Page 1 of Sinful Addiction
Chapter One
Mina slid out of thetaxi and stood in front of what looked like a huge old mansion or castle and shivered.It was a big, imposing building and made her feel small and even more insecure than she already was.The fact that the place was called The Sanctuary added to her stress.
Making her anxiety even worse, the night was very dark and damp with a light mist falling, and only the lights from the building to guide her.
The older taxi driver rolled down the passenger side window.“Are you sure this is the place you’re supposed to be at, Miss?”
She turned back to the taxi driver as the tension grew inside her.Her first instinct was to jump back into the car and have the guy take her back home, but if she did that, she might not get another chance to see her father.It had been so long, and she missed him.He was the only family she had left.
She shook her head.“No, this is where I need to be, but thank you for your concern.”
The guy shrugged, looked at the house, and then back at her.“All right, Miss.Be careful.”
She nodded and watched as he drove down the long driveway and out the huge wrought-iron gates to get to this ginormous home.
She turned back to the front door.It was two large, dark wooden doors with intricate carvings that arched at the top and long, thin etched-glass windows on either side, through which a bit of light came from the inside.She thought the door of a castle might look similar.
She got more confused, standing in front of the place.Why in the world would her father want to meet here after being gone so long?Why not come to her apartment?Or even stop by her work as he’d done before?Instead, he left a note at the grocery store where she worked and a pass to get into the exclusive Sanctuary on the outskirts of Atlanta.
Her head tipped back as her eyes scanned the three-story house.The large slabs of gray stone would have seemed cold but for the windows along all three stories.Each window was its own work of art done in stained glass.Instead of being too much, it lent color and personality to the house, making it less stark and imposing.
She straightened her long, colorful summer skirt and sleeveless pink button-down shirt.She’d left her hair down to swing against her hips in a thick cascade of black curls.She had matured since the last time she and her father had seen each other, and she wondered whether he would recognize her or if she would have trouble identifying him.
Here goes nothing, she thought.She pulled the door pass out of her purse, squared her shoulders, and walked up the wide stone stairs to the massive doors.She raised her hand to knock when the door suddenly opened, startling her into taking several steps back.
“Oh, hey, sorry,” the guy said.
He was tall, as was the woman he had an arm curled around.Both were dressed strangely.The man was dressed all in black: black leather pants and a flowy black shirt.The woman had next to nothing on but matched him in a black leather miniskirt and a barely-there shirt.They stopped and stared down at her with matching frowns of concern.
“Are you sure this is where you want to be, doll?”the man asked.
She nodded as she pressed her hand to her chest to calm her racing heart.
“Yes, I’m very sure,” she said and smiled.
The couple looked at each other, shrugged, and then walked off.
Mina noticed the door was cracked open, so she pushed it in farther to slip inside.A shiver of apprehension slid down her spine.The entry was vast and cold.The walls were a shiny gray stone like the outside, and the floors were a darker colored gray, enormous tile.Off to the right stood a tall counter with a young woman behind it, and a huge man in leather pants and no shirt stood scowling at her from across the room and in front of another large door.
Her eyes widened as she took him in.He was so large.The man had muscles on top of muscles.She guessed it would take one hit from one of his massive fists to kill her.Mina could tell from her position that she barely came up to his chest.
She could faintly hear the slow, seductive music coming from the room the guy guarded.
“Can I help you?”
She turned to the woman at the desk, and her eyes widened.The woman was lovely with a short cap of blonde hair that fit her face perfectly.She wore a black lace bra, and that was it as far as Mina could see, because the rest of her was hidden behind the counter.She swallowed back her nerves and tried to control the subtle tremble that had slowly built since she left the taxi.
“Hey, are you okay?”
She relaxed a bit at the concern on the girl’s face.The woman seemed sweet, and she put Mina at ease a bit when she smiled.
“I...”Mina cleared her throat.“I’m meeting someone here.”
The guard and the woman shared a look.
“Are you sure it’s here?”Stacy questioned.
Mina took a few steps forward and handed the pass to the woman.“Yes, he left this for me.”
