Page 45 of Sin (Salvation #1)

Sin

I hit post on the video, and within a minute, major news feeds are picking it up. I turn my notifications back on, and several messages come through.

The first one is from Evan Kelly telling me I did a great job on my post. He also says his hacker found some information, and that he’ll call me later with the information once he’s pieced it together.

There’s one from Cassidy, telling me he aced both his tests. Of course, he did. I’m gonna have a really nice time rewarding him for his accomplishments later.

Then there’s one from Mercer telling me there has been a change of plans. Cassidy’s mother needed him, so they’re swinging by the house to see if she’s all right.

Fuck no! I call Mercer’s phone immediately, but there’s no answer. Then I call Cassidy’s, but again, no answer.

My phone beeps again. It’s Gideon. He’s sending me a video.

I open it to find a shaky feed of Cassidy on the floor, his chest heaving as he tries to offer first aid to Mercer, who I think may have been shot.

In the background, I can hear Gideon’s voice delivering one of his hellfire sermons on the wages of sin.

I share the video with Oliver and Hirsh, and am in my SUV racing toward Cassidy before the video finishes sending.

Oliver calls me immediately. I hit accept on my steering wheel and his rough voice fills my vehicle.

“Let the police handle this, Sin,” he bellows.

“The way to get Cassidy and Mercer out of this situation alive is to let the professionals handle this.”

He's wrong. They don’t know Gideon. The police aren’t willing to give up their own life to make sure my father doesn’t murder another person I love. I am.

I hang up on him and turn off my phone. I don’t need the distraction of Oliver trying to convince me I’m doing the wrong thing. I need to figure out how I’m going to save my lover and my best friend.

I can hear sirens in the distance by the time I pull up to the house.

Good. I’ll need them if my plan goes off the way I want it to.

I drive around the back of the house and watch the video one more time to make sure I know precisely where Cassidy and Mercer are in the room.

I put the Land Rover in first gear, aim for the large, glass bifold door my father replaced the French doors with on his last remodel, and put my foot down on the accelerator as far down as it will go.

There’s a massive crash and the sound of twisting metal as the Land Rover makes it halfway into the great room before the back end catches on the supporting beam and comes to a halt.

My airbag deploys, but I’m ready for it, pulling a hunting knife out of my console and cutting myself out of it and the seat belt with a few, sure strokes of the blade.

A hazy mist fills the air as the small fire in the engine and the gas from the punctured airbag fill the room. I bring up my henley over my mouth so I can breathe, and look for Cassidy and Mercer through the haze.

I rush toward them, but just as I’m about to reach them, I see Gideon pinned under the back tires of the Land Rover.

I kneel down and am disappointed he’s still breathing.

The hand holding the knife I’d used to slash the airbags moves to Gideon’s neck.

It would be so easy. I bet I could even make it look like an injury he received in the crash.

The tip of the blade digs into his skin.

He killed my mother. He tortured me every day of my young life.

I’m not sure what state Mercer and Cassidy are in because of him.

He deserves to die. My hand moves to finally end him.

And then I see a vision of Cassidy smiling at me and giggling at some teasing remark I made. Would he smile that same way at me if I went through with this? Would his voice carry the same absolute certainty when he said he loved me?

Killing him isn’t worth that cost. He isn’t worth it. I throw the knife across the room and get up to find Cassidy.