Read Deadly Sin (Cassandra Farbanks) for Free Online Page A

writing careful instructions on the label. I took another wide arc around the body, edging closer to the hall door.
    “I need some air,” I said nonchalantly, making a beeline for the exit and snatching up my clutch as I passed it. I was outside before I realized Hamilton had followed me out. I leaned against one of the columns and breathed in the late October air.
    “So how was the wedding?” he asked, smiling once again at my bridesmaid dress. So we were going to be social now. Alright, I could play along.
    “It was a wedding. There was a church, some vows, a wedding dinner and some dancing. I understand that’s typical of weddings.”
    “You’ve never been to a wedding before?” he asked surprised.
    “No. My mom was my only family. I’ve seen them on TV and in movies, but I can hardly trust that to be stereotypical. TV tends to exaggerate.”
    “I’ve noticed. And Rourke was there?”
    “Yeah. LeBron invited her, I can imagine only out of some strange sense of duty. She was behaving herself and holding up a wall when I left.”
    “That sounds like Sam,” he chuckled softly. “She can be very sentimental, probably why she agreed to go.”
    “I’ll have to take your word on that. I can’t imagine Rourke with a soft side.”
    “She can be incredibly soft and gentle,” he said, his eyes glazing as he rooted about deep in his memories. “But she changed, as all people do. Some of that was my fault I guess.” Rourke and Hamilton were lovers in the past. I stared at him as he shook his head, clearing away the fog of memory.
    “I’ve always wanted to ask you about you and her.”
    “It was a long time ago.”
    “Not that long if you both hurt so much still.” He looked at me in denial that the breakup had hurt him at all. For all Hamilton’s bravado, I knew he wasn’t the asshole he made himself out to be. I crossed my arms over my chest. My look told him I didn’t buy it. He sighed.
    “She was a young detective, made me chase her for a year before she would agree to have coffee with me. Coffee turned into dinner. Later dinner became much more. She liked to keep control and she couldn’t control me, couldn’t control how I made her feel. So it started to go south. I’m kind of a private man and she started sticking her nose into places it didn’t belong. Trying to rake up things from my past that are best left alone. It…” he took a deep breath, “hurt me, so I hurt her and that’s what our relationship devolved into. One giant pissing contest.”
    “I did notice that part.”
    “The sex was always great though.” I doubled over a little and dry heaved.
    “Oh I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.” He laughed a loud, head back, deep-throated chuckle. A warm hand touched my arm and I turned to look into DJ’s face. He looked concerned.
    “Are you alright Cassandra?” I looked down at my body. I was clutching my stomach in pain.
    “I’m perfectly fine,” I said with a slightly annoyed voice, straightening up to my full height. I stared at his hand, waiting for him to remove it. Hamilton looked DJ up and down and DJ returned the visual assessment. Hamilton turned his eyes back to me.
    “This your new man?”
    DJ said yes as I said no. I glared at the werewolf, letting a confused silence fall and warned him not to speak with my finger.
    “No,” I clarified to Hamilton and turned on DJ. “I thought I told you to go.”
    “And still I say how would you get back without me?”
    “I’ll learn to fly,” I growled at him. It sounded childish, but it was possible that I might learn. Virginia said so. Virginia Toogood, once my mentor, I was not speaking to now. I was very angry at her for keeping secrets from me about what I am, what my mother was.
    DJ crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a disapproving look.
    “Stop being an ass and get in my car. It’s not exactly warm out here and you didn’t bring a coat.” I opened my mouth to argue, and then closed it again.