Page 22 of The Ecstasy of Sin

I watch as the doctor injects something else directly into her IV port. “I’ve given you a pretty strong migraine cocktail, and the fluids should help you get back on your feet quickly.”

“Thank you. I’ve been having the most intense migraines lately.”

He tosses the needle into the sharps bin before turning towards her, crossing his arms over his chest. “You really should consider getting on a preventative medication if your attacks are this severe.”

A beautiful blush spreads across her pale face, all the way down her neck. “I have one, I just… haven’t been able to get a refill.”

His attention shifts to the empty bottle I left beside her bag. He picks it up to read the label. “I’ll get this refilled for you. I have extra large bottles in stock, so it will last you the rest of the year.”

Her blush only deepens, “Oh, I’m sorry. I—” She stops mid-sentence. Her eyes flick to me. I recognize the shame that spreads like wildfire across her face. “I can’t afford that right now. In fact, I can’t afford any of this unless it’s covered by the province.”

Dr. Denton waves her off, turning away from her with the bottle in hand to head back into his pharmacy. “Dominic has covered your medical expenses today.”

Her surprised expression falls to me, and the look I find there rattles me to the core.

“Oh, wow. Thank you,” she whispers.

She’s looking at me like I’m some kind of hero. She doesn’t realize she just thanked the devil for his mercy.

CHAPTER 6

Wren

Ican’tbelievehepaid my medical bill.

Just the prescription alone, at the dosage I need, costs nearly three hundred dollars.

I stare at Dominic, unsure of what to say, and completely in awe of his generosity for someone he doesn’t know, who barged into his appointment uninvited.

I’ve only had someone pay for my medication once before, when he overheard me asking a pharmacist how many pills my twenty dollar bill would get me. I pleaded with the older man not to do it, but he swiped his card, taking away my right to refuse.

I felt so guilty, despite being extremely thankful, that I promised myself I wouldn’t let it happen again. This was my burden to carry, and I didn’t want anyone else trying to shoulder it for me.

To make matters worse, he followed me outside and cornered me behind the pharmacy. He told me I could repay him with my mouth, and warned me that if I didn’t do it, he would tell the police I stole from him.

Young and terrified, I had dropped to my knees in that filthy corridor between the pharmacy and the train station, and given him what he demanded.

I haven’t trusted anyone since. Everything always comes with a price.

My expression shifts, the fear and shame coming back with the unwanted memory. Dominic notices it immediately. Something dark passes over his face, but it’s gone just as quickly as it came. The shift was so fast, I wonder if I imagined it.

“Thank you, sir, but I’m afraid I can’t pay you back,” I confess, my voice small—so small it brings a flush of shame to my cheeks.

I wish I were more like my mother, with her fiery and bold presence, the kind of woman who made no apologies for taking up space.

The truth is, when you’ve been pressed against the grindstone hard enough, for long enough, there is no putting back all the pieces of you that life has worn away.

People want to believe you can survive anything if you just try hard enough, but not all of us are built to survive the cruel hand we’ve been dealt.

The look in Dominic’s eyes is too much. That unfairly beautiful, piercing emerald stare feels as though it is stripping me bare and uncovering all of my disgraceful secrets.

I drop my eyes to my lap, where my fingers are fidgeting like they always do when I’m unraveling.

He steps toward me, his formidable presence invading my space. His inked right hand presses against the side of my face, drawing my eyes back to his.

I still can’t get over how insanely attractive this man is, especially with him so close—his intoxicating scent filling my hypersensitive nose.

“You owe me nothing,” he promises, his voice so low it rumbles from him like quiet thunder. The soothing sound of his voice, and the comforting warmth radiating off his body, feels like protective blanket wrapping around me.