Awakened by Sin

by Mia Knight

  “You want a drink?” he asked.

  “Sure. Were you a bartender in a past life?”

  “Bartender, valet, bell boy, cashier… you name it, I did it.”

  “What? You were a cashier? Where?”

  “Target.”

  She lowered her voice to a purr. “You still have the red vest and khakis?”

  He stiffened and stared at her with wary eyes. She slapped the counter and waved her sandwich at him.

  “You should see the look on your face,” she said gaily.

  “You should warn a man before you use that voice on him.”

  She fluffed her hair. “It’s my specialty.”

  “Driving men crazy? Yes, it is. Every time I see you, some guy’s trying to get your attention.”

  “It was worse when I had big boobs.”

  He walked back with their drinks and paused to lean down and kiss each breast through his shirt. “I think they’re perfect.”

  She ignored the flash of heat he evoked as he sipped his drink and leaned against the counter. This should have felt strange—standing in Marcus’s kitchen eating sandwiches, but it felt easy, casual, as if they’d been doing this for years. How strange.

  “Tell me about when you and Lyla went on the road,” he said.

  “What about it?”

  “Where did you go?”

  “Everywhere. I’m sure we hit almost every state.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t imagine you and Lyla on the road by yourselves. It must have been dangerous.”

  “It can be, but we had guns, and we didn’t stay at ghetto RV parks, only the best. When we wanted to settle down, we’d rent a place for a week or two before getting back on the road. It was a good break.”

  “From what?”

  “Life.” She sipped her drink and thought of how reckless she had been. “I used to be a fighter.”

  “You still look like one to me.”

  “You don’t know me,” she said quietly.

  “Of course, I do.”

  She frowned. “You don’t. If you really knew me, you’d run.”

  He raised a brow. “Try me.”

  She clamped her mouth shut. She wanted to stay at the house, wanted the sex, and liked his untarnished view of her even if it wasn’t accurate.

  “You’re one of the most complex women I’ve met,” he said thoughtfully. “You and Lyla are thick as thieves, yet you couldn’t be more different from one another. You’re the mastermind behind a lot of Vinny’s projects and can network even better than me, and that’s saying something. You’re gorgeous, reckless, and the best I ever had. Am I missing something?”

  She liked his description of her more than she should. Damn, he was good with that mouth. “I’m a killer.”

  “You killed to protect yourself and Nora, and then you killed the leader of the Black Vipers because he said something about Vinny.”

  It wasn’t a question, so she didn’t answer.

  “Blaine went over to the dark side a long time ago. If you hadn’t pulled the trigger, someone else would have.” He cocked his head to the side. “I doubt an evil person would have donated ten thousand dollars’ worth of items to an animal adoption or want to rescue an abused pit bull.”

  “I’m a wreck,” she said, determined to make him see the real her.

  “You’ve been through the wringer. You have reason to be.”

  “You’re making excuses for me.”

  “Someone has to. You’re human. You have feelings; you make mistakes.”

  “You’re trying to make me feel better.” His dismissive attitude was working wonders on her, which eased the perpetual weight on her shoulders. That same sense of good she felt while being with Maddie and Marv now had a new and unexpected source.

  “You’re hurting. It makes people do crazy things,” he said.

  She looked down to hide her reaction. She grabbed a handful of pretzels and focused on the tiny bits of salt instead of his words, but his voice was penetrating when she didn’t want it to.

  “Carmen?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Look at me.”

  She braced herself before she met his gaze.

  “I don’t know what you’re searching for, and I’m not going to help you find it, but I’ll keep you company until you do.”

  She nodded. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  She mentally scrambled for another topic, but he provided one when he said, “I can’t imagine living on the road. I’ve never been out of Nevada.”

  She gaped. “What? How is that possible?”

  “I was born and raised in Las Vegas. I started working at fifteen. I have everything I need here. Traveling was never a priority.”

  “You need to take a vacation ASAP,” she said and then gasped. “You’ve never seen the ocean?”

  “No.”

  “How can you live without seeing the ocean? It’s only a three-hour drive to the beach!”

  “I’ll go one day.”

  “You should go right now!”

  He laughed. “One day, I will. I don’t think now’s a good time.”

  “Is Gavin back at work full-time?”

  “Not yet. I’ve got it handled, though.”

  “Of course, you do.”

  “Is that sarcasm?”

  “No. I know you can handle it. You graduated at the top of your class and have a business degree.”

  “Checking up on me?”

  “Yes,” she admitted without shame. “I wanted to make sure.”

  “Wanted to make sure I was qualified to stand in for Vinny?”

  That sounded ludicrous since Marcus had done more to advance the company than Gavin or Vinny had in years.

  “It’s not about Vinny. I wanted to know why Gavin picked you.” She paused deliberately. “And I still want to know.”

  “He picked me because of my background.”

  “Because you grew up in the housing projects?”

  He nodded. “I knew Emmanuel Pyre as a crime lord before I ever knew he owned casinos. I know the players in the underworld since I grew up among them.” He shrugged. “I knew the only way out was an education. I got a scholarship at UNLV and was picked for an internship. I worked in low level management for a couple of years before Gavin approached me for this position. He saw my background as an asset rather than a liability. He gave me an opportunity no one would have trusted me with. I would never betray him. I owe him for everything I have.”

  “It may have taken longer, but you would have made it without his help,” she said.

  His eyes gleamed. “You think so?” He picked her up and placed her on the counter. He nuzzled her chest. “I can see your nipples through my shirt.”

  “Want me to change into something else?”

  “No,” he said lazily as he licked her nipple. “This is great.” He ran his hands up her thighs. “I can’t believe you would have given yourself to that boy in the club. You choose mediocre men who could never give you what you need.”

  She gripped his hair to pull his mouth off her nipple. “It was just sex. It didn’t matter.”

  “It matters. You can’t find someone you’re compatible if they’re not on your level to begin with, and we both know one-night stands are shit.”

  “What?”

  “Hookups take care of the itch, but it doesn’t tide you over very long, so you keep having shitty sex with people you don’t give a fuck about, and it becomes an endless cycle of crap.”

  “And you have experience with this?”

  “I don’t have time for relationships, which only leaves one-night stands or friends with benefits.”

  “Which do you prefer?”

  He looked up. “Friends with benefits.”

  She considered him for a long minute. “I’m open to that.”

  “Good, because that’s what I can give you.”

  “I’m not looking for a relationship.” That was the last thing she needed while s
he was trying to put herself back together.

  “We can help each other out.” He spread her legs and stared down at her bare pussy. “You’ve been playing hell with my concentration at work.”

  He leaned down and licked her. She groaned and reached up to grip the cabinets as his tongue slid through her folds. When he went deep, her head lolled back. She thought she was having a visit from God, but it was just the blinding track lights.

  “Marcus,” she moaned.

  He straightened. “You want me to get a condom?”

  “No.”

  He captured her lips as he slid inside her. He watched her, green eyes burning and bright.

  “I’ve been craving you,” he husked.

  “Crave away,” she panted.

  His tongue slid into her mouth, and she clutched him as he overloaded her senses. When he pounded into her, she couldn’t concentrate on the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. His head tipped back as he came. He slumped against her, and she took his weight.

  “I’m loving this friend thing,” she said.

  He let out a breathless laugh and kissed her neck. “Me too, but I have to go to work.”

  They cleaned up the kitchen, and he showed her how to use the security system. She went into the bedroom with him and cleaned up while he morphed into the slick COO of Pyre Casinos. She slid beneath the covers and eyed him appreciatively.

  “I’ll tell Frederick or Mickey to get you clothes for tomorrow,” he said.

  “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had,” she yawned.

  He kissed her forehead. “You’ll stay here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. I want to know you’re safe.” His hand slipped beneath the cover and smoothed over her naked skin. “You need anything, you call me.”

  “I will.”

  He kissed her and left. The smell of classy sin hung in the air. She turned on her side and hugged his pillow to her chest. Everything would be okay. It would all work out. For the first time in years, she caught a glimpse of her future, and it looked promising.

  17

  “What the hell, Carmen?” Lyla demanded.

  “Hey, girl, what’s up?”

  “What’s up?” Lyla repeated in a dangerous tone. “What’s up is you haven’t been answering my calls for three days. What’s up is Gavin told me you took out the leader of a biker gang, and Angel got shot. What’s up is you’re now a target. What the hell?”

  “Yeah, I’m over it,” she said as she navigated the freeway and stroked the quivering pit bull on her passenger seat. “I wouldn’t say I’m a target, technically. Angel did the head shot, and besides, I have two guards. Don’t worry about me.”

  “Carmen.” Lyla sounded as if she were trying to stay calm. “I need you to be safe.”

  “I am!” she insisted as she blared her horn and flipped the bird at an old woman who shouldn’t be on the freeway. “I found a place!”

  “You did?”

  “Yes. My shit that was in storage is being delivered today, and I got a dog.”

  “You got a dog,” Lyla repeated flatly.

  “Yes, and she’s shaking like a leaf. They were gonna put her down, but it isn’t her fault that she’s had a shit life. I’m going to make her a princess.”

  “Okay… where’s your new place?”

  “The Gillian Estates.”

  “Never heard of it.”

  “Yes, it’s pretty new, and it’s on the other side of town from you, but you gotta see this house. It’s perfect for me.”

  “Well, I’m happy for you.” Lyla sounded much more relaxed. “You’re getting settled in. That’s good.”

  “Yes. How are you?”

  “Worried sick about you, bitch.”

  She laughed. “I’m fine.”

  She woke up with a ton of energy. No tears this morning. No hard, cold weight in her gut. Three orgasms worked wonders on her state of mind. Despite the fact it was Sunday, she started making calls. Being rich produced results. She called the dog shelter to tell them she would be picking up the pit, a call to a moving company to go to the storage facility to pack up her shit, a call to a couple of personal assistants who were in her employ years ago who would help, and her relator to find out if there was another house available in this area.

  Marcus was true to his word. This morning, a duffel of her clothes was on the front step. She blew a kiss to Mickey as she hauled it in and got ready for the day. Her first stop was the dog shelter. It seemed the poor pit was worse today than she had been yesterday. When they tried to move the dog, she peed herself. She volunteered to bathe the dog and murmured sweet nothings to her as she ran her hands over the terrified dog, but nothing soothed her. When Frederick picked up the dog to put her on the passenger seat of the Aston, the dog let out a heart-wrenching cry that ripped at her heart. She tried to reassure the pit that she was safe now. Whatever happened in the past was done, and there was only good in her future, but of course, the pit ignored her. She decided to call her Honey because her life would be sweet from now on. She and Mickey did a quick run to Petco for doggy supplies while Frederick kept an eye on Honey, and now they were on their way back to the house. Hopefully, they’d beat the movers there so she could direct everyone.

  “When Gavin heard Angel got shot, he was furious,” Lyla said quietly.

  “I bet.” Another cousin trying on his crown and getting gunned down within a matter of days.

  “You were there? You saw it happen?”

  The ball of sunshine in her chest began to dim. “Yes.”

  “Three times in the chest.” Lyla paused. “You okay?”

  Thanks to Marv, Mom, Maddie, and Marcus… “Yes.”

  “I’m glad. Gavin’s been going to work, which is good. I need some breathing room.”

  “How are you doing?”

  “I have my moments, but Nora yanks me out of it pretty quick. She’s getting more active every day, and Blade’s training me again, so I’ve been keeping busy.”

  “Good. What about your mom?”

  “Same. Still doesn’t want to see me, slow recovery. I decided to wait until she’s ready to be released instead of hanging around the hospital, making Gavin crazy.”

  “Good idea. I’ll come over soon, or you can visit me once I get settled.”

  “Okay, good. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Stay out of trouble for fuck’s sake,” Lyla snapped before she hung up.

  She pulled into Marcus’s driveway and saw that the movers were already there, as were her assistants. Frederick carried Honey to the backyard so she wouldn’t bolt as they got busy. There were five twenty-six-foot moving trucks with items from her past life. She wouldn’t be able to keep everything, but she was due for a purge.

  The men opened the back of the trucks. She climbed in, surveyed the clutter, and took a moment to get her bearings before she got to work. She locked her emotions up tight, examining the items objectively while blocking out the memories that came with them. She started pointing at what she wanted and in which rooms. Her assistants made sure the movers put the items in the right place. By the time everyone cleared out, she lay exhausted but extremely satisfied on her red velvet couch. Marcus’s house had been transformed in the span of a few hours. They still had a lot of work to do, but the large pieces of furniture had been put in place, and the house was much more livable and welcoming. She added paintings, statues, and accents to give the house personality. Everyone would return tomorrow to continue making this place a home.

  Her phone rang. It was within reaching distance, so she answered. “Hello?”

  “Angel likes you!” Luci sang.

  Her eyes popped open. “What?”

  “I’ve never heard him talk about a woman like this ever. OMG.” Luci sounded like she was jumping around. “Where ya been, chick? I’ve been calling you for days.”

  She sat up. “I’ve been busy. What are you talking about?”

/>   “Angel told me you killed the leader of some motorcycle gang. That was badass. I wish I could’ve seen it. He also told me you tried to protect him when he got shot.” She sucked her teeth. “Gavin wasn’t kidding when he said these motherfuckers are out of line. Angel’s going to make Sin City his bitch. I’m glad Gavin called him in. They’re gonna find out real quick what makes us the crime lords of New York.”

  She got to her feet and checked on Honey who was in the same spot she’d been in for the past three hours. She lay on the ground beside her doggy bed in a ball, her food and water untouched. As she approached, Honey tensed. She sat on the floor just inside the kitchen, giving Honey space but also letting her grow accustomed to her presence.

  “So?” Luci prompted.

  “So what?”

  “Angel likes you.”

  “Because I killed someone?”

  “Because you’re the ride or die chick. Girls have always come easy to Angel. You can see why. He’s pretty and has the carefree, bad boy vibe that we both know is a sham. Angel’s a dark one, but that’s part of his appeal, right?”

  “Angel’s suicidal.”

  Luci giggled. “I know, right?”

  Luci was obviously damn proud of her brother. If she had a brother, she would be the same. The more badass he was, the better.

  “It’s hard to come across a woman who has balls and heart, you know?” Luci asked.

  “Wait, what are we talking about?”

  “You. Brass balls, guns, badass motherfucker, my brother and you…?”

  “There is no Angel and me.”

  “Why not? You think he’s hot, right?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “And he’s badass!”

  She bit her lip to hold back her laughter. Honey’s eyes flicked to her, but when she saw her watching, immediately looked away. “He’s definitely a badass with a chip on his shoulder.”

  “Don’t we all? Only someone who gets everything they want in life wouldn’t have a chip on their shoulder.”

  The chip on the Romans’ shoulders was their parents’ death. Angel hadn’t explained it, and it wasn’t something you inquired about casually so she agreed. “True.”

  “Angel needs a woman.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Well, he needs a good woman, you know?”