A Beautiful Sin (26 page)

“Aunt Kathy, can you hear me? Are you okay in there?” I pounded on the door. When she didn’t answer, I was about to go to get the key hidden out back, but I heard the lock turn, and the door opened a crack.

“Haven, go away.”

“Aunt Kathy, what’s wrong?”

Her voice sounded off. Not exactly weak, but not herself either.

“Just go home. You can come back another time.”

“Are you sick?”

“No, I’m fine.” She definitely did not sound fine.

“Please, let me in. I’m worried about you.”

“No, just leave, please.”

“I don’t understand.” I peeked in the crack and it was so dark inside. She had all the curtains drawn and it looked like she didn’t have any lights on. “Aunt Kathy, if you’re not feeling well, I can at least call the doctor for you.” I think I still had Wilson’s card. It might be a little awkward, but I didn’t care. This was my aunt that was ill.

“I’m not sick.” Her voice was low, but when I thought it through, she didn’t sound ill. She wasn’t short of breath and wheezing like she did when she was in bad shape.

“Then what is it?” And suddenly I knew. I just knew. “Aunt Kathy, open this door. Now. Or I’m pushing it down. I mean it.”

She opened it wide enough for me to enter. It was so dark that I couldn’t see her, so I hit the light switch on the wall and the room brightened. When I got my first glimpse of her, I saw red. Fury built in me to the point I almost screamed.

“When? When did he do this?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m fine.”

“Bullshit. This matters and you are clearly not fine. You can barely speak. Your face is so swollen, I…” My hands went up in the air. I’d had it with him. He was a monster and could not keep getting away with hitting women. I pulled my phone out and started snapping pictures.

“What are you doing?”

“Building an evidence file to use against him. He is such an asshole.”

Aunt Kathy could barely walk to the sofa. He must’ve done a number on her. I gave her time to sit and collect herself.

“Will you tell me?”

“He came home from being out with the guys. He doesn’t like the fact that I’m sick. And it escalated from there.”

What a piece of shit. He takes his anger out on a sick woman? I paced the room as she sat. My anger was front and center, obliterating any words of comfort that I should’ve been offering her. Mumbling several choice curse words and every nasty thing I could call him, I decided it was time to call a spade a spade. This bullying of his had gone on long enough.

I dropped to my knees in front of Kathy. “I care about you too much to see you hurt like this. I have a question for you. Have you been to the doctor since this happened?”

She shook her head. I didn’t think she’d go. “I’m taking you Monday. You’re not as strong as you once were, even though you’re feeling much better. I know you’re going to balk at this, but you need to get checked out. I’ll see that you do.”

When I stood up, she asked, “Where are you going?”

“To find him. Where did he go?”

“Out with the guys, I’m sure.”

“Does he still go to the same hangouts he used to?”

“Haven, I don’t know because I don’t care. But don’t you go chasing after him. It’ll only anger him more.”

“He’s always angry at something, but he shouldn’t be taking it out on you.” I kissed her cheek and left.

His favorite hangout, or at least what I hoped was still his number one place to go, was only a few blocks away, so I hoofed it over there. With each step, I got more pissed off at him. What a prick he was to beat my aunt in her condition. Who did shit like that?

When I opened the doors, the place was almost empty and dim. The room was long and narrow, and in the back were a pool table and several dart boards. A group of guys were shooting pool. I imagined they were friends of Kent, so I steered clear. Instead, I sat down at the front near the door so I could make a hasty exit after I spoke my piece. My angry piece, that was.

Needing some liquid courage to face the devil, I ordered up a shot of Absolut. When the bartender delivered my goods, I tossed it back and let the liquor warm my guts. Thrumming my fingers on the wooden bar, edginess seeped into each of my nerve endings, making me jittery. As soon as the bartender turned my way, I held up a finger and ordered another shot. The bravado I’d felt in front of Aunt Kathy was leaking away, and I needed to plug the hole before I lost my nerve completely. The man handed me my second shot and it landed where the first one had gone. Patience wasn’t in the cards, so I found myself ordering a third. If this shit didn’t kick in soon, my ass would be scooting out the door before I did anything with the bully Uncle Kreep. After my third shot, I began to calm down, but when my nerves fled, so did my courage. I second-guessed my motives and realized that if I confronted Kent, he may very well take it out on Kathy. The last thing Kathy needed was another beating.

My decision made, I needed to hightail out of Kentland. I was settling up my tab when the door opened and in walked the demon himself.

“What the hell are you doing here? You trying to pick up some of my guys, whoring around my bar?” His sneer derailed me as I was just finishing up closing out my bill.

“What? No!”

“Yeah, right. You’re just like your mom. Always acting like she was a goody two shoes when she was putting out all over the place. Like mother, like daughter. Two slutty peas in a pod.”

The anger that had fled instantly returned. “How dare you talk about me? Why don’t you tell everyone here what you did to your wife?”

His eyes darkened and his sneer only grew.

“What are you going to do? Spout drunken lies?”

Meaty fingers clamped around my arm and he dragged me further into the bar. And worse, no one stopped him. I managed to dig in my heels before he took me down the secluded hallway ahead.

“Is this how you treat women?”

“Not women, only drunken little lying sluts like you.”

A voice rang out behind him. “What’s going on here?”

I sighed, finding faith that maybe he wouldn’t get away with his treatment of me.

“Kent, does she need a little time in the drunk tank?”

My eyes opened as wide as my jaw dropped. His grin only widened.

I pulled free from his grasp, slapping his hands away as he tried to get a hold of me again.

“That appears to be assaulting a police officer to me,” another man behind him said.

They were going to arrest me. I took off for the hall and found a bathroom. I turned the lock on the door as Uncle Kent laughed on the other side.

“You have to come out sometime.”

More laughter rang out. I slid my back down to the dirty floor, knowing if he wanted in, he would kick in the door. He’d proved that to me before. With shaky hands, I made the call and begged Canaan to come get me.

The alcohol rang through my veins like liquid flame. My heart pounded in my chest when I pushed through the doors of the bar, a man on fire.

Faces, too many, stared at me as I glared back until I found the one I sought. Dressed in his uniform, I was glad I still wore my collar. We would see which was mightier.

I barreled forward and stood toe to toe with the monster who dared to smile.

“Father Canaan, I wonder what brings you here,” he smirked.

My hands curled in fists, and for a second, the desire to show him what it was like to be struck consumed me. But a quick inner prayer for strength of character held me back.

“Where is she?”

He laughed. “A priest. I should have guessed.”

I shouldn’t have played into his hands.

“Guessed what?” I snapped.

“Guessed like her mother she whores her way into making a man want her, even supposedly the best of men.” He downed the contents of his glass.

“I can’t begin to untwist your mind. Just tell me where she is.”

He tipped his head back and laughed. “Or what?”

His words slithered off his tongue like the beast of hell and they’d found their match. “Or I shall bring you down with God’s wrath,” I hissed, not caring who heard, but not yelling the words either.

He leaned in and whispered, “God’s wrath?” He chuckled. “Bring it on. You’re in a cop bar and I’m a cop. You may be a man of the cloth, Father,” he scoffed and gestured to the room. “But I am their brother in arms.”

With all eyes on us in our quiet standoff, his hand moved to the weapon on his hip.

Words left my lips like a prayer or maybe a promise. “You don’t scare me, Kent. You may like scaring your wife and your niece with your bullying tactics, but I have God on my side. And no weapon formed against me shall prosper.”

In the silence around me, I heard a door open. I glanced up to see Heaven. I blinked, because it was Haven. I moved around Kent as she plowed into my chest. Her body shook with sobs.

“Come on, let’s go.”

I tucked her against my side where she fit snug to me. We marched for the door and I dared any man to cross my path in that moment. There was no way God would condemn me if I had to defend myself or the woman on my arm. We’d almost made it out the door, but he had to have the last word.

“This isn’t over, Haven. Not by a long shot.”

She tried to tug out of my arm, but I kept her close and headed outside.

Haven

The fresh air was a welcome reprieve, but I still wanted to yell and scream at the men and women who’d stayed quiet while my uncle terrorized me. They had to see it wasn’t right. Yet, they’d done nothing to help.

We’d made it a block away when Canaan stopped and faced me.

“Why would you go there?”

I’d never seen him angry, so I stopped, stunned by the rage displayed on his body. Eyes that had turned the color of a stormy sea were even more pronounced by muscles that stood so rigid I feared they would rupture. The set of his mouth alone was enough to frighten me, and the only thing comforting me was I knew I was safe because it was Canaan. I rubbed my arms feeling small and stupid for what I’d done.

He closed his eyes and turned toward the store we were in front of. His fist hit the stone with so much force, I grabbed his hand knowing what I’d find.

“Your knuckles—they’re bleeding.”

Green eyes churned with deep emotion. My mouth hung open, faced with it. I pulled my shirt free to use the end of it to dab at his wounded hand.

“We should get you home. I’m in no condition to drive you. Can you call a cab?” he asked.

I nodded, fumbling in my purse for my phone when the skies opened up. Rain poured down in sheets without a second’s warning. A warm hand found mine and then we were racing through the streets. We ended up down the path behind the church that led to the rectory.

Soon we were inside and the sudden chill in the air caused shivers to overtake me.

“Let’s get you dry.”

I followed him into a familiar room and stopped short. I didn’t remember being brought into Canaan’s room before. I’d only woken up in it. It was such a simple place with a small bed and chest of drawers. As I tried to recall distant memories, a towel was draped over my shoulders. Canaan moved to the chest as I clasped it around me and stood as if I were naked. And I did feel naked, especially when Canaan, with his back to me, pulled off his shirt.

“Father Cernak?”

It was all I could muster as I saw his back. I felt choked seeing his was marked with scars much like my own. I couldn’t breathe and I knew it wasn’t proper for me to be here. And I didn’t want Canaan in trouble.

He turned, and God damned me because he was a study of perfection, even more so than I had dreamed. Every muscle of his was defined down to the V that dipped past the waistband of his pants.

“He’s out for the night.”

A shirt covered him far too soon for my liking as he sensed my penetrating stare. Then he reached in the drawer and pulled out other things. He stood before me, hands filled with articles of clothing, and I couldn’t think beyond the lust and questions that saturated my brain.

“You should change out of your wet clothes. These will be too big for you, but they are all I have.” That was an understatement as he towered over me and handed me some clothes. “I’ll be in my office.”

He practically ran out of the room, leaving me to watch his retreat. But I’d seen his eyes on my lips and felt his struggle as much as my own against the attraction we had for each other.

Canaan

With shaky hands, I poured myself a double. My bloody knuckles were a reminder that I needed to get Haven out of here. At the same time, she was someone in need. I could overcome the overwhelming desire to touch her and counsel her on her unwise choice to confront her uncle. No doubt the little spitfire had done exactly that. But why? And why had she gone there alone?

The movement of fabric warned me of her presence as she came into the room. I grabbed another glass and poured her a drink.

Turning, I was struck by seeing her in my clothes. They swallowed her, hanging off her smaller frame awkwardly. Only it made me want to know what was underneath that much more. I’d seen pictures of unclothed women, paintings of the human form when I’d studied art and in museums. But I’d never seen it in the flesh. And I hadn’t known how much I wanted to until she’d innocently rammed her way into my life.