The Sinners - Ruby Vincent Page 0,6

You, Rio, are laying his path, and to choose another, he’ll have to fight you. Make you bleed. And one day, you’ll be the one too weak to hang on.

“Aurora deserved more than me. Eli and I deserved more than my parents. And Royal deserves more than you.”

Rio was expressionless through my speech. “I owe you an apology, Ember. You are far from a child. You’re burdened by inexperience, immaturity, and naiveté, but not, it’s clear, by lack of intelligence. The longer I’m in your presence you prove yourself worthy of the title—the first Horsewoman.”

My stomach growled on rising bile. Three guns and two men between us and still I considered making him choke on that title.

“Tell Jay what you’d like, dear girl. You must be hungry.”

He almost sounded like he cared.

Well, if he’s content to play this game, so am I.

“I want the portobello mushroom carpaccio from Rosario’s. Hold the arugula and get the dressing on the side. Also, the frozen hazelnut souffle from Chez Lacroix and to drink, Jamaican cream soda.” I smiled. “I’ll let you figure out where to get that.”

Jay frowned, glancing at his boss.

“Excellent taste,” said Rio. “I’ll have the same.”

Jay wasn’t prepared to argue with him. He left and it was just the two of them against us three.

But is it? Clay and Cas have their reasons for being in the gang and their beating doesn’t change them.

That they cared about me couldn’t be denied, but there was a more than strong chance I stood opposite Rio alone.

Rio closed his eyes, signaling the end of our chat. He asked me if I had faith in his son, but I wondered if he did. Was he securely awaiting the call saying everything was handled, or preparing himself to put a bullet in my skull once and for all?

No clock to back me up, but the ravenous gnawing in my stomach told me hours had passed since Jay went off for food. My fault for sending him all over town. Rio let me leave the room once, escorted by his final man, to go to the bathroom. I returned and resumed the quiet vigil, waiting for the phone to ring.

Jay eventually stormed in, irritation etched in his face, tossing takeout bags on my lap and greasy wrapped burgers at the triplets. He wiped the annoyance away as he set out his boss’s food on the desk.

“Do you want some of mine?” I asked Cassius and Clay.

It was insult to injury to hand them limp meat and soggy buns after what they put them through. Jay couldn’t be bothered to get them a drink. They didn’t deserve to be punished in the first place, so why should it continue?

“I’m good, baby,” said Cas. “Chino makes the best burgers in the OB.” He nodded at Jay. “Thanks, man.”

The guy grunted in reply.

He was thanking him? A plain function of the gang’s dynamic and one I couldn’t understand. Cassius said he could take a beating but who would be doling them out besides the gang. He may even give them back just as hard. Was everyone in this room really going to go on about their lives after today like nothing happened?

Except for me.

My favorite meal was sawdust on my tongue. The mushrooms were chewy gum paste. The crunchy, chocolatey hazelnuts gagged me. I barely tasted the mingling of flavors. If anything, this meal was making me sick.

I sucked it down anyway. Eating took my mind off the internal clock ticking away the seconds of my life.

Eli is going to be stuck with my aunt and uncle for four years— No, he’ll be stuck in the academy for four years with them taking full advantage of the year-round option. Then he’ll be on his own until his trust fund comes through.

I should have found a way to prevent this. At some point since I became entangled with the Horsemen, there was a right turn to take me away from all of this and I didn’t take it. I could blame Rio, Royal, the Angels, or my parents all I wanted, but it wouldn’t change the fact that Eli depended on me and I wouldn’t be there for him. I’d carry the shame of that until I died, which wouldn’t be long now.

Setting my empty containers on the floor, I leaned onto the thin cushion and adopted the same position as Rio. I was out of distractions. Let the demons pour in.

“Ah, here we go. Good news for me, son?”

My