Eden's Sin by Jakes Jennifer

Author:Jakes, Jennifer [Jakes, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-08-05T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Eden dropped the china pieces again. Oh, God. Sinclair had to have seen Floyd leaving. Had he seen her out back, talking to the Russell Brothers? A shudder ran the length of her body. If he had, she was as good as dead. What did they do with spies? Hanging? Prison, surely. Either way, Sophia’s life would be ruined.

Christ! She couldn’t confess. She wouldn’t.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Calmly she stood and wiped her hands. Thank God her skirt hid her shaking knees. A bluff. That was the only way out of this. She’d played cards with some of the best. High stakes games with the richest men in St. Louis and won. If she considered this no more than a game, she’d be fine. Thoughts of imprisonment, death, and worse, failing Sophia, were not an option.

Sinclair’s eyes narrowed and he stalked toward her. She raised her chin as if she had no fear, nothing to hide. As if nothing of consequence hung in the balance.

“I want to know why you didn’t tell me you no longer whore.”

“Oh.” Relief flooded her like strong whiskey. “I…well…”

“Then I want you to tell me what has you so upset that you think you have no choice about.”

Her stomach gave a sick lurch. What could she say?

Tell him. Ask him for help. No! God, no, she couldn’t do that. He’d been sent here to arrest the thieves. She was a conspirator, as guilty as the Russell Boys.

“As we discussed last night, everyone has old pain haunting them. Sometimes mine hurts worse than others. That’s all.” She forced a smile. “As for me not whoring, I doubt that I know everything about you. Do you expect me to be so forthright?”

He cocked his head, studying her. “No, but I don’t wear this uniform and pretend to be a soldier.”

“I’m not pretending to be anything. I used to whore. I told you that. In St. Louis.”

“But you don’t now.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Why?” She gave a brittle laugh. “Major, that story would take more time than you have.” Please go away before I puddle to the floor. Please don’t look at me like I could mean something to you. Please don’t give me hope where there is none.

“No. Actually, I have all night.” He slid his hat from his head and took off his wet uniform coat. “We can talk while I help you finish the dishes.” He nodded toward the sink.

He wasn’t going to give up. He was going to keep at her, keep asking and showing up here and smiling and being nice until she broke. Until she told him every sin she’d ever committed. Until he hated her.

Tears burned the back of her eyes. A wave of panic caught her, made her want to throw herself at his mercy, ask for help, expose the senator for what he was doing.

But the risk was too great. It wasn’t only her life hanging in the balance.

Sinclair stood, waiting, a patient smile creasing his face. And God help her, she really wanted to just give in and beg him to hold her.

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