Guilty As Sin (Sin Trilogy#2)

But Karma can’t be so easily placated. “There’s a lot of things we could blame your family for today.”

“Karma!” My aunt snaps out her name, but Karma’s face is still screwed up with anger.

“Then again, if Whitney doesn’t care that her parents are dead, why should we?”

Grief slices at me, which is certainly her goal. She just had to bring that up.

Another voice joins the fray before I can reply.

“I think we all have reasons to be sad today. I’m sorry our family histories are connected with tragedy.” McKinley Riscoff’s soft tone is filled with strength and carries the slightest hint of rebuke aimed at Karma.

“I need a nap. I’m tired.” Karma grabs each of her daughters by the hand and disappears inside the suite.

We all stand in awkward silence for a moment before Lincoln’s hand brushes mine as he steps beside me and looks from me to my aunt.

“I think we can agree that we all wish many things involving both our families would’ve happened differently. And most recently, we need to apologize for our mother’s behavior. She was out of line.” He glances at McKinley.

“I have a written apology from her to you, Ms. Gable.” McKinley pulls a small envelope out of her suit jacket pocket.

Aunt Jackie’s eyebrows shoot up, and I’m sure my face mirrors hers. “Did you hold her at gunpoint?”

McKinley’s laugh cuts through the tension in the air. I swear, I can almost feel Lincoln relax a few degrees beside me.

No. I shouldn’t be so in tune with his reactions. I don’t care about him anymore. Although I remind myself of the facts, my brain and body seem to have stopped communicating.

Jackie opens the note and scans the contents. “Well, those are words I never expected to read.”

“I hope you’ll accept my offer to return. We would really like to have you come back and work here.”

Jackie stiffens, and she’s quiet for a moment. “I would like to say no. More than anything.” She pauses and swallows. “But that’s my pride speaking, and surely it cost your mother even more of hers to write this note.”

“You could say that,” McKinley replies.

“Then I think I can be the bigger person and accept your offer. I’ve never had a problem with you, Ms. Riscoff, and I truly enjoyed working here.”

“Then we would be pleased to have you rejoin us as assistant day manager.”



Jackie’s expression betrays only the smallest hint of her excitement. “If your mother’s not going to have another heart attack because of it, I would like that.”

“Wonderful.” McKinley Riscoff’s smile is genuine. “If you’d like to come down to my office later today, we can go over the details, and you can meet with your new immediate supervisor.”

“Thank you, Ms. Riscoff,” Jackie says with a nod. “I appreciate the opportunity.”

“You earned it.”

“I should be going too.” Lincoln steps toward his sister, and I curse the fact that my body immediately registers the new distance between us. “If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to press the majordomo call button on your phone. Each suite has been assigned someone, and you’ll be in good hands.”



“And feel free to call for room service, use the spa, pool, fitness center, or anything else we have to offer,” McKinley adds. “We want to make sure you’re truly comfortable.”

I meet Lincoln’s gaze and choose the simplest response possible. “Thank you.”





13





WHITNEY





I FOLLOW Aunt Jackie into the suite she’s sharing with Karma and the girls. A quick glance around the space tells me it has three bedrooms and must take up a quarter of the floor.

“Is this really going to be okay with you?” I ask her.

Jackie spins around to look at me. “Are you serious, Whit? Do you have any idea where we are? The rooms on this floor are some of the most expensive in the whole country. I might have to swallow some pride, but when the options are this or dodging reporters on my front lawn, I’m not about to say no to living in luxury for a while.”

“I’m so sorry about that—”

She holds up a hand. “Don’t start apologizing for more stuff you didn’t do.”

The fact that my aunt doesn’t even question what’s going on reminds me that she’s been on my side for my whole life in a way no one else has ever been.

Before tears can start burning my eyes, I change the subject. “And the job? Are you sure you’re okay with that too?”

“More money, better hours, and more authority? I think I can handle it just fine.”

I look at the closed door that Karma must be behind. “And what about Karma?”

Jackie’s lips press together into a flat line. “I don’t know what it is this time with her, but I’m going to figure it out. I swear, that girl just doesn’t know how to be happy. I don’t know where I went wrong with her, but I’m damn sure trying to do better with my grandbabies.”



The closed door flies open, and I don’t even know why I’m surprised. Karma is the queen of shitty timing.

“If you’re going to talk about me, at least make sure I can’t hear you.”

“Were you listening at the door?” I ask her. “Because I thought you were napping.”

“The bed’s uncomfortable.”

I stare up at the ceiling, needing some kind of divine patience and finding none. “Seriously, Karma, for one freaking second, can you stop being so damn negative about everything?”

Her glare intensifies. “Why should I? To make you feel better about the fact that all our lives revolve around you and always have? Am I supposed to be happy you finally get something for spreading your legs for Lincoln Riscoff?”

“Karma!” Aunt Jackie snaps out her name.

I take a long look at my cousin. Her blousy shirt is wrinkled and dark circles line her eyes.

“I’m sorry for whatever I did to you. I’m sorry that I’ve interrupted your life. I’m sorry that because of me you’re forced to stay in the nicest place you’ve ever seen.”

“You’re not sorry for anything, Whitney. But you will be someday.” She shuts the door in our faces and disappears inside.



“I don’t know what I did to make her hate me so much.” I release a long sigh.

Jackie’s expression turns rueful. “I think you got the life she wanted—out of this town, with a man who wrote you love songs. She’s bitter because she feels like she never got what she deserved.”

“Too bad she’s got it all backward,” I say with a shake of my head.

Karma and Jackie have no idea that I wrote all those love songs myself, wishing someone would actually feel that way about me. But they don’t need to know.





14





WHITNEY





The past

“BABY, please. I know it’ll help. I swear. You’ve been keeping everything bottled up, and that’s not healthy. You won’t even talk to me.”

There were a lot of reasons I hadn’t talked to Ricky, and while the biggest one was that I was drowning in my own grief, I was also still fucking pissed at him.

But if he hadn’t cheated, I wouldn’t have met Lincoln.

Immediately, I wanted to slap myself for the thought.

Stop, Whitney. That doesn’t matter. It’s over. It never should have happened to begin with.

“Come on, Whit.” Ricky held a pencil near my hand and pushed a spiral notebook toward me. “Just start writing down words like you used to when we’d drive around. It doesn’t have to make sense now. You’ll fix it later.”

When he wrapped my fingers around the pencil, I squeezed it so tightly I thought the wood would snap, but it didn’t.

Because it wasn’t a pencil. It was a pen.

That’s how out of it I was. I couldn’t see anything clearly through my haze.

“Baby, I’m worried about you. You just need to let it all pour out of you. Music is the best way to do it. You know that’s what I did when I thought I lost you.”

When I thought I lost you?

Like it was past tense. Like he already had me back.

Does he? No one had consulted me in that decision—or had I been too out of it to realize that had happened too?