Page 51 of Protected By the Sinner

“There’s nothing wrong with daisies. They just want to exist in peace.” She’s pulled the sheet up over her chest. It was around her waist before. It’s like she’s building a barrier between us.

That’s not her usual way. Amber’s never shy about showing herself to me, so I figure it’s the act of opening up that’s made her suddenly retreat.

“And your secret?” she asks.

“I didn’t find out I was adopted until I was an adult.”

She opens and closes her mouth. She wasn’t expecting that. I did it on purpose. “Why would you tell me something like that?”

“Because I wanted to.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be that deep.”

I pull her back into my arms and hold her face so she has to look at me. “We both know you said a lot more than just some stuff about flowers, Amber. I figured it was only fair to give you something just as real in return.”

Chapter 22

Days Later

“When do you think we’ll be able to see each other?” I ask my sister the moment she answers the phone.

I feel like a criminal sneaking around the house. As happy as I am with this phase of our lives—happier than I probably should be—I need some kind of deadline to keep both feet on the ground.

“I don’t know yet. I think it’s safer if we stay apart. I’m considering leaving the country.”

“What? Are you out of your mind? Leaving the country without me? With what passport?”

“If you can calm down, I’ll explain everything. He thinks I should stay away for a while. The men who took me are after me, Amber, not you. If you’re under Mr. LeBlanc’s protection,they’ll never touch you. As for the passport, my boyfriend is a powerful man. He managed to get me some documents.”

“With a fake last name?”

“No, with our real one.”

I ignore the passport part—right now, that feels like the least of our problems. “You think I’m safe with Beau? Have you forgotten that all of this started because of him?” I press. “They want something from him that we have no clue about.”

“They’re afraid of Mr. LeBlanc. That much I know.”

“I don’t want to keep up this charade anymore, Elodie. I’m starting to feel something for Beau, and even though I haven’t done anything to actually hurt him, I still feel guilty.”

“Are you in love with him?”

“What? Of course not!”

But even to my own ears, the words sound false. I don’t know if I’m in love, because I don’t let myself think about it too deeply, but I know for sure it’s more than just physical attraction.

“This has nothing to do with love. It’s about loyalty,” I add.

“I know. And I feel guilty too.”

“Not as guilty as I do. At least the guy you’re with knows the truth.”

She told me she opened up to Giancarlo about our past—which means I don’t even need to return the question about whether I’m in love with Beau, because she clearly is in love with her boyfriend. My sister is as guarded as I am, and she’d never share our horrible story unless it was with someone she really loved.

“He does know. I told him everything. And there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?

“Giancarlo is helping me dig deeper into our past, and he might’ve found something really important.”