Page 53 of A Taste like Sin

and rented out the entire zoo for my enjoyment. No matter how hard I try, I can’t reconcile that man

with the monster all facts point to him being. “How could he—”

“If it is any consolation, there may be one way for you to find some ounce of closure.” He slips a

hand into the pocket of his coat and withdraws, of all things, a slim, pink book. Stickers coat the

cover in a mockingly colorful collage given the morbid topic of conversation—and something tells

me it’s not his. It looks old and well worn, swollen with crinkled, written-on pages. “Lynn McKelvy

kept a journal that her sister salvaged from her belongings. At my request, she’s loaned it to me. Do

you want it?”

I force my fingers to uncurl, gripping the end of it. Overall, it’s barely the width of my palm, yet it

feels so weighty in my grasp. Balanced on my lap, I don’t know if it’s a gift.

Or a curse.

“Thank you—”

“I would caution you not to. At least not yet.” He stands, finding his cane. “But I hope it brings you

some measure of comfort.”

“Have you read it? I mean, had Julio read it to you?”

A muscle in his jaw lurches and I marvel at that. Not smugness for once. Unease? “No,” he says.

“Why not?”

Men like him don’t relinquish knowledge so easily. Lynn could have written about the menial ins and

outs of her daily life—or Simon.

Yet he’s given it to me first.

“Thank you.”

“I have business I need to attend to,” he says, heading for the door, his cane in hand. “I’ll return later.”

“I should go home anyway,” I say, standing as well. “I appreciate you letting me stay here—”

“Oh, that is right. We never did clarify this one, small matter.” He inclines his head, displaying that

dangerously charming smile. “I will continue to uphold my end of our bargain, but in return, you fulfill

one daily task for me, ¿sí?”

A shiver runs down my spine as I force myself to reply. “Oh? Like what?” It’s chilling how quickly he

can turn the tables. I never know what to expect from one minute to the next. Charming Damien?

Mocking Damien? Disarmingly gentle Damien?

“You sleep here for as long as this arrangement persists. Though I will remind you that you’ve already