Page 30 of The Sinner’s Touch (Manwhore #2)
“His name was Matthew.”
“Matthew.” Viktor rolled the name around on his tongue. “It’s a good, strong name.”
“It was Angel’s father’s name. He and her mother died when she was fourteen.”
Nik hugged him. “We’ll do a memorial service for our nephew, unless you’ve already done one?”
Kade shook his head. “No. There wasn’t time, and the hospital…” He closed his eyes. “The hospital disposed of his body before we had a chance to make any decisions.”
“What the fuck?” Viktor muttered.
“Hospital policy. We never even got to hold him.”
“Fuck, man.” Viktor got up and came around to Kade’s other side, hugging him as well. “I’m so sorry. Kid’s right. We’ll do a small memorial service for Matthew once all this is over and done with. It’ll help you and Angel. Whatever you need, brat , we got you.”
“Now, why don’t you tell us everything from the beginning?” Nik asked, holding him as tightly as only his brother could. “It might help you get a handle on some of this grief. At least enough to convince your wife you’re worth a second chance.”
Kade sighed. There was no getting around this, and the kid might be right. So, he settled himself and launched into the whole story.
Angel paced back and forth across the living room, her anger hitting new heights. Sleeping? He’d been sleeping! While she sat out here and agonized over every minute of the last six years, the what-ifs torturing her. And he’d been sleeping!
Bastard.
“Are you okay?” Lily asked.
“Hell fucking no, I’m not okay. That…that…”
“If he’s even a tenth as bad as Nikoli, you probably want to wring his neck.”
“More like cut off his balls and feed them to him,” she muttered.
“Ouch.”
“Why are men so stupid?” She flopped down on the dry section of the couch. “Are they born with a stupid gene, or is it a learned trait?”
“I have no idea, but it would make for a great study.” Lily walked over and sat on the coffee table. “Or a good book.”
“Maybe we should have Dimitri write it.” Angel huffed out a long breath, trying to calm her temper.
“Dimitri?”
“The brother who writes romance novels.” She sat up and looked over at Lily. “Nikoli didn’t tell you?”
Lily shook her head, frowning. “No, he never said a word.”
“Kade said they all like to torment him for his chosen profession. He should be here sometime today.”
“Really?” Lily started twisting her fingers. She sounded anxious.
“You okay?”
“Me? Yes.”
“Then why are you mistreating your poor fingers?”
Lily looked down and let out a small chuckle. “I didn’t realize. I get anxious meeting new people, especially people who might want to touch me.”
Touch her? What was she talking about?
“I have a phobia of being touched,” she explained. “It used to be really bad until Nikoli. He helped me learn to deal with it. Before he came along, I couldn’t even hug my own mother or my little brother and sister. I’m not cured, but at least I can handle my family touching me now.”
That would explain the way Nikoli had come up behind her yesterday and waited a moment before he touched her.
“So, meeting his family has you nervous because they might want to hug you?”
“Yes.”
“Then talk to Nik about it. Have him explain it to them.”
“But I don’t want them to think I’m weird.”
“They won’t. You’re a good person, Lily. I barely know you, and I can see that. Anyone who doesn’t, well, they can just fuck right off. They aren’t worth your time.”
“I see why Nikoli likes you so much. You’re blunt and to the point.”
“He’s a good kid. I’m happy for you both.”
Lily blushed and stared at the ring on her finger. “I don’t know if agreeing to marry him was the right thing to do. It was spur of the moment right after the car crash.”
“Do you love him?”
“More than anything.”
“Then it’s the right thing to do. If he makes you happy, don’t worry about anything else. Life is short, Lily, and love is rare. That boy loves you. I see it every time he looks at you. Don’t doubt it. Just be happy.”
“What about you and Kade?” Lily leaned forward.
“The man who forgot he was married?”
“What?” Lily gasped. “He forgot?”
“Yup.” Angel snorted. “He forgot. Now he says he loves me, has always loved me. But if that’s true, how did he forget he was married?”
“Yeah, I’d be pissed too.” Lily looked so indignant it made Angel giggle. “So, what, he just expects you to forgive and forget?”
“In a nutshell, I think so. It’s not that simple, though. There’s a lot of pain there, on both sides.”
“I don’t know what happened between you two, but I’ll ask you the same question you asked me. Do you love him?”
She wished she could say no. It would be so much easier if she could, but she couldn’t. “Sadly, yes.”
“Then is it worth trying to sort through the pain to see if there’s something left?”
“I don’t know.” It was a question she’d asked herself all night.
“My mom is a huge believer in fate and true love. She says sometimes fate sets us down a path that will lead to what makes us the happiest but that, being human, we tend to fall off the road or sometimes get enticed down a side path. When we do stupid things like that, fate usually kicks us in the ass hard enough to land back on the right path.”
Was Lily really trying wise old lady wisdom on her?
“Look at me and Nikoli. We almost lost each other. He was a manwhore. Plain and simple. He threw women away like most people did leftovers. He didn’t respect them, and he had serious commitment issues.
I made the mistake of falling in love with the manwhore.
He broke up with me, and it nearly killed me.
We stayed away from each other. If it hadn’t been for me walking in on him at a party and seeing him groping some blonde, I would never have run away from him and gotten kidnapped.
His fear made him realize how much I meant to him.
We fell off the path. Whether his kick in the ass was me seeing him making out with another woman or the crazy guy who threw me in a trunk, I don’t know.
But fate got what she wanted.” Lily waved her ring finger at me. “We ended up on the right path.”
“So, you’re saying me seeing a serial killer is fate’s way of kicking me and Kade in the ass and putting us back on the path we fell off?” Oddly, it made sense. Weird and bizarre, but it made sense.
Lily shrugged. “Maybe. If you love him, then maybe give fate a chance. Would you be so upset and angry right now if there wasn’t something worth saving?”
“I should just forgive him and move on?”
“Hell no.” She looked affronted. “You’re right. Men are stupid and need to be taught a lesson sometimes. Make him work for it. You deserve some serious romancing. He did forget he was married, after all.”
He definitely deserved some payback.
Nikoli strolled out, and the smile that graced Lily’s face was all Angel needed to know how much the girl loved him. It was the same smile she used to give Kade when he walked into the room.
“We’re gonna take off, Angel. You and Kade need to talk, but I did get him to agree to dinner. Joe’s is a little Cuban place Lily and I go to a lot. Do you like Cuban food?”
“Yeah. We had some really good places down in Miami.”
“Great. I’ll text you guys to see what you want, and we’ll swing by and grab it. We should be back around five or so? Kade doesn’t want to go out yet, and I don’t blame him. Your safety is our main priority.” He held out his hand to help Lily up. “Viktor. Get your ass out here, and let’s go!”
Lily leaned down so only Angel would hear. “Feel free to use the closet to make him suffer.” When she pulled back, Angel laughed at the wicked glint in her eyes. She and this girl were going to be very good friends.
“What’s so funny?” Nikoli asked.
“Nothing.” Lily slipped on her coat. “We’ll see you both later.”
Nikoli stopped at the door and pulled her in for a hug.
He gave the tightest hugs of anyone she’d ever met.
When he let her come up for air, tears glittered in his eyes.
“I’m so, so sorry, sestra . I would have loved Matthew and spoiled him rotten.
I’m sorry we never got to meet him and that you’ve suffered all this time alone.
But no more. You have a family now. Family who will grieve with you and take care of you. ”
“Kid’s right.” Viktor hugged her when he tugged her away from Nikoli. “I’m sorry for your loss, sestra , but know we are here, and we’ll grieve right along with you.” He kissed her forehead.
Angel wasn’t sure what to say. They’d been in there a long time with Kade.
He must have told them about their son. They were honestly hurt at the loss of their nephew even though they’d only just found out about him.
But more than anything, they’d sounded sincere when they said she was family and they’d be there for her.
She’d been alone for so long.
She didn’t want to be alone anymore.
Angel locked the door behind them then leaned against it, staring at Kade, who had followed Viktor out to say goodbye to his brothers.
They stared each other down, one burning question on both their minds.
What the hell were they going to do?