Order men to clear them.” I believe we have them under control, but this is similar to something one of them would do. “It sounds like you saved her, Isobel. Thank you for being there with her.” Her mother would have probably stood back and done nothing.

  Isobel looks over at Westlyn. “She fought valiantly and used the defense skills Bleu taught her. I dinnae think she’d have survived that attack otherwise. That man was determined to kill her.”

  Westlyn moans. “Kier… an,” she whispers.

  “I’m right here, doll.”

  Her eyes are slits and her pupils look out of focus. “Can’t see me… in my wedding… dress. Bad luck.”

  “Don’t worry about that for even a second.” I stand and lean over her so that I can see her eyes. “Can you hear what I’m saying?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mo chroí. That’s what you are to me. My heart. And I love you. I. Love. You. Don’t doubt that for a second.”

  “Mo… chroí… love… you… too.”

  Her eyes close and her breathing becomes deep and steady again. I highly doubt that she’ll remember me saying those words to her, but she won’t have to. I’m going to tell her so much that she’ll doubt my sanity.

  “Adjust the light for me, Mac.” Ellison grabs the handle of the overhead light and points it at the inside of Westlyn’s arm. “And I need you to open her sleeves all the way up.”

  Ellison picks up the big scissors and cuts up the center of the wedding gown’s sleeve until she reaches Westlyn’s shoulder. “She loved this dress so much.”

  “It’s exactly what I imagined her wearing.” And what I would have picked for her. Beautiful and chaste.

  “She chose it because of the sleeves and higher neckline; she said that you didn’t want her to wear anything revealing.”

  She listened and chose this dress to please me. “Can’t lie. I’ve become a jealous man where she’s concerned. I didn’t want other men looking at my mate with impure thoughts.”

  “Your jealousy probably saved her life. The thick lace on these sleeves prevented the knife from slicing deeper.”

  Thane comes into the trauma room. He looks at Westlyn and grimaces. “How bad?”

  “There’ll be some mild scarring, but she’ll make a full recovery,” Jamie says.

  Angry eyes shift to me. “You and Lennox told us that you would get The Order under control. You said that we would no longer have to worry about them attacking our women, and now my niece is lying here butchered like a piece of meat.”

  Thane is furious, and we are too, but he’s fingering the wrong people.

  “We’ve gone to great extreme to show them what happens to brothers who choose to go against us. We have them under control. Trust me. They didn’t do this.”

  “I disagree. You don’t know them the way we do. This is just like them to attack one of our women unexpectedly.”

  “The attack is very Order-like. I’m not saying that it isn’t, but Westlyn is no longer one of your women. She’s mine, and that makes her one of our women.”

  “Not yet. I can’t let you marry her if she’s going to be in danger.”

  Oh, fuck no. We made an agreement, and I’ll go to war with the whole brotherhood if need be. He isn’t taking her from me.

  “She’s my mate. I’ve claimed her.”

  “The claiming can be undone under these kinds of circumstances.”

  “Not if she’s pregnant.”

  “Is she pregnant?”

  “It’s very possible. We’ve been trying.” Every single day.

  Thane looks at Jamie. “Test her.”

  She hasn’t even had time to miss her period yet. “Would a pregnancy test turn positive if she’s very early pregnant?”

  “Depends on how early, but probably not unless we do a blood test. I don’t keep any kind of pregnancy tests, urine or blood, at the infirmary.”

  Thane clearly doesn’t care for that answer. “The only way you’ll marry my niece is if you’ve already gotten your seed into her.”

  “Or if I prove it wasn’t an Order member who did this.”

  He points his finger at me where I’m kneeling behind Westlyn, trying to intimidate me. But I’m not. “Concrete proof. That’s what it’ll take for me to go along with your marriage to her.”

  “I’ll get the proof,” I call out to him as he goes out the door.

  Thane is right about one thing. If The Order did this then we don’t have the control we thought we had. If that’s the case, I don’t deserve to have Westlyn as my wife if I can’t protect her from my own people.

  Jamie finishes with her left arm and moves to start on the right. “You must love hearing that there’s a possibility that I won’t marry your sister.”

  “You love my sister, and she loves you. I see it with my own eyes and hear it in the words yo
u exchange with one another. She’ll be heartbroken if she can’t marry you. So no, I don’t love hearing that there’s a possibility you won’t be her husband.”

  “Your impression of me has changed?”

  “I still think you’re a dick for threatening to beat and rape Westlyn and Ellison. And for taunting me when you knew I was scared out of my fucking mind for both of them. But I’m grateful you didn’t harm either. I know how loving you are to my sister, and that means a lot.” He holds out his hand to Ellison for a new suture. “And just so you know, I’m still pissed off at you for shooting me.”

  “Sorry about shooting you. I didn’t want to do it, but you were going to thwart my plan for taking Westlyn.”

  “Ah, fuck. It all worked out.”

  “Until now.” I stroke Westlyn’s hair. “I can’t lose her.” I love her too much.

  Westlyn goes through cycles of wake and sleep while Jamie and Ellison tend her wounds. Every time she wakes, I tell her how much I love her, and she tells me the same. The sewing goes on for hours. I know Jamie is taking great care in suturing her to the best of his ability so she’ll be left with as minimal scarring as possible.

  It’s late afternoon by the time all of Westlyn’s wounds are closed. The more agony I see her in, the more my fury multiplies. “Will you give her something to make her sleep?” I don’t want her to remember any of this pain.

  Ellison strokes the top of her head. “We’ll make sure she rests well.”

  “I don’t want her to wake and find me gone, but I have to go figure out who’s responsible for this attack.”

  “It’s okay, Kieran. She shouldn’t wake anytime soon, but if she does, we’ll tell her where you are and what you’re doing,” Ellison says.

  “Please don’t tell her what Thane said.” I don’t want her to be upset on top of this.

  “Won’t say a word.”

  “Can you call your contact at the Royal Infirmary before I leave? I’d like to know if the motherfucker showed up there before I go to the trouble of investigating every Order member.”