Page 96 of My Forever Sin

“You’re going to talk, Lacey. I want answers, so I will get them.” I inch towards her slowly, and she plants her feet into the sofa as if she can get further away from me. “Where did you get the pictures?” I ask, still taking steady steps towards her. “What did you do to Jordie?”

The toes of my boots hit the cracked, leather sofa and I lean forward, resting my fists behind her head on the backrest. Her rapid breaths fill the room, loud enough to drown out the music. She’s scared. Good.

“I’m starting to get impatient here, Lace,” I sing-song.

A door creaks from below—the basement, but I don’t pull my attention away from her. Maybe I shouldn’t have come here on my own. I am severely outnumbered here.

“I really don’t know what’s on that stick.”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Leisurely pulling the gun out of my pocket, I place it on the sofa next to her, crouching before her. Without moving her head, she glances at it, then shifts uncomfortably, eyes widening. A jolt of satisfaction pings through my chest. “You see, Lacey. My girl is on those files. Quite provocative pictures of my girl. Naked, even.”

Her throat works hard to swallow.

“So, forgive me for trying to find out who exactly has taken these pictures without her consent. I do believe it is revenge porn, and a crime punishable by law.” My lips slowly pull into a sickeningly sweet smile. “Showing your nails in that video was your biggest fucking mistake.”

She breaks. Her spine straightens and her lips are pulled tight before she rushes out, “You can’t do anything,” she spits. “Those laws don’t apply in Blackcastle, and you know that.”

“So, what I’m hearing is it was you.” My limbs are trembling with barely restrained anger. “Laws might not apply in Blackcastle, but it also means they don’t apply to me either.” I wrap my hand around the handle of the pistol. “Your punishment is whatever I decide.”

Her nostrils flare from the large amount of oxygen she’s inhaling. “She deserved it.”

I’m shaking so fucking much that I feel on the verge of passing out. “Deserved to be sexually assaulted?” I snarl, snapping up straight as she cranes her neck to look at me. “I deserved to be raped?”

“You wanted it.” Her voice is low as she inches her face towards me in intimidation.

I grab her neck, making her whimper, and jerk her closer to my face. Her hands splay out next to her, gripping the sofa. “Why were you delivering that stick to Heath?”

“Let go of me.” She grips my wrist, attempting to pull my hand away.

“Answer me,” I shout, no longer able to control my anger.

“Ask him yourself,” she says with her teeth pressed tightly together. “Let go of me!”

I tighten my fist around her neck, cutting over her air supply and making her eyes widen. I bring the barrel of the gun to her temple as she grapples at my hand. Fuck, is this thing even loaded? “Talk.”

She gasps in a strained breath and adrenaline runs through me. She’s at my mercy now.

Her resolve snaps as breath abandons her; she nods and I let her go. She slumps to the sofa, pulling in desperate oxygen.

“Your dad… He offered me…” She pauses, fighting to bring air into her lungs. “I was gonna be mayor. For Blackcastle’s sister town.”

I lean back. It all makes sense.

“He was going to make me a leader. Just like Vivian and him.”

“Keep talking,” I snap, pushing at her head with the barrel.

“I was going to marry Dorrian. Have his babies.”

“What?”

She’s more relaxed now, her hand massaging her neck. “Marriage. He and I were going to be the mayors.”

I was never the endgame. It was Dorrian.

This town is one big cult. But it can’t be everyone, can it? Asher and Blake aren’t—

“What are the pictures and videos for? What are they doing with them?”