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I OPEN MY eyes and don’t feel like I’m dying, so that’s a plus. Not my normal self, but better than I remember.
Rolling over, the curtains allow a soft glow into the dark room, and I see Sin is lying next to me, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. He’s sleeping. I’m so confused where he came from. How I got home. And why he’s still here. Shouldn’t he be with Amelia? And where did Chance go? Did I imagine him being here in this room with Tyson and the doctor? No, it was real. Chance reminded me exactly what my life will be like once he marries me—hell.
Sitting up, I look over at the nightstand to see an empty bottle of water. My mouth is so dry, I need something to drink. Getting to my feet, I wobble a little before getting my balance under control. I open the bedroom door and make my way down the hallway, using my hand on the wall. There’s a throbbing sensation right behind my eyes and I feel nauseous.
Entering the kitchen, I open the fridge and grab a water. When I shut it, I see a figure standing over in the corner and I scream, my heart racing and causing me to sway on my feet.
“Elli?” I hear Sin call out before rushing into the kitchen. He flips on the light, and I turn to face him to see he’s wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and holding a gun in his right hand. “What’s wrong?” he asks, his hard chest heaving at his heavy breathing. His eyes dropping to my bare legs, making sure I’m physically okay as they quickly run up over the T-shirt of his I’m dressed in.
“I saw someone.” I turn around to point them out, but my breath gets lodged in my throat. He moves out of the corner, stepping toward us and I take one back, matching it. I bump into Sin, and it makes me yelp in surprise.
“Elli—”
I turn to face Sin once again. “I’m hallucinating,” I rush out.
He places his gun on the counter and cups my face in both of his warm hands. I’m trembling, trying to catch my breath. Heart still pounding and that throbbing sensation behind my eyes now intensifies. “What’s wrong with me?” I whisper.
His blue eyes soften as they roam my face. “You’re fine, Elli.”
I lick my lips. “No. I went to a party … did drugs.”
He sighs heavily. “I know and we’ll talk about that later, okay?” One hand releases my cheek to push hair from my face.
My legs are shaking. To the point my knees are knocking into one another. “Sin, I’m seeing … things.” My throat closes up on me. What did I take? How long have I been out? Is Sin even here? Am I dreaming?
“Take in a deep breath,” Sin says, doing so himself, hoping I’ll follow.
I don’t. Instead, my shaking hands come up to wrap around his wrists and I close my eyes tightly, hoping that when they open, I’ll be lying in bed by myself. And this will be a nightmare. Maybe it’s a bad trip.
“Elli?” Sin barks my name, and my eyes spring open to see him still holding on to me. “Take a breath. You’re okay.”
I shake my head the best I can as tears start to sting my eyes.
“It’s true, princess,” the man speaks behind me, and a whimper escapes my parted lips.
Sin nods his head at me as if to give me encouragement and then lets go of my face, placing them on my shoulders and turning me around. I stare wide-eyed at a set of blue eyes I haven’t seen in years. He doesn’t look the same, but I’d recognize him anywhere. “D-dad?”
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
SIN
NICHOLAS ASHER TAKES a step closer to us and she takes another back, stepping out of the kitchen. His eyes go to mine and then back to her.
“No,” she whispers. “I saw you … you were dead.”
“Ellington,” he says her name and another whimper comes out of her trembling lips.
She wraps her arms around her waist. “I found you.” He runs a hand through his hair at her words. “I held your body.” She takes another step back, eyes on the floor, unable to look at him. “You’re dead. Have been for years.”
His jaw sharpens and he looks to me. I glare at him. I don’t know the story as to how he’s alive and standing here in the kitchen either. I just know what Ryat had overheard while he was on his assignment and that if the rumor was true, Tyson knew where he was—Carnage.
The Spade brothers dropped him off two days ago, but I’ve spent all of my time with Elli. She finally stopped vomiting around midnight last night and was able to get some rest. I woke alone in bed to her screaming.
“Let’s sit down, okay?” I turn to look at her. “There’s a lot we need to talk about.” I’m not just meaning her father coming back from the grave.
A tear runs down her cheek, but she nods. I take her hand and grab my gun off the counter with my free one. Making our way to the living room, she and I sit down on the couch. Her father takes the seat across from us.
I don’t miss the way she pushes herself closer to me. Her bare leg touching mine. I grab the blanket off the back and place it over us since she’s in a T-shirt of mine and I’m only wearing boxers.
“Elli—”
“Nicholas.” The way she says his name is so cold, detached. She’s putting up all her walls, confused and hurt. She feels she’s been lied to all these years. I get it. I didn’t expect this to be easy. Not after everything she’s been through.
His jaw sharpens at the use of his name. “It’s weird you not calling me Daddy. Guess you’re not twelve anymore.”
A sob escapes her lips, and she places her hand over her mouth, eyes dropping to her lap.
He looks at me, brow arched.
“One thing at a time,” I growl. “How the fuck are you alive?” I demand, wrapping my arm round her shoulders and pulling her into my side. My free hand holds my gun resting on top of the blanket. I understand he’s her father, but I’m also aware he’s been MIA for nine years. I don’t know if that’s by choice or something he planned.
He runs a hand through his hair. “You don’t die at Carnage unless the Spade brothers are done with you,” he states.
“How did you survive hanging yourself?” Elli asks, her voice soft and eyes still downcast, looking at her shaking hands on her lap. “You were … cold,” she adds softly.
“Jesus, Elli. Do you really think I tried to kill myself?” he barks out.
She lifts her eyes to look at him through her lashes. “I was the one who found you. I lay there on the floor with your dead body for over an hour. You. Were. Dead.”
He shakes his head. “I was set up.”
“How were you set up for suicide?” I wonder. I mean, it’s not impossible. Look what Holland tried to do to Elli, but the Nicholas situation is a little different. No drugs were involved. Not that I know of anyway.
He leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “Someone did die that day, but it wasn’t me. It was Nathaniel.”
I frown, Elli remains silent.
“Nathaniel was my twin brother.”
I sit up straighter. “You don’t have a twin brother.” I would know that. Our families grew up together and I would have remembered that.
“I did.” He nods. “My father had an affair on his Lady and got my mother pregnant. My father took me, let our mother keep my brother. When I was of age, I went into initiation. Wanting to be a Lord. I had found my brother and reached out, but he didn’t want anything to do with it.” He shrugs. “My father wanted nothing to do with him. He was shunned by my father and my mother who raised me. But he was in my life. A lot, actually. He was always needing money, bailed out of situations that he couldn’t afford to do himself. Of course, not many knew he existed. But he was killed to make it look like I committed suicide. And I was handed over to Carnage.”