Page 71 of The Sinner

“And to hide.”

“From the source of the darkness.”

My head fell forward, my chin resting on the pillow. As I swallowed, the spit burned all the way down my throat. “I can’t seem to escape it.”

I’d thought a year would be enough time.

I’d thought my life would slowly return to normal.

I’d thought I would find happiness again.

Even with Brady in my room, who gave off more light than I’d felt in the last twelve months, I couldn’t help but wonder if there would be a knock at the door tonight. Or if the front desk would stop by at some point to deliver a present that had been sent.

If not only text and voice mails would appear on my phone, but pictures too.

I know where you are.

I know what you’re doing.

I know who you’re with.

“What is the darkness, Lily?”

But what I’d learned was that I had no idea what he was capable of.

Because, like Brady, he was fearless.

Relentless.

And when he wanted something, he went after it.

I slowly glanced up at him. “Not what. Who.”

NINETEEN

Brady

If the darkness came in the form of a person, which she’d just confirmed, then my gut told me it was David. I could see the fear written across her face; I could hear it in her voice.

Whoever that motherfucker was, I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and strangle the shit out of him.

What I didn’t want to do was push her to talk about every hardship in her life. We’d already covered the shocking revelation of her parents, a period I couldn’t even fathom, and then we transitioned straight into the asshole who was haunting her. She’d had a rough day as it was; I wouldn’t continue pulling her down the rabbit hole of hell.

But, shit, between her expression and the way she’d broken down tonight, sobbing in my arms, it was no wonder she’d given me those warnings.

She was dealing with some heavy things.

But not heavy enough to make me get up from this bed and walk out.

Fuck that.

I wanted her.

And hearing that she wasn’t perfect, that she had a tragic and difficult past, confirmed that this woman knew how to fight. She knew how to survive. That she hadn’t let either of these scenarios break her.

That was what I wanted in my life.

That was what made me want her even more.

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