Sin Never Sleeps

by Geneva Lee

  That hardly counts as brilliant detective work. “Everyone knows that our fathers hated one another.”

  “But why?” she asks. “It took some time to convince the court to unseal the documents, but we have our answer. Nathaniel West settled a civil suit with your father a number of years ago.”

  “I know. They had a disagreement about a business arrangement.”

  Mackey casts a wan smile at me and my heart skips a beat. “The matter was tried in a civil court, and the records were sealed to protect a minor.”

  In the middle of one of the busiest hotel lobbies in Las Vegas, the world stops.

  “Did you know Nathaniel West was your sister’s father?”

  No seems like a grossly inadequate word.

  Mackey continues, granting me no time to come to grips with this. “Both sets of DNA found at the murder scene were a partial match.”

  “I don’t understand,” I say slowly.

  “One set belonged to Nathaniel West. The other belonged to his progeny.”

  Mackey doesn’t follow me when I run for the lobby’s bathroom. Progeny. Child. Daughter. The words assault me as I wretch over the toilet. If Becca was his daughter, of course, Mackey suspects I am, too.

  I’m not, but someone else is. It can’t be Monroe. She’d given the entire freshman class a front row seat to her debauchery. I know it isn’t me.

  At least, I know I’m not the one who…

  I throw up again just considering what she told me. I might not be the one she’s looking for, but I can’t ignore the other bombshell she’s dropped.

  Becca was Nathaniel West’s daughter, a fact both my parents knew—parents who’ve been desperate to break up my relationship with my boyfriend.

  I vomit until I’m dry heaving stomach acid in the public restroom of a five-star resort. If Mackey wanted to be certain I’ll submit to that DNA test, she knew exactly what button to push.

  When I finally gather my strength, I rinse out my mouth in the sink. I can’t bring myself to look in the mirror. I’m too afraid I’ll find Nathaniel West staring back at me.

  I check in to my room, ignoring the annoying cheerfulness of the front desk attendant. The hotel room has been redone to have a sleek, modern appeal. Everything is white and minimal with clean lines and the most abstract of abstract art, but the stale scent of cigarette smoke still hangs in the room. It’s proof that Vegas is a city out of time, or maybe just one unhinged from reality. If it weren’t for the acrid smell assaulting my nostrils, the space might actually seem luxurious. No doubt the renovation had been a ploy to try to convince visitors that the hotel is worth the hefty price tag.

  Next month, I’ll have some serious explaining to do when my mom and Hans get my emergency credit card bill. But if this situation doesn’t count as a crisis, nothing ever will.

  I sit on the edge of the bed and wait with my hands folded in my lap. Being nervous is strange. Of course, I’ve never called a service before. Until a few days ago, my only contact with call girls had been on the flyers littering the streets. Somehow it still feels inevitable. I’m in too deep not to follow the clues.

  But this room in this hotel in this city could never hope to be more than a mirage. Because the one thing tourists never see is the truth. The bones of Las Vegas are rotten, weakened by greed and excess. Even in a fancy hotel room I can’t see past that fact.

  Just like I can’t see past the fact that my whole life is a lie. Is it possible this should be my birthright?

  Because I don’t want it. Any of it. If what Mackey told me is true, she’s stolen the only good thing in my life.

  Jameson calls a few times while I wait, but I send the calls to voice mail. No doubt I’m whipping him into a frenzy by not answering, but will he care as much when he finds out I’m his sister?

  If I’m his sister.

  If.

  I cling to the tiny word like it’s my life raft in a stormy sea.

  My phone vibrates with a notification and I can’t help but check it. The Dealer has posted another photo. I half expect it to be a snap of me vomiting all over the West casino bathroom. But it’s simply a photo of the Belle Mère Medical Clinic.

  Whoever is behind this account knows exactly how to salt the wound. I look at the picture wondering if that place will be my deliverance or my damnation. I stare for so long that it blurs in and out of focus, and in the process, draws my attention to something I might not have noticed before.

  The photo was taken from a car window. The Dealer must have been in a hurry to get this out, because a bit of the driver’s side mirror is in the shot. I zoom in on the picture until the fragment comes into focus.

  I nearly drop the phone, but somehow I keep it in my trembling hands long enough to send one text.

  I know who you are.

  A knock on the door startles me, and I stand, smoothing my shirt as if I’m going to impress May while smelling like vomit. When I open the door, I’m met by familiar, if surprised eyes. The shock mirrored in them quickly shifts to anger.

  Stepping to the side, I hold out my arm. I might not have expected May to be someone I know, but the pieces start to click together. “Won’t you come in, Monroe?”

  Sneak Peek of All Fall Down

  It takes a few seconds for me to process what’s happening. When I finally do, I’m left with a choice but not the one he’s given me. I opt to join him on the ground.

  Dropping to my knees, I come face-to-face with the velvet box waiting in his palm.

  “You don’t have to do this,” I whisper. “We’re going to make it through this.”

  “That’s exactly why I’m asking.” Sincerity shines in his crystal blue eyes. “Because we’re going to get through this, and we’ll get through whatever life throws at us next.”

  “Jameson, I can’t—”

  “Because you’re too young?” he guesses. “You don’t have to earn love. It’s not a rite of passage. My love is yours. My everything is yours. That’s not going to change.”

  “How can you be certain?”

  “Are you certain?” he asks, turning the tide against me.

  I don’t hesitate. There’s nothing to consider, because I know my answer to that question. “Yes.”

  “And I’m certain about this.” Jameson flips open the box, forcing me to face the crossroads we’ve come to.

  Pre-order ALL FALL DOWN now!

  Available October 31st, 2016

  Sinner or Saint Sweepstakes

  Are you a sinner or a saint? Answer the trivia questions and you’ll be entered to win a trip for two to Las Vegas or Disney World.

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  A Note From the Author

  This whole book has been a roller coaster from start to finish! I’m hard at work on book three, ALL FALL DOWN, which comes out in October.

  As always I love to hear from you! Please drop me a line at readers@genevalee.com, and if you enjoyed this story, please leave a review on your ebook platform. You can also join my mailing list at: http://www.subscribepage.com/z9l8j6

  Speaking of, don’t forget to enter the Sinner or Saint Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for two to Las Vegas or Disney World! This giveaway is only available during release week, so don’t miss out!

  Love, Geneva

  Also by Geneva Lee

  Command Me

  Conquer Me

  Crown Me

  Crave Me

  Covet Me

  Capture Me

  The Sins That Bind Us

  Catching Liam

  Unwrapping Liam

  Two Week Turnaround

 

 

 
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