Sin's Magic [Rapture Island 3] (Siren Publishing: The Leah Brooke Collection)

by Leah Brooke

  After she paid the cab fare, she walked slowly up the walkway to her grandmother’s front door, well aware that she may never do it again.

  Depressed at the thought, she opened the front door, anxious to get the paperwork done so she could get back to Sin.

  Instead, she walked into a nightmare.

  Everything seemed to happen at once.

  Two uniformed officers rushed toward her, calling her name.

  A shot came from somewhere behind her, hitting one of the officers and forcing the other to duck for cover.

  Shocked and terrified, she took a stumbling step back, crying out when her arm was grabbed from behind, yanking her hard against a man who she recognized before she even saw his face.

  Robert Kincaid pulled her into her grandmother’s house, slamming the door shut behind them.

  His smile, pure evil, sent a chill through her. “Well, I’ve finally got you alone.”

  Tightening her hand on the straps of her large purse with the intention of using it as a weapon, Veronica took a step back, swallowing the lump in her throat when she saw the gun in his hand.

  “Robert! I thought you were in jail.”

  He locked the door and stepped toward her, tucking the gun into the back of his trousers. “I was. You really didn’t think I’d stay there forever, did you?”

  Frowning when she backed away from him, he took another step toward her, gripping her upper arm.

  “You’re mine, Veronica.”

  Veronica tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip painfully.

  “No. I’m not. Let go of me, damn you!” Fear had her clawing and kicking at him, but he proved to be much stronger than she’d anticipated.

  “No.” Gripping both arms, Robert yanked her against him. “After I fuck you a few times, you’ll see that you belong to me.”

  Despite her struggles, he managed to drag her to the floor, using the weight of his body to hold her down.

  Terrified at the very real threat of being raped on her grandmother’s living room floor, she fought him with everything she had, kicking and struggling with every ounce of strength she possessed.

  Her screams seemed to only excite him, and when she heard the rip of fabric, her terror grew.

  Suddenly, the door burst open and Robert’s weight was gone.

  Scrambling to put some distance between them, she scooted along the floor, too terrified to make her limbs work, stopping abruptly at the sight of Sin punching Robert in the face.

  Detective Simms and another officer rushed in, but Sin and Robert paid no attention to either of them.

  Both men were embroiled in a battle that both seemed to relish, but it quickly became apparent that, despite his strength, Robert was no match for Sin.

  By some miracle he’d appeared.

  She was safe.

  When large hands closed on her upper arms, she struggled again. “No!”

  The hands immediately released her, and Sam came around to crouch in front of her, his lips twitching when Robert fell unconscious to the floor.

  “It’s just me, ma’am. Let me help you up.”

  “I’ve got her.” Sin appeared at her side, scooping her from the floor and holding her high against his chest.

  Crying in relief, she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against it. “Thank God you came.”

  His lips touched her forehead. “Are you all right?”

  The fear in his voice had even more tears falling. “I am now. Just hold me for a minute.”

  Ignoring the officer and detective arresting Robert, Sin blew out a breath. “I think it’s going to be a hell of a lot longer than that before I can let you go again.”

  * * * *

  Veronica couldn’t stop shivering, no matter how many cups of coffee she drank.

  They sat in Detective Simms’ small cubicle, Sin still holding her securely on his lap while Sam stood just outside, his massive size getting more than one assessing look.

  The lingering fear and hot rage still glimmered in Sin’s eyes as his gaze met the detective’s.

  “How the hell did Kincaid escape?”

  Detective Simms, a man who appeared to be in his mid-forties, with a kind smile and world-weary eyes, frowned.

  “I don’t know. Rookie didn’t watch him as closely as he should have. Figured someone who worked in a bank wouldn’t be a threat. He almost paid for that mistake with his life.” Sin’s eyes narrowed.

  “He’s been bothering Veronica at work and then went to her grandmother’s house when he couldn’t find her. He’s dangerous, and probably needs psychiatric help.”

  Detective Simms nodded.

  “I know. He’ll be evaluated. He was charged with stalking, too.”

  Oh no!

  Gripping Sin’s shoulder, she tried to stand.

  “Let’s go, Sin.”

  Sin held firm, glancing at her with a frown before turning his attention back to the detective. “You were saying?”

  Sin’s body had stiffened, his eyes narrowing and becoming flat, emotionless.

  It was a look that scared the hell out of her.

  Detective Simms continued, apparently unconcerned by the change in Sin.

  “We have a report on him because he’d been following Miss Sands home every night, but we couldn’t pick him up because he hadn’t really done anything yet. After he was arrested, we found the things he’d stolen from her house, and even the key he had to her old lock. I’m sure Miss Sands already told you that.”

  He smiled at her, oblivious to the fact that Sin stiffened a little more with each word, his eyes going hard and cold.

  “Thank God she figured out someone had been in her apartment and changed the lock. She suspected that Kincaid had stolen her key from her purse at work and made a duplicate, but she wasn’t sure. After what happened tonight, we can assume he did the same with her grandmother’s door key.”

  Fuck.

  When Sin’s gaze slid to hers again, she actually shivered at the ice in his glittering green eyes.

  “Changed her lock?”

  The detective frowned as if expecting Sin to know what he was talking about.

  “Yes. She changed her lock two weeks ago after more of her…uh personal items disappeared.”

  Dear God. Please let a hole open up and swallow me.

  Sin nodded once. “I see.”

  Detective Simms’ eyes widened, and he sent Veronica an apologetic look.

  “I’m sorry. I thought Mr. Majors knew all of this.”

  “He does now. Thank you, Detective. You know how to reach me.” Sin stood, setting Veronica on her feet and taking her hand in his.

  Struggling to keep up with him, Veronica tugged at his hand to no avail.

  “Sin. Slow down. I can’t keep up.”

  He paused long enough to bend and lift her over his shoulder before striding outside.

  Sam opened the rear door without a word, standing aside while Sin tucked her into the back seat and slid in beside her.

  Before Sam slid into the driver’s seat, she reached for Sin.

  “Sin?”

  He turned to face her, his entire expression appearing as if carved in stone.

  “Not one fucking word, Veronica.”

  Nodding, she swallowed heavily and buckled her seat belt.

  During the tense ride, she glanced at him several times out of the corner of her eye, alarmed to see that he looked even angrier.

  Hoping to reason with him, she touched his arm. “Sin, I—”

  “Don’t.”

  Swallowing heavily, she clutched her purse in her lap and continued to watch him out of the corner of her eye.

  After several minutes, Veronica could see that the flash of anger had been replaced by a distant coldness that frightened her even more.

  “Sin? Can I explain, please?”

  “Not until we get back to your house. I want to be able to give the conversation my full attention.”

  Once they arrived at
her house, Sin led her inside, removed her coat, and took her hand again, leading her to the sofa.

  Standing in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest, he eyed her coldly, his voice deceptively silky.

  “You said you had something to say, Veronica.”

  Swallowing heavily, Veronica lifted her chin, not about to let him see how much he intimidated her.

  “Do you have to stand over me like that?”

  Sin’s expression never changed. “Do you have anything to say to me or not?”

  “I do.”

  “Then say it.”

  She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, tilting her head back to meet his cool gaze.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t really mean to keep anything from you.”

  One brow went up and, if possible, made him look even more arrogant. “No?”

  Uncomfortable at having him tower over her, she scooted to the side and rose, wrapping her arms around herself as she made her way around the sofa, keeping it between them.

  “Robert was a pain at work and kept telling me that I belonged to him. He kept threatening to make me pay for saying no to him.”

  Sin never moved, following her movements with his hooded eyes, the small twitch of his lips telling her that he’d noticed her tactics and that putting the sofa between them wouldn’t do her any good.

  “Oh?”

  She didn’t know how he could put so much menace in one word, but Sin managed it.

  She kept pacing back and forth behind the sofa, too nervous to stand still.

  “I thought he was just obnoxious and started to wonder if his attitude is what had gotten him transferred so many times.”

  “And the other?”

  The almost whispered question sounded even more threatening than if he’d shouted.

  Veronica shrugged, relieved that he was listening.

  “When the earrings that I always wore disappeared, I thought I’d somehow lost them somewhere. I looked everywhere, and when I couldn’t find them, I figured they’d show up some time.”

  Although he never moved, his eyes continued to follow her.

  “When was this?”

  Frowning, Veronica tried to remember. “I don’t know. I guess about a month ago.” She shrugged again. “I really didn’t think that much of it at the time.”

  With a sigh, she made her way to the kitchen for a drink of water.

  “Are you thirsty?”

  “No.” Sin finally moved, taking slow steps to where she’d been before, lowering himself onto the back corner of the sofa nearest the kitchen. “Continue.”

  “I couldn’t find my favorite scarf. One of my brown belts disappeared, and I lost my sunglasses. I just figured I was on edge because of Robert at work.”

  “When did this happen?”

  Her hands shook, and she couldn’t get the bottle open. “Like I said, it’s been going on for about a month, but I really didn’t think anything about it.”

  Holding out a hand, he gestured for her to hand him the bottle, cracking it open with ease and handing it back to her without a word.

  Accepting it from him, she took the opportunity to take his hand in hers, her smile falling when he failed to return it.

  Grateful that he didn’t push her hand away, she moved closer to stand between his thighs.

  “I just thought I was getting forgetful. Nothing was moved or anything.”

  “What else?”

  Veronica sipped her water, not knowing whether to be relieved or alarmed that he’d tightened his fingers on hers.

  “My pink dress. I was going to wear it the night I came to see you at the penthouse, but I couldn’t find it. It was my favorite, and I wore it to work. I assumed that I’d forgotten to pick it up at the dry cleaner, but when I called them, they didn’t have it.”

  Veronica fidgeted under his steady stare.

  “When I got home that night—the night before we went to see Esmerelda—my books and, um, vibrator were gone. I realized then that someone had really been in my house. I thought it was Robert, but I couldn’t prove anything. The next day I came home early from work and had my locks changed.”

  Shrugging, she took another sip of water. “I figured he took the keys out of my purse and somehow made a duplicate and put the key back before I noticed. I’ve been keeping my keys in my pocket since then.”

  His eyes narrowed even more, darkening and with a hard glint in them that made her uneasy enough to instinctively attempt to pull away.

  He tightened his hold, pulling her closer.

  “And you chose not to tell me about it?” He took the bottle of water from her other hand and set it on the end table, taking her hand in his so that he held both of them.

  Allowing him to pull her closer, Veronica stared into his eyes.

  “Sin, you and I had just met, and we barely knew each other. I wasn’t about to get you involved, and I was focused on getting you to take me to the island.”

  The need to connect with him again brought a lump to her throat. Leaning closer, she breathed in the familiar scent of him, wishing he would free her hands so that she could lay them on his chest.

  “I was jealous, and I didn’t want you to take anyone else.”

  Sin released her hands to close his on her waist.

  “So he’s the one who followed you home the night I was here waiting for you. You lied right to my face and said that you didn’t know him.”

  Pressing her hands to his chest, she gave him another smile, trembling when his hands slid to press threateningly at her bottom.

  “But we didn’t have that sort of relationship then.”

  Raising a brow, he studied her features. “Do we have that sort of relationship now, Veronica?”

  Not trusting his calm tone, she eyed him warily. “If you mean that if something happened now, I would tell you, then yes. I would.”

  “Would you?”

  “Of course.”

  “How can I trust you when you don’t trust me?”

  When she opened her mouth to object, he slapped her sharply on the ass.

  “Quiet. I gave you a chance to talk, and now you’re going to listen to me. I saw your face when Detective Simms started telling me what had happened. You wanted him to shut up. You didn’t want me to know about it at all.”

  “I was scared that you’d be mad.”

  “Mad.” Sin ran his tongue over his teeth as if tasting the word.

  His lips twitched, but his eyes held no humor. “You knew I’d be furious, and that tells me that you knew that it was wrong to keep it from me.”

  One hand remained on her bottom, keeping her close, while he used the other to cup her jaw.

  “I told you what I need from you, Veronica. I don’t want lies—even lies of omission. I won’t tolerate behavior like this from you. I’ve told you that I love you and I want you to marry me. Now, you need to make up your mind about what you’re going to do. Are you going to come live with me in L.A., or are you going to stay here?”

  Veronica blinked up at him. “I’m coming with you—that is, if you still want me.”

  “That’s never been in question.”

  Blowing out a breath, she dropped her head on his shoulder.

  “You scared me.”

  “I scared you?”

  Veronica took a deep breath and then another. I really do love you, you know.”

  Sin’s lips twitched, his eyes softening for the first time. “Do you?”

  “Yes. More than I ever thought I could love someone.”

  “Good.” Rising to his full height, he held her away from him.

  “While we’re here, you might as well pack up some more of your things.”

  Gripping his hand again, she looked up at him through her lashes. “Are you really mad at me?”

  Raising an arrogant brow, he lifted her hand to his lips, running his finger over the ring he’d given her just that morning. “Mad isn’t the word.”

  Not trusting the lo
ok in his eyes, Veronica gulped. “Are you going to hurt me in your playroom?”

  Sin’s lips twitched again. “Did I hurt you last night?”

  “No.”

  “If I were you, I’d be more concerned about being turned over my knee than the playroom.”

  “You’re really going to spank me?”

  “Don’t you think you deserve it?”

  She lifted a hand, holding her thumb and forefinger about an inch apart.

  “Maybe a little, tiny one for not telling you afterward, but I don’t think I deserve a bad one. We really didn’t know each other well when all of this happened.”

  Sin smiled at that. “Negotiating your punishment?”

  “Maybe. Please don’t be mad at me. I promise to never keep anything like that from you again.”

  “Good. Is there anything else that I need to know about?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  “Good. Let’s get you packed so we can get out of here. Did you happen to call your boss before you took off without telling me?”

  Relieved that she had, she smiled up at him.

  “Yes, I did.” Shrugging, she ran a hand over his chest. “It’s not that I took off without telling you—”

  His brow shot up again. “Really?”

  Hating being on the defensive, Veronica crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin.

  “You said that you were going to be busy in meetings all day. I got a ticket for a return flight and would have already been on it and on my way home. I told Mrs. Fredericks where I was going and left you a note.”

  “You should have called me.”

  “I wasn’t going to call you at work on my first day there. I didn’t want to seem needy.”

  Shaking his head, he rose, turning her toward the hall that led to her bedroom. “Come on. Let’s get you packed.”

  “Wait a minute!” Turning back, she almost ran into him. “If you’re going to spank me, spank me, damn it!”

  Sin smiled faintly, but concern lingered in his eyes.

  “You’re in an awful hurry to be turned over my knee. Don’t you think you’ve been through enough today?”

  Veronica sighed. “You’re going to think this is crazy, but I need you to touch me.”

  Frowning, Sin pulled her closer. “I’ve been touching you ever since I got here.”

  “I need more.” Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pressed her face to his chest, smiling when his arms immediately came around her.