Branded (Sinners, #1)

“It doesn’t involve me. It involves you.”


“No way, no more favors,” he says, raising an eyebrow.

“She’s never been on a date.” I hurry on before he can protest. “It’s something every girl dreams of. She needs to be swept off her feet.”

Ding. The elevator doors open and Zeus bolts into the hallway.

“You’re positively killing me. You know that, right?” Sarcasm boils over, but he gives in with his next breath. “I’m not very good at this sort of thing.”

“I highly doubt that,” I say, accidentally brushing his hand with mine. He pauses for a brief moment and his onyx eyes flash to his hand then jump to my eyes. Something bubbles up within me. It’s weightless and yet foreboding. Whatever passes between us in that moment runs deep. I clear my throat and knock on Sutton’s door.

“Come in,” he says. He speaks on the phone in a hushed tone. “Gotta go.” He hangs up, swivels his chair, and raises his eyebrows. “Now what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I spoke to Cole and he’s willing to stay.” Sutton looks at Cole and pauses while evaluating his face. “Wonderful. Just make sure—”

“It’s all right, sir. I already got the clearances from my superiors last night,” Cole says.

“Well, then I guess you should go see Alyssa. I won’t bother you unless I’m needed.” He dismisses us with his hand and begins dialing a number on his phone. “Oh, and, Cole, thank you. This little girl means a lot to me too.”



*



Alyssa musters as much excitement as she can. She falls in and out of sleep most of the day, but at eleven thirty p.m., she’s perky.

“Are you up for a visitor?” I ask her.

“It’s almost midnight, who’d visit me now?” she asks me with a suspicious smile. Her excitement makes me happy. Zeus’s nails click from behind the curtain and she tries to peek underneath.

“Ready?” I ask.

She nods, scrunching her eyebrows, and trying to figure out who’s hiding behind the curtain.

“Are you sure?” I stand at the curtain with my hand on it, waiting to reveal her surprise. I laugh at her impatient expression.

“You’re killing me… Just open it!”

I slide open the curtain with painstaking slowness, giggling as she gives me a dirty look. The candlelight hits them and Zeus bounds into the room without his manners, peeking up at her, resting on his front two paws and swiping her small hand with a giant slurp. Alyssa erupts into laughter.

“Hey,” Cole says as he follows behind Zeus.

I try to reply, but his appearance renders me speechless. He wears a pair of carpenter jeans that sit on his waist and a white collared shirt. It’s slightly wrinkled, but that doesn’t detract from how handsome he looks. The wind is sucked out of my lungs. I’m drawn to him, and I don’t like it. His clean appearance, sweet demeanor, and the fact that he nods and smiles at Alyssa with respect make my walls crumble a little. I almost want him to be here for me, not her, but I quickly shove those thoughts away. Thinking about it will only get me into trouble since it’s forbidden to even have these feelings.

What’s wrong with me? It’s too dangerous and he made it more than clear that I’m just part of his job.

He whispers, “Do I look all right? I wasn’t sure what to wear.” He puts his hands in his pockets and does a complete three-sixty.

His butt looks amazing in those jeans. I catch myself before my jaw hits the floor and arrange my face in what I hoped was a purely virginal appearance. Ugh, there I go again. “You look… nice,” I lie. He looks so handsome, but I don’t tell him.

“Then why are you blushing?”

“I’m not!”

“Okay, so when did you put a crap load of blush on?”

“I don’t wear makeup!”

His eyes linger for a moment and he smiles crookedly. “Yup, that’s why I know you’re blushing.” He laughs and I swat him. His hands move up in a surrender position as he backs away.

Is he really joking around with me? A smile stays plastered on my face, thinking about how sweet it is he showed up despite his reservations.

Then Zeus comes to my side, breaking the trance, and I look into his big brown eyes. “I guess you’re my date, boy. Hope you like my outfit.” I laugh at myself.

Cole stares at me. “Take good care of her,” he says to Zeus. My heart skips a hundred beats, startling me.

He looks away and sits next to Alyssa’s bed. “I’m Cole. Lexi told me all about you, and I couldn’t help but want to meet the girl she raves about. I was wondering if you’d do me the honor of going on a date with me?”

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