Page 36 of Innocent Salvation

His gut roiled at the prospect of revealing the family secrets, but he felt the need to be honest with Snow.

“Lucinda is adopted. It was a closed adoption, and she had no idea who her parents were. After Patrick decided he didn’t want to be with her any longer, when the shiny toy of something new beckoned, he told her he wanted her to get rid of Fleur.”

Snow winced and ran her thumb over his wrist, feeling the thrum of his pulse.

“Lucinda wouldn’t hear of it, so Patrick told her he’d found out that his father was her biological father and that she’d been fucking her half-brother. My sister was devastated and fell into a deep depression. I was worried sick, but she came through it. I convinced her to get some help.”

Sebastian pursed his lips. “Lucinda always suffered with her mental health. She had bipolar and clinical depression. She was fine after she had Fleur and was a wonderful mother but after a while, I could see she was off her medications again. She started talking about how she was dirty and sick, how she’d committed the ultimate sin and had a child with her brother. It was all bullshit, but she just wouldn’t have it. I had her committed to a psychiatric facility and my mother and I cared for Fleur until she was better.”

“That explains why Fleur is so close to you.”

“I was there from the start. I was the person she walked to first. I got her her first pair of shoes. Lucinda was getting better and even planning on moving close to me so she could care for Fleur on her own. Then our mother died and she went downhill. Started drinking, went off her meds, and hung herself.”

Snow released his hand, and he felt the loss instantly before she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Sebastian stiffened, his body tensing at the unfamiliar feel before he relaxed his body and returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her small waist. He wasn’t a hugger by nature, showing his feelings with anyone but Fleur was unusual for him. It involved him letting his guard down and that wasn’t something he did often. Yet he couldn’t seem to keep that guard up and in place with Snow. It was as if, from the moment she walked into his life, she’d been breaking down his barriers. He’d fought to keep them up until he didn’t know what to think or feel or do.

Tears swam in her eyes, and he lifted a hand to thumb the offending wetness away. He didn’t want her to cry for him, he never wanted to be the reason she was sad, and that realisation struck him like a tonne of bricks to the heart. “Don’t cry for me.”

Snow wiped the rest of the tears away with the back of her hand. “It’s not just you. I’m sad for Fleur. That she’ll never know her mother and for Lucinda for not getting the chance to raise that beautiful child.” Snow looked down and when she glanced back up, he drew in a breath at the absolute beauty of the fire in her eyes and the passion. “And I’m so flipping angry at Dominique and Patrick for what they did to your family.”

“I’m sorry they took your dad away from you.”

Snow shrugged as if she was over the pain of it, but even after knowing her for such a short time, he knew she hurt way more than she let on. Her sunny personality was real, but she also used it to hide her pain. “I have my team, who are like family to me.”

They were still wrapped in some weird shroud of honesty and emotion, her arms now resting on his biceps.

“I hate that you could have got hurt because of me last night.” It had weighed on him all night. In his head, he replayed the images of her facing bullets as he walked away. His conscious mind knew he had no other choice, but it didn’t help the guilt. He was a protector by nature so letting this scrap of a woman, no matter how well trained or deadly, stand between him and danger would never sit well.

“I’m good at what I do, Sebastian.”

“I don’t doubt that, but don’t fucking do it again.”

“I can’t promise that.”

He could feel her pulling away and hated it but didn’t know how to stop her without taking back what he’d said. “And I can’t promise I won’t do whatever it takes to stop you.”

“Seems like a problem for another day to me, so stop being a stubborn fudge donkey.”

Sebastian smirked. “Did you just call me a fudge donkey?”

Snow shrugged, her button nose twitching, making his dick harden. How was it that he found that simple move from her more arousing than a seductive lap dance from any other person?

“You were acting like one.”

“Can you physically not swear?”

He found the idea that this woman, who was the ultimate contradiction, couldn’t let a single swear word past her lips. It made him want to make her lose control. The thought of the word fuck coming out of her mouth made him ache to make her scream it in his ear as he fucked her.

Snow raised her head in a haughty flick. “I can. I choose not to.”

“We’ll see.”

“Snow!”

Sebastian tensed, his hand on her thigh clamping down in an act of possession as Reaper walked into the room.

Snow made no move to get away but looked up with a smile for the arrogant Aussie. “What’s up?”

“It’s time to go. We just got word that those two idiots you shot last night were working for Patrick Dupont.”