Page 35 of Sins and Virtue

Slowly I reached my hand out and took the lipstick from him; our fingers brushed, and an electric magnetism passed through us.

He helped me to my feet, still towering at least a foot over me. “You’re forgiven, but don’t do it again.” I slyly flirted.

“What’s your name?”

“Blair.”

“Blair,” he repeated, savoring my name with his tongue. “What are you doing here?”

“Just leaving.”

“Don’t.”

A sarcastic chuckle passed my lips. “I’m not sure I should.”

“Please, stay.”

“Who are you?” I bit my red-painted lip, purposely refocusing his attention as molten heat ran through my body, blurring every rational thought.

Knowing this could only lead to disaster.

Destruction. Devastation.

He takes my hand and places his lips on it. “Marcello Castillo at your service, munenca.”

“Ah,” blush tainted my cheeks as I played this cat-and-mouse game. “And what do you do, Mr. Castillo?”

“Yo soy todo, and todo me pertenece.” I am everything, and everything belongs to me.

He smiled so charmingly, never letting go of my hand that night.

And just like a devil dressed in a gentleman’s suit, he stirred me into a web of lies and trapped me there. There inside the citadel and the Cartel walls.

Until there was no running away.

I blinked, my vision falling into Konstantin’s midnight blue, and the darkness of danger flashed through them.

It felt like deja vu.

The room became small, everything caving in like a cage holding me prisoner as my knees could no longer support me and I caved.

And it felt like the world was coming crashing down.

“Blair!” Konstantin’s strained yell was too close to stray from. Heat brushed against my cheeks when I realized his strong arms wrapped around my waist, holding me up, close to his chest.

This man was everything I had run away from. Everything wrong for me. The nightmare that followed me.

Yet why did he feel so safe?

My throat went dry as I gathered some strength to speak. “Why does she want to speak to you?”

His features softened for a second as he glanced down at me. “I don’t know.”

I sighed, hating to leave destiny to the unknown. Hating myself for falling for the same lie. Hating myself for not changing.

My arms pushed against him roughly, wanting to get away from him.

He gripped me. “I swear I’m telling you the truth, kotyonok. I’ve been imprisoned for five years. At this point I have nothing left, so for her to come and offer me this opportunity was pure temptation and bait, but I don’t know what I can give her. There is nothing I can offer her.”